What are you Playing Now? Games = Life

[Lexx]

I'm slowly coming to the realization that I love the idea of Bloodborne, but everything else about it I just hate. Kinda feeling this already since a long time, but maybe I should just finally accept it.

Parrying is a vital part of the gameplay, but 90% of the time it's impossible for me to trigger a parry. Almost always it is pure luck or just random. I can't time my attacks at all, because the input latency wants me to be a psychic. Fact is, I played almost all of the game without ever using the parry function. When I look into my inventory, I have almost 800 bullets. I would love to use guns more, but what's the point if I can't parry and trigger visceral attacks with them? At this point it's just really annoying and frustrating.

The parry function is just a part of the problem. Dodging and timing normal attacks suffers from the same issues. Usually I'm just tanking the enemies, which likely explains why I have such a hard time when fighting the mobs that deal the most damage... can't just absorb the damage for once.

Edited December 5, 2021 by Lexx

[Bartimaeus]

For me, I played the game pretty much exactly how I played Dark Souls (which was "keep rollin' rollin' rollin' and never block or parry except against knights because their attacks are so clearly and consistently telegraphed"). Don't think I ever parried in Bloodborne even once...actually, I don't think I ever even figured out the mechanics of parrying in that game at all. I hate fighting scrappy in Souls games (i.e. taking damage and healing), so the thing I always focus on first is figuring out enemies' movesets and where and when they can be attacked.

I'm not sure how far you are into the game, but one thing I know that can greatly affect difficulty is what weapon you start out and stick with. The Hunter Axe is basically easy mode and it is a great weapon that can be used the entire game, the Saw Cleaver would be medium mode and is at least competent, and the Threaded Cane is hard mode because it's trash. I started out with axe (simply luck, I did not know there was such an imbalance between the different starting weapons), while a friend started out with the Threaded Cane, and our experiences of like the first third of the game could not have been more different. Classic FromSoftware design.

[Humanoid]

Give me a "happy" version of those Souls-likes and I may finally give one a try, they all just look so dreary and miserable. Just like Nintendo did for XCOM with Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, do a Mario Dark Souls.

[Lexx]

I'm almost done with Bloodborne. Orphan of Kos, Laurence, the First Vicar, and Gehrman, The First Hunter are the last on my list for as far as I am aware. While I technically like the game, I'm not sure if I will ever replay it.. some of the balance issues are just too annoying.

I could jump straight to Gehrman now, but at the same time I don't want to skip the other bosses ... but I'm also dreading the thought of having to farm blood vials again.

 

Threaded Cane is actually not a bad weapon. Used it a lot, especially in the alternative mode (as a whip). Helps to keep groups at bay, and you can stay at distance more easily. For bosses I usually switched to something else and once I found the Tonitrus it was settled anyways (though Boom Hammer is also pretty nice half the time).

Edited December 5, 2021 by Lexx

[BruceVC]

I just finished Operencia after 80 hours, it was a good gaming experience and scores a solid 65\100 on the globally respected " BruceVC game score system"

I didnt defeat the end boss, it was too unbalanced and it took too long but the rest of the game is fun. Similar to Bard Tale 4 with less puzzles and less combat strategy so its challenging in combat which is great. It also has some nice skills like finding treasure and the mechanical rooster

 

[melkathi]

Finished the Troubleshooter DLC. Last mission was rough. If there were a restart option I would have used it. As there isn't I was at one point mostly playing to see how long it would take for me to lose. And then I beat it. Barely.

Funny how when things get really bad you end up playing better.

[Lexx]

I just bought MW5 because of the talk about that sandbox mode. Let's hope I didn't waste my money on this one. : >

 

/edit: So first mission was a total failure. Turns out I forgot everything about the game, even though I've played MWO intensively back in the days.

Second and third mission went a bit better, but I'm still pretty close to having no money anymore.

