What are you playing now?

[Deadly_Nightshade]

I'm a latecomer to NWN2. I'm about 90% through on Act I OC on two different characters. I'm currently trying to figure out if the Favored Soul is essentially broken unless you cheese levels from a turn undead class and get divine might at which point it feels massively overpowered. Also, why can't I have my way with the goat-girl? Just for once can we get a playful little romance that's not a "prince charming is our hero" cliché? It's about as difficult to find as a divine class that caters to chaotic and whimsical souls who choose to act because "that's just not right" instead of "duty, righteousness, and fealty."

 

I also have a some progress into The Witcher 2. My next little side project will be digging up my C64 emulator and playing my way through Gateway to the Savage Frontier, because I missed Neverwinter's debut in CRPGs. Hopefully Egosoft will get around to releasing X-Rebirth soon.

There is a mod floating around out there that adds some Neeshka flirt dialog options and a short scene at Crossroads Keep with her if you romance her. The modding community comes through, as usual.

 

Wasn't that in the original game but cut from the final release?

[Calax]

Been playing dishonored.

 

It feels more like Assassins Creed the FPS than anything, and I'm 6 hours in, but I'm getting the feeling I'm nearing the end of the game. Kinda short if you ask me.

 

I'd say the pacing was off (with one of the major villains from the intro being offed as the first official mission as the "Masked Man"). And that the world you're thrust into needed more set up.

 

*shrugs* if I were magically a designer of the game, I'd have had you start the game by having a few "world explanation" tutorials before you became "Dishonored".

[Guest Slinky]

I'd say the pacing was off (with one of the major villains from the intro being offed as the first official mission as the "Masked Man"). And that the world you're thrust into needed more set up.

 

Thats the main problem of Dishonored. Very little backstory. When the player knows practically nothing about the world and characters, it's kinda hard to care. It is fun stealth game, but could have been much better than that.

[WDeranged]

Been playing dishonored.

 

It feels more like Assassins Creed the FPS than anything, and I'm 6 hours in, but I'm getting the feeling I'm nearing the end of the game. Kinda short if you ask me.

 

I'd say the pacing was off (with one of the major villains from the intro being offed as the first official mission as the "Masked Man"). And that the world you're thrust into needed more set up.

 

*shrugs* if I were magically a designer of the game, I'd have had you start the game by having a few "world explanation" tutorials before you became "Dishonored".

 

I don't want to spoil anything but it doesn't get any better, the plot is a big dumb carnival ride but thankfully I really dug the world and gameplay, it's really no worse than your average anime in plot terms.

[Tale]

Wasn't that in the original game but cut from the final release?

I'd always heard that Neeshka's writer didn't feel a romance was right for her, so I imagine they simply never did one.

[Calax]

I'd say the pacing was off (with one of the major villains from the intro being offed as the first official mission as the "Masked Man"). And that the world you're thrust into needed more set up.

 

Thats the main problem of Dishonored. Very little backstory. When the player knows practically nothing about the world and characters, it's kinda hard to care. It is fun stealth game, but could have been much better than that.

I think the characters is the biggest problem. They obviously set up a relationship between the Royals and the player, but you dont' get ANYTHING to describe that until MUCH later. Part of me hopes that the franchise will be picked up by another company that can flesh it out more.

[GhostofAnakin]

Finished the challenges for this weekend in Mass Effect 3 MP (extraction from the three Earth maps, plus the total damage bonus against the Reapers).

 

I still think if BioWare/EA was going to insist on tacking on a MP component to ME3 and making it one of the selling points, they really should have done more with it. If you're going to clone the CoD model, then do stuff like kill/death stat tracking or different game types to play. Heck, have unlockables when you reach certain levels.

[NoxNoctum]

Been playing Tome4 lately, it got a new release.

 

Man this game is ridiculously fun and brutally challenging. It really makes the "difficulty" in other games seem laughable. But it makes it so much more satisfying when you finally annihilate some insane boss. (it's hard but fair, when you die it's usually because you made a clear mistake)

 

It also has the best classes I've seen in an RPG ever.

 

Check it out if you have any interest in roguelikes or RPGs (this one happens to have solid tile graphics and an amazing interface to boot)

Edited December 23, 2012 by NoxNoctum

[Blodhemn]

Been playing dishonored.

 

It feels more like Assassins Creed the FPS than anything, and I'm 6 hours in, but I'm getting the feeling I'm nearing the end of the game. Kinda short if you ask me.

 

I'd say the pacing was off (with one of the major villains from the intro being offed as the first official mission as the "Masked Man"). And that the world you're thrust into needed more set up.

 

*shrugs* if I were magically a designer of the game, I'd have had you start the game by having a few "world explanation" tutorials before you became "Dishonored".

I wonder when games will stop trying to be so innovative and focus more on writing/story telling and characters(other than Obsidian). I could tell this game was going to be a letdown with all of the different paths to assassination clearly being it's only goal. Assassins Creed in a Bioshock skin with some Half Life visuals and Thief comparisons just because. Sounds good on the surface, but not so much when you actually play it I'm sure.

[Flouride]

Chivalry and Giana Sisters

[Oner]

Alternating between Dishonored and Batman AC. Fun times.

