Tale

It's my least liked Metal Gear Solid game. People who are into open world stuff seem to like it. I play the series more for story, characters, and boss fights. It has a few good story beats, a dearth of good characters, and maybe a couple boss fights worth mentioning.

Automated scam calls are turning into an artform, I swear. I just got one that straddled the line between "almost sounds like a real person" and "isn't going to fool anyone other than those already dumb enough to fall for scams." Which is sort of like that sweet spot for scams, I imagine. There was just enough pause for a listener to respond to a message and then it talked about putting you on hold for a specialist. It's got that aggressive salesman tactic going on. But then it requires you to press a button to continue holding while promising you won't be holding long. This is to make sure that someone picked up and it's not just hitting some automated system. But it does so making the mark think someone will be right with them. I think I answer too many calls at work if I'm starting to appreciate scams for their subtle differences.

Return of the Obra Dinn Is it too late to change my vote for Game of the Year?

Steamworks integration is actually free when sold on other stores. That's one of the big features of Steam. Valve only takes a cut from sales through Steam. The limitation is you can't give Steam customers a worse deal.

Everyone knows Direct 2 Drive is the best storefront anyway. That's where I bought Neverwinter Nights 2 and Thief: Deadly Shadows.

It's kind of striking how different Icewind Dale is from Baldur's Gate while still coming across like they're the same. Part of that is coming to it so late and doing this after a complete Baldur's Gate series run. But I end up noticing things like the spells. The sounds are the same, but the graphics are so different. Curse is anti-Bless, Chant is more powerful and disables further spellcasting! Look at all these Druid spells!

I want to watch a Pokemon movie...

I'm not worried that Obsidian will become console exclusive. Microsoft has had some surprising PC support of late. Of course, it's awkwardly cyclical if we go back a few years, where they support PC then don't. Hope they stick to it this time around. It being Microsoft Store exclusive is more likely, but still they are doing Steam releases. I was beyond thrilled when Halo Wars showed up on Steam.

I beat Throne of Bhaal with Ascension. Yeah, I cheesed the final battle, you want to make something of it? One dissapointment is the game provides ample opportunities for good PCs to fall, but none for evil PCs to rise. So when ToB started, I cheated my character over to good, imagining that after Irenicus stole his soul, he started to turn things around, finally conquering the taint when it returned. Also I'm getting tired of always playing Lawful Evil characters. Anyway, as for the cheese, I skull trapped the Four (Balthazar was on my side). Illasaera, Sendai, and Abizagal all died instantly. Yaga Shura went down with a single Harm. Then I proceeded to spam stuff at Melissan until she got trapped. Ended up not damaging anyone. With alacrities and four casters spamming a mix of implosion, comet, bigby, and feeblemind, she was pretty ruined against Sarevok with a +6 weapon. Edit: Onto Icewind Dale. Paladin, Fighter-Berserker, Druid, Thief/Cleric, Bard, Sorcerer. I've barely ever played this before, so it's going to be interesting. On the plus side I don't have to juggle companion quests. Detail in enviroments is beautiful. I'm struck by something as simple as the shop in the starting area with its lighting. It's hard to believe this game came out before Throne of Bhaal, let alone Shadows of Amn!

Only mods I'm using are unfinished business and ascension. I know it's not supposed to, that's why it's so weird. I thought Pierce Shield was getting rid of the protection against magic weapons, but it looks like my remove magic is taking care of that (to my surprise). Pierce Shield should only remove one thing and I could see fire shield disappearing in two separate instances as it hit. I could be imagining things, so I'll have to double check. Of course that means I'll be holding back. When I fought Illasaera I just time stopped, alacritied, and then emptied my spellbook of dragons breaths and wiltings. I actually felt sad for her. I'll have to not do that to Gromnir.

So, apparently the thing I was missing in all my previous playthroughs was +4 weapons and Pierce Shield. That and treating Jaheira like a fighter instead of a Druid. Irenicus didn't even bring any of my characters down to yellow before I murdered him and the monsters he summoned. Pierce Shield doesn't seem to work like the wiki says it does. The wiki says it removes spell protections and lists several of them. But when I use it, it always gets rid of fireshield.

As a new player, I found those more frustrating than epic. Being immune to weapons below +4 doesn't make for much strategy. And being immune to the lower level breach further narrows your options. The more strategic fights I found to be more usual dungeon bosses. And those were pretty awesome. Establishing a line with your fighters, unleashing magic from the back. Making sure your cleric was mobile to respond to issues.

