Raithe Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 Doing chunks of SW:TOR still.. and a few moments of the Chronicles of Riddick - Escape from Butcher Bay, and then onto Dark Athena.. "Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum."
HoonDing Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 Funny thing about Bulletstorm (and Arkham City, for that matter). I was thinking about replaying it, but then realized this would mean I'd have Steam, Games for windows live and Origin on the same computer... thanks but no thanks. The ending of the words is ALMSIVI.
Rosbjerg Posted February 23, 2012 Posted February 23, 2012 Bought Alpha Centauri on GoG and have been conquering Planet as a green, democratic, knowledge oriented cybernetic society.. This game is effin awesome - after all these years I still find new strategies and features. Fortune favors the bald.
Orchomene Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 I think that court managemet in CK II is a lot easier than in the first opus. Other than that part (which was really in need of improvements), the slower infidels conquests is good to avoid powerful vassals to grow uncontrollable. As said before, with just some tweaks here and there, this game has the potential to better and more balanced than CKDV.
Humanoid Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 (edited) I remember ruining Alpha Centauri for myself when I found about the commonly abused strategy of Supply Crawler spam. Makes Civ4 Stack of Doom (ab)uses seem reasonable. But yeah, I continue to treat SMAC as the true Civ3 because the official game of that name was so underwhelming. (Call to Power was a complete waste of money, the only amusement I got out of that one was the one awesome African music track and the comedy value of the "Australian civilization" headed, hilariously I might add, by Carmen Lawrence) Edited February 24, 2012 by Humanoid L I E S T R O N GL I V E W R O N G
Rosbjerg Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 I remember ruining Alpha Centauri for myself when I found about the commonly abused strategy of Supply Crawler spam. Yeah I never used them before and I basically won the game this time because of them - so I'll be skipping them in the future (or at least seriously tone down their use).. Fortune favors the bald.
Malcador Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 Ah yes, like wonder pumping in Civ 2, heh. Playing Civ V now, ugh, trying to deal with Russia's continuing desire to kill me off, but they have hemmed in in Southern Africa. Sure do produce units at a heavy rate too. I guess I'l restart as this is a loss. Forgot how much I disliked global happiness and being unable to modify tax rates. Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Morgoth Posted February 24, 2012 Posted February 24, 2012 Finished a perfect runthrough of ME1. Reminds me why I actually enjoyed ME1 more than ME2. Also bought Syndicate, since I'm a weak Strabreeze fanboy and I needed something to bridge the time till ME3 arrives. Played the first mission and it's nice so far. Nothing extraordinary, but the mechanics flow well, combat is challenging and visceral, and the graphics are very atmospheric. Not a bad game for half the usual price... Once I finished ME3, I really need to get started with KoA. Not sure if there's anything else good coming out till Bioshock Infinite. Rain makes everything better.
Tel Aviv Posted February 25, 2012 Posted February 25, 2012 The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection - just reached Peace Walker. The Mother Base aspect is a real change of pace, I like it a lot. This year I've decided to restrict myself to one video game purchase per month, rationing style. This must be what it was like to play video games in the 1940's.
Malcador Posted February 25, 2012 Posted February 25, 2012 Much better run through Civ V, imagine that things turn out easier when you target Wonders. Still dealing with the schizo AIs all hating me atlhough I've been neutral at worst to them, bleh. Well at least you didn't pay full price for it, Morgoth, heh, although you couldn't wait two weeks for ME3 ? Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Morgoth Posted February 25, 2012 Posted February 25, 2012 Well at least you didn't pay full price for it, Morgoth, heh, although you couldn't wait two weeks for ME3 ? I'm not regretting it, actually. It's a fun and dirty game. Rain makes everything better.
Majek Posted February 25, 2012 Posted February 25, 2012 Finished a perfect runthrough of ME1. Reminds me why I actually enjoyed ME1 more than ME2. Also bought Syndicate, since I'm a weak Strabreeze fanboy and I needed something to bridge the time till ME3 arrives. Played the first mission and it's nice so far. Nothing extraordinary, but the mechanics flow well, combat is challenging and visceral, and the graphics are very atmospheric. Not a bad game for half the usual price... Once I finished ME3, I really need to get started with KoA. Not sure if there's anything else good coming out till Bioshock Infinite. If you're buying everything, look up Binary Domain. Should be quite decent. 1.13 killed off Ja2.
