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JFSOCC

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Posts posted by JFSOCC

    Great game, too short

    in The Outer Worlds: General Discussion (NO SPOILERS)

    Posted · Edited by JFSOCC
    added relevant info

     I managed to beat the game in 3 days, though that was with me playing till deep into the night.

    I completed every quest and task.

    I too, thought it was too short. I did like how the open world was staggered so as not to be overwhelming (thank you Zero Punctuation) But Byzantine was a disappointment after the content rich monarch.

    the inclusion of a Big Bad to defeat near the end, and a twist that came out of nowhere felt tacked on.

    I wouldn't mind it if I there wasn't some overarching story to drive to a conclusion either. That's a Obsidian Staple and the strength of obsidian games in my opinion have always been in the opening and middle game. I could envision myself doing freelance work forever.

    Playing on normal mode, the game was too easy (not that I mind that terribly, as I've never been too skilled)

    I had some KOTOR:TSL flashbacks playing this game, especially near the end.

    All in all, enjoyed my time playing it, especially because it was fair priced. I do hope to find more content in the future though, maybe an expansion that allows you to go to another colony, who knows.

    -

    On a side note, the flaw system needs to be reworked imo, as its almost never worth it, and during my playthrough I picked up a flaw that was outright damaging to my build because it wasn't clear that the debuff would be always on. (paranoia) And I'm not sure what the difference between armour types is. Heavy gives you a tiny debuff to stealth.

    Spoiler

    I was also pretty weirded out that after finding out what the retirement program entailed, that I could only take it up with my quest giver. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops, "Soilent Green is people!"

    Instead I got to decide how I deal with the despicable quest giver, but not much else.

    _ I went back to check and I did enjoy finding her corpse. That's a detail that could easily have been overlooked.

    I never used the science weapons, as they seemed underpowered.

    A Special Announcement From Obsidian

    in Obsidian General

    Posted

    Obsidian joined Microsoft for security. The idea that that conglomerate gives a **** about job security is a joke. They'll shut you down as soon as you go against the grain or have more than one disappointing result. The video states that Microsoft was on board with not changing the culture at obsidian, that too, will be an empty promise that nothing in the contract will enforce.

     

    I've long felt about Feargus that he's drunk at the wheel and doesn't know what he is doing, and selling himself into bondage fits with what I expected from him.

     

    I think this will be the end of Obsidian as the creator of strong IP's, and will lead-in the era of safe and generic products and their sequels.

    please prove me wrong.

    • Like 1

    The Political Thread - Machiavelli Edition

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted

    Regulating anything, denying anything, it's all bad. All of it. If Swift is increasing voter registration that's certainly good. Too bad the new voters are going to vote to take things away from other people. But that's what happens when people think they have only two choices. But that's just how it is in the USA now. It's not about good public policy (if it ever was) it's just about electing people who will f--k over the half of the country you've been told are your enemies.

     

    The beauty of the American political system is that it corrects. The Democrats had all the power in 2008. They pissed a lot of people off and lost the House in 2010, the Senate and most of the governorship in 2012, and everything in 2016. After 2016 you could drive from Miami to Spokane Washington and not pass through any district, state or federal with a Democrat representative. The Republicans controlled everything. They are pissing people off and it looks like the Dems will take the House in 2018, in 2020 probably take the Senate if not the WH. And if they do take everything they will piss people off, the Republicans will take the House in 2022 and the cycle continues. It happens in 1992, 1994, 1996, & 2000. Then again in 2000, 2004, and 2006. On an on it goes.

    most democratic governments aren't limited to two parties. which may be why 40% of US citizens never vote, they're eager for option C or D but it doesn't really exists. That way, 'correction' wouldn't have to be so drastic every time.

    • Like 1

    The Athenaeum - Reading updates and Literary Review from the Obsidian Elite (this means you)

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted

    So I've been reading in Nicholas Jubber's Timbuktu school for Nomads. I loved his previous books and this one is no different.

     

    If you like adventure stories, travel writing and history, this is the author for you. His first book, The Prester Quest follows his backpacking journey from Italy overland to Egypt and ultimately Ethiopia, while he retraces the steps of a letter from the pope to the mythical Christian king Prester John who supposedly reigned over a powerful kingdom below Egypt, with the ultimate goal of delivering the letter he found in Jerusalem.

    The book alternates from recounting the journey of the original bearer, a physician to the pope who left writings, and his own experiences with culture and politics of the regions he travels.

     

    Jubber's second book Drinking Arak of an Ayatollah's beard, describes his time in Iran and Afghanistan, on a similar quest to travel through rough and dangerous terrain against the backdrop of Iran's most famous literary work, the Shahnameh, or Book of Kings ("Kingnames") giving insight to present day culture as well as celebrating the history of a ruined empire.

