What are you playing now - the plays the thing

[Keyrock]

I attempted to get back into GTA IV yesterday. I knew I'd regret it but I'm so close to finishing. I'm at the part where I have to choose between revenge and money, that's gotta be at least 90% of the way finished, right? Anyway, not a half hour into playing and I was ready to throw my controller through my monitor. Then I had an epiphany: Why am I putting myself through this abysmal combat when all I want is to see the cutscenes and ending? I can just do that by watching Youtube clips. So it's screw you GTA IV and hello Icewind Dale II for me.

[Drowsy Emperor]

GTAIV has a very good story that's worth playing through to the end. In fact its the only GTA game to have a good story.

[GhostofAnakin]

Siding with Branka would have given you a -10 with Shale though if I remember correctly.

 

Actually I seem to remember that you might lose Shale if you side with Branka.. Looking at wiki that seems to be right:

• If The Warden sides with Caridin and Shale is there too, it can lead to the quest A Golem's Memories after talking to Caridin at the end of the combat.
  

 

Strange. I sided with Caridin and talked to him after the combat, but that personal quest of Shale's never triggered.

[Keyrock]

GTAIV has a very good story that's worth playing through to the end. In fact its the only GTA game to have a good story.

Oh, the story is great, no doubt, but the combat is so unbelievably awful that I just can't bring myself to play it any more. Somehow they managed to make the combat even worse than in the previous games, if that's even possible. I think it's because they added sticky cover. In theory that should have been an improvement, however it's implemented extremely poorly and the game relies on it a lot. Plus, the controls in combat are even less responsive than in previous GTAs, which, again, is an incredible feat. Also, as with every successive GTA game, they focus more and more on combat and this only increases as you get later in the game. I like driving around, I love the story, but I just can't deal with the combat any more, it actually hurts (both physically and emotionally) to play the game it's so bad. I'm just going to watch the final few missions and cutscenes, and the ending, on Youtube and save my sanity.

[mkreku]

GTA4 is actually the worst of the 3D GTA's in my opinion. Too small world, not enough stuff to do and find, car handling is basically broken (on PC with keyboard & mouse) and they lost the fun factor. In fact, the rest of the game was such a step back (except visually and.. physics-ually) that it didn't matter how good the story was, I didn't enjoy the game much at all anyhow.

 

I did finish it, however. I do wonder though.. how many people bothered trying to find those 100 pigeons..?

[GhostofAnakin]

GTAIV has a very good story that's worth playing through to the end. In fact its the only GTA game to have a good story.

Oh, the story is great, no doubt, but the combat is so unbelievably awful that I just can't bring myself to play it any more. Somehow they managed to make the combat even worse than in the previous games, if that's even possible. I think it's because they added sticky cover. In theory that should have been an improvement, however it's implemented extremely poorly and the game relies on it a lot. Plus, the controls in combat are even less responsive than in previous GTAs, which, again, is an incredible feat. Also, as with every successive GTA game, they focus more and more on combat and this only increases as you get later in the game. I like driving around, I love the story, but I just can't deal with the combat any more, it actually hurts (both physically and emotionally) to play the game it's so bad. I'm just going to watch the final few missions and cutscenes, and the ending, on Youtube and save my sanity.

 

I think my feelings about frustration over the combat mirror yours. Inevitably, the excruciatingly awkward combat is the thing that usually deters me from finishing GTA games.

[Drowsy Emperor]

GTAIV has a very good story that's worth playing through to the end. In fact its the only GTA game to have a good story.

Oh, the story is great, no doubt, but the combat is so unbelievably awful that I just can't bring myself to play it any more. Somehow they managed to make the combat even worse than in the previous games, if that's even possible. I think it's because they added sticky cover. In theory that should have been an improvement, however it's implemented extremely poorly and the game relies on it a lot. Plus, the controls in combat are even less responsive than in previous GTAs, which, again, is an incredible feat. Also, as with every successive GTA game, they focus more and more on combat and this only increases as you get later in the game. I like driving around, I love the story, but I just can't deal with the combat any more, it actually hurts (both physically and emotionally) to play the game it's so bad. I'm just going to watch the final few missions and cutscenes, and the ending, on Youtube and save my sanity.

