What are you playing now?

[marelooke]

Attempted to finish a Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl palythrough I still had lying around. Managed to fight my way into the NPP twice without picking up the decoder... Apparently I pick the thing up, manage to get myself killed without saving, reload, fight my way through Pripyat and end up before that damn door without the damn item.

 

So, after that I decided to start on Warhammer 40K: Chaos rising, I'd finished the main game but never started the expansion, fixing that now

[Starwars]

Playing Metro: Last Light.

 

Not to far in and I hear it gets better later into the game but yeah... A lot of my problems with the first game persists here, namely the linearity and the way you're forced to follow NPCs around. Not too big on the whole "experience" direction either. I'd much rather have them open the game up just a bit, skip the "cinematic first-person" style and just let us play more. Still, guess that's just not what this series is about.

 

Game is certainly gorgeous though even on my aging hardware. Like the first game, the thing that's keeping me going so far is the atmosphere of it all.

[Keyrock]

 

Still haven't played much of the Grim Dawn alpha, but early on I was a bit annoyed with the rate of healing enemies have. It's not that it's troublesome or anything, but just enough where if you're focused on one guy then have to switch to some closer, the first one might be mostly healed up by the time you get back to it. Mostly, I could see that becoming tiresome in the harder difficulties if it scales up.

 

 

Im having a similar issue with Neverwinter Online. The respawn rate where I currently am is ramped up so fast that while youre battling one group, the group you just killed respawns and jumps you too.

 

Are you in Icespire?  That place has some ridiculously bunched up groups and crazy respawn rates.  I'll be fighting a couple of Ice Troll Grunts, no problem, being smart, dodging their big attacks, being careful no to stray, suddenly a couple of Winter Wolf Alphas show up out of nowhere.  Then I'm suddenly getting pelted by arrows, then Goblin Cutters show up.  In a matter of moments I went from fighting 2 Ice Trolls to like almost 20 enemies all at once.  The instances in that area are actually MUCH easier than the outdoor areas, simply because you don't have to worry about a respawn dropping in on you unexpectedly.  

Edited May 19, 2013 by Keyrock

[Lexx]

Playing Metro: Last Light.

 

Not to far in and I hear it gets better later into the game but yeah... A lot of my problems with the first game persists here, namely the linearity and the way you're forced to follow NPCs around. Not too big on the whole "experience" direction either. I'd much rather have them open the game up just a bit, skip the "cinematic first-person" style and just let us play more. Still, guess that's just not what this series is about.

 

Game is certainly gorgeous though even on my aging hardware. Like the first game, the thing that's keeping me going so far is the atmosphere of it all.

Good to know. I never finished the first game, because I hated the linearity SO MUCH. Won't even think about trying the new game then.

[melkathi]

Playing Metro: Last Light.

 

Not to far in and I hear it gets better later into the game but yeah... A lot of my problems with the first game persists here, namely the linearity and the way you're forced to follow NPCs around. Not too big on the whole "experience" direction either. I'd much rather have them open the game up just a bit, skip the "cinematic first-person" style and just let us play more. Still, guess that's just not what this series is about.

 

Game is certainly gorgeous though even on my aging hardware. Like the first game, the thing that's keeping me going so far is the atmosphere of it all.

 

Sounds a lot like the books. There Artyom doesn't get to do anything but follow other people around either. That man never has to make a single decission...

[LadyCrimson]

Im having a similar issue with Neverwinter Online. The respawn rate where I currently am is ramped up so fast that while youre battling one group, the group you just killed respawns and jumps you too.

Yeah...I've noticed that about some spots in the game. It's because the "open" areas they have are so small and it's their solution to make sure people don't have to wait long to get their quest req. from the area. But it can get fairly ridiculous ... and I'm not even in super high lvl territory yet. I can imagine it gets worse and worse. They really need to lower the respawn rate a bit.

[Keyrock]

Just finished the Grim Dawn Alpha.  A bit over 13 hours for me, could probably be done in about 7 if rushed straight through with no exploration.  The final boss fight was really fun, I love how he taunted me during the battle.  What to do now?  Oh yeah, make a new character and run through it with a different build.  This time, instead of a shooty shooty grenade lobber, I'll make a hacky slashy smashy melee character.

[Agiel]

Playing Metro: Last Light.

 

Not to far in and I hear it gets better later into the game but yeah... A lot of my problems with the first game persists here, namely the linearity and the way you're forced to follow NPCs around. Not too big on the whole "experience" direction either. I'd much rather have them open the game up just a bit, skip the "cinematic first-person" style and just let us play more. Still, guess that's just not what this series is about.

 

Game is certainly gorgeous though even on my aging hardware. Like the first game, the thing that's keeping me going so far is the atmosphere of it all.

 

Finished it a while ago. I can say that a game that's not Company of Heroes 2 would have to be something very special in order to beat Metro as my GOTY, and it would be the bar I would measure Half-Life 3 with when it eventually comes out.

