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Heathsunderer

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Posts posted by Heathsunderer

  1. Greetings, everyone. I hope you're having a nice day.

     

    As the title says, what are some survival horror games that require a considerable time investment to beat? I've recently stumbled upon "Lost in Vivo" which seems to be right up my alley save for its disappointingly short campaign. I don't hold it against the developer because they're indie and all but it has me thinking whether there are any other games in the same vein that take more than just a few sittings to complete. Does anything come to mind? 

     

    Cheers to anyone who helps me fill my upcoming Christmas break with neat games.

    • Like 1
  2.  

    I pretend the books were never written.

    I recommend avoiding the horrid D&D movies, such as:

     

    Always find it strange whenever I talk to someone that says they like the D&D movies but didn't like the Mortal Kombat ones lol (basically the same thing in a different package).

     

    Huh, I think there was a re-run of this movie on local TV just the other day. Didn't hang around since I don't watch any. 

    EDIT: I would definitely be down for some D&D animation à la Paul Johnson (Otaking) though. 

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  3. To me it would be awesome to have all new characters but be able to go to an inn and run into say, a cameo of Minsc and Boo or go to a castle and run into Imoen or things like that. Just to add that level of detail for us geezers but still be fresh enough for a new aspect on a D&D game. I need me easter eggs like a pot o'gold!

    If I recall, the Bhaalspawn depending on your choices in the game can have a baby with either the drow or the avari'el mage, although the former only comes up in the ending. Seems much easier to weld into a potential sequel's story than Duke Abdel or someone dying in a battle and half the original cast having been eaten alive. I pretend the books were never written.

    • Like 1
  4. Wouldn't Blizzard be the "Disney" of videogame industry nowadays? Say what you want about their business practices, but they are really trying to be "wholesome" and more-or-less fun for everyone to enjoy. They never get political, they stay out of any controversies and just want to make a quality product that would be enjoyable by masses. They are simply too big now to take any risks. And I actually respect them for that in a weird sense.

     

    As for BG3 itself - I'm not saying "don't do it" - far from it, I am just very aware that it will most likely not be a game for me. Therefore, my disinterest.

     

    I can see - and maybe even prefer - it working as a sequel in a way of "The Force Awakens" - a fun, safe nostalgia trip down the memory lane and nothing else. Don't take unnecessary risks. Make something that both new and old fans - and pretty much everyone - can enjoy. Pulling it off is actually harder than one may think. And yes, as a fan of OT, I did enjoy TFA.

    TLJ... not really.

     

    SoD was arguably trying to be that escapist nostalgia trip in high concept - too bad the narrative lead had some other ideas, which didn't work out in the end.

     

    Now that you've brought up Blizzard, I guess you could go so far as to say they strive to be 'wholesome'. The thing is, their games don't seem to have very much depth to them story-wise (I did enjoy playing Warcraft 3 and Diablo 2 when I was growing up) and nowadays as a young man with an overbearing sense of entitlement I can't bring myself to replay them anymore since neither the setting nor lore catch my fancy. On the other hand, BG (which is a flawed gem in my view) was just as entertaining and gripping when I was a kid (didn't beat it back then) as it was on my first successful run a few months ago. So yeah, making a game that both kids/teens and grown-ups will find to their liking is tough as nails but that's why we call them 'classics' or 'timeless'.  :no:

     

    EDIT: In addition, Blizzard does get political: https://archive.fo/vn46j

  5.  

     

     

    Oh, trust me - BG2 and *especially BG1* had a LOT of problems, you don't have to tell me that. But that's the thing about nostalgia - you are biased in favour. PS:T had much better story, IWD may have had a better encounter design. But BG series for me is like a worn childhood teddy-bear. It's beat-up, ugly and there are other out there - but this is the one I am fond of.

     

    I am not religiously attached to any of the game mechanics, or a given type of play. BG 3 can be turn based, RTWP, third-person or isometric, with full motion capture, full or partial VO or anything in between and I won't care. 

     

    I would actually kill to play the X-COM: Enemy Unknown-style 5e turn-based BG3 with some nice QoL attachements. I don't think 5e would work particularly well with RTWP. You can throw in Dragon Age type third-person camera if it won't make the gameplay too cluttered. 

     

    What I would care about is whether the "feel" of the story fits the BG series. Meaning the adventurous atmosphere, funny, charming characters and quirky, lighthearted story - that's all I ask.. I simply want to have fun in Faerun again. And romance elven/drow maidens - and I won't budge on that particular part. 

     

     

    And if it somehow turns out that BG 3 actually has a romancable Eilistraee priestess as a companion - disregard everything I said about not being interested.

     

     

     

    And I do realise that capturing the elusive, fun "feel" of BG games is much harder than just making an isometric game on D&D licence and calling it BG3.