 

I don't remember the combat being much of a problem, considering how easy the game was overall. I remember having to redo certain missions in GTA III and Vice City many times, but not in GTA IV. In fact the game was disappointingly easy in most respects, especially running away from cops.

 

I agree with mkreku that the game is boring compared to the previous GTA's although, really I was bored with San Andreas already (after having played Vice City to death) so at this point I don't think there's anything they can do to make GTAV interesting for me.

 

Really, its probably time to retire the series for good. No such luck though.

[Bos_hybrid]

Playing Way of the Samurai 4.....

 

I'm enjoying it but...... It's a very strange game. Tortures/BDSM mini games(if you get arrested), a hook up mini game(chase the girl around the bedroom and throw them onto a bed), that can involve a.... lets just say her age isn't defined. All that is purely optional though.

 

Still enjoy the story freedom it gives, and the multiple ending. Both the combat isn't as good as earlier games, it's dropped the one hit kills and is now more of a button masher. The factions also aren't as good as in the third one.

 

There really isn't anything else like it on the market.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Bos_hybrid

[Calax]

I attempted to get back into GTA IV yesterday. I knew I'd regret it but I'm so close to finishing. I'm at the part where I have to choose between revenge and money, that's gotta be at least 90% of the way finished, right? Anyway, not a half hour into playing and I was ready to throw my controller through my monitor. Then I had an epiphany: Why am I putting myself through this abysmal combat when all I want is to see the cutscenes and ending? I can just do that by watching Youtube clips. So it's screw you GTA IV and hello Icewind Dale II for me.

 

Actually? Those are the last two missions in the game, well there's two for each choice. Once you complete those two missions and see the fallout, it just drops you at the Statue of Liberty and says "You're in free roam now".

 

I don't know if they changed the controls/combat mechanics in the PC version, but in the consoles it was ridiculously easy unless they set up a situation where you got attacked from three directions. Just pull up the auto-target, raise the aim a tiny bit and blam, headshot.

 

The biggest slip up with GTAIV was just how SERIOUS it was. You've got Niko trying to work his way up the ladder (but always being the putz that's betrayed and "the muscle") while dealing with his "issues". And their side quests weren't much better (with one being about a teen who visits Liberty City and ends up as a hooker before Niko puts her on a bus home). The other major thing was just that whole "WE MADE MINIGAMES AND A DRUNKEN ENGINE DAMNIT! YOU WILL USE THEM" relationship garbage with everyone you know.

 

Honestly? Ballad of Gay Tony was more what I was expecting from the story. Not entirely over the top but just so built around humor and having a good time, rather than trying to be something that yanks at your emotions.

[Keyrock]

I personally thought San Andreas was the apex of the GTA series. It was by far the most interesting game for me to play and it's the only one I've beaten multiple times. Plus, it had by far the best soundtrack, and I'm not even that into hip hop.

 

Anyway, I'm jumping back into NWN2 to finish it up, then moving on to MotB.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Keyrock

[Keyrock]

I don't know if they changed the controls/combat mechanics in the PC version, but in the consoles it was ridiculously easy unless they set up a situation where you got attacked from three directions. Just pull up the auto-target, raise the aim a tiny bit and blam, headshot.

The combat scenarios in GTA IV are simple enough when the system works correctly... when it works correctly. The frustration of the game stems from getting killed due to the system going wonky, which happens far more often than is reasonable. For example when going into cover your character suddenly turns around on his own facing the opposite direction you just were because... because? Running toward a target then stopping to take a shot at them when your character decides to turn 180 all on his own and you get sprayed in the back. Going into cover and the character just freaks out all on his own rapidly turning back and forth all on his own like he's on crack or something then wanders out into the open all on his own and gets mowed down. I hate how the view rotates when you get to the edge of cover. I'll have my crosshairs on a target ready to mow them down, then I get to the edge of cover and the view rotates 45 degrees on its own and I have to adjust my aim, meanwhile I'm getting shot at. I could keep going. What's worse is there is no checkpoint system in the game so you have to start from the very beginning when you die, and not just at the beginning of the fire fight, you have to do all the driving to get there too. On top of that, many of the later missions are like a half hour long or longer so you have to do a huge chunk of game over when you get killed because the game went wacky.

