What are you playing now?

[Nordicus]

Stalker SoC

You're really missing out by not having played that game. It's my favorite FPS by far. Also my favorite "horror game" though it doesn't really try to be one. The mutant designs and the lighting make the game naturally scary

[BruceVC]

Hmm I can really recommend to you to try it out, if you have a possibility to borrow it or rent do it, if you like that kind of stuff buy it... The game is really big adrenaline rush and can you drive crazy lot of time, not many people's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it to the max...

 

But, tbh for som reason I liked much more Demon's Souls...

 

I think I will, I have been reading about how easy it is to die so I just need to accept that and not get annoyed

Edited February 11, 2013 by BruceVC

[Raithe]

Dang it, I can't seem to get my gaming mojo back. Of late I just seem to get in the odd 10-15 minute attempt at gaming before I have to give up since my mood just hasn't been in it.

[melkathi]

Dang it, I can't seem to get my gaming mojo back. Of late I just seem to get in the odd 10-15 minute attempt at gaming before I have to give up since my mood just hasn't been in it.

 

Been going through phases like that this year as well.

[AGX-17]

 

 

So, the thing I've noticed about ghosts in Dark Souls, the ones who aren't just running off of cliffs are (rough estimate,) about 80% players holding a weapon in two hands/not using a shield.

 

I want to play Dark Souls as I consider myself a RPG aficionado and I believe you can't call yourself an aficionado unless you embrace all aspects of a topic. The thing is I don't like repetition of levels or getting killed too much, so by its nature Dark Souls might not be for me. Yet many people do love it, so I faced with a conundrum. Do I play Dark Souls ?

 

 

Dark Souls is a bit more action game than RPG (being able to dodge and block effectively is the biggest factor in success or failure,) but the RPG elements are a huge factor nevertheless. Levelling is more of an art than a given (you can overlevel for a particular area and thus have a very difficult time summoning co-op players to help with bosses,) and upgrading equipment is just as much a factor as level (there's technically no level cap, but every attribute tops out at 99, and each level is one point, so the max level for every class is over 700,) anyway, if you don't like extremely difficult games, you probably wouldn't like it, but all that said, you really have to try it to be sure.

 

It's an intensely deep and complex game in terms of design and mechanics, and there's surprisingly deep and interesting lore, especially for a JRPG (admittedly, one aimed at western audiences, but popular in Japan nonetheless.) And technically speaking, there aren't levels. It's sort of open-world in that the whole of Lordran, the game's setting, is a huge continuous complex and there are few barriers to entry into areas that might be far above your level. There are also a lot of hidden, easter-eggish prizes the developers left for stubborn, bold or just plain odd players, like the Drake Sword and Astora's Longsword.

 

As an aside, I wish I'd had it before armor threads (that is, arguments,) about P:E started, because the armor/costume design and the design aesthetics in Dark Souls are outstanding. Even though the boss/enemy armors can be a bit over the top, none of it is WoW-looking. Lord's Blade Ciaran's armor is among the best female armor design I've ever seen in a game. It's unfortunate that the only available official concept art is a poorly-shot photo of an artbook page.

 

Also, Invaders are OP BS. I've gotten to the point where I just use the Playstation button to quit if I get invaded far from a bonfire. Otherwise, stock up on Indictments and hope the Blades of the Darkmoon are doing their job.

Edited February 11, 2013 by AGX-17

[Majek]

Dark Souls and Demon's Souls are games where you learn to love repetition when the game entraps you. Also if you've never played anything on a controller, Souls games are the perfect learning tool.

 

There's a chance you might not feel the magic, but if you can, do play it and see for yourself.

[BruceVC]

 

 

So, the thing I've noticed about ghosts in Dark Souls, the ones who aren't just running off of cliffs are (rough estimate,) about 80% players holding a weapon in two hands/not using a shield.

 

I want to play Dark Souls as I consider myself a RPG aficionado and I believe you can't call yourself an aficionado unless you embrace all aspects of a topic. The thing is I don't like repetition of levels or getting killed too much, so by its nature Dark Souls might not be for me. Yet many people do love it, so I faced with a conundrum. Do I play Dark Souls ?