     

    ...By the way I absolutely adored Witcher 3. I legitimately did feel like a teenager playing BG 2 again, incidentally. Don't ask me why. Maybe it's the "adventurous" feel that this game nailed.

    I can relate to your wearing nostalgia goggles and not wanting a potential new installment to tarnish the spell that has laid hold of you since beating the original saga but think of it this way: it's not all about you and me, there are other gamers right now with a fledgling interest in CRPG's and I believe they deserve a chance to capture the same feeling of awe and inspiration that we did when we first began playing BG. I really don't understand why there is such unwillingness to greenlight a third game. Look how many sequels Final Fantasy has cranked out. Some are better and others are worse yet scarcely anyone is calling for an end to the series. Personally I've always wanted a Disney of sorts (the Disney of old, mind you) in the video game industry that makes wholesome and relatively family-friendly games with a lot of depth, which is also why I'm not a big fan of Greenwood's and his Forgotten Realms 'canon'. Anyway, BG is the closest thing to have scratched that itch for me and I'm sure many others will agree. I think of Siege of Dragonspear as an utter failure and yet my fondness for the original series has not waned. Just give it a shot and hope for the best. If it fails, big deal! 

    • Like 1
  6. That video is awesome Heathsunderer, thanks for sharing!

     

    In a way, the art kinda reminded me of this:

     

    Which is a good thing as I loved that game's art!!

    I'm glad you liked it. Check out his channel, I think he's working on Street Fighter right now. Also, he has uploaded a sneak peek into what he calls a 'space Vietnam mech' anime. It's a crying shame he doesn't have more patrons.

  7.  


    BG3 will be open world. It will likely be third person, definitely not isometric. It may be party-based, but only because it will also be co-op/multiplayer. It will be AAA. Why? Because these are the game elements that the current D&DNext generation of gamers will want. And WotC will be looking to sell millions of copies of the game, not just a few hundred thousand copies along the lines of the IE EEs or even games like PoE or Pathfinder or D:OS. That's why I feel CDPR is the odds-on likely candidate for the studio working on BG3. They have recently announced that they are, in fact, working on a new AAA RPG game that is not from the Witcher franchise. And Witcher 3's record of 35 million copies sold worldwide has got to be super-attractive to WotC.

     

     

     

    Please, no third person camera. Isometric gives you a clear and unhindered view of the battlefield. If I'm not mistaken BG was a real-time strategy game in its early stages, which is where the isometric angle came from. 

    • Like 1
  8. I understand that, but that's just the agenda now days and no matter how much we (as fans) choose not to vote with our wallets or forum complaints, that's not going to change what makes the characters but I'd have to disagree that different lifestyles or sjw agenda cripples character quality or story capacity. There's no such thing, I mean we, as straight gamers, don't like it - I don't really but I refuse to let it spoil me from enjoying a great show, movie or game with characters based around such ideals.

     

    I didn't really like when CW switched their focus to gay/bi characters, for example but that was just my prejudicial preference, now I've grown use to the fact that the world is changing. When I was in High School, there was one gay person in a class of over 400 students. Now, in that same high school, straight folk ARE the minority and the new mainspace for identifying one's self is "gender-fluid" ajd bisexual/gay are the majority. We can't really excommunicate this generation for that though, I mean to be honest we do, alot of us (from 50's to 90's) tend to make fun of or outcast this new generation for being different but in hindsight, they've already won. The more we protest the sjw linesight within our media, the more it's going to pushback - but again, that has nothing to do with quality, nor is it any worse from what made games from before the time sjw material was forced into medial culture.

    Okay, I imagine that's an American campus you're talking about, which isn't necessarily a representative sample of mankind. I don't think there has been real pushback yet because mere chatter on the Internet and in gatherings is a far cry from what associations standing up for queers, transsexuals etc. have done over the course of a few decades. Most of the activism has been done within the bounds of law, which I would be a fool to take issue with. That said, you will see actual blowback from rival members of society when people begin crowdfunding entertainment media that's diametrically opposed to something Beamdog would come up with for example. It seems silly when you first think about it but down the road I'll wager video game developers in particular will bear in mind the message their games deliver to players with their cast of characters, setting, writing, art direction and so forth. Is this a bad thing? Certainly not. If anything, I strongly believe it will raise the bar for future games and make them a lot more enjoyable. Motion picture underwent the same shift from pure entertainment value to social commentary in its heyday and people nowadays don't seem to mind anymore so much as they choose what they want to see from a wide variety of movies.

     

    P.S. In reality I know the motion picture industry is heavily monopolized, which has unwholesome bearing on your selection but I needed an example to work with.

     

    P.P.S. Some of my favorite Star Wars media was made by a fan. The comments section is hilarious. (

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  9.  

