What are you playing now

[Malcador]

Grey Goo doesn't alternate factions though, you go through the Beta, Human and Goo campaigns in sequence, no ? Kind of like SC in that regard.

 

Reminds me I need to finish that off.

[ShadySands]

Grey Goo doesn't alternate factions though, you go through the Beta, Human and Goo campaigns in sequence, no ? Kind of like SC in that regard.

 

Reminds me I need to finish that off.

No, you're correct. It's not as bad as going back and forth but I still didn't enjoy it. I like picking my (one) faction and just playing that til the end of the story

[Bartimaeus]

I don't think there are many AAA RTS games that allow you to do that. All the Battle for Middle Earth games, all the WarCraft and StarCraft and Age of Empire games, etc., always had you alternate factions after finishing one of the campaigns. (edit): The Command & Conquer games, too. How do you write for a story in a campaign when you don't know which faction the player will play? Can't really write for every single faction.

Edited December 8, 2017 by Bartimaeus

[Malcador]

C&C up to at least RA2 had separate campaigns. I think Blizzard started the sequential ones in Beyond the Dark Portal, where the campaigns are part of the same story. Never did finish the Soviet RA campaign, damn CD was corrupt

Edited December 8, 2017 by Malcador

[Epaminondas]

I remember heroes of might and magic 2 allowed the player to choose a side and play it to the end which was cool. Then the rest did the alternating thing. I'm sure that the devs want the most efficient use of content and it undoubtedly sucks to design factions that players never use, but it does diminish player choice and consequence. Plus, some factions I just don't enjoy as much. Like those swamp barbarians in later games.

[melkathi]

I was a huge fan of Spellforce: Order of Dawn, and the two expansions Breath of Winter, and Shadow of the Phoenix. I enjoyed Spellforce 2: Shadow Wars, bought all the expansions, but for some reason never got around to finishing it. Not because I didn't want to, but because all my playthroughs have bad timing

 

So apparently I had pre-ordered Spellforce 3. It makes sense I would. I like the series and am glad that it is alive and in a gorgeous look that will draw more attention to the series. I simply had forgotten I had pre-ordered it and almost would have bought it a second time.

 

I haven't played much of Spellforce 3 yet.

The very first impression was "Wow, this is gorgeous."

The second impression was "WTF did they do to my game?"

Spellforce was set in this unique world, where the Convocation - the grand battle in the war between the all powerful circle mages - had ripped the world asunder, leaving fragmented islands behind. Rohen, the surviving circle magus, had created portals to connect the world again, in an attempt to mend what the war he too had fought in had destroyed. Your character was a rune warrior, a warrior who's soul had been bound to a runestone, to endlessly be returned to life and fight under the control of the magus owning their runestone. The runewarriors in Order of Dawn and Breath of Winter (and one of the two you would choose to import into Shadow of the Phoenix), both would claim ownership of their own runestones, giving them control of their lives and fates. It made them some of the most interesting characters I have played, even though you'd go through a linear RTS campaign. And the fact that the armies you were using in the RTS were summoned through runestones you controlled, gave your character an ethically questionable twist - claim your freedom only to end up using other souls as your slaves in the same way?

Spellforce 2 was the sequel in the same world, affected by the changes of the first series. Runewarriors were gone. But part of the magic was still there. There still were portals and travel stones. There still were the old monuments. But now you were a Shaikan, a member of a human tribe bonded by blood magic to a dragon. And even though the Shaikan were a new element, it was still the same world.

Spellforce 3 plays a long time before the Convocation. There are no Runewarriors. There may not be any Shaikan. The world has not yet been torn asunder. And suddenly you start a game in a world that may have the names you know, but that kinda feels generic fantasy. It is interesting to a fan to see how the world once was, and to reinforce how the world in the other two games was just the ruins of the world in the prequel. But it did bring with it the feeling that I wasn't returning to Spellforce.

On top of that, the introductory mission with tutorial elements is not played with your own character, but a group of NPCs. And the introductory mission is long. A good 60 minutes of gametime (if you explore the whole maps) before you even get to character creation. And this made me scream "Where is my character!?"

On the other hand, when I calmed down, and pushed through it, having played the introduction placed me far more firmly in the story than a cinematic would have.

 

Gameplay:

The rpg elemet is solid. While running around the capital I could easily forget I wasn't playing a proper rpg.

