What Are you Playing Now: Living the Good Life

[Hurlshort]

I always knew he was destined for greatness.

[ComradeYellow]

What...in the Hellish nightmare...IS that??

[LadyCrimson]

Warms my heart to know Prosper (may be) prospering!   

[Bartimaeus]

3 hours ago, Hurlsnot said:

I always knew he was destined for greatness.

It's actually pretty good, too! Thank you, Prosper, very cool.

[bugarup]

Finished "Prey". Was pretty omnipotent towards the end of the game with so many consumables and ammo I could set up shop. Decided I'd go typhon-only neuromods for the second playthrough and it appears to be hard mode. Teeny tiny inventory, no sneaking, no gun upgrades, short psi bar...on the other hand, now when I can't just stop time and bash a critter with the wrench, I have to do things like paying attention to possible exploits in environment. It's still fun, just with much slower progression. Game good and I already miss its approach to moving about in other games, where Hero Almighty gets defeated by a fallen tree on his path. 

Also decided to try out a JRPG. Read glowing reviews for "Trails in the sky", bought it, realized that, a) those reviews were written by JPRG fans, b) J and W RPGs seemingly run on very different sets of quality criteria, c) I am not the target audience. Like, game's world building gets praised as something extraordinary, but it's just, well, 3.6 roentgen. I wonder how bad other JRPGs have it if this passes for excellence. Also, fighting takes too long, monsters look very silly, soundtrack is elevator music and the game seriously pushes romance between protagonists who are adopted siblings.

The story itself is game's saving grace, at least so far, so I'm going to get the sequel when it goes on big discount next time. Unless the last act falls apart; you can never fully trust a game that's pro-incest.

 

[bringingyouthefuture]

Put down BG3 because the level cap is 4, didn't see the point in trying to slog my way through higher level encounters stuck at level 4, now I know why so many people are commenting on having to cheese your way through battles, I almost feel like Larian did the level cap so low compared to enemy encounters on purpose to see how people break the combat ... in general I think the game is gonna be great fun!! even if they don't fix everything I wish they would.

Back to my POE1 and 2 play through as a Paladin, finally almost finished with POE1 and excited to play POE2 again after letting it sit for awhile to see how I really feel about it

[the_dog_days]

5 hours ago, bugarup said:

Also decided to try out a JRPG. Read glowing reviews for "Trails in the sky", bought it, realized that, a) those reviews were written by JPRG fans, b) J and W RPGs seemingly run on very different sets of quality criteria, c) I am not the target audience. Like, game's world building gets praised as something extraordinary, but it's just, well, 3.6 roentgen. I wonder how bad other JRPGs have it if this passes for excellence. Also, fighting takes too long, monsters look very silly, soundtrack is elevator music and the game seriously pushes romance between protagonists who are adopted siblings.

Talk to the NPCs. They have their own lives that go on as you progress the game. It has nothing to do with you, it's something very easy to miss, and yet the creators still wrote thousands of lines that 90%+ of players never see. Also, the world building is pretty great but they don't just dump all of it on you at once. You have to play father into the series.

[bugarup]

10 minutes ago, the_dog_days said:

Talk to the NPCs. They have their own lives that go on as you progress the game. It has nothing to do with you, it's something very easy to miss, and yet the creators still wrote thousands of lines that 90%+ of players never see. Also, the world building is pretty great but they don't just dump all of it on you at once. You have to play father into the series.

I'm talking to them. It's just that the majority of them say really boring stuff like "I'm on a shopping spree wooooooo!" or "My hubs and kid never help me wash the dishes, what jerks". So after some time you just stop clicking on random NPCs lest they babble about their boring chores again. I do like how exposition is paced, though. No huge infodumps, just appropriate bits and pieces as you progress. And I like the world itself, way more interesting than ye olde high fantasy cliche.

[Humanoid]

Yeah, my experience in Trails in the Sky was being sent into a sewer level to kill some rats. I bailed midway through that opening dungeon on seeing it was exactly as described (other than the rat graphics being distinctly unratlike.

Anyway, I picked up the much-delayed Iberia expansion for Euro Truck Simulator 2 (plus the Balkans expansion too because why not). I've only just entered Spain from my home base in northern Italy but I already have one burning question: Spain, what the hell is up with your toll booths?

 

(RL photo, but portrayed accurately)

[Raithe]

Well, I apparently managed to get 60.2 hours in on Horizon Zero Dawn, finishing it (and the Frozen Wilds dlc expansion) with a 95% completion rating...

I have to say, I am very impressed with the storyline. Some of the turns I could see coming, but it was all impeccably told with some very emotive beats to it all. Suitably reinforced with the soundtrack.

Nicely roaming open world, although it really re-inforces the "hunter not warrior" with how meh the melee combat aspects to it are. If you aren't sniping with a bow, or sneaking up to silent strike, things will go horribly wrong.

I understand the sequel is in the works for release on console this year, so I imagine it'll be another 2-3 years before we get the PC adaption.

[ComradeYellow]

HZD looks absolutely stunning and right up my alley but I AM NOT SPENDING ANOTHER CENT ON A GAME until I get through a good chunk of all this other crap I bought.

