What are you Playing Now: Living the Game Life

[Chilloutman]

6 minutes before I can launch Humankind. Too bad it was not for GoG so I had to take it on Steam. Anyway, It was long time I was this hyped for this type of game. I hated how Civ 6 looks and so this should be finally my return to civ gaming in style

[Malcador]

36 minutes ago, Chilloutman said:

6 minutes before I can launch Humankind. Too bad it was not for GoG so I had to take it on Steam. Anyway, It was long time I was this hyped for this type of game. I hated how Civ 6 looks and so this should be finally my return to civ gaming in style

Reviews seem good for that, should go grab it on Gamepass.

[BruceVC]

Im at that very exciting gaming phase where I decide " what next " ? 

I have  Steam, GOG, Epic, Origin and Ubisoft game libraries to choose from  with Steam being my biggest list of games and GOG next. I am not sure what I should play next, I am considering Dark Souls 1, Oblivion  or maybe NWN1 ....variety is the spice of life 

[Mamoulian War]

Dark Souls 1

[BruceVC]

1 hour ago, Mamoulian War said:

Dark Souls 1

@Wormerine 

I tell you guys what has put me off playing DS as of yet and I would appreciate peoples opinions. I dont mind reasonable grinding and I dont mind getting killed lots of times in end boss battles but I dont want to  die and have to repeat the last 1 hour of my journey to get back to the end boss fight

In DS when you die how does respawning work and if I do die can I restore to just before the battle or something similar ....I just want to avoid unnecessary repetition ?

[Malcador]

4 hours ago, BruceVC said:

In DS when you die how does respawning work and if I do die can I restore to just before the battle or something similar ....I just want to avoid unnecessary repetition ?

If you die, you uninstall the game.  Anything less and you're not a REAL hardcore gamer.

 

 

[BruceVC]

18 minutes ago, Malcador said:

If you die, you uninstall the game.  Anything less and you're not a REAL hardcore gamer.

 

 

Malc I am so hardcore do you know I only play  permadeath in all games .......even in MMO. That is the ONLY way to demonstrate commitment and skill !!!!

[Wormerine]

4 hours ago, BruceVC said:

I dont mind reasonable grinding and I dont mind getting killed lots of times in end boss battles but I dont want to  die and have to repeat the last 1 hour of my journey to get back to the end boss fight

In DS when you die how does respawning work and if I do die can I restore to just before the battle or something similar ....I just want to avoid unnecessary repetition ?

So it depends from the boss. Generally, no there is no bonfire right before a boss. Ester Flasks (healing items) are limited per-rest, so getting to the boss as uncathed as possible and then beating a boss is part of the challenge. 

I do remember finding that part frustrating early on in my DS1 run - I especially remember it being annoying in the very first "real" boss fights. It stopped being a problem later on. It could be that this first encounter is particulalry suffers from this problem, or might be that I got better. Generally speaking, if you already know where you are going, and what awaits you, you can bline to the boss with minimal engagement from the enemies (keep in mind that passing through the boss "fog" seperates you from pursuing enemies). I do feel the later games became less forgiving in that regards, and there are definitely areas which open "shortcuts" to bosses so you don't have to run through the entire thing. Later games did seem to reduce run time from bonfire to boss though - it is not a proven statement though, as so far I played DS1 and DS2 only once, and am in the middle of playing through DS3. 

Edited August 18, 2021 by Wormerine

[BruceVC]

4 minutes ago, Wormerine said:

So it depends from the boss. Generally, no there is no bonfire right before a boss. Ester Flasks (healing items) are limited per-rest, so getting to the boss as uncathed as possible and then beating a boss is part of the challenge. 

I do remember finding that part frustrating early on in my DS1 run - I especially remember it being annoying in the very first "real" boss fights. It stopped being a problem later on. It could be that this first encounter is particulalry suffers from this problem, or might be that I got better. Generally speaking, if you already know where you are going, and what awaits you, you can bline to the boss with minimal engagement from the enemies (keep in mind that passing through the boss "fog" seperates you from pursuing enemies). I do feel the later games became less forgiving in that regards, and there are definitely areas which open "shortcuts" to bosses so you don't have to run through the entire thing. Later games did seem to reduce run time from bonfire to boss though - it is not a proven statement though, as so far I played DS1 and DS2 only once, and am in the middle of playing through DS3. 

