Gaming thoughts, bite-size chewables - new orange flavor!

[suprmonky73]

Agreed, the random encounter rate is rough. But the rule of thumb is to just walk straight to where you need to go without running from any encounters (unless you need to) and you'll always be at the right level for the next boss.

Also true - there is no best combo of characters. I've played many times where I abandon almost everyone. Yuna and Tidus are always my 2 I can't live without, mostly for Haste and Summons. But you can do any combo you want, thats the beauty of it. Some of the celestial/ultimate weapons are too hard to get IMO, like dodging lightning 200 times in a row for lulu or beating every single blitzball tournament for wakka's. Otherwise I think I've gotten everyone else's at some point or another.

 

[Thorvard]

Goddammit Square-Enix, why are you so damned scatterbrained about your soundtracks? Just give me a place online where I can purchase them. Heck, I'd even buy the damned bluray filled with MP3s if you could just keep the thing in stock. :/

About 10 years or so ago I went on a soundtrack hunting shopping spree. I ended up picking lots of sets off eBay and Play-Asia I think. I think I got Tactics, 7, 8, 9, 10, X-2, Chrono Trigger and the first Kingdom Hearts I think.

Problem is they are all in storage and when I ripped them I only did it in really shitty low quality. I need to dig them out someday and re-rip them.

My wife's last trip to Japan she picked up the newer Final Fantasy soundtracks as well as a couple others(Vagrant story and Parasite Eve)

I have to ask, have you checked Amazon.co.jp? We always order from there and have it sent to her relatives or office in Tokyo and she just picks it up. Recently I've noticed they ship a good amount of stuff to the US. I don't how the prices/shipping compare to Square Enix's store, but it might be worth checking out.

 

[donlo]

Call of Duty: WW2 is apparently this year's CoD.

Press F to liberate concentration camp prisoners.

The circle is now complete - we're back to WW2 FPS games!

Eh, Battlefield already did WW1, catch up CoD!!

 

[Ardax]

So I'm replaying Dragon Age: Inquisition with all the DLC finally, and just discovered that the Black Emporium DLC lets you edit your face.

This is fucking awesome. Now I can fix my PC so it looks less like a deformed muppet outside of the character creator.

This should be built into every game.

 

[LordDaMan]

So I'm replaying Dragon Age: Inquisition with all the DLC finally, and just discovered that the Black Emporium DLC lets you edit your face.

This is fucking awesome. Now I can fix my PC so it looks less like a deformed muppet outside of the character creator.

This should be built into every game.

All games should have a complex system in place for character generation. Or just a slider for "Manly-man" (aka conan's "endowment" slider to the max) or Girly-girl (Any girl from DOA except for the goth loli)

 

[neuromaster]

I remember giggling like a madman when I found the bulge slider in SR3. Promptly dialed that shit up to 11.

No regrets.

 

[LordDaMan]

I remember giggling like a madman when I found the bulge slider in SR3. Promptly dialed that shit up to 11.

No regrets.

It's not saint's row until I have a short somewhat thickly built overly busty woman with bright pink anime hair flipping off people and making crude sexual comments..

I wish there was a SR5 in the works, or not as it may be a terrible game trying to hard to op how overly the top sr3/sr4 was

 

[donlo]

Also any game that allows make-up options in the character creator should allow changing make-up during the game as well. So disappointed that I could get a cute black dress for my femshep but not change her make-up.

 

[KT421]

Some of the celestial/ultimate weapons are too hard to get IMO, like dodging lightning 200 times in a row for lulu or beating every single blitzball tournament for wakka's. Otherwise I think I've gotten everyone else's at some point or another.

My youngest brother was around 12 years old when we got FFX. He loved blitzball so much. He would log on, play blitz for an hour or two, and then be done for the night. He actually got Wakka's ultimate weapon without knowing what an ultimate weapon was (it was his first Final Fantasy).

So of course I sat him down in front of my save and got him to unlock Wakka's ult for me as well, cause like hell was I going to play any more blitzball than the minimum the game required of me.

 

[DemonGSides]

Blitzball seems to have that reputation; either you are a diehard semi pro, or you absolutely fucking hated it.

Latter for me, the few times I tried it.

 

[hotflungwok]

The Stanley Parable is not a game. It is a choose your own adventure type story with slightly more interaction than turning the physical pages of an actual choose your own adventure type book.

 

[KallDrexx]

Massive FFX fan here: The first "half" of the game is decent. Once you get towards the last third or so, thats the best part. All of the combat intracacies finally come together.

The best tip I can give: You don't need to use all 7 guys. Maybe like 4. Some of your party will be neglected and thats ok. Towards the end of my last playthru I gave up on Lulu and Wakka. Some early/mid battles will benefit from having her but late game you don't need magic as much. Anyone can jump over to lulu's part of the sphere grid and with a bit of grinding can pick up all her stat increases and spells. Same with Wakka, if you don't run from any battles you'll easily hit the end of Tidus/Auron/Kimhari's path and can just take them down wakka's path to grab all his moves. Hopefully this helps you push through a little quicker.

