What are you playing now?

[Fighter]

Stanley Parable doesn't "slap" anyone and non-linearity is not inherently better.

[Lexx]

It shows up ridiculous handholding due to the needs of the story, which is the case in this game.

 

You can allow a certain degree of nonlinearity in a game like metro. Just because it is "on rails" doesn't mean you need to be forced to go a strictly pre-defined path. Even in subways you have crossroads, after all.

Edited October 21, 2013 by Lexx

[Azure79]

I'm trying to get a major project done by the 24th, so I can stay home and play Batman Arkham Origins on the 25th. 

[Fighter]

It shows up ridiculous handholding due to the needs of the story, which is the case in this game.

 

You can allow a certain degree of nonlinearity in a game like metro. Just because it is "on rails" doesn't mean you need to be forced to go a strictly pre-defined path. Even in subways you have crossroads, after all.

 

That is a matter of taste not a truth. I think Metro doesn't need to be anything other than what it is.

[alanschu]

It shows up ridiculous handholding due to the needs of the story, which is the case in this game.

 

You can allow a certain degree of nonlinearity in a game like metro. Just because it is "on rails" doesn't mean you need to be forced to go a strictly pre-defined path. Even in subways you have crossroads, after all.

 

I think The Stanley Parable is more just an observation, rather than a judgment.

 

It points out more that the nature of games can predispose people to attempting to exercise choice, but more found it a reflection of how game developers and game players both end up sort of meeting half way.

 

 

If your attempt in a game is to do exclusively and only what you want to do, you'll probably come away with a degree of unhappiness, just as much as if the designer forces the player to do exclusively what the designer wants to do will lead to play unhappiness.

 

Having said that, it also shows that if the player is willing to buy in and has no issue with a linear playthrough, both will probably be pretty satisfied.  One of the endings (which ends ostensibly bad, and is a result of the player's choice) also makes fun of the player for continually bashing their head up against the wall simply because the player WANTS there to be an outcome that allows this choice but isn't negative.

 

 

To me, The Stanley Parable is more an examination of the tropes and intricacies of story telling within an interactive medium like games.  That you felt it was saying linearity was bad is probably more a reflection of you as a gamer (which is fine, and is frankly another interesting thing I find about what the game does).

Edited October 21, 2013 by alanschu

[Mamoulian War]

Started BG Trilogy with few additional mods (UB1 and UB2)

 

Gone for little bit unconventional party this time.

 

Shapeshifter as MC, Ajantis, Shar-Teel, Safana, Xan and slowly moving story to be able to recruit Quayle. Using Branwen till that time. I am in Cloakwood at the moment, just cleaned the Spider Lair.

 

After playing for few days, all I can say, that I do not understand the big hate about Xan... I know he does not know how to nuke properly, but if you put him in Robes of Neutral Archmage and give him Gauntlets of Ogre Power, he can make serious **** with his Moonblade, illusion school for defense and crowd control spells for mayhem on battlefield... You just have to take little bit care of him until he gets few more HPs... Even with this party, I was in need of sleeping outside of city only once... And I am not leveling up my MC on purpose, just to be able to get low level version of Quayle in chapter 5.

[Walsingham]

Started BG Trilogy with few additional mods (UB1 and UB2)

 

Gone for little bit unconventional party this time.

 

Shapeshifter as MC, Ajantis, Shar-Teel, Safana, Xan and slowly moving story to be able to recruit Quayle. Using Branwen till that time. I am in Cloakwood at the moment, just cleaned the Spider Lair.

 

After playing for few days, all I can say, that I do not understand the big hate about Xan... I know he does not know how to nuke properly, but if you put him in Robes of Neutral Archmage and give him Gauntlets of Ogre Power, he can make serious **** with his Moonblade, illusion school for defense and crowd control spells for mayhem on battlefield... You just have to take little bit care of him until he gets few more HPs... Even with this party, I was in need of sleeping outside of city only once... And I am not leveling up my MC on purpose, just to be able to get low level version of Quayle in chapter 5.

 

If you're capable of getting by without levelling up your damn main character, then the fact that you manage Xan is hardly surprising!

[Mamoulian War]

Only place where I had problems so far was with my current setup was the above mentioned Spider Lair, where I was attacked by 3 Sword Spiders, 3 Giant Spiders and two Ettercaps. And surprise - surprise, Xan saved the day with Horror and Sleep, then Shar-Teel, Ajantis and MC kicked the **** out of the mobs...

 

Err... I have missed the edit of previous post. I meant to write "And I am not leveling up my MC beyond level 2 on purpose, ..."

 

What I do kinda really hate about BG1 is that you are almost impossible to do proper neutral playthrough of the game with the way how is Reputation handled in the game... If you want to decrease your rep without getting mental serial killer douchebag, you have very few opportunities...

Edited October 21, 2013 by Mamoulian War

[Walsingham]

I just checked out the video trailers for the Stanley Parable, and I haven't laughed that much since yesterday.

 

It's still a recommendation. I just laugh a lot.

 

Intend to ask for it as a present.

[Zoma]

I'm currently alternating between Dragon's Crown and Murasama Rebirth on my Vita during spare time.

 

Kinda wish there's someone I could play Vita multiplayer with, but since I'm presently residing in China there's a high shortage of Vita buddies here.