Malcador Posted February 25, 2012 Posted February 25, 2012 Meh, can't get it until Tuesday. Family decided exceeding bandwidth usage was a smart idea. Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Tale Posted February 26, 2012 Posted February 26, 2012 About to do the Suicide Mission in ME2. Running around and buying stuff. I hope visiting Illium and Tuchanka without doing missions doesn't kill crew. "Show me a man who "plays fair" and I'll show you a very talented cheater."
Gorth Posted February 26, 2012 Author Posted February 26, 2012 Insane 2 For those days when you just want to drive into things and smash stuff. Edit: Maybe also because I liked Insane (the original) “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
LadyCrimson Posted February 26, 2012 Posted February 26, 2012 Might & Magic7. I miss games like these. For me it still beats games like Skyrim hands down in terms of gameplay immersion. “Things are as they are. Looking out into the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.” – Alan Watts
Zoraptor Posted February 26, 2012 Posted February 26, 2012 Gave up on my game of CK2 around 1400, united the Gaels so mission pretty much accomplished. The game is... ever so lightly broken, as it stands and from a small sample size (well, there are a lot of people have the same issues going by the Paradox forums, but it is usually people with problems who complain so it's a not unbiased sample), though I still think it has heaps of potential. Problems are: Blobbing. Once critical mass is reached a large empire/ kingdom can roflstomp breakaways. Even something like Scotland breaking away from England post Ed I is practically impossible due to... Battles. There's zero chance of an Agincourt or Crecy or Bannockburn where a significantly smaller force wins. Simple numbers determines the result of just about every battle, though for evenly balanced enemies this is not decisive due to... Levy recharge. Ludicrously fast. Kill that doomstack and it will be back before you're sieged a single province fully. Sieges. Too long. Harlech was the exception, not the rule. I've tended to assault even well defended places lately as, well, fast levy recharge means you can make up the losses quick smart. Never seen the AI assault though. Plots and civil wars cripple small to mid sized kingdoms but don't cripple larger ones to anywhere near the same degree. If blobbing weren't such a problem this might be a minor concern, as it is it just exacerbates blobbing further as blobs jump in to piranha-ise a weaker neighbour while it's split. Enemies pledging. If you're fighting a muslim and he pledges to, say, the Golden Horde your troops march out of every place of theirs you've taken because, well, the sheikdom of Trondheim is now the chiefdom of Trondheim. Want to continue the war? Disband your troops, redeclare war and retake all those holdings Assassinations. Enemy has powerful allies? Assassinate them, their armies will turn around and go home. Enemy pressing a claim for someone else? Assassinate claimant, war ends. Enemy looking to roflstomp you? Spamsassinate, until their xn heir has to break off and fight rebels. Wars are simply too... soft. They don't cost enough in any respect- during the medieval period fighting wars was ruinously expensive, and fighting over the same places for extended periods and denuding them of manpower and wealth would absolutely cripple you long term, as historically happened with the Byzants. It says something that despite all that I still really like it and it is already my favourite baseline Paradox release. It reminds me of the classic Obsidian game generalisation really, vast potential and vastly more ambition than just about every other game, implementation... could use some work.
Maria Caliban Posted February 26, 2012 Posted February 26, 2012 Nearing the homestretch of ME 2. "When is this out. I can't wait to play it so I can talk at length about how bad it is." - Gorgon.