Thanks for sharing Wormie, very informative

I think I am just going to start playing DS1 and then once I understand more about the mechanics I may have additional questions. What in your opinion is the easiest class for newbies to start on ?

[Hurlshort]

Ok, my Underrail game has finally stalled out. It actually went really well. I made it all the way to the Abyss. But I'm pretty sure I am underlevelled, and I don't want to take on the big boss, so I'm going to just stay there. It was still a fantastic playthrough. I have a lot of hours in this game.

I've moved on to Solastra. I am a couple hours into it and it has a lot of character options. So far so good.

[the_dog_days]

3 hours ago, Hurlsnot said:

Ok, my Underrail game has finally stalled out. It actually went really well. I made it all the way to the Abyss. But I'm pretty sure I am underlevelled, and I don't want to take on the big boss, so I'm going to just stay there. It was still a fantastic playthrough. I have a lot of hours in this game.

I've moved on to Solastra. I am a couple hours into it and it has a lot of character options. So far so good.

This is why when I played I created a new hard save before each level up.

[Mamoulian War]

8 hours ago, BruceVC said:

@Wormerine 

I tell you guys what has put me off playing DS as of yet and I would appreciate peoples opinions. I dont mind reasonable grinding and I dont mind getting killed lots of times in end boss battles but I dont want to  die and have to repeat the last 1 hour of my journey to get back to the end boss fight

In DS when you die how does respawning work and if I do die can I restore to just before the battle or something similar ....I just want to avoid unnecessary repetition ?

It really depends on some bosses, the bonfire are not close but neither not far away to became frustrated. You just need to explore as much as possible to not miss any shortcuts, which you can and should open. Two or three bosses can be very frustrating, if you forget to open them up. I don't want to spoil you, so I do not tell you yet where, you should watch more closely

 

[Wormerine]

3 hours ago, BruceVC said:

 

What in your opinion is the easiest class for newbies to start on ?

Eh, I would recommend one of sword&shield types. Melee combat is bread and butter of DS. From there you can figure out what you want to do. With decent shield you can just absorb many attacks which is less efficient, but less dangerous then parrying or dodging. Once you get comfortable with enemies and controls, you can start experimenting with other stuff.

When creating first character I wouldn’t pick “Master Key” as gifts - that’s a handy item that opens previously closed doors and allows for more freedom in exploration, but on your first run you will be better of being led by the game. 

Edited August 18, 2021 by Wormerine

[LadyCrimson]

Patron - waiting for the automated Trader function.  Not sure how one could create a city build management game without being able to set automatic trade buy/sell limits etc.  Having to constantly click 4+ harbors every few minutes (at high game speed) to sell goods ... not fun.  Also needs economic rebalance because honestly by mid game all you need 4-6 harbors and 2-3 Tobacco farms or whatever and sell them constantly.  No need for those Researches that ups taxes or markets or anything. They're already going to "nerf" Herbalist structure for this reason.

Was looking at some other recent similar games and Kingdoms Reborn is interesting sounding. It has MP capability, but can play solo ... I think solo, there will be some (stupid) AI players, but I don't know how it works/what they're there for (trade? conflict? just to be in your way?). No actual combat but some kind of military points you might use to take over areas, maybe.  World/map is huge and actually world-like, you get to pick your starting location when you start. The semi-random, periodic card system to be able to build stuff vs. more typical building list, tho... I'm not sure about that.  It sounds weird. Also, Early Access.   >.>   Still ... sounds different/intriguing.

[Bartimaeus]

The only really "correct" class in Dark Souls is Pyromancer. Not only do you get immediate access to pyromancies (which unlike the other types of magics do not require stat-scaling and thus can be used with any character so long as you have a pyromancy flame), Pyromancer also objectively starts with the best stats combined with being level 1 (i.e. the most room to grow). Pyromancy is objectively the best class in DS1 - just as Royal is objectively the best in Demon's Souls. DS2 and DS3 would not make the same mistake of having a class that is objectively the best, thankfully. Not that the classes *particularly* matter (you will only be marginally set behind at worst by picking something else), but...it's less than ideal design to have a "favored" class baked in like that. And if you play magic-only instead of melee on your first playthrough, you're a right real toss-pot, .