Edited December 7, 2021 by Lexx

[melkathi]

You may want to play a tutorial

My strategy is to always negotiate for repairs at least once. It covers more c-bills worth if you get damaged than the same pick would provide in standard payout, though if you got less repairs the extra is wasted.

Assassination missions are the easiest early on. I'd advise against missions that have you raze a whole base. It takes a long time and the opponent gets regular reinforcements.

Don't pick multiple mission operations until you have enough mechs to swap out. You can't wait for repairs between those missions. Though each mission takes time, so while you use one set of mechs you can repair the other.

 

What mechs did you start with?

Edited December 7, 2021 by melkathi

[Lexx]

Last two contracts I've negotiated for extra salvage to get mech parts, but then there are never any to salvage.

[melkathi]

And the least you'll need for a scrapped light mech is 11-13 salvage picks

Get rep with a faction to increase your negotiation power, then grab one of the important missions where they offer incentive pay 50-75% extra on negotiations. That may yield enough for two mechs.

What isn't worth it usually is flying to an industrial hub for repairs. The trip takes time and costs more than what you spend in the warzone.

 

[Malcador]

On to Shadow of Tomb Raider, the characters are well animated enough, pretty game to boot.  Haven't quite gotten to Lara being Sam Fisher.

[Lexx]

I'm a bit confused about how the damage compensation works. Do I get the money paid additionally if my mechs are damaged? Because if I repair them from the mechbay, it seems I pay exactly the same as before.

[BruceVC]

Ive just started on Bioshock: Infinite, so far very interesting and an interesting narrative 

[melkathi]

Yeah, the way payout works is:

Base Payout + Negotiated Bonus + Secondary Objective Bonus / Extra kills Bonus + Repair Cost up to the negotiated compensation.

So if your mission is 65K + 250K Bonus and you have up to 400K in repairs negotiated, if you suffer 239K in damages, you'd get 65K + 250K + 239K. If you suffered 450K in damages you'd get 65K + 250K + 400K.

Repair has the potential of a greater payout if the mission goes bad. But if it goes great you may get a lot less than the negotiated bonus pay.

 

edit:

Also not that on the 2 or 3 mission operations, unused salvage and damage compensation carries over and stacks from operation to operation.

Edited December 7, 2021 by melkathi

[Wormerine]

Quite a few things are fighting for my attention right now.

Still going forward in Sekiro. I still kinda get confused as to what red attack is which, and end up, what feels like, cheesing through encounters using the prostetic arm tools. Did what felt to me, first serious boss fight - the encounter at the top of the fortress against archer samurai guy. That was lots of fun. I would ideally want to finish it before Elden Ring drops - somehow I feel it will take me longer then that.

I also bought Red Dead Redemption2 - I expected to hate it, being a Rockstar titles - but behold! I really like it so far. It's overproduction really works for me - an "immersive" game in a setting I really dig. I just like to boot it up every once in a while, and just ride into the sunset. I don't do that very often. Bought some whiskey today - I think I know what I will be doing this evening.

Shadow Tactics: Aiko's Choice dropped. Finished first playthrough of the first (out of three) missions. Still very solid and enjoyable, though I miss the polish of Desperados3. This one, at least, should take too long. 

I also realized that in already busy gaming schedule, Hitman3 should be getting released from Epic exclusivity sometime after January. That means it's about time to return to Hitman2 and dive back into some of the later missions, as I barely scratch the surface of the latter half of Hitman2 and it's DLCs. 

[Lexx]

Wow, turns out I'm pretty stupid. I thought you can only loot / buy mech parts in MW5, but turns out it's the actual full mech and I just have to repair it. Feels a bit like a waste, tbh. The Battletech mechanic with "loot 3 parts" seems a bit deeper to me.

[melkathi]

You get the whole chassis. You don't loot an arm and a head then search for a torso. But you get a whole mech and if you had destroyed all it's components, you need to have those to add.

I once destroyed a mech with a quick headshot. That mech I got with minimal damage and all weapons on it. Cost a lot of salvage points but was fairly cheap to fix (250K for a new ****pit).

