Kolanaki

Kolanaki, rok temu

It’s “free” on PS+ right now. I would wager that’s how OP is playing it.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Damn. Lost an imaginary bet 🤣

Kolanaki, rok temu

if I had the 2k for a gaming PC, that would almost last a console generation

I paid ~$850 total for my rig, in 2018, and it’s still going strong. Might not have RTX, but from what I’ve seen on my PS5, not only do games barely use RTX, very few of those that do use it in a way that makes a visual difference.

Kolanaki, rok temu

You could get literally any current generation card, or even a previous gen card, and not only will it last 4-5 years, you probably won’t even have to lower settings over time. Big leaps in graphics aren’t happening like they used to. The only new tech that came out between getting my GPU and now is raytracing. Pretty much every brand new game still defaults to Ultra settings, and I get pretty and high fps in everything I can throw at it, save for a few games that perform horribly on everything (like ARMA 3).

Kolanaki, rok temu

How the heck does the engine break down after level 12? What the fuck even is this engine?

Kolanaki, rok temu

Lmao

I still haven’t played 5e on paper. Just BG3. I am a 3.5/Pathfinder lover. I know those rules and lore way more since I’ve played it for years. Feels weird to stop now.

Kolanaki, rok temu

I’ve heard that high level D&D sucks ever since I got into D&D back in 2e, so I don’t know if 5e truly sucks, or it’s just continued player sentiment toward something that’s always been, IMO, misunderstood.

Personally, I fucking love epic level shit. Starting at 20 and using the epic level book to go further is awesome. The problem I see, though, is DMs quite often don’t think epic enough. They think too small scale and it sucks for everyone because

1. There’s a lot to keep track of on a single character. So many spells and abilities at that point, and if you’ve never really played a lot of high level stuff, you can get choice paralysis or just not know how some of your stuff really works.
2. Strength. What’s a challenge? Quite often when I see what others are using in their high level campaigns, they are just poorly balanced large scale battles or a single big monster and not really thought out. If your party has close to God like powers, they should be fighting actual gods.

Kolanaki, rok temu

In that respect I get it. I wouldn’t even expect Wish it many other spells to be in a CRPG or if it was, it would be way more limited (as they would obviously only program so many actions you could even make). The rules always break down in a CRPG when the PnP game has next to no limits with imagination. A computer game has to be thought about in advance, with limited ability to flex on things that might make sense in the moment that can be ruled on the fly. Not to mention different interpretations of vaguer/not well written rules.

Kolanaki, rok temu

I feel like the only one who still remembers that DLC simply means “DownLoadable Content” and can apply equally to big expansions as it does to MTX. The name comes from the delivery method more than the content itself. Keep in mind, it was first coined when the primary method of content delivery was selling shit on a disc, so easily distinguished from things you could buy in the store irl vs what only was available as a download.

The infrastructure of the Internet at the time made it easier for this to be smaller things. But now? Dude, we are downloading 120GB games and sometimes updates off Steam and nobody is batting an eye anymore. lol

Kolanaki, rok temu

Don’t even need to be a specific rule player to know that. The actual PnP games are limitless. You literally can do anything you can imagine. You can easily make a new rule to handle stuff the books don’t cover. Video games can’t. Not with the same fluidity, anyway. I would expect the simple mathematics to be handled, along with spells and abilities that work in a CRPG. It’s amazing they even have Speak to Animals. I mean, it’s a simple concept, but you have to then also write dialogue for every animal you place in the game. Otherwise, the spell becomes worthless. That’s a lot of work I don’t usually expect from video games, despite it being something I love to see.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Is that not the point? To go from struggling against the lowest foes to being equal to the toughest? Sometimes I wonder if the disconnect is between the game and the narrative. I’m in the, seemingly, minority camp of favoring the game side. The narrative is merely the vessel allows the game to flow and not the other way around. I construct sandboxes rather than linear stories. The stories come from the players and how they want to interact with the world, the consequences of their actions, and so on. As a DM, I provide the world at large, what’s currently happening in that world, and the moderation of the rules to facilitate the players telling their own stories, instead of having one I am merely telling them. I personally think this brings more life to the game. Players can become immersed more easily when they are thinking about what they are trying to do, and the dynamics of multiple players pulling the story this way and that just makes for a more compelling narrative.

It sounds like 5e is also just not balanced on the game side. Which was my problem with 4e, too and why I haven’t really tried 5.

Kolanaki, rok temu (edited rok temu)

I don’t blame the lack of good shooters on consoles. Consoles never interfered with that before. I blame the popularity of Battle Royale. Everything is a fucking BR now. And it’s not like they just took the gameplay style; they also took the jank.

All the best new shooters are indy developed boomer shooters with retro aesthetics. And I’m getting kinda over that, too. The genre needs some new ideas.

Kolanaki, rok temu

It’s not exactly isometric considering you can tilt and zoom the camera and get it all the way down to over the shoulder adventure style, allowing you to see off into those beautiful vistas. It has some performance issues even on PC in some places like the mountains and the namesake city.

Kolanaki, rok temu

It’s been a while since I went through the whole of Skyrim.and Fallout 4, but I could have sworn they still played the credits and just spit you back out in the game world afterward. Fallout 4 I usually stop doing the MQ once I have all the factions appearing in random patrols. Finishing it means one or more stop spawning, and I like the chaos.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Kinda hard to update discs you’ve already printed.