Edited August 19, 2021 by Bartimaeus

[BruceVC]

12 hours ago, Mamoulian War said:

It really depends on some bosses, the bonfire are not close but neither not far away to became frustrated. You just need to explore as much as possible to not miss any shortcuts, which you can and should open. Two or three bosses can be very frustrating, if you forget to open them up. I don't want to spoil you, so I do not tell you yet where, you should watch more closely

 

I wanted to say, you know what I really like about your post ? When you mention " he bonfire are not close but neither not far away to became frustrated. You just need to explore as much as possible to not miss any shortcuts, which you can and should open "

Thats all I ask from any " hardcore " game like DS, I dont want to get frustrated by being sent too far away when I die and  I am more prepared to explore and find meaningful  shortcuts and learn about the appropriate strategy to fight bosses so I appreciate you not spoiling anything 

37 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said:

The only really "correct" class in Dark Souls is Pyromancer. Not only do you get immediate access to pyromancies (which unlike the other types of magics do not require stat-scaling and thus can be used with any character so long as you have a pyromancy flame), Pyromancer also objectively starts with the best stats combined with being level 1 (i.e. the most room to grow). Pyromancy is objectively the best class in DS1 - just as Royal is objectively the best in Demon's Souls. DS2 and DS3 would not make the same mistake of having a class that is objectively the best, thankfully. Not that the classes *particularly* matter (you will only be marginally set behind at worst by picking something else), but...it's less than ideal design to have a "favored" class baked in like that. And if you play magic-only instead of melee on your first playthrough, you're a right real toss-pot, .

Thanks Bartie, that is also useful information. I literally know nothing about the DS franchise and I know its  easy to research and review guides but I also dont want to spoil the surprise of learning in my gaming journey

But now you make me ask a question, I was going to become a Pyro after reading your endorsement which sounds perfect for me. I generally play magic users all the time  who have some combat skills 

But then you mention you shouldnt play magic-only on your first playthrough so based on also what Wormie said about the best initial class being " sword and shield " what class would you recommend

Oh and I also generally dont replay games like his . If I complete DS1 I will move onto DS2 so if I will probably only play DS1 once  what would your class suggestion be ? 

[Bartimaeus]

Outside of some edge cases where you're min-maxing to build a very low-level character to specifically minimize a particular couple of stats in favor of another for the purpose of PVP (the lower level your character, the better for PVP), Pyromancer is most likely the ideal class base to start from for most any type of character - in addition to the other advantages I mentioned earlier, Pyromancer has about perfectly average stats all around to start with with the notable exception of being weak in divine power (i.e. Faith). And so there is probably one exception to this: I would use a Cleric if I were going for a min-maxed divine spellcaster. Knights and Sorcerers have the worst stat disadvantages compared to a Pyromancer (-6 and -4 respectively - the next worst is -2 for a Thief, and the rest are -1 with the exception of the Wanderer who is actually 0 but who has no angle for making a build over a Pyromancer besides MAYBE if you were going for an absolute pure caster and needed literally zero strength to use weapons while wanting Wanderer's higher Dexterity for cast speed). Pyromancer is really just the best outside of those edge-cases - it's not good design for that to be the case, but it is what it is. And to start out with the Pyromancy Flame is a powerful boon for making some early bosses and enemies a lot easier.

Edited August 19, 2021 by Bartimaeus

[Wormerine]

@BruceVC yeah, as a side note, I didn't mean that "sword&shield" is best way to go, or that melee is better then magic. Just personally I think melee combat design is most interesting aspect of DSs.

I didn't play pure caster, but to me ranged combat can feel like cheating the game, rather then alternative. 

It seems that Pyromancer is best indeed. You will still be able to go for melee build, if you wish to. That is just something I wasn't aware of - as I mentioned I am not DS expert, played each game once, and especially DS1 was my discovery period. 

