What are you playing now?

[Tale]

Just beat Dragon Age 2. Bioware definitely is learning how to do shades of grey, but they still have work to do. Maybe DA3 will go so far as to have an antagonist whose perspective is understandable and not complete villain ball material.

 

On to Fallout New Vegas for my Dead Money play. I think I'll go back to my playthrough one build of guns and repair... lockpicking? Security? I've already forgotten the skills and their names!

Edited March 15, 2011 by Tale

[trulez]

Still playing Dragon Age 2, and I agree what Tale said about the loot system, it's horrible in DA1 and it's still horrbile in DA2. Just yesterday spent like 15 minutes sorting out all the loot I had accumulated to see if anything is better than what I had.

 

Also playing some Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic on the side, that games does not look like it came out 2003, more like in the 90's.

Edited March 16, 2011 by trulez

[Bendu]

I'm playing Total War: Shogun II right now. Got it at a bargain price (29 Euros). Because of that and the talking here I couldn't resist and bought Dragon Age II as well.

[GreasyDogMeat]

Still playing Dragon Age 2, and I agree what Tale said about the loot system, it's horrible in DA1 and it's still horrbile in DA2. Just yesterday spent like 15 minutes sorting out all the loot I had accumulated to see if anything is better than what I had.

In NwN 2 before the patch that added the auto-sort button, I'd spend upwards of 40-60 minutes sorting equipment. I'm one of those players who wants to have every character equipped with the best, even if I rarely if ever use the character so I'd end up having to pass everything to one character, then the next, then go into the inn to swap characters etc.

[Monte Carlo]

I'm having that horrible "what character do I make" dilemma for NWN2. Have both XPs installed so there are lots of choices.

 

I want a cheesy melee / sneak attack power-build, any suggestions?

Edited March 16, 2011 by Monte Carlo

[Wrath of Dagon]

[in NwN 2 before the patch that added the auto-sort button, I'd spend upwards of 40-60 minutes sorting equipment. I'm one of those players who wants to have every character equipped with the best, even if I rarely if ever use the character so I'd end up having to pass everything to one character, then the next, then go into the inn to swap characters etc.

Heh, I used to do the same, but NWN2 inventory is so horrible I had to give that up or quit playing.

 

Edit: I'm seriously thinking about getting Divinity 2 next. This screenshot pretty much sold me:

Edited March 16, 2011 by Wrath of Dagon

[Monte Carlo]

Yes, I'd just sell everything, luckily it's a loot-tastic game.

[Lexx]

Playing some X

[Monte Carlo]

OK, I'm going to start NWN2 tonight, my character concept build is a sort of skald / savage bard / heavy metal type adventurer with the obligatory Red Dragon Disciple levels for added cheese.

 

Anybody got any ideas for a build and what about a few fighter levels? The plan is to complete the OC and go for level 30 into MotB.

[Jaesun]

OK, I'm going to start NWN2 tonight, my character concept build is a sort of skald / savage bard / heavy metal type adventurer with the obligatory Red Dragon Disciple levels for added cheese.

 

Anybody got any ideas for a build and what about a few fighter levels? The plan is to complete the OC and go for level 30 into MotB.

 

While not the exact build you are requesting, my Bard build of Awesome is specifically tailored for NWN2 OC and MotB. Also that site has a TON of builds, might find something there if my build does not appeal to you. Or use the builder there.

[sorophx]

I'm having that horrible "what character do I make" dilemma for NWN2. Have both XPs installed so there are lots of choices.

 

I want a cheesy melee / sneak attack power-build, any suggestions?

I remember a dual-wielding rogue/assassin/blade something with daggers being a sneak-attack beast. maybe add 4 levels of warrior

[Raithe]

I had fun with the Ranger / Spirit Shaman setup with a bit of Rogue and Shadowdancer...

 

But then I can be a sneaky minded vicious git at times..

[Calax]

Played more of Shogun 2. Still getting the hang of it all, had a few issues because of the food system (basically you have to maintain a food surplus otherwise people go crazy and end up rebelling) But overall am doing well.

 

I wish Steam was better about hot linking screenshots. Anyway I'm currently near turn 100 and am splayed out along the southern edge of eastern Japan. Managed to snag a FEW of those provinces because their lord got stupid and they rebelled. Nice thing about that is that usually when they rebel you're talking MASSIVE amounts of Yari Ashigaru (militia spears).

 

http://steamcommunity.com/id/Calaxprimal/s...680317403460044

 

The guys in white are ALL Yari Ashigaru being slaughtered by my swordsmen (2 units of Katana Samurai, 2 of Date No-Dachi, and 1 Yari Samruai).

 

One thing that's gotten more interesting are the sieges. I mentioned this before but no longer are you required to bring along siege equipment to blow up walls. BUT the castles are now tiered:

 

http://steamcommunity.com/id/Calaxprimal/s...619/?tab=public

 

That's a good example as it's one of the larger castles in the game, It's got a full moat around it so you have to use one of the bridges to get to the walls, then you have to take a total of 3 tiers of the castle to actually reach the keep. and ALL of the castles have something like this rather than just walls.