Combat has changed though. The old "Click and Fight" system has been revamped. It used to be that for whatever unit you had selected, you'd get contextual icons underneath the character portraits and groups on the top of your screen. Select a giant spider? Your group of 14 infantry would have the sword icon to attack, your melee hero would have the icons to attack, power attack, stun, taunt, your mage the icon to lightning bolt, and you'd click the ones you want. It meant you never had to finicky target into combat, You just had to quickly circle targets with tab. I got used to it and learned to love it.

The new "Click and Fight" system has done away with that. You now Alt+Click on the target and it brings up a radial menu with all the contextual options. Still better than manual targeting, but far less simple than the old one. I'll get used to it though, I think. I already am starting to get used to it, and since I started overcoming my fanboi reservations, I have started to really like the game.

[ShadySands]

I guess I know what game I'm buying when I get home

 

Though I'm pretty sure I'll just play a few more games in my NBA2k18 career. My PG is leading the league in both points and assists per game. Unfortunately he's also top 3 for turnovers per game and even though I'm shooting around 90% from the free throw line I miss a lot that are 80 or 90+% chance to make or higher. Like XCOM all over again.

[melkathi]

Campaign is pretty standard Spellforce fair. You will have your character, in a new, evolved system based on the old (so I am, as always a dual light weapon wielder with some magic on the side), and you will lead this character and party through the campaign, taking control of various armies of the various races as you do. So I expect to play elves, dwarves and orks during the course of the campaign even though I started with humans.

I read online that the single player campaign is around 30 hours?

Edited December 8, 2017 by melkathi

[GhostofAnakin]

Still trying to figure out how to force/make my CPU tag team partner to tag me back into the ring in WWE2K18.  I keep pressing L1, and all that accomplishes is my character sticking out his hand for a tag, and the announcers talking about how I'm looking for a tag.  My tag team partner just ignores me completely.

 

At this point the options seem to be:

1-Fight the entire match myself, never tagging in my partner

2-Try and wear down my opponents as much as possible, then hope the CPU partner isn't too incompetent to finish them off.

[Epaminondas]

It's amazing how many empty boxes there are spread around the Hitman universe. I mean, if you'd invested in empty bin manufacturing, you'd be filthy stinking rich there. Kind of like crates in an RPG or vents in a shooter.

[Blodhemn]

Pretty much just playing Burial at Sea DLC to take screenshots since I haven't felt up to much anything else and that's all the game is good for anyway.

[Zoraptor]

Still trying to figure out how to force/make my CPU tag team partner to tag me back into the ring in WWE2K18.

 

The game is broken. It's not delightful and you should probably consider deleting it.

 

I admire your persistence since it doesn't even sound like your selection of bugs are the fun or surreal ones like challenging yourself for a title or the wonky physics bouncing wrestlers through the roof of the stadium, just run of the mill annoying bug bugs.

[SonicMage117]

I think Age Of Empires 4 will be a great RTS, can't wait to see the gameplay reveal!

[injurai]

I think Age Of Empires 4 will be a great RTS, can't wait to see the gameplay reveal!

 

Same, relic is a great dev pick. I think it's still over a year out though, so we probably won't see anything soon.

[algroth]

Has anyone Played "Inside?"  I'm thinking of waiting to get Dishonored 2 until it goes on sale.  ...Or maybe getting Death of the Outsider.  I'm remarkably open to suggestions and I need a game to last me until January 8th.  I guess I could SA all the levels on Dishonored but that's kind of a vanity thing and I'd rather play a new game instead.

 

I have, and it's superb. Very moody and immersive, also quite surprising. The atmosphere as well as the sheer aesthetic design are absolutely superb. As a 2.5D puzzle game it's more on the easy side of things but it's quite nice all the same - to me it's the experience that is worth the most about it.

[Epaminondas]

 

Has anyone Played "Inside?"

 

I have, and it's superb. Very moody and immersive, also quite surprising. The atmosphere as well as the sheer aesthetic design are absolutely superb. As a 2.5D puzzle game it's more on the easy side of things but it's quite nice all the same - to me it's the experience that is worth the most about it.

 

In years of lurking, this message board has achieved legendary status for game advice. Bought and installing even as we speak.

 

Seriously, this is my goto place before I purchase stuff.

[algroth]

 

 

Has anyone Played "Inside?"

 

I have, and it's superb. Very moody and immersive, also quite surprising. The atmosphere as well as the sheer aesthetic design are absolutely superb. As a 2.5D puzzle game it's more on the easy side of things but it's quite nice all the same - to me it's the experience that is worth the most about it.