Edited August 19, 2021 by Wormerine

[BruceVC]

16 minutes ago, Wormerine said:

@BruceVC yeah, as a side note, I didn't mean that "sword&shield" is best way to go, or that melee is better then magic. Just personally I think melee combat design is most interesting aspect of DSs.

I didn't play pure caster, but to me ranged combat can feel like cheating the game, rather then alternative. 

It seems that Pyromancer is best indeed. You will still be able to go for melee build, if you wish to. That is just something I wasn't aware of - as I mentioned I am not DS expert, played each game once, and especially DS1 was my discovery period. 

No worries Wormie, your advice has been very useful. You dont need to be an expert on the DS franchise to share anecdotal information because that is what I was also looking for 

Its interesting how even you are learning new things, the game definitely has complexity  

I am going to be a Pyro, I will keep you guys updated because I am going start on DS tonight after work or tomorrow in the afternoon....I tend to not work Friday afternoon 

[Keyrock]

Early going in The Forgotten City and I'm very impressed so far. I went into this expecting good writing and well developed characters, and the game has delivered so far.  What I wasn't expecting is this level of production value. I mean, it's not quite top of the line AAA, but for a budget title and a brand new studio's first game, it's thoroughly impressive. The voice acting, in particular, is quite good, which is important for a game that's focused on talking to people. If I had to nitpick, I'd say the lip syncing is fairly basic, but overall the facial animations are still significantly better than the tired faces in another game I shall not name. 

[melkathi]

I too preferred playing as the fire demon ifreet character in DS3 

*innocent whistle*

Edited August 19, 2021 by melkathi

[sorophx]

20 hours ago, the_dog_days said:

This is why when I played I created a new hard save before each level up.

this is why I uninstalled Underrail after the first area. damn, getting old sucks

[kanisatha]

16 hours ago, LadyCrimson said:

Patron - waiting for the automated Trader function.  Not sure how one could create a city build management game without being able to set automatic trade buy/sell limits etc.  Having to constantly click 4+ harbors every few minutes (at high game speed) to sell goods ... not fun.  Also needs economic rebalance because honestly by mid game all you need 4-6 harbors and 2-3 Tobacco farms or whatever and sell them constantly.  No need for those Researches that ups taxes or markets or anything. They're already going to "nerf" Herbalist structure for this reason.

Was looking at some other recent similar games and Kingdoms Reborn is interesting sounding. It has MP capability, but can play solo ... I think solo, there will be some (stupid) AI players, but I don't know how it works/what they're there for (trade? conflict? just to be in your way?). No actual combat but some kind of military points you might use to take over areas, maybe.  World/map is huge and actually world-like, you get to pick your starting location when you start. The semi-random, periodic card system to be able to build stuff vs. more typical building list, tho... I'm not sure about that.  It sounds weird. Also, Early Access.   >.>   Still ... sounds different/intriguing.

I've had Kingdoms Reborn on my Steam wishlist for some time, alongside Ostriv, Ancient Cities, and Medieval Dynasty. Haven't tried any of them yet because I dislike buying/playing Early Access games. Just added Patron to the list after you brought it up here. Thanks!

[Malcador]

On 8/17/2021 at 10:11 AM, Chilloutman said:

6 minutes before I can launch Humankind. Too bad it was not for GoG so I had to take it on Steam. Anyway, It was long time I was this hyped for this type of game. I hated how Civ 6 looks and so this should be finally my return to civ gaming in style

@Chilloutman How is the game so far ? I am tempted to get it, or at least track it so I can nab it on sale.

[Chilloutman]

@MalcadorSo far so good. I like the art, I think combat is much superior to Civ. Cultures are decently distinctive. I am not sure about balance yet or meta game. I still keep restarting because I reach a point when I just fall behind because I focus too much in one are of the game. Only 'issue' i have so far is that even if map/game are are very nice to look at it feels pretty boring, there is not much of interesting terrain features (I mean like, cows to exploit etc). Also Wonders feels pretty bland as well. Also noticed that in later eras even on large map (which is medium sized IIRC) game slows down quite a bit. (also one endless end of turn bug so far)