What game are you wasting time on?

[NecroLord]

Going to do a Fallout 1 and 2 (with the Restoration Patch) run as soon as I get the chance.
They are the kind of games I know I can always play and enjoy.
For Fallout probably gonna do a Fast Shot Turbo Plasma build.
For Fallout 2 I'm gonna go with the tried and true Fast Shot Burst build. Bonus Ranged Damage x2 + Better Criticals + Sniper = Maximum Carnage.
Stats will be : Strength - 5, Perception - 8, Agility - 9, Endurance - 4 (probably 6 for Fallout 1), Intelligence - 9, Charisma - 6 (4 for Fallout 1, charisma isn't that great of a stat in the game), Luck - 6.

 

[Eirinjas]

I took a break from Anvil of Dawn to play the surprise release of the new Thief Gold fan expansion The Black Parade. So far, I'm really impressed. The first mission is a city-romp with lots of verticality. And man, did they squeeze a lot in. I'm a few hours in on expert and I need to find 3 more pockets to pick and a couple hundred more in gold. There are a couple doors I have been unable to open. Technically I've already met the objectives to complete the mission, but I'm trying to find everything.

 

[Squidhead]

Granted, if you detest the gameplay then don't bother playing through it.

I don't detest it, I just find it mediocre. Just when I was about to tinker with my weapons the game is over.

Also what the fuck is up with the 2d sections? It's just one thing in a list of annoyances like the pacing of certain missions and letting me save whenever the game feels like it. Lots of wasted time between events this piss poor map which is basically one big tile with jack shit in between. The carnival is the only good thing in it.

Anyway I'm gonna trudge through it anyway just because I want to understand why exactly this game is/was so popular aside from 2B.

The game ain't over until you get ending E. There's numerous endings because Taro wanted players to feel like they could have a point where they felt they were done with the game and not the other way around, like the devs telling them when it was over. The constant switching is a Taro thing too. His reasoning is that most games you get one basic loop and then that's it. For instance, in an rpg you make a quest. The rest of the game is a stretched out version of that. So he likes to change things around a bit to keep it all fresh.

I've finished the B ending and I've warmed up to the game now that I understand what it's trying to do. A and B are just one big prologue lol.

I still think the gameplay is shallow but at least it I know I can safely ignore most of it.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

Granted, if you detest the gameplay then don't bother playing through it.

I don't detest it, I just find it mediocre. Just when I was about to tinker with my weapons the game is over.

Also what the fuck is up with the 2d sections? It's just one thing in a list of annoyances like the pacing of certain missions and letting me save whenever the game feels like it. Lots of wasted time between events this piss poor map which is basically one big tile with jack shit in between. The carnival is the only good thing in it.

Anyway I'm gonna trudge through it anyway just because I want to understand why exactly this game is/was so popular aside from 2B.

The game ain't over until you get ending E. There's numerous endings because Taro wanted players to feel like they could have a point where they felt they were done with the game and not the other way around, like the devs telling them when it was over. The constant switching is a Taro thing too. His reasoning is that most games you get one basic loop and then that's it. For instance, in an rpg you make a quest. The rest of the game is a stretched out version of that. So he likes to change things around a bit to keep it all fresh.

I've finished the B ending and I've warmed up to the game now that I understand what it's trying to do. A and B are just one big prologue lol.

I still think the gameplay is shallow but at least it I know I can safely ignore most of it.

That's because the Taroisms in the gameplay department were polished by Platinum. There's this thing about how the Drakengard games are "bad on purpose" because the gameplay on them is legit ass, and not the 2b kind. Taro wanted to deliver both an answer to games that celebrate mindless violence and a message about gamification of stuff. So the gameplay is ass because the characters involved in the games are broken, flawed, mentally unstable. The third game in that series goes meta with it with characters actually complaining about how shit the plaforming parts are. And in the other Nier game you have the lunar tears, which are supposed to be really strange and rare flowers, and of course, harvesting them means you get to play a Mendelian minigame of sorts where you have your crops and have to cross genes between flowers to get the chance to get a lunar tear. Mix flower a with b to get c, and then c with some other one, etc. Every "stage" of this takes a day. In real time.

 

[mediocrepoet]

Granted, if you detest the gameplay then don't bother playing through it.

I don't detest it, I just find it mediocre. Just when I was about to tinker with my weapons the game is over.

Also what the fuck is up with the 2d sections? It's just one thing in a list of annoyances like the pacing of certain missions and letting me save whenever the game feels like it. Lots of wasted time between events this piss poor map which is basically one big tile with jack shit in between. The carnival is the only good thing in it.

Anyway I'm gonna trudge through it anyway just because I want to understand why exactly this game is/was so popular aside from 2B.