     

    Beamdog did an excellent job with the Enhanced Editions and the expansion pack though, much better than old Bioware would have anyway. Andthe way they introduced BG series to a new generation in a way that nobody else could.

    I like Beamdog.

    Expansion pack? You mean the mod they made and charged money for where the Forgotten Realms were turned into a re-education camp? Yeah, that was GOTY material *cough*. In all fairness though, Ed Greenwood liked it since it held true to the source material.
    Hmmmm... Surely, by your definition of a mod, the BGII expansions should have been for free to all buyers and games like Team Fortress, Blue Shift and Portal should just be free mods as well.

    Beamdog is ****. everything they do is ****. I'm no CDPR fan, but they'd do better with BG3 than Barfdog.

    You say that but what your reasons behind it? How exactly did they "screw" things over or is just because they made those sjw companions and everyone didn't like the fact that they are for inclusion? Which is really irrelevant to quality.

     

    Soy.

     

    I was talking about Siege of Dragonspear. I distinctly remember Trent Oster going on a tangent how there's a loud minority giving the game a bad wrap for including companions with unconventional lifestyles. Not only did Trent teach me and others that straight people were suddenly a minority on planet Earth, he also banned people from the Beamdog boards for not singing his praise and had his camp guards rate the game perfect on the Internet. 'Inclusion' is a poor excuse for bad writing and responding to criticism by calling people 'soyboys' or 'snowflakes' is a foolproof way to lose customers in the long run. When your characters are defined by their sexuality or their political affiliation, perhaps you are not cut out to be a writer.  

    • Like 4
  10. Beamdog did an excellent job with the Enhanced Editions and the expansion pack though, much better than old Bioware would have anyway. Andthe way they introduced BG series to a new generation in a way that nobody else could.

     

    I like Beamdog.

    Expansion pack? You mean the mod they made and charged money for where the Forgotten Realms were turned into a re-education camp? Yeah, that was GOTY material *cough*. In all fairness though, Ed Greenwood liked it since it held true to the source material. 

  11. Can I import my character? Do I get to play as the Bhaalspawn's offspring (pls don't hate on Aerie)? So many things going through my mind right now. If it's a brand new setting then why bother naming it BG3? Hopefully it's remotely tied to the original saga at the very least.

  12. I've just finished BoW and am busy playing through SSS, so allow me to add my 2 cents. I think each of the expansions accomplishes what it sets out to do marvelously. BoW has a great story (I love Vatnir), and SSS has some great combat (although the story is a little sleep-inducing). The last one is supposed to be about moral choices if memory serves, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they'll do with that.

     

    I think the writers behind the original Deadfire were very talented. You need only look at some of the individual lines/accents/characters to see that. But apart from the lousy god-theme, I think that Deadfire's story was killed by its open world. A smaller, tighter world like BoW would have allowed for a much better story, and without the ridiculously complex relationship system.

     

    Open world and good narratives just don't go together.

    This much is true. Open-world games struggle to come up with a consistent and unbroken narrative since side quests sweep the main plot aside making the player pay less heed to what is meant to be the meat and potatoes of the game's story. In theory, a remedy to this plague would be to tie the side quests into your main objective either by dumping lots of lore or shedding new light on recurring themes in the main quest line. Just so the player doesn't shake their head in disappointment after wrapping up a side quest and curse the developers for wasting their time fetching a worthless item for an ill-spoken NPC who seems out of place in the game's world.

    • Like 1
  13. I like it so far. Quite a lot actually.

     

    In the long chain of "spiritual succesors to Baldur's Gate" Kingmaker feels like the one coming the closest.

    Mind you, I barely started Act 1, so the game can suddenly turn horrible, but we started off on the same page.

    The writing is tropey as hell, but is very unapologetic about it and has some quirky charm. The game deliberately wants to be this cutesy D&D adventure. And Linzi is the best. She's this type of dorky, overexcited character, played completely straight and it somehow works. Go away, Xoti.

     

    It also actively plays with RPG tropes players took for granted for a long time. You can rob the family vault of your benefactor blind for no reason other than the game telling you to - beacuse taking stuff that's not yours is what you do in RPGs.

    Afterwards, the benefactor asks you to justify yourself. It actually made me chuckle a bit.

     

    Also, companions have minds of their own it seems. Jaethal and Harrim decided that they didn't like how I handled things in the tutorial area and flat out refused to be a part of my team. Beacuse, why should they?

     

    Oh, and "tracking the bandit camp" actually requires you to pass tracking skill checks and do research. What sort of sorcery is this?

     

    All in all, it's fun so far. Let's see how it fares later down the line.