Gorth Posted February 26, 2012 Author Posted February 26, 2012 It says something that despite all that I still really like it and it is already my favourite baseline Paradox release. It reminds me of the classic Obsidian game generalisation really, vast potential and vastly more ambition than just about every other game, implementation... could use some work. I haven't tried the game yet (still on my Gamersgate wishlist), but it sounds like a "modern" era version of Europa Universalis: Rome, where you sometimes spend more time managing your family, dynasties, insubordinate subordinates, executing those of your generals whose popularity may eclipse your own etc. I think I'll grab it next time I go shopping there. “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
Tigranes Posted February 26, 2012 Posted February 26, 2012 I think CK2 is great, but as you say there qaer problems. To me it comes down to the fact that combat is too simplified and too easy. A powerful duke that hates you is a much greater threat to your kingdom than any war, if you're a large power. And of course, frequent rebellions when wars are easy is annoying, infrequent rebellions when wars are hard is exciting. I think they need to do a variety of things. Minor things like levy recharge rate, army maintenance cost can be adjusted, but more fundamentally, I think (1) bring war exhaustion back; (2) make technology progress faster, have more levels, and have much bigger impact on battles. That may sound ahistorical for the time period, but arguably it simulates how well equipped and drilled your armies are, not what new-fangled contraptions you are coming up with; (3) do something about the fact that due to the levy system, every army ends up having 10+ marshal skill generals on every front. I've conquered all of Spain by 1200, mainly due to the stability of a crazy 70-year reign from one guy that inherited at age 2, but I might start again as some smaller states. Let's Play: Icewind Dale Ironman (Complete) Let's Play: Icewind Dale II Ironman (Complete) Let's Play: Divinity II (Complete) Let's Play: Baldur's Gate Trilogy Ironman - BG1 (Complete) Let's Play: Baldur's Gate Trilogy Ironman - BG2 (In Progress)
Gorth Posted February 26, 2012 Author Posted February 26, 2012 A powerful duke that hates you is a much greater threat to your kingdom than any war, if you're a large power. And of course, frequent rebellions when wars are easy is annoying, infrequent rebellions when wars are hard is exciting. That might (or might not) be a tribute to reality. Much of that time period, at least in Europe, was defined by the wars between the French crown and the Dukes of Aquitaine. “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
Gorth Posted February 26, 2012 Author Posted February 26, 2012 Since I was visiting Steam anyway (and getting the remaining DLC's for Gratuitous Space Battles), I downloaded a demo for something called Watchmen: The End is Nigh. Seems like a comic book inspired thing. Unlike the Batman game I got free with my gfx card, this one was actually somewhat fun to play. I Might have to get both parts of the full game eventually. At $10 each it's not exactly robbery. I could have sworn I saw that comic in a Danish comic store many years ago. Might have to look it up on google. “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
Zoraptor Posted February 26, 2012 Posted February 26, 2012 I haven't tried the game yet (still on my Gamersgate wishlist), but it sounds like a "modern" era version of Europa Universalis: Rome, where you sometimes spend more time managing your family, dynasties, insubordinate subordinates, executing those of your generals whose popularity may eclipse your own etc. I think I'll grab it next time I go shopping there. If you haven't played the original Crusader Kings then EU: Rome is probably closest. Sengoku is supposedly even closer but I haven't played that. I think they need to do a variety of things. Minor things like levy recharge rate, army maintenance cost can be adjusted, but more fundamentally, I think (1) bring war exhaustion back; (2) make technology progress faster, have more levels, and have much bigger impact on battles. That may sound ahistorical for the time period, but arguably it simulates how well equipped and drilled your armies are, not what new-fangled contraptions you are coming up with; (3) do something about the fact that due to the levy system, every army ends up having 10+ marshal skill generals on every front. Yep, I think most of the problems can and will be fixed pretty easily which is largely why I'm still positive overall. I'd tend to make buildings have maintenance costs to force a balancing of high value/ discipline troops vs cash and stop the current situation where if you have the money you build without any thought, and have a province manpower which depletes, effects income, and recovers slowly (effectively, this would be war exhaustion). Then you could have a fairly quick recharge on the levy itself, but not without longer term consequences. The combat itself I think can be fixed easily- making it so that you have to use commanders by ranks (princes> dukes> counts> barons> commoners) is pretty much entirely realistic and would go a long way to making sure that you don't end up with every army commanded by Hannibal, Napoleon and Subotai.
Flouride Posted February 26, 2012 Posted February 26, 2012 The only thing currently pissing me off about CK2 is the plotting. There's just too much of that. For example last night my grandson had his father and myself killed via poison. And since he got caught, pretty much the whole damn country was about to rebel when he got the Kingdom to rule. Seriously, I can understand poisoning his father (in some twisted way), but why poison a 50 something grandfather who would be dead in few years anyways, just to make your progress to the throne faster. Also I still don't understand how sometimes the areas I control, don't get inherited by my heir. I lost two out of three of the areas I've been upgrading in that even though I have the "eldest son inherits it all" rule in my realm. Is there a limit of how much he can inherit or why did he not inherit some of the areas that were already in his name! Hate the living, love the dead.
Morgoth Posted February 26, 2012 Posted February 26, 2012 If you're buying everything No. look up Binary Domain. Should be quite decent. Japs making a game about shooting hordes of robots. How exciting. Rain makes everything better.
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