What are you playing now?

[Musopticon?]

Carn Dum was the fortress of the Witch King during the war that made the western Middle-Earth a field of ruins and hobbit lands.

 

It's like the Immortal version of Barad-Dur, of course it's scary.

 

 

I finally finished Puzzle Queeeeeest! Ffs, the endgame is a test of patience and an excercize in tedium, but overall it's a wonderful blend of genres.

Edited October 13, 2008 by Musopticon?

[Strix]

Half Life 2, I'm in Ravenholm - if Valve can pull off the same level of zombie-goodness in Left4Dead it will be a great game.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Half Life 2, I'm in Ravenholm - if Valve can pull off the same level of zombie-goodness in Left4Dead it will be a great game.

 

It looks even better than Ravenholm!

[Bokishi]

Just finished Force Unleashed. The story was great!

Haven't played the game, but after reading the graphic novel, I think the story is just an excuse for implementing the over-the-top Force mechanics and effects of the game. It's pretty hilarious how they keep shoehorning these Gary Stus and the ludicrous plots they devise for them into the timeline, just so they can keep milking the SW cash cow.

 

My verdict: suckage.

 

(ofc, that does not mean the game isn't a blast to play...)

 

To each and their own

[julianw]

Bioshock. I am rediscovering how bad I am at shooter games and remembering why I was always my friends' meat shield in CS.

[mkreku]

I just bought World of Goo. Downloading it now.. 30KB/s.. Heard a lot of great things about it and since it was only $20 I took a chance. Let's hope it's good.

 

Uh, OK, so I am technically not playing it yet.. but I will!

[Aristes]

Hahahaha I'm playing LotRO. I cancelled my account, but I have paid time left so I've been playing it. I essentially bought it because a friend wanted me to try it, but I didn't do hardly anything with it after he decided he didn't like MMOGs. So, I had three months paid and I'd played maybe an hour and a half. I sign on to look around and, without my noob friend getting lost and growing angry because of his own ineptitude, I'm really enjoying it. I finally finished the into and made it to the haven. I've got a bunch of quests there. Graphically, it's soooo much better than the ridiculous cartoony feel of WoW. Now, that might change. Maybe, when you get to higher levels, you'll be wearing a sword that's twice as big as your character and has all sorts of stupid looking dangles on it and whatnot. My biggest beef with WoW is that all the best gear makes you look like bozo the clown. I would hope that LotRO would avoid that.

 

I also like the fact that a lot of stuff is instanced. It's like CoH/CoV in that respect. It's much easier to finish instanced quests. That's not because the battles are easier, but because you don't have to have a bunch of other people hanging out in the same area. I like the fact that there aren't a lot of load screens on WoW, but the load times are so ridiculously short in LotRO that I don't care.

 

Did I mention graphics? Hey, Blizzard! That's how a forest is supposed to look! I've got both games cranked up to 1600x1200 resolution with all the toggled set to max. Sure, it runs hot sometimes, but it does allow me to judge both games at their best. LotRO wins hands down. I might actually consider switching, but I would have to do so alone. Sadly, WoW has taught me to ignore quest text, which I might enjoy on LotRO if I weren't in the habit of clicking past it. Well... that's not entirely fair. There are some quest lines in WoW that are quite good, so I can't make blanket statement.

 

I haven't played enough to be able to make a real judgement, however. I still think WoW has the controls beat hands down. The movement and controls in LotRO are sluggish, and I can't even blame the video since they felt that way when I played at default video settings.

 

I dunno. I've cancelled it and can reactivate it later. I'm getting WAR tomorrow, and I think I'll play that until WotLK hits the shelves. Meanwhile, I think I'll play a half hour of LotRO and see if I like it post-intro.

[Kaftan Barlast]

I got me a sweet used Logitech G25 for dirt cheap and I got a bunch of promo racing games from simbin, so Im going round round the N

[Hell Kitty]

Saint's Row 2. So far just messing about with the character creator.