 

Dark Souls is a bit more action game than RPG (being able to dodge and block effectively is the biggest factor in success or failure,) but the RPG elements are a huge factor nevertheless. Levelling is more of an art than a given (you can overlevel for a particular area and thus have a very difficult time summoning co-op players to help with bosses,) and upgrading equipment is just as much a factor as level (there's technically no level cap, but every attribute tops out at 99, and each level is one point, so the max level for every class is over 700,) anyway, if you don't like extremely difficult games, you probably wouldn't like it, but all that said, you really have to try it to be sure.

 

It's an intensely deep and complex game in terms of design and mechanics, and there's surprisingly deep and interesting lore, especially for a JRPG (admittedly, one aimed at western audiences, but popular in Japan nonetheless.) And technically speaking, there aren't levels. It's sort of open-world in that the whole of Lordran, the game's setting, is a huge continuous complex and there are few barriers to entry into areas that might be far above your level. There are also a lot of hidden, easter-eggish prizes the developers left for stubborn, bold or just plain odd players, like the Drake Sword and Astora's Longsword.

 

As an aside, I wish I'd had it before armor threads (that is, arguments,) about P:E started, because the armor/costume design and the design aesthetics in Dark Souls are outstanding. Even though the boss/enemy armors can be a bit over the top, none of it is WoW-looking. Lord's Blade Ciaran's armor is among the best female armor design I've ever seen in a game. It's unfortunate that the only available official concept art is a poorly-shot photo of an artbook page.

 

Also, Invaders are OP BS. I've gotten to the point where I just use the Playstation button to quit if I get invaded far from a bonfire. Otherwise, stock up on Indictments and hope the Blades of the Darkmoon are doing their job.

 

Thanks for the detailed perpective, when I am ready to play Dark Souls I'll ask for tips from you guys. I don't want "cheat" information as I do enjoy exploring and learning about how the game is designed  but just things that will  mean I'll won't be playing for 40 hours to realise I have chose the wrong class and have to start from the beginning.

[BruceVC]

Dark Souls and Demon's Souls are games where you learn to love repetition when the game entraps you. Also if you've never played anything on a controller, Souls games are the perfect learning tool.

 

There's a chance you might not feel the magic, but if you can, do play it and see for yourself.

 

I hear you, the good news is played Sleeping Dogs as my first  PC game with a controller so I am comfortable with it. I plan to use a controller for Dark Souls.

[Tale]

Finished the main quest of Dragonborn. Also toyed around in various other sidequests in the expansion and base content. I'm sure there's more to do, but my backlog is enough that I'm calling it a stop for the time being.

 

Main questline was interesting enough, but I can't give the actual plot credit. Hermaes Mora, a supporting character, is far more the stage villain than Miraak, the actual villain.  Miraak enslaves a few people and sent people to kill the PC. Then stops doing anything of note the rest of the expansion. I pretty much forgot why I was supposed to kill him.

[AGX-17]

Thanks for the detailed perpective, when I am ready to play Dark Souls I'll ask for tips from you guys. I don't want "cheat" information as I do enjoy exploring and learning about how the game is designed  but just things that will  mean I'll won't be playing for 40 hours to realise I have chose the wrong class and have to start from the beginning.

There is no "wrong" class, because in the end, every class can do everything equally. I know, it sounds like Bethesda's Fallout 3, but it takes multiple New Game+,++,+++ runs to actually max everything out (or a South Park World of Warcraft episode level of stupidly tedious grinding.) And there are no enemies in Fallout 3 that can oneshot you, ordinary mooks or "bosses" alike. Each class is more a choice of initial, first run gameplay style. There are considerations to be made and since you only get one point per level, and the cost to level up in souls increases dramatically as the game goes on. You have to focus more on specializing in a given area than trying to be a jack of all trades. That said, you're still going to need some of the basic equipment and capabilities in some areas (sorcery and a bow & arrows, for instance. Archery is worthless as a primary form of combat but it's extremely valuable for the ability to attract enemies to you one at a time so you can deal with them individually. And to get the Drake Sword early in the game.)