The game ain't over until you get ending E. There's numerous endings because Taro wanted players to feel like they could have a point where they felt they were done with the game and not the other way around, like the devs telling them when it was over. The constant switching is a Taro thing too. His reasoning is that most games you get one basic loop and then that's it. For instance, in an rpg you make a quest. The rest of the game is a stretched out version of that. So he likes to change things around a bit to keep it all fresh.

I've finished the B ending and I've warmed up to the game now that I understand what it's trying to do. A and B are just one big prologue lol.

I still think the gameplay is shallow but at least it I know I can safely ignore most of it.

That's because the Taroisms in the gameplay department were polished by Platinum. There's this thing about how the Drakengard games are "bad on purpose" because the gameplay on them is legit ass, and not the 2b kind. Taro wanted to deliver both an answer to games that celebrate mindless violence and a message about gamification of stuff. So the gameplay is ass because the characters involved in the games are broken, flawed, mentally unstable. The third game in that series goes meta with it with characters actually complaining about how shit the plaforming parts are. And in the other Nier game you have the lunar tears, which are supposed to be really strange and rare flowers, and of course, harvesting them means you get to play a Mendelian minigame of sorts where you have your crops and have to cross genes between flowers to get the chance to get a lunar tear. Mix flower a with b to get c, and then c with some other one, etc. Every "stage" of this takes a day. In real time.

Every time I read about this guy, I'm reminded of when Blizzard would have a quest or two that made you dig through shit and in one case basically eat shit, in every WoW expansion.

What an asshole.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

Granted, if you detest the gameplay then don't bother playing through it.

I don't detest it, I just find it mediocre. Just when I was about to tinker with my weapons the game is over.

Also what the fuck is up with the 2d sections? It's just one thing in a list of annoyances like the pacing of certain missions and letting me save whenever the game feels like it. Lots of wasted time between events this piss poor map which is basically one big tile with jack shit in between. The carnival is the only good thing in it.

Anyway I'm gonna trudge through it anyway just because I want to understand why exactly this game is/was so popular aside from 2B.

The game ain't over until you get ending E. There's numerous endings because Taro wanted players to feel like they could have a point where they felt they were done with the game and not the other way around, like the devs telling them when it was over. The constant switching is a Taro thing too. His reasoning is that most games you get one basic loop and then that's it. For instance, in an rpg you make a quest. The rest of the game is a stretched out version of that. So he likes to change things around a bit to keep it all fresh.

I've finished the B ending and I've warmed up to the game now that I understand what it's trying to do. A and B are just one big prologue lol.

I still think the gameplay is shallow but at least it I know I can safely ignore most of it.

That's because the Taroisms in the gameplay department were polished by Platinum. There's this thing about how the Drakengard games are "bad on purpose" because the gameplay on them is legit ass, and not the 2b kind. Taro wanted to deliver both an answer to games that celebrate mindless violence and a message about gamification of stuff. So the gameplay is ass because the characters involved in the games are broken, flawed, mentally unstable. The third game in that series goes meta with it with characters actually complaining about how shit the plaforming parts are. And in the other Nier game you have the lunar tears, which are supposed to be really strange and rare flowers, and of course, harvesting them means you get to play a Mendelian minigame of sorts where you have your crops and have to cross genes between flowers to get the chance to get a lunar tear. Mix flower a with b to get c, and then c with some other one, etc. Every "stage" of this takes a day. In real time.

Every time I read about this guy, I'm reminded of when Blizzard would have a quest or two that made you dig through shit and in one case basically eat shit, in every WoW expansion.

What an asshole.

There's something to be said about eating shit in WOW...

 

[Great Deceiver]

Kings Field 2 completed. Very satisfying, very excellent.

Not much more to add to what I said before. It was a little frustrating at the beginning but once the game started throwing interesting locations and items at me I was hooked start to finish.

Probably lots of secrets I missed but don't give a shit about that stuff. Onto the next game soon.

Was that KF2 US or JP? (KF1 didn't get a Western release afaik, so US KF 2 is actually KF3)

If you're moving on to IV: Ancient City, you're in for a real treat. I'm currently replaying it as well.

 

[jackofshadows]

Maximum Carnage.

Luck - 6

 

[NecroLord]

Maximum Carnage.

Luck - 6

Having Luck 10 just feels way too easy/almost like cheating to me.
Every shot you make is a critical? C'mon...
I'd much rather put points in other stats, besides, burst damage is insane even without criticals (hello Bozar, Vindicator Minigun, HK P90c).

 

[Krivol]

There is a way to improve your Luck by a few points in NCR but I don't remember the details.

Aaaah, yes:

Fallout 2​

Zeta scans are optional, random stat increases available at the NCR capital or San Francisco. They offer a 50% chance of either giving a stat increase or reducing it permanently.

• Enlightened One (NCR): The scan can either raise Luck by +2 or reduce it by -1.
• AHS-7 (San Francisco): The scan can raise Luck and Intelligence by +1 or reduce Luck by -1.