[Oner]

1 hour ago, Raithe said:

I understand the sequel is in the works for release on console this year, so I imagine it'll be another 2-3 years before we get the PC adaption.

It might be faster, Sony finally realized that selling stuff makes money.

[Hawke64]

Replayed Dead Space. It works well on Win10, it is atmospheric, and it has a (relatively) unique combat mechanic. 
Though, the horror part started only by Chapter 11 (story-wise). Almost all necromorphs dropped ammo for my equipped weapons, there were plenty of healing supplies (Normal difficulty), the map was very helpful and reliable.

Completed Soma. I guess, it was not a bad game, just not as good as The Talos Principle as a puzzle or Dead Space as a horror.

Edit.

On 4/8/2021 at 11:09 PM, bugarup said:

Also decided to try out a JRPG. Read glowing reviews for "Trails in the sky", bought it, realized that, a) those reviews were written by JPRG fans, b) J and W RPGs seemingly run on very different sets of quality criteria, c) I am not the target audience. Like, game's world building gets praised as something extraordinary, but it's just, well, 3.6 roentgen. I wonder how bad other JRPGs have it if this passes for excellence. Also, fighting takes too long, monsters look very silly, soundtrack is elevator music and the game seriously pushes romance between protagonists who are adopted siblings.

The story itself is game's saving grace, at least so far, so I'm going to get the sequel when it goes on big discount next time. Unless the last act falls apart; you can never fully trust a game that's pro-incest.

The thing with JRPGs for me is the lack of role-play, which is supposed to be present in a role-playing game (I mean, it's in the name). They are like adventure games with partially-turn-based combat, (usually) grind and as much choice in the terms of story as first-person shooters. So, I might like a JRPG, if the combat is engaging enough and purely RTwP or TB (but not mixed) and the story and its presentation are decent.
The worst JPRG in my experience was Final Fantasy XIII (the series seemed popular and I was curious). Fortunately, the cut-scenes were skippable and I was fighting a giant flying sword at the end (not sure, if it is a spoiler). Ironically, FFXIII-3 was actually a decent adventure game, I could customize the MC's equipment and build, resolve quests in different order, and fail the main quest (which I didn't, because it was rather easy, but I could).

Edited April 9, 2021 by Hawke64

[Zoraptor]

Dead Space is scripted to drop ammo mostly for your equipped weapons. Always liked that game, and it (and Prey) are likely to be far more worthy successors to System Shock than whatever the official SS3 comes up with.

[BruceVC]

12 hours ago, Hawke64 said:

Replayed Dead Space. It works well on Win10, it is atmospheric, and it has a (relatively) unique combat mechanic. 
Though, the horror part started only by Chapter 11 (story-wise). Almost all necromorphs dropped ammo for my equipped weapons, there were plenty of healing supplies (Normal difficulty), the map was very helpful and reliable.

 

I loved the Dead Space series, that first one was the scariest game I have ever played...the way the aliens make noises and try to creep up on you created an amazing psychological gaming  experience 

I also use to enjoy hunting for ammo and resources and the unfolding narrative cant be ignored because its so interesting

 I dont remember ever having enough ammo 

[LadyCrimson]

Played the early levels of Dungeon Keeper 1, goofing off. Still runs ok but does seem a bit "laggy" at times like something's off. Decided to try DK2 (gog version again) - also the first time I tried on Win10.

Loaded up fine. Started blowing through the Pet Dungeons to unlock them all.  Got to the 4th one, finished, pressed space to exit map/start the next one - game CTD'd.  Fine.  Loaded up the game again.  Didn't save progress, nor did it save my graphic/resolution setting (went back to defaults).  Could do it again but now I'm wondering if it'll reset progress every time you relaunch.  Pffft.  Guess I'll test it by only doing first Pet D, exiting, seeing if it saves it.

I may just stick to playing DK's on my old Win7 rig.  Double pffft.

Edited April 10, 2021 by LadyCrimson

[Mamoulian War]

Few more days of my Fairy Fencer F playthrough for Platinum Trophy. Just finished today Shukesoo’s Tower and resealed Vile God for two golden and one solver trophy, I still need to get 25 more levels and a lot of gold, before I can finish the story again 

[bugarup]

Things I hate about JRPGs, entry No. 17:

When you finally down the boss, and then there's a cutscene where he's "LOL nope, you didn't actually win, ta-ta, suckers, ciao arrivederci!" Happened multiple times in one game so far. Now I understand that Kai Leng (ptui!) gets called a JRPG villain not just because of how stupid he looks.

 

[Hawke64]

Completed Haven. It is an action-adventure game, yet it is tagged as an RPG*. The main characters are predetermined, from the build (all stats, abilities and equipment are the same for both characters; progression is tied to the main story) to appearance to names. Dialogue options are similar and lead to the same outcomes, though some of them increase a hidden parameter called "Confidence". Exploration is bound to the main story.
In other words, it is not an RPG in any shape or form.

The story follows two people who fled from an oppressive regime to be together as they explore their new home and repair their ship.