 

This can be mitigated by aiding other players in co-op, you're rewarded with large numbers of souls and humanity if the player who summons you successfully defeats the boss and you're still present, although it is technically a form of grinding. Unreliable at that, given you can't know for sure how many players are in a given location, although players can organize impromptu co-op teams through outside communication (there is no in-game communication beyond soapstone messages and gestures.)

 

 

There's really no harm in looking for help, because it is a brutally difficult game. There are a few wikis, each one has its own strengths and weaknesses, but this is the best guide to classes I'm aware of, if you do try the game:

http://darksoulswiki.wikispaces.com/Classes

Edited February 11, 2013 by AGX-17

[Majek]

There are also a lot of hidden, easter-eggish prizes the developers left for stubborn, bold or just plain odd players, like the Drake Sword and Astora's Longsword.

 

 

 

Also, Invaders are OP BS. I've gotten to the point where I just use the Playstation button to quit if I get invaded far from a bonfire. Otherwise, stock up on Indictments and hope the Blades of the Darkmoon are doing their job.

Heh? I don't get that sentence.

 

There's also the option of killing them or entering boss fog or even Coop and gang on an invader if he dares to try to ruin your fun.

[Amentep]

Frankly I found Dark Souls tedious; my experience was "walk a little way, do a whole lot of grinding so that the enemies of the next area are less likely to one shot kill you, then walk a little way and repeat).

 

Consequently I've never finished it.  Later I tried Demon Souls which didn't have the continuous world design and liked it a little better but ultimately I got tired of trying to fight monsters over and over to try and increase my level so I could advance another 5 feet.  Both well made games but neither to my taste.

[Majek]

There is no "wrong" class, because in the end, every class can do everything equally. I know, it sounds like Bethesda's Fallout 3, but it takes multiple New Game+,++,+++ runs to actually max everything out (or a South Park World of Warcraft episode level of stupidly tedious grinding.) And there are no enemies in Fallout 3 that can oneshot you, ordinary mooks or "bosses" alike. Each class is more a choice of initial, first run gameplay style. There are considerations to be made and since you only get one point per level, and the cost to level up in souls increases dramatically as the game goes on. You have to focus more on specializing in a given area than trying to be a jack of all trades. That said, you're still going to need some of the basic equipment and capabilities in some areas (sorcery and a bow & arrows, for instance. Archery is worthless as a primary form of combat but it's extremely valuable for the ability to attract enemies to you one at a time so you can deal with them individually. And to get the Drake Sword early in the game.)

 

This can be mitigated by aiding other players in co-op, you're rewarded with large numbers of souls and humanity if the player who summons you successfully defeats the boss and you're still present, although it is technically a form of grinding. Unreliable at that, given you can't know for sure how many players are in a given location, although players can organize impromptu co-op teams through outside communication (there is no in-game communication beyond soapstone messages and gestures.)

 

 

There's really no harm in looking for help, because it is a brutally difficult game. There are a few wikis, each one has its own strengths and weaknesses, but this is the best guide to classes I'm aware of, if you do try the game:

http://darksoulswiki.wikispaces.com/Classes

You can be a jack of all trades and finish the game normally. Specialization is already powergaming. And there is enough soul awards ingame that you don't have to farm or grind at all and still are able to finish the game with a high Soul Level.

 

Archery works fine alone. You can defeat everything with bows even bosses, but that requires good evading skills for some.

 

And NO, help when you start is not recommended. NOt even with classes.  You CANNOT screw up! All you have to do i read the ****ing manual, and read item description, pay attention to what NPCs say and you can play fine and have much more fun while playing.

[pmp10]

 

 

 

So, the thing I've noticed about ghosts in Dark Souls, the ones who aren't just running off of cliffs are (rough estimate,) about 80% players holding a weapon in two hands/not using a shield.