[Maria Caliban]

World of Warcraft. I'm on a crappy server though. The game is 10x better when there are people I enjoy around.

[Calax]

I'm playing the "wait for WoW to update to 3.02" game... it's lots of fun!

 

now at 1.0 gigs of 1.2

[Aristes]

Just wait til that's done. You have another one coming also.

 

Probably will be a lot faster, tho.

[Starwars]

Tried Bioshock for the first time, and I'm pretty disappointed. On the visual side it's excellent. It's actually quite well presented overall, from visuals to audio.

 

But the gameplay sucks. I'm not a fan of FPS games in general, but I've come to realize that I really need some real "weight" in how it works. STALKER has this in spades for example, guns really feel deadly there. It feels like they pack a punch. Bioshock feels really weak in this regard somehow, the gunplay is just... not fun. Don't think I'll be playing it much more.

[Aristes]

I liked Bioshock. It was fun. I think it fell short of "Classic," but it was fun. I was disappointed.

 

On the other hand, I am increasingly impressed by LotRO. I started it a few months ago, didn't have time, so I left it. I guess I described all that above. Now, I'm staying up waaaay too late (like until the wee hours of almost dawn) in order to enjoy it as best I can before my current bill period expires. The controls aren't as liquid, and movement is a bit awkward, but the graphics are stunning. None of that cartoony crap from WoW. The hills around the elven starting area are absolutely stunning. I'm level 9 now, which shows how much of a noob I am with the quest set up and whatnot, but I'm thoroughly enjoying the game. This is the most fun I've had with a new game in a long time. Some drawbacks that I see ahead, however: All MMORPGs are social. I don't mind meeting new folks, and I've often teamed at WoW. However, now that I can play with a large group of family members and personal friends, I don't relish the idea of meeting new folks online in a new game, getting to know their quirks and foibles, learning group dynamics, and then getting into a guild (or fellowship or whatever the hell the game calls it) in order to do the group quests. So far, to level 9, I have been able to solo everything just fine. I did get killed during the Pampraush quest line, but most of my wasted time has come from aimless wandering and admiring the scenery. Even my single death wasn't that bad, as it just makes you weaker. Even then, I wasn't weak enough that I couldn't still kill stuff in the area.

 

I guess, the thing is, I couldn't recommend any game based on one good day of gaming. I won't count the odd hour or so I played the first day I got it.

 

As it is, I've got about four hours of sleep time left, so tomorrow will be a bear. Still, I won't bother going into 'review' mode for a game that I've already cancelled, but there is a number of good and bad things about the game I've seen thus far. I kind of hope to get the chance to try it again sometime, but I simply won't pay for three online games at the same time. Hell, I doubt if I get my money's worth out of two, but I WILL try WAR for at least a couple of months.

 

EDIT: I decided to break up some of the paragraphs I'd penned in my sleepless fatigue addled mind.

Edited October 15, 2008 by Aristes

[Enoch]

Tried Bioshock for the first time, and I'm pretty disappointed. On the visual side it's excellent. It's actually quite well presented overall, from visuals to audio.

 

But the gameplay sucks. I'm not a fan of FPS games in general, but I've come to realize that I really need some real "weight" in how it works. STALKER has this in spades for example, guns really feel deadly there. It feels like they pack a punch. Bioshock feels really weak in this regard somehow, the gunplay is just... not fun. Don't think I'll be playing it much more.

I had the same reaction. Put about 4 hours in and decided that seeing more of the cool art direction wasn't worth the tedium of going through all the splicers, especially once I realized that the game respawns them in areas you've already cleared out.

 

 

I've been playing Deus Ex (for the first time). To my embarrassment, I got almost all the way to the end of the Hong Kong area before I realized that repair bots could recharge my bioelectric energy. They probably covered that in the 'training course' intro, but I forgot it sometime between then and the first time I actually used by nano-abilities enough to deplete my charge significantly.