 

Maybe the game didn't have these issues in the 360 version?

 

Edit: Sorry for double post but I could no longer edit the previous post.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Keyrock

[LadyCrimson]

Even when one is ill, eventually lying in bed gets old. So I thought maybe I could build a castle in the Stronghold editor. Not much thought required, it's just building, not playing.

 

But then I discovered that high fevers = some pretty weird castle building on my part. It's like what Picasso might have made, if he designed a castle. Maybe I'll look at it later and think it's genius, but I doubt it.

[Calax]

I don't know if they changed the controls/combat mechanics in the PC version, but in the consoles it was ridiculously easy unless they set up a situation where you got attacked from three directions. Just pull up the auto-target, raise the aim a tiny bit and blam, headshot.

The combat scenarios in GTA IV are simple enough when the system works correctly... when it works correctly. The frustration of the game stems from getting killed due to the system going wonky, which happens far more often than is reasonable. For example when going into cover your character suddenly turns around on his own facing the opposite direction you just were because... because? Running toward a target then stopping to take a shot at them when your character decides to turn 180 all on his own and you get sprayed in the back. Going into cover and the character just freaks out all on his own rapidly turning back and forth all on his own like he's on crack or something then wanders out into the open all on his own and gets mowed down. I hate how the view rotates when you get to the edge of cover. I'll have my crosshairs on a target ready to mow them down, then I get to the edge of cover and the view rotates 45 degrees on its own and I have to adjust my aim, meanwhile I'm getting shot at. I could keep going. What's worse is there is no checkpoint system in the game so you have to start from the very beginning when you die, and not just at the beginning of the fire fight, you have to do all the driving to get there too. On top of that, many of the later missions are like a half hour long or longer so you have to do a huge chunk of game over when you get killed because the game went wacky.

 

Maybe the game didn't have these issues in the 360 version?

 

Edit: Sorry for double post but I could no longer edit the previous post.

 

Yeah, that sounds like a pc only issue. Probably with your mouse or controller (had that happen once upon a time with COD).

[GhostofAnakin]

I don't know. The controls during combat seemed pretty wonky for me on my 360 as well. Maybe not *exactly* those issues, but the combat certainly had its share of frustrating moments because of the clunky shooting mechanics.

[AGX-17]

GTAIV is why I bought a 360 controller for my PC. It was just unplayable with keyboard + mouse.

 

Even when one is ill, eventually lying in bed gets old. So I thought maybe I could build a castle in the Stronghold editor. Not much thought required, it's just building, not playing.

 

But then I discovered that high fevers = some pretty weird castle building on my part. It's like what Picasso might have made, if he designed a castle. Maybe I'll look at it later and think it's genius, but I doubt it.

 

Hey, designing a structure requires a lot of thought. That or my dad the architect has been lying all my life when he goes back to work for an extra 4 hours after coming home for dinner.

Edited November 18, 2012 by AGX-17

[melkathi]

 

Hey, designing a structure requires a lot of thought. That or my dad the architect has been lying all my life when he goes back to work for an extra 4 hours after coming home for dinner.

 

Your dad got to come home for dinner?

Damn! I was doing something wrong when I was still working as an architect

[Tale]

Just finished Deponia. Great game. The puzzle logic stumped me a few times, but nothing that I felt was unfair after I found out what it was. The story and characters were funny and charming.

 

I highly recommend it to adventure fans.

[Mamoulian War]

Last Story and big marathon of Star Ocean 4 again... Finally got the trophy for obtaining all the weapon data, after killing 4 winged version of Ethereal Queen on Galaxy difficulty.

[Malcador]

Done with GK2, that was a pretty fun game. Oddly I recalled most of the solutions from that marathon playthrough a lady in NZ did about 6 months ago, so that kind of dampened things. On to GK3. Or maybe will take a break from adventure games.

[GhostofAnakin]

Leliana and Sten in the same party is good for some amusing -- if juvenile -- chuckles.