[Walsingham]

Attempted to finish a Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl palythrough I still had lying around. Managed to fight my way into the NPP twice without picking up the decoder... Apparently I pick the thing up, manage to get myself killed without saving, reload, fight my way through Pripyat and end up before that damn door without the damn item.

 

So, after that I decided to start on Warhammer 40K: Chaos rising, I'd finished the main game but never started the expansion, fixing that now

 

The who what now? I'm just working my way through that hospital with the gunship in it. What have I almost certainly forgotten?

[Zoraptor]

That you're playing Clear Sky rather than Shadow of Chernobyl?

[Walsingham]

Er... yes, I see... I thought that might be the case.

[Keyrock]

That reminds me, I need to play Call of Pripyat again.  For the time being, though, I'm doing another run through Grim Dawn, this time as a Commando (Soldier/Demolitionist) heavily skewed toward Soldier.  There are definitely some enemies that are very unfriendly toward melee characters, namely Furies (they have a melee attack that heals them).  On the other hand, when some of my abilities trigger, I become a veritable whirlwind of melee damage.  I'm mostly staying away from abilities that stun, as bosses and heroes tend to be highly resistant, if not immune to them, and focusing on abilities that slow and lower defense.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Call of Pripyat was excellent. The atmosphere more than made up for the buggy and anticlimatic endgame.

[Keyrock]

Call of Pripyat was excellent. The atmosphere more than made up for the buggy and anticlimatic endgame.

Agreed.  Overall, it's my favorite entry in the series.

[Lexx]

Call of Pripyat was the Stalker game with the least amount of bugs... Great plus. But after so many years, I burned out so hard from the prior Stalker games, that I was unable to finish CoP. It just bored me to death close to the end.

[Amentep]

 

Everyone in the game has 360 degree line-of-sight, so there's no real concept of "sneaking up" behind anyone. You can a free attack on unactivated aliens by, as stated in a previous post, the special ability Battle Scanner, or using the stealth-suit Ghost Armor, but that's not really relevant until the late-game by which stage it may not really matter anymore.

 

During the free move they are vulnerable to your "overwatch" reaction shots however, so it's fully possible to wipe out a pack of aliens the moment they show up, although this is rare.

 

 I guess that's why people are complaining that battles are "scripted", if every one of them starts with the aliens ducking for cover and continues with pew pewing over cover, majority of the time.

 

I dunno, I don't think the battles felt scripted (although I understand now why so many people liked the "terror" levels since the aliens seemed more active than reactive there).

 

I just felt that it put a greater emphasis on careful placement of troops and skill choices than on being the first one to surprise an enemy and shoot it down.

 

Mind you I'm playing Resident Evil 6 at the moment and enjoying it, so I'm a bit off the curve anyhow, apparently.

[SadExchange]

That reminds me, I need to play Call of Pripyat again.  For the time being, though, I'm doing another run through Grim Dawn, this time as a Commando (Soldier/Demolitionist) heavily skewed toward Soldier.  There are definitely some enemies that are very unfriendly toward melee characters, namely Furies (they have a melee attack that heals them).  On the other hand, when some of my abilities trigger, I become a veritable whirlwind of melee damage.  I'm mostly staying away from abilities that stun, as bosses and heroes tend to be highly resistant, if not immune to them, and focusing on abilities that slow and lower defense.

 

I just bought a Loyalist Edition and am enjoying the alpha as well.  My first time through, I'm playing a Soldier/Occultist I believe which is the witchblade.  Mainly Cultist for the familiar so far, but I'm really enjoying the gameplay so far.  Nice combat pacing and the environment feels good so far.  Only one problem so far is a a "hitch" every now and then when the game freezes for a couple seconds and then just puts my character where they should've been a couple seconds later.  hard to describe, but if I could compare it to something, it would be the rubber-banding in Titan Quest, without seeing your character actually move there, just sort of warp there.  I'm hoping this is something that can be worked out, but other than that, really enjoying the game so far and look forward to playing out this character and other combinations as they become available.

[marelooke]

 

Call of Pripyat was excellent. The atmosphere more than made up for the buggy and anticlimatic endgame.

Agreed.  Overall, it's my favorite entry in the series.

 

 

I'm torn between SoC and CoP and in all honesty when I feel like playing Stalker I usually reach for my SoC discs for some reason. I guess the superior storytelling trumps the superior game mechanics for me. Now SoC with CoP's mechanics...that would be super awesome.

 

Call of Pripyat was the Stalker game with the least amount of bugs... Great plus. But after so many years, I burned out so hard from the prior Stalker games, that I was unable to finish CoP. It just bored me to death close to the end.