So if true, 6 luck is kind of ok.

 

[NecroLord]

There is a way to improve your Luck by a few points in NCR but I don't remember the details.

Aaaah, yes:

Fallout 2​

Zeta scans are optional, random stat increases available at the NCR capital or San Francisco. They offer a 50% chance of either giving a stat increase or reducing it permanently.

• Enlightened One (NCR): The scan can either raise Luck by +2 or reduce it by -1.
• AHS-7 (San Francisco): The scan can raise Luck and Intelligence by +1 or reduce Luck by -1.

So if true, 6 luck is kind of ok.

There's also the Gain "Insert Stat" perk.

 

[Sigourn]

I dropped Battle for Esturia. I was close to the end of the game as well, but there's not much to say about this basic "cRPG".

I installed a few games from my library which I bought on impulse:

• ULTRAKILL: didn't like it. It's nothing like what I expect from an FPS.
• PowerSlave: Exhumed: didn't like it either.
• Fear & Hunger: this is one of those "you either love it or hate it" games. There's a lot of experimentation, it's the name of the game. It's a very difficult game and unless you are willing to die over and over again to gain new insight on enemies and the best way to progress, you won't enjoy it much. I got tired of retreading my steps, and gained no enjoyment from my small advances into the titular dungeon. Consider me filtered.

 

[NecroLord]

Fear & Hunger: this is one of those "you either love it or hate it" games. There's a lot of experimentation, it's the name of the game. It's a very difficult game and unless you are willing to die over and over again to gain new insight on enemies and the best way to progress, you won't enjoy it much. I got tired of retreading my steps, and gained no enjoyment from my small advances into the titular dungeon. Consider me filtered.

Git Gud.

 

[Kabas]

Wasted 22 hours of my life on Path of Achra. It's pretty good.

 

[Swartaz]

Finally got around to playing Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, it's pretty great. The VR missions are brutal though, way harder than MGS2's.

 

[Krivol]

There's also the Gain "Insert Stat" perk.

Which is usually waste of a perk

 

[AdamReith]

Kings Field 2 completed. Very satisfying, very excellent.

Not much more to add to what I said before. It was a little frustrating at the beginning but once the game started throwing interesting locations and items at me I was hooked start to finish.

Probably lots of secrets I missed but don't give a shit about that stuff. Onto the next game soon.

Was that KF2 US or JP? (KF1 didn't get a Western release afaik, so US KF 2 is actually KF3)

If you're moving on to IV: Ancient City, you're in for a real treat. I'm currently replaying it as well.

KF2 JP, I'm taking a break with wandering sword before diving into 3.

That From purity is so high I need to cut it with something softer.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

The Last Remnant. According to Steam, I've been playing it for 10 or so hours. It's a squad oriented TB jrpg. From what I've seen it plays like a Saga game in which you level up stuff according to your own gameplay. Classes are largely divided between martials and spellcasters. You're allowed to have around 5 units per squad and the number of squads you can have increases as you complete Guild challenges, which are like in game achievements. The combat is pretty fun. Positioning matters because flanking and rear ending are things here, but you don't move units freely. Basically, you order a squad to attack an enemies' and they run towards them, normally you activate engagement with them which allows for melee combat or the enemy might act first and interrupt your attack, this gives them initiative. From time to time, you get quick time events which give extra damage or counter attacks; critical hits work like any other rpg in here though. Your characters have "arts"; basically special skills. They can be martial skills like special attacks or spells, which might heal, harm or give statuses and buffs. I have to say I've been having lots of fun with this game, especially because you can see your enemies in the map and this actually has an effect in how combat is done. Enemies stand there idling away until they notice you, and then they'll attack you. If you trigger the attack first, you gain initiative, and the opposite happens too. Every enemy moves with different speed, so you might get ambushed sometimes. You have a this ability to slow time and link more than one monster if you "tag" them during this short time limit, this will give you better rewards at the risk of a harder fight.

The game feels intuitive but the stats and other mechanics aren't. Still, I've gone blind and have had no difficulty getting used to it. It's good.

Also I'm at chapter 3 in RE4 2004. It's a very good game. My only experience with RE was 2, back in the day, with its pc port. Never got too far because I was a retarded kid back then, now things have changed and I'm a retarded adult now, so I'm doing a bit better. Also I do not think 4 feels too unlike a traditional RE game. In fact there's this mod that gives 4 the old school camera and it feels just like older RE.

 

[Grauken]

mapping out the world, but I lost the paper

If you have gridcartographer, there's support for the game

 

[Kabas]

Solved the technicall issue on my end so now i can comfortably play Grim Dawn.
Started again as a Shaman.