[melkathi]

Giana Sisters

 

I am stuck on level 3-8 at the moment.Which means I jus don't want to finish another level with over 50 deaths as I did the Temple of Doom level

[Nonek]

Just finished the Witcher, got to say my admiration for Jacque/Alvin as a nuanced and sensible antagonist really does keep growing. The way he throws the philosophical ideals Geralt calmed him with in the fourth chapter in the Witchers face, is just brilliant. It's a pity that the white wolf can't react more visibly to his death, but such is to be expected from such a stoic character. I'm left feeling that it was my failure of the child that crafted the monster he became, gave me a nice sense of agency and conflicting emotions about the ending.

 

Narratively and logically it's one of the best games i've played, renders some of the latest "story" focused rpg's lazy and illogical in comparison. Onwards to the Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

[Nordicus]

*throws his fist up in the air*

 

I did it! I finally beat The Void! 20+ nerve-racking hours, bloody hell!

 

It's a pity that the white wolf can't react more visibly to his death, but such is to be expected from such a stoic character. I'm left feeling that it was my failure of the child that crafted the monster he became, gave me a nice sense of agency and conflicting emotions about the ending.

The ending was a fantastic emotional gutpunch, I felt so wrong but it also felt goooooood. I think the lack of reaction to Alvin's possible death is more due to engine limitations, as bursting into tears is not something Geralt would have done. If the scene were done with Witcher 2 graphics, you'd see more body language from Geralt.

 

Narratively and logically it's one of the best games i've played, renders some of the latest "story" focused rpg's lazy and illogical in comparison. Onwards to the Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

Witcher 2 is better in 90% of the possible ways. The only thing I find lacking are the kind of "How do you feel, Geralt" moments that are plentiful in Witcher 1, where you can properly roleplay the inner workings of Geralt's mind.

 

I guess to put it very bluntly, the roleplaying in Witcher 2 is more shallow, in my opinion. Granted, it's still one step above most of its competition.

[Nonek]

The conversation with Zoltan about the nature of monsters, and the benefits of civilisation was fantastic. It's a pity there's no such moments in the second game, though one supposes that's the hectic pace of pursuing the kingslayer doesn't lend itself to such philosophising. In my opinion the second game could do with an overarching theme, like the first games questioning, "what is a monster?"

 

Unless i've missed the theme in my last two playthroughs, i'll have to keep my eyes open this time.

[Tigranes]

Caesar 3. I usually play on Hard, but then give myself free $. The walking algorithms are way too weird to work out unless you really study them, so instead of milking taxes and trade I just like the city building and making everyone happy.

 

I'm still sad that I can't make myself a nice Governor's Palace some distance off the rabble, because then none of the prefects come round and the whole place burns down.

[Oner]

So Granny Rags asked me to poison a bunch of criminals. I'm not sure whether I want to poison a secondary source of elixirs that may be even redistributed.

Maybe I should just ignore the hag... can't decide.

[Raithe]

A little TOR here and there, a bit of doodling around on SimCity4...

[Yes Man]

Just beat Saints Row 2. I enjoyed playing as the Colonel from MGS, but I think I'm gonna go for something a bit different in The Third.

[Sandro G Meier]

I was just save my game when my party was in yuan-ti temple at IWD 2 yesterday, as you all know, then the tragedy happened...

 

Sigh...

[Cariannis]

I got Caesar 3 from GOG and Sid Meier's Civilization IV (complete version) with SimCity 4 off of Steam, all on sale. Best day EVER (so far).

 

Mainly been playing Civilization IV Colonization wish they'd make one like that for Civilization V.

 

Edit: Wing Commander 3 is 2.99 on GOG...hmm day might have just got better.

Edited December 24, 2012 by Cariannis

[Malcador]

Caesar 3. I usually play on Hard, but then give myself free $. The walking algorithms are way too weird to work out unless you really study them, so instead of milking taxes and trade I just like the city building and making everyone happy.

 

I'm still sad that I can't make myself a nice Governor's Palace some distance off the rabble, because then none of the prefects come round and the whole place burns down.

 

Allowing workers to commute so to speak was a great change in 4. Having nasty industries near the housing and the needed workers was annoying at times. Caesar 4 has a nice bug, where my city is too large and too many engineering posts resulting in the engineers doing nothing. So I have buildings collapsing all over the place while I redeploy stations.

[AGX-17]

Civ V, mine own noble people, the Celts, are the most scientifically and culturally advanced civ in the known world thus far. The Celtic cross will be the first symbol planted on the planets of Alpha Centauri. Also TF2, finally got naughty crates after Valve cheated me last year. They still cheated me this year because none of the items are likely to be as stupidly valuable as last year's haul of naughty crate contents.

Edited December 24, 2012 by AGX-17

[Labadal]

Reached the Lower Wards in Planescape: Torment.

[Serrano]

Wasn't that in the original game but cut from the final release?

I'd always heard that Neeshka's writer didn't feel a romance was right for her, so I imagine they simply never did one.

 

I remember lines for romances with both Neeska and Quara being dug up and posted on this forum along with Casavir's personal quest and the quest/event where you wade into the whole Sand and Quara and their crazy opposing views on magic issue. There was also something about Bevil joining you for the last dungeon.

Edited December 24, 2012 by Serrano