 

I want to play Dark Souls as I consider myself a RPG aficionado and I believe you can't call yourself an aficionado unless you embrace all aspects of a topic. The thing is I don't like repetition of levels or getting killed too much, so by its nature Dark Souls might not be for me. Yet many people do love it, so I faced with a conundrum. Do I play Dark Souls ?

 

Dark Souls is a bit more action game than RPG (being able to dodge and block effectively is the biggest factor in success or failure,) but the RPG elements are a huge factor nevertheless. Levelling is more of an art than a given (you can overlevel for a particular area and thus have a very difficult time summoning co-op players to help with bosses,) and upgrading equipment is just as much a factor as level (there's technically no level cap, but every attribute tops out at 99, and each level is one point, so the max level for every class is over 700,) anyway, if you don't like extremely difficult games, you probably wouldn't like it, but all that said, you really have to try it to be sure.

 

It's an intensely deep and complex game in terms of design and mechanics, and there's surprisingly deep and interesting lore, especially for a JRPG (admittedly, one aimed at western audiences, but popular in Japan nonetheless.) And technically speaking, there aren't levels. It's sort of open-world in that the whole of Lordran, the game's setting, is a huge continuous complex and there are few barriers to entry into areas that might be far above your level. There are also a lot of hidden, easter-eggish prizes the developers left for stubborn, bold or just plain odd players, like the Drake Sword and Astora's Longsword.

 

As an aside, I wish I'd had it before armor threads (that is, arguments,) about P:E started, because the armor/costume design and the design aesthetics in Dark Souls are outstanding. Even though the boss/enemy armors can be a bit over the top, none of it is WoW-looking. Lord's Blade Ciaran's armor is among the best female armor design I've ever seen in a game. It's unfortunate that the only available official concept art is a poorly-shot photo of an artbook page.

 

Also, Invaders are OP BS. I've gotten to the point where I just use the Playstation button to quit if I get invaded far from a bonfire. Otherwise, stock up on Indictments and hope the Blades of the Darkmoon are doing their job.

 

Thanks for the detailed perpective, when I am ready to play Dark Souls I'll ask for tips from you guys. I don't want "cheat" information as I do enjoy exploring and learning about how the game is designed  but just things that will  mean I'll won't be playing for 40 hours to realise I have chose the wrong class and have to start from the beginning.

Pick pyromancer or at least stay away from hunter (and dex based classes in general). 

Read and watch all the FAQs/walk-troughs and guides you can find.

Engage multiplayer only for boss assistance.

[BruceVC]

 

Thanks for the detailed perpective, when I am ready to play Dark Souls I'll ask for tips from you guys. I don't want "cheat" information as I do enjoy exploring and learning about how the game is designed  but just things that will  mean I'll won't be playing for 40 hours to realise I have chose the wrong class and have to start from the beginning.

.)

 

 

There's really no harm in looking for help, because it is a brutally difficult game. There are a few wikis, each one has its own strengths and weaknesses, but this is the best guide to classes I'm aware of, if you do try the game:

http://darksoulswiki.wikispaces.com/Classes

 Holy Smoke, that wiki has some excellent  and detailed information. That will be my starting reference

[AGX-17]

 

 

There are also a lot of hidden, easter-eggish prizes the developers left for stubborn, bold or just plain odd players, like the Drake Sword and Astora's Longsword.

 

 

 

Also, Invaders are OP BS. I've gotten to the point where I just use the Playstation button to quit if I get invaded far from a bonfire. Otherwise, stock up on Indictments and hope the Blades of the Darkmoon are doing their job.

Heh? I don't get that sentence.

 

There's also the option of killing them or entering boss fog or even Coop and gang on an invader if he dares to try to ruin your fun.

 

 

I've never encountered a non-NPC invader that didn't either have some massively OP weapon that killed me with one hit, or instantly did their little backstab grab attack (from the front, no less,) which also killed me instantly, regardless of class or defenses. And how exactly am I supposed to summon help when I'm nowhere near a hotspot for summon signs and I've got a wildly OP invader chasing me around, in addition to the regular enemies I have to deal with?

