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Ice9

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Posts posted by Ice9

    SW: The Old Republic Part 3

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    C&C doesn't really exist outside of flashpoints, and even within them it is rather limited. Most of the time it is "Okay, i did this thing so I get to skip these enemies and have this different boss fight instead." Otherwise, it is simply go all dark or all light so you can use the higher level items that require a certain dark or light score.

    Mass Effect 3

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    I'm with Nep on the subject of the Mako. Just driving around on a planet's surface looking for your mission access point and whatever pieces of old technology lying around to salvage by playing Frogger was pretty monotonous. I didn't mind the segments like the one on Virmire, for instance. It wasn't as polished as the rest of the game but it was a nice change of pace. Sometimes you just need a few minutes of something different to get back into the grind.

    SW: The Old Republic Part 3

    in Computer and Console

    Posted · Edited by Ice9

    You're right, Khem Val's issue is resolved through quests that are tied to raising his affection. So do that and stuff will happen.

     

    And I though the final quest with Thanaton was really unsatisfying:

     

     

    So you chase him down the Dark Council chambers. Then you have an epic fight with him CC'ing your tank, revivifying himself, and just being a pain in the ass. Then you finally beat him and CUTSCENE. The Dark Council looks disappointed than some big ugly force chokes him to death. I immediately wanted to go lightsaber that guy in the face for stealing my kill! You could at least give me the satisfaction of letting me kill the dude I've been chasing around the galaxy for two acts.

     

    SW: The Old Republic Part 3

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    Well, I hit 50 on my inquisitor and started some of the end game stuff. Did that last patch nerf all the Heroics? It seemed like The False Emperor just became so much easier. Unfortunately I'm having the worst luck with bugs. The last boss on Eternity Vault bugged out on my raid group every time we tried last week.

    SW: The Old Republic Part 2

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    Does anyone know why I don't always get more points in archeology when I use it? I get the crystals and what not, but the skill doesn't get better sometimes. It's around 145 now.

     

    As you level skills you get fewer and eventually no points for doing low level things. Orange = Hard (most XP) Yellow = Average, Green = Easy (least XP), Grey = SOL. Your crafting skill will work the same way.

    SW: The Old Republic Part 2

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    I've pulled myself out long enough and I guess I missed the memo. I'm off on Vulkar Highway. I've hit level 28 so far as an inquisitor.

     

    I feel compelled to mention that Synthweaving seems like a complete waste of time. At this point I can make a bunch of decent gear but I've gotten so many orange pieces of armor that are moddable, it seems like it would have been so much more practical to go with Cybertech and just focus on making new upgrades.

    SW: The Old Republic Part 2

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    Well, I was able to putz around in the stress test this weekend. I had a good time; the Inquisitor storyline had me intrigued and I enjoy the caster mechanics, so I found my main at launch pretty easily. As somebody else mentioned a few pages earlier, I hit quicksave once or twice myself. I do admit that I'm partial to using the escape button to replaying dialog trees. I found myself being confused at dialog responses to the three word select a choice model that everything seems to be moving towards these days; I'm glad that there is an option to redo it.

    A theological question of gaming

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    I have no idea David Eddings is. I was hoping that you were talking about Dave Eggers, but no such luck.

     

    But that comment was about D&D universe which is biased by the three years or I so I was playing in a Planescape campaign. I never got the impression that belief in a set of deities was mutually exclusive. In fact, I kind of assumed ignorance on the part of most creatures. I figured with an infinite number of Prime worlds you're bound to have tons of Gods from worlds, that had never met each other, in conflict in the Outer Planes. Sometimes, I'd wager, these Gods even have overlapping spheres of influence. Though it could be that my perspective is far too zoomed out to get a sense of of the situation on the ground.

    A theological question of gaming

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    For one thing, it's economical - if you're not going to put a lot of emphasis on it writing/gameplay wise, it helps to have just one powerful religion that can be placed in all of your locations, providing plot hooks, etc and also helping immersion through continuity. If you wanted multiple theologies or religions competing with each other you'd want to give it a more central role, or your setting would be more of a 'roam the big world we have and meet all the wacky cultures" (e.g. some Final Fantasies).

     

    This is the correct answer to the original question. If you're going to add the necessary complexity of real life to your fictional universe you're going to get bogged down in the details. Creating something with half as much authenticity as history is a monumental task; it will be a complete waste of time if it isn't going to be absolutely central to your game.

     

    The Catholic Church didn't just have competition from the Muslims in medieval times. In fact, I would say that Islam wasn't particularly potent of an adversary in Catholic lands in the first place. There was plenty of resistance to and within Roman Catholicism in Europe during the so-called middle ages. You don't think Lutherans sprang up from a vacuum did you? :)

     

    Not true. Spain and Portugal during that time are absolutely fascinating. The Reconquista is just an amazing period in history spanning some 800 years of conflict. But the history is very messy. Unless you want that to be the absolute central theme of your game (which could be really awesome in the right hands) you're essentially wasting time if you plan on focusing about internal struggles, or a rival king trying to take over the empire, or whatever else.

     

    Thing is, can you really divide something like the D&D deities, when those gods are actually all in existence and arguing like children with one another.

     

    Probably. A polytheistic religion (or even a monotheistic religion in a polytheistic world) doesn't necessarily preclude the existence of other gods. I can believe that my gods created me, my land my people, and my nation while believing that you have your own set of creators who did the same for you. This is probably similar to what most people believed in the Near East in ancient times.

    RANDOM VIDEO GAME NEWS THREAD!

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    That is getting into evolving standards of the medium. A modern gamer would likely find either as "better" than something like Pong or Space Invaders but neither of the latter games are more important to the history of the medium than the former examples.

     

    I see similar parallels in TV and movies. I like many of the old programs, but, simply put, the majority of them are technically inferior to things produced today. They can still entertain, provoke, or do whatever it is that they were trying to do. But apart from a few exceptions, even the old stuff's highlights are diminished weakness everywhere else. It's not their fault. Film making has progressed so that things like expository dialogue is a cheap shortcut, not a necessity to telling a story. Editing is much cleaner now and pacing is generally superior - audiences are much more familiar with the medium allowing the creators to create without needing to hold the audience by the hand and explain every little detail.

     

    Okay, so I forgot where I was going with this post. I guess I'll end by saying that most of us around here can, from time to time, sound like our grandparents talking about how nobody has made a good movie since An American in Paris (or pick your own dated movie that doesn't hold up nearly as well today when removed from its historical context - Citizen Kane is another fine example: study film making and you realize how revolutionary it was. Watch it randomly and you'll probably be bored).

    Dragon Age 2

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    Well, tie-in stuff can only be so prominent when the sequel is distancing itself from the original. You might see a few common themes, but Dragon Age has different stories. Mass Effect is one big one. Arrival appears to work as a bridge because the crossing the gap between the franchises is like trying to cross a river. Trying to connect Dragon Age to Dragon Age 2 is more along the lines of building a bridge between Boston and London.

    RANDOM VIDEO GAME NEWS THREAD!

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    The haunted house in VMBL did a good job of playing on peoples fears, building up gradually as you went along. Perhaps it was because it played on familiar subjects (something fantasy and scifi games might have problems with)?

     

    That is one of my go to examples for a great set piece in gaming.

    Mass Effect 3

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    Obviously you can make your Shep look as bad(or good, I guess) as you want.

     

     

    You say that, but I fall into the camp of gamers who, when using sliders to create a face, are thrilled when their creation comes out looking mostly human.

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