At first i was thinking about making a barbarian with a two-handed weapon but the surprise mini-boss who dropped a one-handed thingie that boosts the shit out of my savagery skill made me reconsider for now.
After taking a look at my skills that don't require two-handers my current idea is the summoner barbarian who fights alongside his summons in melee. Funnily enough it's somewhat similar to what i tried to make in Titan Quest the first time i played it.
Will mix him with the occultist or necromancer perhaps.

My new fren

Briarthorn already proves itself useful by taking some of the enemy's attention away from me and after i invested a bit more into the skill it does respectable damage too.
My chosen build seems viable so far.

 

[Zlaja]

After finishing all other Quake 2 content in the Remastered version, I'm now playing the new campaign, made by Machine Games, and I'm not really digging it. I don't like how it's divided between 6 mini-campaigns, where you play a different marine each time and therefore keep having all your weapons removed at the start of each new part. This isn't the proper continuous Quake 2 experience. It's more like the previous ID games, which kinda sucks.

 

[Abu Antar]

I just beat Star Ocean 2 Remake, before heading to work. I did Claude's route. If I ever feel compelled to replay, I'll do Ren's route.

I had a lot of fun with it, and my play time ended up at 35 hours. This is a good version, if anyone is wondering.

It would be nice if square did Bahamut Lagoon, or Treasure of the Rudras remakes in this style.

 

[SlamDunk]

Recently I have been binge-replaying retro first-person shooters using source ports wherever possible. The oldies hold up very well and are still maximum FUN.

I have played through

- The Ultimate Doom via GZDoom
- Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition via Eduke32
- Quake with Arcane Dimensions, Beyond Belief and Dopa map packs via QuakeSpasm
- Unreal Gold
- Half-Life with the Opposing Force and Blue Shift expansions
- Half-Life 2 with Episode One and Episode Two.

Texture filtering disabled for Doom, Duke, Quake and Half-Life, of course! The games simply look better without it.

To be replayed: Doom 2, Quake 2, Far Cry and Crysis.

 

[Chippy]

Shadows of War is actually really good.

I'm still on the first city. The game is obviously designed around loot boxes, and real world transactions. Although they've removed that crap, it's still evident in the design. It'll be the last game I buy from them as they're stupid enough to have only allowed you x1 upgrade per skill. Would have been a 4.5 if they allowed that. Although I hear there's a mod out there that fixes it.

But if you want to roleplay a Ranger, this is the game to do it in. Being an entitled gamer, I thought we'd have a party based game like this now, with climbing and stealth, etc. That would be something.

Edit: Further into the game and the cracks are starting to show. 700+ orc captains killed without dying (some 10-15 levels higher than me) and you have to QTE button mash to avoid death from a caragor which I failed to do on my keyboard. So I rage quit. I already invested in x2 avoid death, but this apparently doesn't apply to caragors. Other stuff doesn't make sense either - like I froze a captain who could 1-shot a caragor, but he came out of the forzen state to kill the caragor even though he should have been frozen for another 5 secs or so. I even had a cloak that increased the frozen time by 100%.

It's more like a

With 1 star taken off for QTEs. And another for the grindy nature of the game that was built around loot boxes. If I got further in, it apparently gets more infuriating with the rock, paper scissor nature of the combat with 50 or so orcs on screen at a time, but I'm taking an extended break. For at least 6 months.

Stupid fucking action RPGs.

 

[Daemongar]

Played Vampire Survivors recently- pretty addictive bullet hell lite where you get more powerful the more you play - level every 20 seconds or so, find weapons, combine them, get more powerful. For completing missions/quests, you unlock more powerful or at least different avatars with different features. Flat, tile-based type graphics. Crisp, stable game, level up constantly and get power-ups at each level up, adding granular strength overall to your build. So, you play maps 30 minutes at a time, get gold and use that to make your builds more powerful (%3 increase in armor, %3 increase in duration, or such). The game is fun, and the longer you play, well, the more likely you are to get all 196 achievements.

Then followed up with a similar game - Halls of Torment. Similar game to the above with a Diablo like 3D environment. Pixelated, what I can only describe as Darklands type player graphics. 30 minute maps, build up gold, buy upgrades and finish quests to unlock skills, new avatars, and such.

Then kind of it dawned on me. This is fun, leveling up, getting a bit more powerful with each time played, upgrading abilities and equipment for your folks. Again, you play 30 minute maps to complete "quets" (kill the 5 bosses you sort of have to kill anyhow, deal x damage with this weapon, etc) They are both frenzied, and addictive. But it's like... level porn. You level up constantly, customize your char, find the most powerful skill and beat the hell out of it, repeat for 450 or so achievements between the games. All you need to do, no matter how crazy it looks, is keep playing and eventually you'll finish it. At the same time, I also got each game for $3 or $5.

Fun way to kill time, but not sure this is my cup of tea. Worth the $5 or so? Ya.