 

Please. Explain it to me. Tell me how I am supposed to not die when all of my stamina goes away with one blocked hit, all my health goes away with one followup hit. I've been invaded by players wearing the full Armor of Thorns set (not Kirk, it was in The Depths and I already beat Kirk, and I know he only invades three times in three specific locations,) at level 19.

 

I've been invaded by players carrying enchanted ultra greatswords. And when I hit them, they take barely any damage, even from a lightning buffed normal weapon, Astora's Longsword (found that on my own thanks to the master key, though somehow I get the feeling you're going to accuse me of being a lying pleb who looked it up,) or the Drake Sword at around level 10, before even getting to the Undead Parish. I should do more than 14 damage per hit with those weapons against someone who isn't blocking.

 

The only time an invader ever died in my game was when I already summoned two other players, and even then I still got killed, although my phantom comrades killed the invader right as I died. I don't have any character above level 40, so how is this legit? How am I supposed to be damaging them, even? All of this happens when I'm lower than level 30. That's when I resign to just staying hollow until I can't beat a boss.

 

And what's this hissy fit over looking for help? I don't see anyone on any other Dark Souls discussions on any forums freaking out and demanding players never seek help, much less saying that specialization is powergaming. You just said archery works fine alone, how is that not specializing?

 

I didn't say he should start the game with a detailed walkthrough on hand to consult at all times.

Edited February 11, 2013 by AGX-17

[Majek]

First thing you must learn is finding a place where there's enough space to move around in combat. And the invader spawn points are fixed so you can predict where they'll come from.

You shouldn't go summon people just for invader protection ... you summon people to have fun cooping. <_>

 

Why do you get hit then? Backstabbers are easy to avoid when you do what they do. Which is circle around you to get behind you. You poke them and dodge them. Ultragreatswords are very slow and predictable so you with little practice you can riposte them easily.

 

I just belive the game is much better without help, it was the same with Demon' souls. It might be harder but you feel better when you learn things on your own.

[AGX-17]

First thing you must learn is finding a place where there's enough space to move around in combat. And the invader spawn points are fixed so you can predict where they'll come from.

You shouldn't go summon people just for invader protection ... you summon people to have fun cooping. <_>

 

Why do you get hit then? Backstabbers are easy to avoid when you do what they do. Which is circle around you to get behind you. You poke them and dodge them. Ultragreatswords are very slow and predictable so you with little practice you can riposte them easily.

 

I just belive the game is much better without help, it was the same with Demon' souls. It might be harder but you feel better when you learn things on your own.

They don't circle around behind me, they're in front of me then they instantly appear behind me. And I know I'M not lagging because when I have co-op partners they all move normally. This still happens when I have co-op players, so I can see them moving normally without lurching around.

 

And you're the one who just suggested summoning help for dealing with invaders!

 

And how am I supposed to know where invader spawn points are? What good is that going to do when I have a shortsword and starting gear and they're wearing +14 armor and my hits knock off maybe 2% of their health with each hit?

 

Unless you actually know what's going on, what possible use is your advice? It's just common-sense regular gameplay tactics you're talking about, the kind that I've successfully used to get as far as Sen's Fortress, but the encounters I'm having with invaders are anything but standard gameplay experiences.

Edited February 11, 2013 by AGX-17

[Nordicus]

NWN2, beat the optional red dragon after several tries. I got really lucky, she only used her fire breath once and everyone managed to survive it. I hadn't cast Energy Immunity on my party members, so it was a gamble.

 

I like that they've made dragons actually powerful, tough to beat even with 5 fully buffed level 17 characters. By that level, my lone monk had killed, what, 5 dragons in NWN1?

[cyberarmy]

NWN2, beat the optional red dragon after several tries. I got really lucky, she only used her fire breath once and everyone managed to survive it. I hadn't cast Energy Immunity on my party members, so it was a gamble.