That's interesting to know. Lulu has been pretty useful so far due to magic seeming to do 3-4x damage than physical to anything with elemental weaknesses. I've been pretty conscious about rotating people in and out pretty well to keep s level increases relatively even. It has also seemed like Wakka is required anytime there's a flier as he seems to have the highest chance of not whiffing.

 

[tim1_2]

The Stanley Parable is not a game. It is a choose your own adventure type story with slightly more interaction than turning the physical pages of an actual choose your own adventure type book.

I've had this installed on my computer for about two years...occasionally I contemplate playing it, but then I play Rocket League.

 

[hotflungwok]

The Stanley Parable is not a game. It is a choose your own adventure type story with slightly more interaction than turning the physical pages of an actual choose your own adventure type book.

I've had this installed on my computer for about two years...occasionally I contemplate playing it, but then I play Rocket League.

You are wise.

 

[suprmonky73]

That's interesting to know. Lulu has been pretty useful so far due to magic seeming to do 3-4x damage than physical to anything with elemental weaknesses. I've been pretty conscious about rotating people in and out pretty well to keep s level increases relatively even. It has also seemed like Wakka is required anytime there's a flier as he seems to have the highest chance of not whiffing.

Yeah eventually lulu's magic will hit the 9999 cap, so its very damaging but your melee guys will be able to hit 9999 too, which is both faster and costs no MP. And most enemies later on won't have an elemental weakness, but if they do you can use other means like Rikku's item's, elemental swords, or summons etc.
As for fliers you'll eventually be able to just hit them once you level enough to boost accuracy or you can use attacks like lancet or magic spells.

That's the beauty, at first you probably should keep everyone rotating in and out, but around the calm lands you'll get tired of it and want to stop, and in this game it's actually ok to do so. I've beaten it 7-8 times and sometimes i ditch auron because he's too slow, or i ditch kimhari because I didn't keep him leveled high enough, or i ditch lulu because outside of elemental damage she doesn't do much that others can't handle.

 

[Mister E. Meat]

That's interesting to know. Lulu has been pretty useful so far due to magic seeming to do 3-4x damage than physical to anything with elemental weaknesses. I've been pretty conscious about rotating people in and out pretty well to keep s level increases relatively even. It has also seemed like Wakka is required anytime there's a flier as he seems to have the highest chance of not whiffing.

Yeah eventually lulu's magic will hit the 9999 cap, so its very damaging but your melee guys will be able to hit 9999 too, which is both faster and costs no MP. And most enemies later on won't have an elemental weakness, but if they do you can use other means like Rikku's item's, elemental swords, or summons etc.
As for fliers you'll eventually be able to just hit them once you level enough to boost accuracy or you can use attacks like lancet or magic spells.

That's the beauty, at first you probably should keep everyone rotating in and out, but around the calm lands you'll get tired of it and want to stop, and in this game it's actually ok to do so. I've beaten it 7-8 times and sometimes i ditch auron because he's too slow, or i ditch kimhari because I didn't keep him leveled high enough he's hornless, or i ditch lulu because outside of elemental damage she doesn't do much that others can't handle.

FTFY

 

[krimhorn]

The Stanley Parable is not a game. It is a choose your own adventure type story with slightly more interaction than turning the physical pages of an actual choose your own adventure type book.

You just don't get it, man. TSP is a deconstruction of the artifice of choice vis-a-vis developer willingness to provide said choice to the player.

Also, it's damn hilarious. 5 cheevos? Yes, please.

 

[S2pidiT]

The Stanley Parable is not a game. It is a choose your own adventure type story with slightly more interaction than turning the physical pages of an actual choose your own adventure type book.

I've had this installed on my computer for about two years...occasionally I contemplate playing it, but then I play Rocket League.

I've been quite enjoying Rocket League on the PS4! (I tend to be late to the party when it comes to games, except for BotW) I might just get it for PC so I can play with my friends who don't have a PS4.

The aerial component is something I haven't gotten the hang of yet...

 

[Nekojin]

The aerial component is something I haven't gotten the hang of yet...

I've been playing since Launch, and I'm still learning how to do quality aerial work. It requires an entirely different mindset - and the control difference between ground driving and air flying means that you need to practice, practice, practice and get the transition to be a reflexive shift.

 

[S2pidiT]

The aerial component is something I haven't gotten the hang of yet...

I've been playing since Launch, and I'm still learning how to do quality aerial work. It requires an entirely different mindset - and the control difference between ground driving and air flying means that you need to practice, practice, practice and get the transition to be a reflexive shift.