[Deraldin]

I had the same reaction. Put about 4 hours in and decided that seeing more of the cool art direction wasn't worth the tedium of going through all the splicers, especially once I realized that the game respawns them in areas you've already cleared out.

 

 

I've been playing Deus Ex (for the first time). To my embarrassment, I got almost all the way to the end of the Hong Kong area before I realized that repair bots could recharge my bioelectric energy. They probably covered that in the 'training course' intro, but I forgot it sometime between then and the first time I actually used by nano-abilities enough to deplete my charge significantly.

 

Had the same thing happen to me on both counts.

 

I just hit Chapter III in MotB last night with my nearly invincible Fighter/Barb/Rogue. I've bumped the difficulty up to Hardcore and I still rarely get damaged. 48 AC keeps most things from hitting me except for criticals. If they do manage to hit me I now have DR 12/- and 25% slashing immunity from a shield I bought from the Ironfists back in the NWN2 OC which seems to apply before my DR does. If I manage to get hurt after that I regenerate 6 HP per round and have over 600 hit points currently. Next time I will have to try something that isn't quite so strong.

 

I also just realized that you can talk to your companions and what they say actually changes depending on various factors!

[Nightshape]

Just started playing the longest journey at lunch times at work... with the intention of moving onto Dreamfall afterwards, so far it's effect has been shruggable, interesting enough story with nothing challenging so far, fairly poor gameplay even for an adventure game in that respect I am expecting the puzzles will increase in difficulty and the story is probably enough to get me through...

 

All's said, it's not like Funcom are what I consider to be a favourite developer.

 

I've currently got a three pronged attack at the moment in regards to gaming, I've got so many games that I own that I really just want to get through as many as I can, good or bad, I've been collecting them for years in anticipation of well, now...

 

So... At weekends I'm currently taking the approch of playing the Resident Evil series.

 

Currently playing Resident Evil 0.

 

Lunch at work is The Longest Journey and Dreamfall.

 

Currently playing The Longest Journey.

 

Week nights I'm just playing whatever I feel like, that's currently Viking : The Battle for Asgard, and I plan on finishing my run through GTA IV after I am done with it.

 

[Moatilliatta]

the longest journey... shruggable

Evil, nasty man.

 

 

I've downloaded a demo of world of goo and I'm gonna try and give it a fair chance since everyone is raving about it.

[Hurlshort]

Stuff on LotR Online

 

I was on my own in LotR until about level 35. I had some friends start the game with me, but they dropped off in the first month. Then I had a lonely kinship where I was the only guy active for close to a year. That worked for me because I played the game off and on. I slowly made it to my 30's doing lots of solo quests, playing alts, and very rarely grouping. I think I went 6 months without being in a group. Then, in my mid 30's, I met someone I liked and joined their kin. It was active, and the last few months have been moving very quickly, and I've started to learn hoe to play in a group well. My class, Captain, has a lot of great buffs and a few small heals, but is still very active in the attack.

 

But I did enjoy playing the game as a solo experience. I never felt bogged down, and the world was interesting enough to keep me engaged. There are also quite a few different areas to travel and level up around.

 

edit: It helped that the game is only $10 a month, compared to the $15 of other games. I found that a bit easier to stomach.

Edited October 15, 2008 by Hurlshot

[Nightshape]

the longest journey... shruggable

Evil, nasty man.

 

 

I'll finish it, but so far it's not very "game-like".

[Moatilliatta]

I'll finish it, but so far it's not very "game-like".

Does it need to be? I don't think I've ever played an adnventure game for the game.

 

Anyway I've now finished the World of Goo demo and I honestly don't really see why people rave about it. It's a good game and such, very well crafted and quite beautiful but beyond that.

 

Is there anything beyond chapter 1 that could improve upon my view of the game?