     

    The Timbuktu School for Nomads show that Jubber pursues his passion despite his fears, aiming to travel by Camel through the ancient nomad trade routes from Timbuktu, learning passable Arabic, and experiencing how nomads live today versus at the hight of the Malian Empire.

     

    His works are deeply personal and you can see that a history nerd is living his dream and growing through his challenges as, if not to T.E Lawrence levels, at least a more than competent reporter willing to go the extra mile, or 1200 miles.

    -

    And my manager dropped a bunch of her books on me before going off on holiday, so my stack is back up to 10+ "to do"

     

    But I'm looking forward to reading The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro and The Golden House by Salman Rushdie, I think For Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemingway will take a while longer for me to get to, and I don't know if I want to make time for Karin Slaughter, but she lent me Indelible as well.

     

    I don't know how fast she thinks I can read but I'm making it a priority to read at least one of those soon, after I finish Jubber's book.

    The Political Thread - Machiavelli Edition

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted

    Also, the economy is ridiculously good right now. If   Democrats control the House and/or Senate, it will be an endless partisan fight between the Congress v. White House and/or House vs. Senate. That kind of political fights and unpredictability will only derail the economy.

    Your national debt has grown by 1.6 trillion MORE than expected since Trump took office.

    The Political Thread - Machiavelli Edition

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted

    I definitely think we're in the darkest time-line, with right-extremist strong-man politicians such as Trump, Putin, Joko Widodo, Rodrigo Duterte, Shinzo Abe, Jair Bolsonaro, Reccep Erdogan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Viktor Orban and Andrzej Duda, amongst many more longtime hyper-conservatives such as the king of Morocco and the King of Saudi Arabia, I think it might be historically the worst time to be an immigrant anywhere on planet earth today. And you are right to have fear if you are a woman or part of a minority.

     

    I see someone in this thread remarking on how because he's been unfairly accused of sexual misconduct that Brett Kavanaugh must gain the benefit of the doubt. Besides that being complete bull****, even if it wasn't, it's not what disqualifies him, it's his statements of blatant political partisanship, being pro-republican, and his atrocious medieval ideas on reproductive rights and gay rights, as well as his belief that a president should be free of the risk of indictment of any crime. That's rather convenient for a president who will be facing the consequences of his eternal stream of lies and fraud eventually.

    • Like 2

    The Athenaeum - Reading updates and Literary Review from the Obsidian Elite (this means you)

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted

    I finally finished Welcome to Nightvale. Very fun and silly book. Now I'm back to my weeb crap with Konosuba 6. When I'm done with that, I'll probably be reading Cormac McCarthy's the Road as inspiration for my current writing project.

    I read welcome to nightvale, ironically because patrick rothfuss recommended it on his blog. I thought it was OK, but I feel I missed out on some in-jokes because I don't follow the podcast.

    The Athenaeum - Reading updates and Literary Review from the Obsidian Elite (this means you)

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted

    The only book/series I ever hated is Robin Hobb's. I read the first trilogy and I was so pissed off at my self for not dropping it after book 1. The main character is so unlikable for me, I was hoping that he would redeem him self by the end of it...

     

    I read the first trilogy as a teenager, so that will have skewed my view as it was pretty much my introduction to fantasy fiction that didn't accompany a MTG pack.

     

     

    Robin Hobb is my favorite fantasy author. Fitz isn't really the most likeable character, but he does some crazy cool stuff over the 9 or so books that cover his entire life. Still, her Soldier's Son trilogy is even better at making an unlikeable character that I want to know the full story behind.

     

    I loved David Gemmel books back in the day too.

    I finished Fitz arc early this year and I was pleased to see it bookended, but I've come done somewhat from my love for the series. The Bingtown trader books I couldn't get through and I really tried. The Soldier son trilogy I finished but didn't like so much, the ending was too neat. the whole time you're set up to expect a bad ending and then at the end it all falls into place a little too nicely.

    The Athenaeum - Reading updates and Literary Review from the Obsidian Elite (this means you)

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted

    For Fantasy fiction I enjoyed Robin Hobbs books, if you can get past the melancholy of her characters, I've enjoyed Trudi Cannavan, even if it is a little stock fantasy, Jacqueline Carey, if you don;t mind lots of sex, and Brent Weeks, although he manages to move from low to high fantasy within a trilogy, I like his well written characters, enough that I tolerate his use of prophecy as a narrative device (and yes The_Dog_Days, I'm aware that in Dune it's social engineering, and yet the protagonist still works out to be the actual "chosen one")

     

    Mistborn I've read because it was recommended to me as intelligent fantasy, but I didn't like it.

    I got gifted (way before the tv series) game of thrones and threw it away after chapter 2, I do not regret it

     

    For Sci-fi, I'm less well versed, but I loved Hyperion by Dan Simmons, I think one of the previous threads on this forum recommended it to me, maybe more Science fantasy than Science fiction, and I thought Neuromancer by William Gibson was pretty good, although that's cyberpunk, not really Sci-Fi. (and to me it read like a film noir)

     

    I dunno, I tend to get my Sci-fi fix through cinema and tv-series, but I welcome advise.