Yeah, I see others online that make it look so fluid. I have been focusing on my ground jumps and wall game, though, so I haven't tried as much aerial stuff.

 

[BigLan]

The Stanley Parable is not a game. It is a choose your own adventure type story with slightly more interaction than turning the physical pages of an actual choose your own adventure type book.

I've had this installed on my computer for about two years...occasionally I contemplate playing it, but then I play Rocket League.

I've been quite enjoying Rocket League on the PS4! (I tend to be late to the party when it comes to games, except for BotW) I might just get it for PC so I can play with my friends who don't have a PS4.

The aerial component is something I haven't gotten the hang of yet...

Can't you do ps4/PC crossplay in rocket league?

 

[Sufinsil]

The Stanley Parable is not a game. It is a choose your own adventure type story with slightly more interaction than turning the physical pages of an actual choose your own adventure type book.

I've had this installed on my computer for about two years...occasionally I contemplate playing it, but then I play Rocket League.

I've been quite enjoying Rocket League on the PS4! (I tend to be late to the party when it comes to games, except for BotW) I might just get it for PC so I can play with my friends who don't have a PS4.

The aerial component is something I haven't gotten the hang of yet...

Can't you do ps4/PC crossplay in rocket league?

Matchmaking gives you that.

But you have no way to group with friends cross platform.


MMOs and Portal 2 is the only things that come to mind when we ever had full cross platform.
It was great to see your Steam Friends list on the PS3 and play Portal 2 with people on PC. To bad Valve and Sony never took it further.

 

[Blue Adept]

Also, it's damn hilarious.

I couldn't get into The Stanley Parable. I accept that it is amusing. However, I find it annoying.

 

[SuinusLatinus]

Is PCSX2 still considered the best PS2 emulator these days?

I finally found and bought a reasonably priced and in good condition copy of ICO (I completely ignored PS2 games when they were around; only after they weren't sold anymore I decided to try them ) but my PS2 is connected via component and ICO refuses to show any image that way, only through a SCART (RGB) connection, so I decided to play it in my PC instead.

 

[Elore]

Is PCSX2 still considered the best PS2 emulator these days?

Yes. Make sure to grab a recent dev build if you want to play with upscaled visuals and hardware rendering, as it contains some newer fixes for Ico. Even then, some lighting effects don't fully work, and you would need to stick with software rendering if you want to see it as intended.

 

[hotflungwok]

The Stanley Parable is not a game. It is a choose your own adventure type story with slightly more interaction than turning the physical pages of an actual choose your own adventure type book.

You just don't get it, man. TSP is a deconstruction of the artifice of choice vis-a-vis developer willingness to provide said choice to the player.

Also, it's damn hilarious. 5 cheevos? Yes, please.

It was good for a few chuckles, it's definitely not damn hilarious. And I'm not the type to mindlessly walk corridors for however many hours it takes just to get an achievement, my time is slightly more important than that.

 

[krimhorn]

The Stanley Parable is not a game. It is a choose your own adventure type story with slightly more interaction than turning the physical pages of an actual choose your own adventure type book.

You just don't get it, man. TSP is a deconstruction of the artifice of choice vis-a-vis developer willingness to provide said choice to the player.

Also, it's damn hilarious. 5 cheevos? Yes, please.

It was good for a few chuckles, it's definitely not damn hilarious. And I'm not the type to mindlessly walk corridors for however many hours it takes just to get an achievement, my time is slightly more important than that.

Pfft. You don't walk corridors for 5 cheevos you

Spoiler

Click...and click...and click and click and click. You click while British McNarrator makes fun of you for clicking incessantly for 5 silly cheevos.

Though I totally get that it's not everyone's cup of tea. It was pretty much exactly the kind of game that I wasn't aware I was looking for back when it was released though.

 

[KallDrexx]

Most importantly I think it only took 2 hours to see almost everything in Stanely Parable. It was very good about not over staying the joke.

 

[suprmonky73]

Is PCSX2 still considered the best PS2 emulator these days?

I finally found and bought a reasonably priced and in good condition copy of ICO (I completely ignored PS2 games when they were around; only after they weren't sold anymore I decided to try them ) but my PS2 is connected via component and ICO refuses to show any image that way, only through a SCART (RGB) connection, so I decided to play it in my PC instead.

There is also a ps3 HD remake of Ico+Shadow of the Colussus you could get.

 

[SuinusLatinus]

I know, but for that I would need a PS3

 

[Sufinsil]

Shadow of the Colussus in 3D was a pretty fun way to replay it.

 

[hotflungwok]

Okay Factorio, we're going to play again tonight, but this time try and remember that I need to go to work again tomorrow. I know, the advanced circuit line needs to be tweaked and I need to check on the ammo levels in the guns out by my remote oil pump site and sulfuric acid production has stopped for some reason and I need to increase iron plate production somehow, but I also need to get to bed before I hear the birds outside waking up. So how about tonight, we shoot for 10 or 11. I promise, this weekend we can play for hours on end.