Edited October 15, 2008 by Moatilliatta

[Pidesco]

Yes. Actually, the puzzles are very inventive, driving you to thinking up new ways to use the goo, thus giving you a nice sense of accomplishment and allowing you to improve your scores in previous puzzles. Also, try to achieve OCD scores.

[Moatilliatta]

Now I feel even more oblivious! I don't feel like replaying the puzzles and don't really see why I should as I don't replay action games to see if I can do better and fail to see why I should do so with puzzle games. Not a big deal though as I never expected that of myself.

 

I might try and get the OCD scores but I doubt that I'll buy the game for those as I'm not a powergamer or overachiever or anything like that. I tend to like stuff like the OCD scored in the way that John Walker (I think) described in the RPS review, where it's fluid in the way that you do not actually try to achieve it but it's something that you realize while simply messing with the puzzle. Seriously trying to reach the goal kind of makes it much more mundane.

 

I feel that this game might fail because it didn't do like Braid and show things from every chapter as a way of showing that it does indeed have new and interesting stuff in every chapter. These kinds of games are those that need to evolve throughout the game to be interesting and still they use an ancient demo-form that doesn't actually show its strong sides, it's ridiculous.

 

Part of it might also be attributed to me having already played all the good physics puzzlers out there (4 or 5 I think) and you can only really enjoy them that many times. Kinda makes the goo balls the only truly inventive thing about the game, and that isn't bad by any stretch but the demo doesn't really entice me with them. Seems to me that the logical way of doing the demo would be to show small amounts of several different goo balls instead of wasting what little time people are willing to give this on a chapter.

 

[/rambling Moat]

 

I might give it another try when i can get it on Steam.

[Nightshape]

I'll finish it, but so far it's not very "game-like".

Does it need to be? I don't think I've ever played an adnventure game for the game.

 

Well sure, but the puzzles should atleast be challenging, the last time I looked I got confused crossing the road in real life, I shouldn't be able to figure out a games puzzles in such an intuitive way that I can hardly call them puzzles.

 

Back in the days of monkey island, and beneath a steel sky solving a puzzle kinda felt like an achievement, and it still does, as long as you leave a nice 5-10 gap between play throughs.

 

The longest journey may as well be a crappy movie because my brain isn't being stimulated, from the perspective of solving puzzles to progress, the story seems okay so far, but I'll be sure to keep folk updated... Anyways... I think I'll go play viking or something... Where my 360 controller *grumbles*.

[Pidesco]

Now I feel even more oblivious! I don't feel like replaying the puzzles and don't really see why I should as I don't replay action games to see if I can do better and fail to see why I should do so with puzzle games. Not a big deal though as I never expected that of myself.

 

I might try and get the OCD scores but I doubt that I'll buy the game for those as I'm not a powergamer or overachiever or anything like that. I tend to like stuff like the OCD scored in the way that John Walker (I think) described in the RPS review, where it's fluid in the way that you do not actually try to achieve it but it's something that you realize while simply messing with the puzzle. Seriously trying to reach the goal kind of makes it much more mundane.

 

I feel that this game might fail because it didn't do like Braid and show things from every chapter as a way of showing that it does indeed have new and interesting stuff in every chapter. These kinds of games are those that need to evolve throughout the game to be interesting and still they use an ancient demo-form that doesn't actually show its strong sides, it's ridiculous.

 

Part of it might also be attributed to me having already played all the good physics puzzlers out there (4 or 5 I think) and you can only really enjoy them that many times. Kinda makes the goo balls the only truly inventive thing about the game, and that isn't bad by any stretch but the demo doesn't really entice me with them. Seems to me that the logical way of doing the demo would be to show small amounts of several different goo balls instead of wasting what little time people are willing to give this on a chapter.

 

[/rambling Moat]

 

I might give it another try when i can get it on Steam.

 

If you were next to me, I'd slap you with a frozen steak and force you to buy the game.

 

Also, you can buy it from their site and then add it to Steam.

 

 

Did I mention the story and the writing are also very compelling?