 

http://steamcommunity.com/id/Calaxprimal/s...157/?tab=public

http://steamcommunity.com/id/Calaxprimal/s...3457960?tab=all

 

http://steamcommunity.com/id/Calaxprimal/s...2654030?tab=all (an example of scaling the walls on a tiny fort)

 

Right now I'm the most powerful nation on the map, but I have a few challengers. The Mori, Chokosabe, and Takeda are all near my strength (subtracting my vassals) and I've recently had a few setbacks. My faction leader was killed twice because he got ambushed by somebody MUCH bigger and I'm kinda sucky at castle defenses (should probably practice more). I've got two power bases, one is Iawate (I think tha's the province) which was my starting zone, the other has become Mikawa, mainly because it's right in the middle of everything and thus a great location to build up. I am thinking of moving my captial there to make it easier to get my generals to the front because I'm so segmented right now.

 

Also, I have found a very fun new unit.

 

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59468031...E08E9796B3EFCB/

 

Basically they're grenadiers, but instead of shot-putting the grenades they actually slap em into a sling and fling the suckers so they explode on what you want (in that shot they're impacting on the gateway to a castle I'm sieging).

[Majek]

DA2, the copy took a while from the UK.

[entrerix]

Played more of Shogun 2. snip

 

 

you are making me want this game very badly.

[greylord]

So you're looking at ninjas as if they were created and existed solely after Japan industrialized (due to american power)... Interesting choice there sonny.

 

The ninja were around back when the Tokugawa shogunate (who were deposed during the forced industrialization) was in power, in fact, two of the most famous ninjas in history actually existed at that point, one as a direct subordinate to Tokugawa and the other as the guy who killed the first (Hattori Hanzo and Kotaru Fuma to be exact).

 

*Sigh* And you were calling me blind.

 

Err, no.

 

Ninja meant the same as the word spy...or agent. They were used for assassination, but more often more as intelligence on others. Just like other intelligence agencies. They actually existed prior to that, and farther back then the shogunate...as...they simply were basically agents of other houses set to spy on others. You didn't even need to know martial arts. In fact, weapon training wasn't even a major factor for most of them, as most utilized other skills. Some of the most famous were actually entertainers...not farmers.

 

Then some Japanese guy decided to capitalize on the Western ignorance and created this entire Ninja sensation. Half of everyone in Japan laughed their arse off at him...but somehow a few took him seriously there...and MANY took him seriously in the West. It's become a major sensation over the past 40 years, and now you have Ninja movies that even come from Hong Kong, Korea, and occasionally from Japan. The entire Ninja as this guy in black who was this expert martial arts guy who jumped around and killed people actually originated popularity in the US. It started with some crazy guy in japan...but didn't take off until the US grabbed hold of it and brought it into it's culture as it's own beast. Sort of like how US pizza is unique to the US...or US chinese food tastes a whole lot different then the authentic stuff in China (and is more expensive in general in the US as well).

 

The reason why they use farm weapons is the same reason ANYONE had to use farm weapons who weren't actual Samurai or from the Samurai class. Ninja actually DID use normal weapons if they were from the right class...and it wasn't unusual in house politics. However the guy who started the entire sensation was NOT samurai or from that class, and tradition (though previously it was law) had it that no one who wasn't from the Samurai class could use swords or certain weapons. They were stuck to using things that you could find around the house. I believe they still have swords in all the US Ninja lore overall however, but traditionally if you weren't from the right class...swords and weapons for the Nobility were restricted to...the Nobility.

 

However, as it looks like you are an American looking to justify your fascination with American culture (or the American Ninja sensation)...feel free to live in your ignorance and paint Ninjas as something magical and mystical instead of the rather real and mundane that history truly presents.

[Calax]

And yet actual historians completely disagree with you, go figure.

 

And either way, half of what you said didn't in any way invalidate what I said. As I pointed out two of the most famous were from the era of warring states, and while they weren't the traditional Black Pajama archtypes they were still the heads of their chosen houses, and the average member of the ninja clan was a simple farmer.

 

Seriously, if you're gonna give a story like what you are, give a source.

[pmp10]

Now this ninja discussion managed to confuse me.

Was "ninja" considered a profession or some kind of clan title/position?

[Slowtrain]

butcher, baker, candlestick maker, ninja.

 

edit: Didn't mythbusters have a ninja on once? He tried to catch some arrows and didn't do so well.

Edited March 17, 2011 by Slowtrain

[Calax]

Technically they're Shinobi/Kunoichi. They're basically the covert ops of Japan (classically in the Warring states period). There were a few clans that were ONLY Ninja basically (Iga being one of the most famous). After the end of the warring states as the Shogun ended up employing them as an internal security team that hid itself as his household servants.

 

According to Stephen Turnbull they were drawn mainly from the lower classes. They were a Role more than anything, the best ninja were known to come from Iga and Koga.

Edited March 17, 2011 by Calax

[Hell Kitty]

butcher, baker, candlestick maker, ninja.

 

For some reason your post made me think of Wizardry.

 

[Nightshape]

butcher, baker, candlestick maker, ninja.

 

For some reason your post made me think of Wizardry.

 

 

Love that game... Especially the faery ninjas'.

[Majek]

pretty pixels

[Monte Carlo]

Is that really a scary, evil butterfly?

[Kaftan Barlast]

After playing for a month and doing countless races without a single win, Im canceling my iRacing membership. It's just too hard and time consuming.