[LadyCrimson]

Hey, designing a structure requires a lot of thought. That or my dad the architect has been lying all my life when he goes back to work for an extra 4 hours after coming home for dinner.

I have a feeling that building stuff in Stronghold - laying out straight lines of walls and plonking down pre-built towers/gatehouses - is quite a bit simpler than being an architect. But even that simplicity was kinda failing me earlier.

 

There are a lot of in-editor tricks for making "eye-candy" maps, where one can make some fairly elaborate terrain/castles for looks vs. play functionality, if one feels like taking a lot of extra time. That's not what I was trying today, however. I know I'm not capable of dealing with that right now. Heh.

[Guest Slinky]

Finished a game of Civilization IV, first time with the expansions. Just on warlord difficulty, been ages since I had played civ so I had to re-learn just about everything.

 

About the new espionage system Beyond the Sword brought.. I ended up with a funny little situation where I was the only country sharing border with Ragnar of the Vikings, who was the vassal of my best ally Willem van Oranje of the Dutch. And Ragnar, the little hairy bastard, hated my guts.

 

The spyspam that started was unbelievable, improvements blowing up left and right and water getting poisoned in cities. And I couldn't do anything about it. I couln't say to Willem to get his vassal to behave and any retalition against Ragnar would get me at war with my best friend. Was biiiiit annoying

 

Had a fun world war at the end, Sitting Bull of the Native Americans broke from being vassal to Stalin of Russia and became vassal to De Gaulle of France in the same turn.

 

Stalin declared war to Sitting Bull

Hammurabi of Babylon (vassal of Stalin) declared war to Sitting Bull

Cyrus of Persia (vassal of Stalin) declared war to Sitting Bull

De Gaulle declared war to Stalin and his vassals

I declared war to Stalin and his vassals (I had a defensive pact with De Gaulle)

Willem van Oranje (defensive pact with me) and his vassal Ragnar declared war to Stalin and his vassals

Mao Zedong of China was at war with someone, can't even remember who

 

9 out of 10 countries were at war in a single turn, Justinian of Byzantine was the only one out. Too bad it was cut short, my rocket to Alpha Centauri was already on route when all the fun started.

[meomao]

I've been playing Dishonored for 10 hours in the last days... and while the game is not bad and there's a lot of interesting things about the setting and the mechanics... I'm still on the fence about the game being actually good or not.

[Malcador]

Finished a game of Civilization IV, first time with the expansions. Just on warlord difficulty, been ages since I had played civ so I had to re-learn just about everything.

 

About the new espionage system Beyond the Sword brought.. I ended up with a funny little situation where I was the only country sharing border with Ragnar of the Vikings, who was the vassal of my best ally Willem van Oranje of the Dutch. And Ragnar, the little hairy bastard, hated my guts.

 

The spyspam that started was unbelievable, improvements blowing up left and right and water getting poisoned in cities. And I couldn't do anything about it. I couln't say to Willem to get his vassal to behave and any retalition against Ragnar would get me at war with my best friend. Was biiiiit annoying

 

Had a fun world war at the end, Sitting Bull of the Native Americans broke from being vassal to Stalin of Russia and became vassal to De Gaulle of France in the same turn.

 

Stalin declared war to Sitting Bull

Hammurabi of Babylon (vassal of Stalin) declared war to Sitting Bull

Cyrus of Persia (vassal of Stalin) declared war to Sitting Bull

De Gaulle declared war to Stalin and his vassals

I declared war to Stalin and his vassals (I had a defensive pact with De Gaulle)

Willem van Oranje (defensive pact with me) and his vassal Ragnar declared war to Stalin and his vassals

Mao Zedong of China was at war with someone, can't even remember who

 

9 out of 10 countries were at war in a single turn, Justinian of Byzantine was the only one out. Too bad it was cut short, my rocket to Alpha Centauri was already on route when all the fun started.

 

Sounds like a fun game. Did you perform counterespionage on them? Sounds a lot like my last game, Cyrus made vassals out of people I was warring against, so ended up having to smash him in a rather impressive conflict I only won due to taking out his oil resources and having modern armour vs his tanks, heh.

[Bokishi]

Black Ops 2, almost about to prestige