The combat is partially real-time and partially turn-based. It is impossible to choose targets or formation in combat or to flee after initiating an encounter. If one character is knocked out, the other can revive them. If both characters are KO'ed, the party returns to the base to heal (except for 1 instance where the last save is reloaded). There are 2 types of attacks (+block and finisher) and 4 types of consumables.
The NPC opponents are reasonably diverse and require specific approaches. There are several optional mini-bosses.

2D animated art looks good and detailed. 3D models are adequate, but either increasing the number of polygons per model or cell-shading would make it a lot better. All lines are voiced and the OST fits the game.

The controls are only partially rebindable at the time of writing - most actions (from combat to cooking) require to hold 2 keys at the same time and the ones on the right are impossible to change. 5-button mice are not supported. Difficulty options are listed under the "Accessibility" tab in the menu, with separate sliders for enemy speed and damage and attacks of the main characters. The game uses auto-saves upon changing location.

There are no sex scenes, no swearing and no corpses of humans or animals and the game is very vegan-friendly.

*Incorrect advertisement bothers me. The devs could claim Haven to be a third-person shooter, because there is 1 (auto-targeting) ranged attack. So, I am puzzled why they did it? Action-adventures are popular enough.

[BruceVC]

42 minutes ago, Hawke64 said:

 

There are no sex scenes, no swearing and no corpses of humans or animals and the game is very vegan-friendly.

*Incorrect advertisement bothers me. The devs could claim Haven to be a third-person shooter, because there is 1 (auto-targeting) ranged attack. So, I am puzzled why they did it? Action-adventures are popular enough.

Nice review, thanks for the detail but you failed on marketing 101....no sex scenes means no Romance which means its not a day 1 purchase for me 

[Zoraptor]

3 hours ago, bugarup said:

Now I understand that Kai Leng (ptui!) gets called a JRPG villain not just because of how stupid he looks.

K** L***, please, this is a family forum.

While it certainly needs to die or at least be handled a lot better than it typically is beating the villain to lose by cutscene is more than just a jRPG trope (apart from ME3 off the very very top of my head Malak does it too in KOTOR, as does ol' meatwagon in TWitcher 2 and neither of those games are jRPGs).

[LadyCrimson]

Tried DK2 pet dungeons again.  Exited game/restarted after finishing each one, saved progress each time.  Then I got to the 4th one again.  Possessed a creature to group minions to get points (to finish the PD faster).  Game froze. Wouldn't let me use my mouse on 2nd monitor/anywhere so I was spamming KB key combos for long minutes trying to close game window w/out a hard reboot.  Come to think of it, the first time I did it, game did that "party like it's 1999" disco thing w/everyone dancing - and they wouldn't stop for ages, after minutes I could pick creatures up and drop them and they'd still be dancing on landing. Had to slap them all to get them to stop.  Maybe that specific PD is just bugged in gog version, I've heard the campaign has a few buggy levels too.

Copied over a couple of my self-made/altered PD's from other PC to Win10 PC.  Playing those instead.  So far they seem stable.  Mine are more fun anyway - vamps can walk in water, creatures can train to lvl 8 (instead of just 4) and treasury tiles can hold a lot more gold per tile.  Can't stand needing 10 treasure rooms...

Edited April 12, 2021 by LadyCrimson

[Malcador]

Last mission of Caesar 3, markets bugging out again and not getting food so need to figure out what's up with that. Did learn the Gatehouse trick to keep wandering patrols in your blocks, good to learn that 22 years too late.

[Keyrock]

I just finished up everything in Serene and reached The New World in GreedFall. I'm pretty doggone impressed with the game so far. I mean, it's a Eurojank RPG, these are like my comfort food, so of course I like it, but I didn't expect the combat to be this good. The combat just feels right; it's responsive, there are plenty of tactical options, and the feedback is solid. This is a pretty significant step forward over Spiders' previous titles.

Anyway, I did my best to handle matters in Serene as discreetly as possible. I'm probably going with a firearms, traps, and phials build, so methinks it will be in my best interest to make nice with the Bridge Alliance, but I'm keeping my options open for now (so much so that I have an attribute point and 2 skill points unspent). At the very least, I want to get to know all the major players a lot better before I ruffle any feathers.

Oh Eurojank, it's so good to be back in your loving arms. 

[LadyCrimson]

13 hours ago, Malcador said:

Last mission of Caesar 3, markets bugging out again and not getting food so need to figure out what's up with that. Did learn the Gatehouse trick to keep wandering patrols in your blocks, good to learn that 22 years too late.

Peace or War path?  The peace one is actually a bit harder because of higher prosperity type ratings. I haven't played the whole campaign in ages but I do have the 'HD' version of it installed. 

Ah, gatehouses.  I loved doing that.  The market ladies and cart pushers always made me giggle.  I remember in later Impressions games they had these little road-block squares you could place, but for some reason I didn't like them as much as having gatehouses everywhere.  I can't recall why.  lol.   edit: maybe it was because it only stopped market ladies, not building workers and I liked controlling all workers? Maybe? Maybe not? Never mind me.

Edited April 13, 2021 by LadyCrimson