Other mechs that took ages to take down cost a ton to repair and I had to refit their weapons.

[Lexx]

Some of the missions are real bull****, though. Just had a contract where I was supposed to destroy a base ... sounds easy, right? Well, I canceled it. First I have to get to the base while getting constantly pounded from artillery.. I can avoid it, but my ai mates just get blown up. Then, when I made it to the base with 3 surviving mechs, I needed to shoot every single hitpoint that could be found.. as the buildings where big, I wasn't able to just run through them... so I started to laser stuff for what feels like 10 or 15 minutes... made it down to 10%, but then another one of my mechs blew up and the pilot probably died (I didn't check) ... so I said f- it and reloaded... and then said f- it again and reloaded even earlier.

Now I'm trying to find some other contracts that are less stupid.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Disco Elysium. I met a guy so rich light bends around him and got a novelty check.

[Lexx]

Another base destruction mission that is complete bs. Unlimited waves of enemies and I don't know what to shoot at + my party members don't shoot at anything in the base. So I run in circles, try not to die while shooting everything I see in the hopes it will count as base damage.

I'm pretty close to shelving this game, tbh. Might as well play Battletech, which also comes with its fair share of problems, but at least not *those* problems.

[melkathi]

Avoid base destruction missions. I have never had a lance mate get hit by artillery. You want to bee-line for it and take it out asap. Ignore the mission objective if there is artillery. No extra reinforcements for the opponent will spawn while you keep away from the waypoint, so all you have to handle is whatever army is already there. But base destruction is a pain. I have done a few, but they are some of the most painful missions I have done.

[melkathi]

Thinks that help with base destruction:

If there is a light, on the building shoot the light. Often with towers some top floor bit may still be intact. It is silly.

Punch through walls. The hotkey for punching is 5 in most loadouts (provided your mech has arms).

Use Jump jets to jump onto stuff. Mechs weigh a lot and that will damage buildings.

If bombardment is an option, take it. It won't help all that much, but it can knock out about 20% of a base.

[Lexx]

I just noticed that it isn't possible to change my pilot name and avatar? What the hell.

Also, are all maps randomly generated? Some look fine, but then you get maps which are either visually terrible or obviously for multiplayer matches (mirrored terrain features everywhere).

/Edit: Also the fact the game just throws unlimited waves of enemies at you all the time is so incredibly unfun. You are never rewarded for a tactical approach, you just have to rush in and hope for the best. Not that a tactical approach with that team ai is viable anyways...

Guess a big problem is that in my head I keep comparing this to the old MWO days, where we had a full lance of human players and everyone was playing hide and seek and peekaboo. MW5 bots in contrast... just rush to you. Every fight ends up being a big ball of bs.

Edited December 8, 2021 by Lexx

[Chilloutman]

yeah, I got MW5 as well and I am really disappointed.

 

Bot AI means everything ends up in brawl

destroy base missions are stupid

endless respawn of enemies is retarded

 

I could live with most above but most importantly

Upgrading mechs is very limited so you end up with same mechs all the time. Why are there size hardpoints? Why I can't change engine size? Why I can't change armor type? Who thought that making small laser +1 a good idea?

 

I guess I am too spoiled by Battletech Roguetech

 

[Lexx]

The hardpoints are lore-based. If you want 100% customizable mechs, you have to move into the future with the clans, where omni-mechs became a thing.

Personally I think the clan stuff is just super boring, though. Can't stand it anymore.

 

Played some more now. I really want to like the game, but it just has such .. ugh .. questionable game design. Also the steam workshop is pretty funny. There's like 5 mods or something. Why even add workshop support if modding is barely possible.

 

I'm kinda thinking of ripping the MW5 avatar images out of the game and using them in Battletech. Feels like that would give me more joy (because the avatars in MW5 are much better looking, imo).

Edited December 8, 2021 by Lexx