 

I like that they've made dragons actually powerful, tough to beat even with 5 fully buffed level 17 characters. By that level, my lone monk had killed, what, 5 dragons in NWN1?

Yeah NWN2s red dragon is a justice after "small" dragons we got before. Use every weapon in its arsenal and you become stinking rich after defeating it. Another good point is calling Graycloaks to carry all treasure

[Nordicus]

 

 

Yeah NWN2s red dragon is a justice after "small" dragons we got before. Use every weapon in its arsenal and you become stinking rich after defeating it. Another good point is calling Graycloaks to carry all treasure

I kept the roads unguarded to support the thief gang, but thanks to precisely that, my men got ambushed on the way to keep and probably lost 30k gold (estimate, I got 170k anyway)

 

Also, a bit off topic: the crafting systems of this game are massively clunky. So much god damn menu-hopping just to give another +2 to your armor enchantments

[Zoraptor]

The red dragon 3 way fight in NWN2 was pretty epic, in a good way. The other dragon fight in NWN2 not so much.

 

I bet Thax in BG2 with no cheese at all, far easier with a chapter 6 party. Jan got chunked after a 20 (!!!!1!) level drain breath attack- he had a negative plane protection but it must have got dispelled without me noticing so I did it again with no losses. Also whacked Firk and Kangaxx for good measure, the latter was long and boring and a bit cheesy since I did it with the main character only having got sick of having all my other guys being feebs. His imprisonment ability meant they hardly got to fire off any spells of consequence anyway before disappearing into the aether/ getting level drained; main guy wearing every status protection item under the sun + berserking, then it was pretty much just waiting for the demilich form to run out of protective spells. Haven't tried the Twisted Rune yet, not sure if I want to, while I've got used to most of the requirements for doing well with SCS that may just be a bit of overkill.

[LadyCrimson]

Not playing it, but I got around to skimming through more of the Aliens:CM let's plays. Looks like Michael Biehn has a few bigger scenes, which is nice. But the overall story/writing doesn't seem very good from what I saw/heard, which is bad. And it's not enough to make me buy the game. But at least I got to "see" him act as Hicks again. That was kinda cool.

 

And yeah, I'm a Biehn fan. Since Terminator. He has limited range and lately he's kind of a dufus (that horror film with his wife...), but the nostalgia of my past infatuation is strong.

[Gorth]

The red dragon 3 way fight in NWN2 was pretty epic, in a good way. The other dragon fight in NWN2 not so much.

 

I bet Thax in BG2 with no cheese at all, far easier with a chapter 6 party. Jan got chunked after a 20 (!!!!1!) level drain breath attack- he had a negative plane protection but it must have got dispelled without me noticing so I did it again with no losses. Also whacked Firk and Kangaxx for good measure, the latter was long and boring and a bit cheesy since I did it with the main character only having got sick of having all my other guys being feebs. His imprisonment ability meant they hardly got to fire off any spells of consequence anyway before disappearing into the aether/ getting level drained; main guy wearing every status protection item under the sun + berserking, then it was pretty much just waiting for the demilich form to run out of protective spells. Haven't tried the Twisted Rune yet, not sure if I want to, while I've got used to most of the requirements for doing well with SCS that may just be a bit of overkill.

 

Ah yes, Kangaxx. Still on my to-do list in my current game. Got the staff from the Twisted Rune (is that the name?) and am about to go up against his cousin in Watchers Keep (4th level, working on getting access to Lum the Mad's machine). There is a Demi Lich and a Dragon in the Gith Yanki part of the dungeon. Not too worried about the dragon, having already taken care of the black (whose name I can't remember), Firkraag and the silver dragon (for a nice skin armour for Viconia). The latter is now 100 in Magic Resistance and has absurd saving throws.

 

I've been stacking up a bit on Spell Immunity spells/scrolls in preparation for the Demi Lich. Immunity Abjuration FTW

 

Ring of the Ram is also priceless for that fight, ignoring magic resistance, giving you a good head start.

[alanschu]

So much War in the Pacific!