Is Dungeons 2 basically two completely different games slapped together? First level is played like a traditional RTS. Highlight select your unit (you only have one since it's a tutorial) and move attack him. Second level is played like I can only imagine a Dungeon Keeper style. You can't select units, you have to use the hand to actually pick them up and toss them in the vicinity of stuff. Otherwise you hope they just get to it.

Edit: Wrong thread. Edit again: I just bought Dungeons 3. It sounds up my alley and is on sale on GoG.

I demand a review, Shady. I was close to picking it up in the recent Steam sale. I own 1 and 2. Problem being that I own them, but have never made the time to play them.

It's Dark Fantasy IN SPACE where the main good guys are an entire faction of Lawful Stupid Paladins. And the story potential is there for other characters to try and navigate that. Trying to stop some great evil while not being a jerk yourself and not getting smashed by the jerks on your own side. Usually this goes horribly wrong. But hey, that's what I like in horror stories anyway. I'm still waiting for an epic party based RPG. Any day now. Any day...

What the heck, Safana? I used you through all of BG1 and SoD and you do this? Got the Lanfear encounter in BG2. Almost forgot about it being a thing. Coran did not survive, either. It's kind of fun to read the trivia on the wiki as to the origin of that.

https://kotaku.com/sources-blizzard-pulled-diablo-4-announcement-from-bli-1830232246 Jason Schreier, usually pretty reputable with this kind of thing, says his sources say Diablo 4 was going to be announced, but was pulled. I've seen speculation that was the case floating around, specifically that the decision to pull Diablo 4 was the beginning of October shortly before the post that people shouldn't get their hopes up. Where the speculation differed from this rumor is that this rumor says they were going to announce both. Immortal, then follow up with a 4 announcement. People were speculating that Immortal was tossed together to cover up the loss of 4.

I'm not sure I'm the right guy to answer it. The Diablo Immortal reveal was deaf to the wants of their audience. The internet community is addicted to its outrage and acting like children. And I don't even like Diablo games. My distaste for Diablo is why I was a late adopter of Baldur's Gate because they look vaguely visually similar. But I'm also a loser who spends too much time on the internet, so I'm going to try anyway. But something was pointed out that helps paint Blizzard's crappy reveal as even crappier than I originally thought. People pay money to attend or watch Blizzcon. Like $50 or something to see what Blizzard's been up to and be part of a community event getting excited about the next big reveal. And people ended up getting a lame overhyped title meant for playing on the toilet. If I was anticipating anything here, if I was a fan of Diablo who is waiting and anticipating finding out what they're doing next with a franchise I very much care about, to the point that I paid money to see it, to say I would be deflated might be an understatement.

They're decent, but it feels like watching a VHS tape nowadays. I'd like them cleaned up a bit at a minimum.

I just want to know how they're handling the cinematics. They remade a trailer for it. Will they remake the rest? My hype will go overdrive if they do anything to clean them up and uprez them.

The Diablo Immortal reveal was poorly handled. That said, all the childish outrage and angst makes me want to go ahead and buy Diablo III. If people are this upset about not getting what they want, I kind of want to see what I'm missing. But I keep remembering that I hate loot fests and grinding. Edit: I recall seeing some trailer where a IV turned into an M. Was that not Diablo Immortal? This is going to bother me all day.

I killed Kangaxx. Mostly it was Minsc slamming him in the face with the Mace of Disruption +2 and me off in a corner removing his defenses. He killed the Lich form the normal way. But the very first hit against the Demilich got instakilled by the Mace. Then I went to clear out the Twisted Rune hideout. Hoo boy, the Staff of Magi is nice.

Finished up Spellhold. Things are looking up this game for probably two reasons. One, I'm looking up where all the best equipment is so I have two undead slaying weapons already. Two, I'm treating Jaheira as a fighter instead of a backup healer. In previous games, I'd give all the best armor to Viconia to protect the healer, then send Minsc in to tank. And then Jaheira would back him up and heal as needed. Focusing on Jaheira's AC and letting her go in first, enemies struggle to hit her. And with my undead slaying weapons, when I ran into the generic lich while escaping spell hold, he died in the first hit. So I'm feeling comfortable about tackling the others when I get back to Athkatla.

I think he's talking about how you can't rest on the street in a city. Or in other people's houses, even empty ones. I can't recall if you can rest in your stronghold. I think you can.