    I have a hypothesis concerning Patrick Rothfuss and the elusive third book, it goes something like this.

    Rothfuss knows the broad lines of his work, but he gets carried away, we know that that is like.

    Every time he creates a loose thread of a plot arc, he wishes to have it neatly resolved in book three, the problem is that he has created too many. Since it takes him about two hundred pages to resolve any arc (by my rough count) ignoring any new ones that would get introduced during the resolution of these narrative arcs, he'd need to write a lot.

    He needs to resolve Bast's origin/introduction;

    He needs to resolve the expulsion from university;

    The obvious 9 villains arc;

    The introduction of these pesky demonic arachnid creatures;

    Tthe lackless box in his possession;

    How the maer's fiance is actually Kvothe's aunt;

    Learning the names and creating rings of a few more elements,

     

    not to mention he has to

    Revisit his old mentor;

    deal with draco malfoy, I mean ambrose;

    Find the secret order whose existence is removed from the library;

    Befriend the immortal storyteller who got locked up (and free him).

    Have a tragic (non)romance with Denna

     

    That's roughly a few thousand pages right there, and then that's only if he can resist the urge to not create any more (without wrecking his story, or world, of course) loose threads. and he must make it a trilogy, because that's holy to him. And that's just resolving the arcs he's already thrown out there. If Kvothe actually ever gets convinced to rejoin society and take action after telling his story, well a man might still have some legend in him...

     

    So Rothfuss writes and writes and writes, and I believe that by now he's written the collected works of Shakespeare and it's a giant mess and he doesn't know what to do with it. He can't cut this, or that, but maybe he can rewrite, or go to Pax, play some DnD or fundraise while he plies for more time. Meanwhile it becomes a bigger and bigger obstacle in his mind because he cannot fathom a world where it takes him more than three books to finish his narrative.

    I bet that his drive to bookend and tie a nice bow on his story will prevent him from ever completing it.

     

     

    • Like 2

    The Athenaeum - Reading updates and Literary Review from the Obsidian Elite (this means you)

    in Way Off-Topic

    Posted · Edited by JFSOCC

    I've been reading The Lions of al Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay, it's not really grabbed me yet.

     

    Before that I finally read Dune, which I have to say is a piece of ****. I don't understand how that book became such a cultural touchstone. It's plot driven, the main protagonist is a giant Mary Sue, the main antagonist is a one-dimensional cruel stereotype, all ancillary characters are there to support the plot. I guess I should have seen the red flags when they were talking about prophecy early on.

     

    Next on the docket is "Adults in the Room" by Yanis Varoufakis.

     

    I'm still hoping Rothfuss will stop fundraising and ****ing finally finish book three.

    Update #39 - From the Feed of the Director Part III

    in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Announcements & News

    Posted

     

    I'm so happy to see that there is a real animation budget for Deadfire.

    But I dunno, I've seen more developer interaction in Eternity, I'd like to see you guys more on these forums.

     

    With the last game I think they needed more of a heading, and part of the first crowd-funding deal was very backer driven content. Now certain design decisions have been established, and I think the devs have a good understanding of how to foist up PoEs mechanics seeing as they actually made the first game not us. Plus they probably want to test out some ideas of their own and leave more as a surprise.

     

    I'm sure they are quite busy working and socializing amongst themselves, so I'd rather us be their resource rather than the other way around.

     

    I'm sure that even in PoE they had a roadmap and a plan. Developer interaction is important regardless of how they're approaching Deadfire. I believe Obsidian gained a lot from interaction during the development of PoE, even when they made different choices. Ultimately it's about respecting your base, which I believe this update does not.

    Please God Make Obsidian Make Non-Combat Level Quest!

    in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire General Discussion (NO SPOILERS)

    Posted · Edited by JFSOCC

    I think it would benefit Deadfire to have not just one but several quests that do not revolve around combat OR dialogue, but rather force the player to pay attention to the environment. It's clear that obsidian has put some effort into their environments, I think one of the best ways to make players appreciate those better is to have an incentive to look around.

     

    So something like a secret network that exists throughout the game, where you can find secret rooms in buildings for instance, would be a great way to showcase environment art.

    Also note that combat isn't what everyone gets the most of their enjoyment out of. Pillars has a story-mode option for a reason. Having a large enough stack of non-combat quests not only pleases people like me, who didn't enjoy combat as much, but also gives the developers a different approach to providing challenging gameplay.

    Diversity in quests and quest-types can only benefit Deadfire, IMO.

     

    Edit: and I don't believe they just have to be limited to the few quest examples given in this thread.

    • Like 3
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