[Keyrock]

I finally got enough money in Euro Truck Simulator 2 to buy my own truck.  I could have bought one much sooner, but that would have required taking out a loan from the bank then having to pay it back with interest.  It's the cheapest Renault model available.  I'm not going to bother accessorizing or upgrading it, since I plan to get a much better truck in the near future, but for now it allows me to run jobs for myself using my own truck, which earns significantly more money than driving other people's trucks.

[JFSOCC]

last night I had a meeting set up with everyone who'd joined our minecraft server. It had been very quiet lately, and most people hadn't met eachother yet. I figured getting everyone together for a community event would be a great way to get everyone to play the server again.

 

aside from myself four people showed up, two of them late. that's about 30% of the membership. One of them after we'd just started fighting the ender dragon.

 

Bit of a disappointment, but I'll do another event next week. I'm going to make this a "thing". I just want people to be on the server more.

[Rosbjerg]

Consistency is the trick and it is a good way to get people invested. Hope it works out.

[Humanoid]

I finally got enough money in Euro Truck Simulator 2 to buy my own truck.  I could have bought one much sooner, but that would have required taking out a loan from the bank then having to pay it back with interest.  It's the cheapest Renault model available.  I'm not going to bother accessorizing or upgrading it, since I plan to get a much better truck in the near future, but for now it allows me to run jobs for myself using my own truck, which earns significantly more money than driving other people's trucks.

I thought that too initially, but really, loan repayments are pocket change - even taking the easiest jobs every day your loan repayment component is a drop in the ocean. So now (well, not now since I haven't played for a while) I max out my loans and get as many trucks on the road as possible. And remember to focus your hired drivers' training on long distance or they might end up idle a lot.

[Keyrock]

 

I finally got enough money in Euro Truck Simulator 2 to buy my own truck.  I could have bought one much sooner, but that would have required taking out a loan from the bank then having to pay it back with interest.  It's the cheapest Renault model available.  I'm not going to bother accessorizing or upgrading it, since I plan to get a much better truck in the near future, but for now it allows me to run jobs for myself using my own truck, which earns significantly more money than driving other people's trucks.

I thought that too initially, but really, loan repayments are pocket change - even taking the easiest jobs every day your loan repayment component is a drop in the ocean. So now (well, not now since I haven't played for a while) I max out my loans and get as many trucks on the road as possible. And remember to focus your hired drivers' training on long distance or they might end up idle a lot.

 

Yeah, after seeing how much more I make on jobs now that I have my own truck, it probably would have been more cost effective to take out a loan right away.  

[Monte Carlo]

I like a bit of co-op hack and slash nonsense...

 

Is anybody up for trying this ?

 

http://store.steampowered.com/app/249990

[Guest Slinky]

last night I had a meeting set up with everyone who'd joined our minecraft server. It had been very quiet lately, and most people hadn't met eachother yet. I figured getting everyone together for a community event would be a great way to get everyone to play the server again.

 

aside from myself four people showed up, two of them late. that's about 30% of the membership. One of them after we'd just started fighting the ender dragon.

 

Bit of a disappointment, but I'll do another event next week. I'm going to make this a "thing". I just want people to be on the server more.

 

You guys playing vanilla or modded Minecraft? I will never ever again play vanilla after seeing hadron colliders and fusion reactors

 

When Minecraft updates to 1.7 which should fix those annoying shadow bugs and the mods I want get updated to that I will be starting a new world, wanted to do that for a while now.

[JFSOCC]

vanilla all the way. Though personally, I would really appreciate a mod which allows you to portal to other servers, provide both are online and the portals are keyed to eachother.

[Katphood]

The Last of Us.

 

Just reached downtown, it has been pretty fun so far.

Edited October 21, 2013 by Astiaks

[GhostofAnakin]

Playing through Splinter Cell Blacklist on a higher difficulty.  It's the first time I've ever replayed a stealth/action game.  Usually, I only replay RPGs.

[Walsingham]

I like a bit of co-op hack and slash nonsense...

 

Is anybody up for trying this ?

 

http://store.steampowered.com/app/249990

 

Checked it out. Not really my thing.

 

 

Besides, you need to join the Obsidz Bloodbowl group.

[Keyrock]

I noticed some of the Squeenix mobile games are on sale on Google Play so I scooped up Final Fantasy V (it's downloading now).  Even on sale, it's still rather expensive compared to most Android games, but it's the second best Final Fantasy game ever made IMHO, so money well spent, methinks.  Now I have something cool to play on break or during lunch.

[entrerix]

The Last of Us.

 

Just reached downtown, it has been pretty fun so far.

 

 

i would only offer this advice:  if at some point you start to feel the game becoming too repetitive and you begin to think of stopping your playthrough, stick with it anyway, it will be worth it.

Edited October 22, 2013 by entrerix

[Hurlshort]

Ok, so I bought Assassin's Creed Revelations, but I had never played Brotherhood.  I didn't want to miss the story, so I am watching the youtube movie version of Brotherhood to get caught up.  It feels a bit silly, but I really didn't want to run around Italy anymore after finishing AC2.  

 

The movie is 3 hours long, so I'll start on Revelations after I finish it tonight.

[Keyrock]

I have to say that the sprites on the Android version of Final Fantasy V looks super duper crisp.  I'm not sure if it's more whatever graphical massaging they did for this and the iOS version, or just the scaling down to a 4" screen that makes everything look so sharp.  Anyway, good times so far.  Games like this that aren't twitch games and are menu-driven translate really well to smartphones.