    I know BG sets the bar high for role-playing games (my all-time favorite saga by the way) but I can't take too kindly to what seems like game developers cashing in on BG nostalgia and missing the mark as far as what actually made BG great. Their crowdfunding and sales pitches are like 'yo this is yet another bland fantasy setting but guess what we loved Baldur's Gate so give us your money please'. Nah, it shouldn't work like that. I'd like BG3 very much (playing as the Bhaalspawn's child in some other part of Faerun for instance) however RPG's will turn out much better if developers strive to do their own thing so the sum of their games' parts amounts to a story worthy of standing right there alongside the Bhaalspawn saga.

  14. I did the Maia romance. It wasn't great, but I wouldn't call it bad.  I think it's probably the best you can do without going full VN. I just don't think video game romance works. Even if you had some of best writers doing it, it just comes off stiff and awkward. It's better to use that time and energy on other content, like Eder banter. I will say that Maia's portrait is great and she looks hot as hell.

    I'm sorry but what does VN stand for? 

  15.  

    What's wrong with titillation? =p

     

    It seems to derail the romance and make poor filler for actual writing. Perhaps people my age are very bad at romancing people in real life so it reflects on the stuff they write for things like video games. I think titillation makes sense when your relationship is quite far ahead. Do you want your characters to be defined by their sexuality or by other facets of their personality? Besides, I have a hard time recommending games that make me look like a creep to my buddies. Just my two cents.

  16.  

     

    reject them have almost no effect

    end the relationship after it start have some influence

    but the dialogue option start romantic relationship only trigger once 

    Right. Cheers, lad. Is there any way to tell what line or option triggers a romance?

     

     

    It will be pretty obvious - the romance triggers in Deadfire aren't exactly subtle, and for a developer that previously criticized CRPG romances/said they shouldn't be implemented unless they can be done "right," Obsidian's romances are some of the most shallow and bare-bones I've ever played. That's not an indictment of Deadfire as a whole - it's a great game - but its qualities come more from excellent worldbuilding, lore, and combat than from companion character development. 

     

    The companions have dialogue, will interject in conversations, each have a personal quest, and (some) offer a romance that plays out over 5-6 interactions or so. They're okay, but they're by no means a game-defining experience.

     

    I agree wholeheartedly, sir. I imagine this is why most developers steer clear of love and sexual tension in their games. It also makes me feel queasy about recommending such games to friends or family (what will they think of me?) although I must admit it can be a huge pro if it's done right (low titillation, intense emotion). Anyway, if everything else about PoE 2 holds true to the things that made its predecessor great I will consider buying it. 

  17. Romances in Deadfire are kind of... there.

    There are four romances in the game. Xoti, Maia, Tekehu and Aloth. You can romance all of them regardless of gender.

     

    They are closer to flings, more than anything. Romances are relatively short and don't have a lot of "mileage", so to speak. The writing also might be questionable to some.

    And just don't be suprised, if some of your party members start hitting on you first. Maia and Tekehu used to be quite notorious for that. Still, you can turn them down pretty much with no consequence. I also don't remember any catfights or jealousy talks.

     

    And in whole honesty - if you wish to buy the game just for the romance, I don't think it's worth it. This game can have a lot going for it, but character interactions and especially romances can be quite spotty. But that's just my opinion.

    Thank you kindly, partner. I had heard the romantic subplots were poorly written so I have been wondering how much time and effort goes into dealing with them and wrapping them up and whether you can miss out on certain quests. I am a big fan of the ones in Baldur's Gate 2 (they unfolded slowly for me unlike these flings you speak of) but Obsidian seem to have dropped the ball with this. I am somewhat disappointed (could have done without them just like PoE did) but I am still willing to give this game a shot.

  18. Howdy, folks!

    Let me start off by saying I liked Pillars of Eternity very much. I spent a good 90 hours on my first (and so far only) run and enjoyed the setting a whole lot. That said, I have been thinking of picking up the sequel once all the downloadable content is out. There is but one thing lingering in the back of my head that's keeping me from reaching a final decision to purchase it or not. To wit: party banter. You see, in the first game getting to know your companions was for the most part a great deal of fun and following out their quest lines did not prove overly tiresome.

     

    When it comes to the sequel I have read that your character may pursue a romantic relationship with most of the party members. Let's say I have a preference for certain characters when it comes to romance. Are you able to stay on friendly terms with your party members even if you reject their advances (or if you don't hit on them, I am not sure how it works in this game)? If so, does the game let on what dialogue options lead to an affair and which options merely keep your companionship from souring? How much content as far as quests go do I forgo if I think better of becoming lovers or whatever with someone or choose one over everyone else? 

     

    I would be thrilled for prompt feedback and if some of my wording is poor let me know so I can give you a better rundown of my chief issue. Thanks for your time and fare you well. 

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