 

In years of lurking, this message board has achieved legendary status for game advice. Bought and installing even as we speak.

 

Seriously, this is my goto place before I purchase stuff.

 

Well, I haven't been around here for long so I can't speak for the rest of the users here. Just take it as my personal opinion! :D

Edited December 9, 2017 by algroth

[Epaminondas]

this is how it will always work with me. If you give advice and it's good, you'll get credit. If you give advice and it's bad, I'll take blame. Worst thing that could happen is a full throated endorsement of something I don't like, in which case I'll chalk it up to different tastes and then maybe not use your input as much. At any rate, the game looks cool, so I was already leaning. You just gave me a stout push to get me there.

[melkathi]

Most people here are both very honest about the games they play and about their personal tastes.

[Bartimaeus]

yeah, for example, I thought it was supremely mediocre and just didn't really get it. my loss, I guess

[ShadySands]

I get home and find a 30% off coupon for Spellforce 3 in my email

 

It's meant to be

 

Bleh. Steam only coupon.

Edited December 9, 2017 by ShadySands

[GhostofAnakin]

 

Still trying to figure out how to force/make my CPU tag team partner to tag me back into the ring in WWE2K18.

 

The game is broken. It's not delightful and you should probably consider deleting it.

 

I admire your persistence since it doesn't even sound like your selection of bugs are the fun or surreal ones like challenging yourself for a title or the wonky physics bouncing wrestlers through the roof of the stadium, just run of the mill annoying bug bugs.

 

 

I've run into quite a few "what the eff" moments in career mode.

 

1-I was put in a storyline where I was supposed to convince Chris Jericho to team up with me.  Okay, eventually mission accomplished.  But then the storyline went nowhere.  I was placed in a singles match versus Golddust at the PPV, with no resolution to the entire tag team I spent a couple of months forming with Jericho.

 

2-Samoa Joe asked me to attack some of his opponents who are going after this title.  One instance, he asked me to attack Sami Zayn.  Okay, but when I went to the producer of the show to set it up, instead I end up attacking Dean Ambrose.  Then afterwards, Samoa Joe congratulates me on attacking Sami Zayn.

 

Career mode is just wonky as hell.  Half the time the characters that are referenced in the backstage segments aren't the same ones you end up facing in the ring or in pre-match attacks, and then half the time storylines just kind of disappear without resolution.

 

And now I'm stuck at Money in the Bank because my character doesn't have the "Ladder Dive" skill or an OMG move unlocked, but in order to win the match you have to achieve both those objectives as well as grab the briefcase.  I found this out the hard way since I actually won the match by getting the briefcase, but I didn't meet the other achievements so I had to re-start.

[Katphood]

Fallout 4. 

 

Trying to make a nice settlement out of Red Rocket. Nick joined me and at some point I noticed that dogmeat isn't with me anymore. He isn't at Sanctuary Hills or Red Rocket so I am guessing he must be at Diamond City?

 

Let's go take a look...

[majestic]

 

Finished Donkey Kong Country on my SNES Classic Mini. That made me, uhm, "install" DKC 2 and 3 to continue the series. <3 DKC.

3 is a disappointment, but 2 is great.

 

Finished the second one. I have fond memories of all three, but yes, the third is probably the worst of the bunch. Guess they spent too many resources on the improved overworld that nobody asked for.

 

Anyway, playing Super Star Wars now. It's just as torturous as I remember.

Edited December 9, 2017 by majestic

[Bartimaeus]

I wish games had modular difficulty settings. Thinking about games like Metro 2033 or Stalker vs. something like Mass Effect - increase the difficulty settings on the former two games, and you receive more damage with every hit...but so do enemies. Increase it on the latter game and you take more damage...and enemies become bullet sponges, too. I wish there were like three different basic difficulty settings - level of intelligence, player life, and AI life. Most of the time, I would probably play with intelligence and player life on the hardest, but with AI life on medium or low - so everyone, player and AI alike, can kill each other and get killed quickly in a fast-paced and dangerous experience. I personally hate bullet sponges - they have a tendency to ground the game to a very dull and boring halt - but I also hate feeling like I'm invulnerable. In a lot of games with difficulty settings, there doesn't seem to really be much of a sweet spot and you kind of just have to settle for whatever the default or "normal" difficulty setting is, which is usually just a compromise between everything.

Edited December 9, 2017 by Bartimaeus