 

Yeah, the ending wasn't exactly strong but at least it was better than Clear Sky's; which I never finished as I got fed up when I reached the NPP... Main reason for that is they had the bright idea to dump a load of guns in your inventory when you arrived there, since I am always balancing on the weight limit this meant I got gunned down while I was trying to dump stuff from my inventory to be able to take cover. One of the single most stupid things I've run into in games to date tbh.

[Zoraptor]

SoC > Pripyat. Pripyat is more polished by miles and a far better sculpted experience, but I don't really care about such things except as added bonuses. And simply put, there were just too many people there and it was too 'friendly'. The atmosphere in SoC is unparalleled in its evocativeness and the X labs are the single bit of any game that makes me nervous just thinking about them and there is a sense of all pervading bleakness to everything. Pripyat is a good game, don't get me wrong, but SoC is one of the best games of all time! Of all time!

 

(finishing the 'scorcher, so I thought, with a .45 and 13 rounds of ammo left, my armour in tatters, my G36/ 5.45 Groza and Vintorez out of ammo and a couple of shots shy of disintegration. Massive feeling of relief and accomplishment- then a metric asteriskton of Monolith invade. Awesome, and not in the butan sense. Best gaming moment since 'nice jump, human' in System Shock.)

[Keyrock]

 

That reminds me, I need to play Call of Pripyat again.  For the time being, though, I'm doing another run through Grim Dawn, this time as a Commando (Soldier/Demolitionist) heavily skewed toward Soldier.  There are definitely some enemies that are very unfriendly toward melee characters, namely Furies (they have a melee attack that heals them).  On the other hand, when some of my abilities trigger, I become a veritable whirlwind of melee damage.  I'm mostly staying away from abilities that stun, as bosses and heroes tend to be highly resistant, if not immune to them, and focusing on abilities that slow and lower defense.

 

I just bought a Loyalist Edition and am enjoying the alpha as well.  My first time through, I'm playing a Soldier/Occultist I believe which is the witchblade.  Mainly Cultist for the familiar so far, but I'm really enjoying the gameplay so far.  Nice combat pacing and the environment feels good so far.  Only one problem so far is a a "hitch" every now and then when the game freezes for a couple seconds and then just puts my character where they should've been a couple seconds later.  hard to describe, but if I could compare it to something, it would be the rubber-banding in Titan Quest, without seeing your character actually move there, just sort of warp there.  I'm hoping this is something that can be worked out, but other than that, really enjoying the game so far and look forward to playing out this character and other combinations as they become available.

 

Yeah, I get that freeze occasionally too.  It's a widely reported bug that the devs are looking at.  It's the price of playing an alpha build.  Still, occasional freeze and some minor micro stutters aside, the game has been fairly solid.

 

I'm having fun playing my current Commando tank build.  In a stark contrast to my Pyromancer build that was designed to kite and lure enemies into traps, my Commando just goes straight into the fray and dares enemy swarms to try to damage him.  Occasionally I have to kite a little bit when a swarm gets super out of control, particularly if there's a Cold One or Fury, but most of the time I'm just laughing at the dozen chumps hacking away at me while I chop them to bits.

[ShadySands]

DDO Still

 

Going back and forth between my druid and my sorc but thinking of rolling an artificer or rogue because of all the traps and locks in most of the dungeons

[Lexx]

Yeah, the ending wasn't exactly strong but at least it was better than Clear Sky's; which I never finished as I got fed up when I reached the NPP... Main reason for that is they had the bright idea to dump a load of guns in your inventory when you arrived there, since I am always balancing on the weight limit this meant I got gunned down while I was trying to dump stuff from my inventory to be able to take cover. One of the single most stupid things I've run into in games to date tbh.

Heh, I started Clear Sky 7 times, but I never finished it... Always close to the end some script bugs appeard and made it impossible for me to finish the game. I own all three Stalker games and played them a lot, I'd say. Yet I only ever finished SoC, and even here I had to start over at least once, due to script bugs. Super annoying.

[ShadySands]

so far so good with the artificer

 

it's like a technomage with rogue skills and a mechanical dog and it's awesome to get all the bonus XP for finding all the hidden doors and disabling all the traps

[Starwars]

Finished up Metro Last Light. Pretty much echoes my views on the first game. Pretty and atmospheric. Occasional fun when the game gives you some freedom for a bit.

 

All-together waaaay too linear, story-driven and "experience-driven". Lots of sections that are just meant to impress you audiovisually, and where the game just leads you around. Now, the game is certainly nice to look at so if you like those types of experiences, then Metro Last Light could definitely be a winner. But not a game for me all in all. Ah well, a good lesson of getting hyped up I supposer while still having that gutfeeling of "this game will probably disappoint me".

[marelooke]

Finished up that Stalker: SoC playthrough. I need to find a mod that makes those guns you only commonly get near the end available earlier... I think I fired a total of four shots with the Gauss Rifle

 

Also I still want to fire this baby (screenshot from CoP):

 

Come on admit it, you know you want to!