I haven't had a game hold me in the zone like this for a long time.

 

[Daedalus213]

Fallout Shelter.

Free on Steam. Any thoughts? Worth playing? I assume it's relatively micro-transactiony and I don't have the inclination for that, but is there any meat on those bones if I don't want to pay?

 

[donlo]

Fallout Shelter.

Free on Steam. Any thoughts? Worth playing? I assume it's relatively micro-transactiony and I don't have the inclination for that, but is there any meat on those bones if I don't want to pay?

I got a few weeks of fun out of it on iOS. They added a mission system that gives it some longer legs but like most games of its type I got bored after unlocking all the rooms and getting most of the good stuff for my dwellers.

 

[Andara]

Fallout Shelter.

Free on Steam. Any thoughts? Worth playing? I assume it's relatively micro-transactiony and I don't have the inclination for that, but is there any meat on those bones if I don't want to pay?

I got a few weeks of fun out of it on iOS. They added a mission system that gives it some longer legs but like most games of its type I got bored after unlocking all the rooms and getting most of the good stuff for my dwellers.

Pretty much this.

It's an amusing diversion until it's not, and then you move on.

 

[Thorvard]

Isn't that all mobile games really?

 

[Vastamious]

Fallout Shelter.

Free on Steam. Any thoughts? Worth playing? I assume it's relatively micro-transactiony and I don't have the inclination for that, but is there any meat on those bones if I don't want to pay?

The amazing thing about the game is unless you're a bonafide mobile gaming whale there isn't any need to pay anything, ever. I did thrice: once to grab some mr handy's* when I just started over going from the phone to the PC (couldn't move my save though I hear there's a way now), once when the child's game lost its saves and she had to start over, and once as a christmas present for said child. But there was never a need to. All levels, characters,rooms quests, they're all available free. It is the standard bearer for how to do FTP.

I've been playing since it came out on android. The quests can be pretty funny sometimes and there is one that is a game show that asks trivia questions about FO3/4 that is weekly. I've hit the wall where I only play for short spurts now since it's all about the quests and not about building.


*In hindsight I regret getting those handy's. I now have 3 parked outside I can't let in because I have too many.

 

[KallDrexx]

The combat in FFX is just stupid easy and mind-numbing, except when it's not and immediately swings to game over.

I just got to the desert, so I have no healer (because Yuna is gone), there's no one to buy health potions from and some of the mobs are just ridiculously over powered. I love the sensor ability to. "Hey beware this bird's glowing wings it means a sonic boom is coming". Thanks for telling me even though I have zero ability to do anything to prevent it. I can't silence him or sleep him (immune to both) so I just have to take it as it does crazy amount of damage to all 3 team members. Oh and he has 15k life so it takes forever to kill him.

Or this seed spitting thing that just keeps making all 3 of my team members dizzy and fight each other until I"m dead. Once in a blue moon I can get some hits off on the enemy but again since he has 15k health and I do 700-ish damage (even aligning elements right) it takes forever to kill him.

Then several game over laters I get to the Al Bhed city and yet again it's the guado with fiends, and they just decimate me. Like the casters that sensor specifically says "vulnerable to darkness and silence". I darkness and silence both of them but it doesn't seem to affect my damage at all and they can still cast spells like Thundera while silenced, game overing me again.

18 hours in and I think I"m done. The combat in this game just wants to punish me and not give me tools to make anything about it interesting.

 

[krimhorn]

Just finished the north boss in Hyperlight Drifter and Oh. My. Gawd. I mean, sure, it's mostly pattern memorization with a bit of reflex thrown in for good measure but the very small amount of health (There. Are. Four. Hearts!) and the fact that half of the bosses attacks deal 2 damage (though you do have 3 full heals coming in so it's a total of 12 damage that you can take) and the high health that he has makes it a tense ass fight. Spent a good 30 minutes inching my way ever closer to beating him. Got 25% whittled off the first time, then 50% off then back to 25% regularly, after a good 15 minutes I was taking half of his health away regularly and then, amazingly, I figured out a way to deal with his adds and it was two attempts later that I beat him.

 

[SuinusLatinus]

Is PCSX2 still considered the best PS2 emulator these days?

Yes. Make sure to grab a recent dev build if you want to play with upscaled visuals and hardware rendering, as it contains some newer fixes for Ico. Even then, some lighting effects don't fully work, and you would need to stick with software rendering if you want to see it as intended.

I installed it and gave it a few minutes just to see how well it worked. It seems everything is ok, with a steady 60 fps, without changing any visual settings . I'm going to play with the settings to see how far it can go.