Kolanaki, rok temu (edited rok temu)

I think it’s kind of just an archaic holdover. They have a deadline for publishing the game physically, and while it usually extends to digitally as well, you can update the digital thing. If you get the game directly on Steam or something, you probably won’t even notice the day 1 patch being installed on top of the game, since in many cases it is integrated with the main download and not separate patches you get sequentially.

All day 1 patches truly mean is that they continue working on the game even after the deadline to begin printing the physical copies in time for release.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Before digital was a thing, game companies had to fully test their games before releasing because there was no way to patch it later.

https://media.tenor.com/wIxFiobxxbIAAAAd/john-jonah-jameson-lol.gif

You clearly weren’t actually around back then lol

Kolanaki, rok temu

Ah yeah, I guess that is true. I think Nintendo really clamped down on quality assurance due to the fact they rose up from the ashes of the Atari era and the global video game crash of the 80’s, that was directly attributed to a lack of quality assurance in the industry.

PC games, though… Oh boy. They were doing way more cool stuff, taking the tech to its limit, but they also tended to be smaller teams from garage companies, so had less resources for QA. Though it still was pretty rare to get a brand new game that straight up didn’t work. I think the only time that had ever happened to me was with Anarchy Online. I bought it retail the day of launch; that shit didn’t even install correctly. I couldn’t play it for a whole year, at which point they patched it and also put up a digital download cuz the physical media was botched.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Not for PC games.

I remember things like… Different ammo types in Fallout not actually working correctly. Armor Piercing rounds actually do less damage because the calculation is fucked up in the code. Or the biggest fuck up: The slides playing incorrectly if you manage to solve the Gecko/Vault City issue flawlessly. It still plays the ending cards as if you sided with Vault City, instead of getting them to work together peacefully by replacing the president of VC.

Many infinity engine RPGs have game breaking scripting bugs that needed patching or still haven’t been fixed even through user mods.

Anarchy Online straight up couldn’t be installed because the physical media was screwed up. Bought it day 1; didn’t play it until a full year after release when they finally put a fixed installer up for download.

World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade had an issue much like AO’s, with physical media being printed incorrectly and not working.

Just go and find playthroughs of some of these old classics. They just work around the issues. That’s what you had to do. In some cases, like soloing BG1 and 2, these issues were the only reason challenges were possible. lol

Kolanaki, rok temu

The differences in playing at launch vs after patch 1 are insane. My first time through the game, I kept thinking things were a little off and just thought it was simply weird writing that assumed too narrow of a range of player actions. Turns out half of the shit I was doing was accounted for, but the scripts or cutscenes weren’t triggering properly.

I had gotten through the entire game pretty early because of my obsessive way of gaming, and tried to bring up all the broken shit a bunch of times and was downvoted and dismissed as contrarian.

Kolanaki, rok temu

I had a laugh when everyone had !'s and I go talk to them and they are all commenting on the death of Shadowhart, but every single time, you can see Shadowhart just vibing in the background because I prevented Lae’zel from killing her.

Kolanaki, rok temu

It happens like an hour into the beginning of the game and the spoiler tags don’t work. Jeez.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Possibly tied to how deep into interactions with them you’ve had. If you keep them together in the party and not just at the camp, they argue a lot. Though with the bugs, it could have simply not been triggering. After patch 1, there are so many scenes I never saw my first 2 times through despite doing pretty much the same exact things in the same exact order until the goblin camp.

Kolanaki, rok temu

many sandwiches to collect

“You can’t just stick a hunk of mirelurk meat between two slices of bread and call it a sandwich!”

Kolanaki, rok temu

I don’t really want to hear my character talk in an RPG where I am making the character and supposedly have my own background, look and sound in mind and am the one selecting what that character says. Unless if they have tons of different voices, like old Bioware RPGs did, I would prefer to just read it myself and give whatever voice I want. It immerses me in the game much more, where I feel like the character I am playing because I am given opportunity to say the dialogue choices my self.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Alpha Centauri +4.37LY

Man, this is some BULLSHIT. Why do the Alpha Centaurians have to wait so long?

Kolanaki, rok temu

And a parsec isn’t a unit of distance but that didn’t stop Han Solo from completing the Kessel run in fewer than 12.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Disco Elysium is simply just a must have game for any gamer. Even if you don’t normally like the genre, you will like Disco Elysium. The only way you could dislike Disco Elysium, is if you hate incredible writing.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Network: Broadband Internet connection

Narrows eyes in suspicion

Bethesda.net/workshop

Kolanaki, rok temu

It’s not a link; i was saying the Internet connection is only even mentioned because of the Bethesda.net service and access to the Steam Workshop; both are for getting mods, and Bethesda.net is also where you’d get paid cosmetics and whatnot if they have them. It’s not required to play, which is why it’s only in recommended.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Having only ever played AC2 (and Chromehounds which as basically a spiritual successor) before AC6: It feels pretty much like the same game. The only thing I’m not liking is that in AC2, all the parts were in the shop from the start and you just had to have money to purchase them. AC6 unlocks parts in the shop over time, by completing missions. So even if I grind out a good paying sortie to buy everything right off the bat, I don’t actually have everything.

But the combat and action? I see no difference in 6 from 2. AC2 was also pretty much about playing aggressively, dodging enemy missiles, and retaliating in the same way 6 handles it. The best build was the one that gave you the highest numbers across the board. But the bosses are actually unique and not just another AC who might be a few levels higher than you.

I don’t know how 3-5 played (didn’t even know they existed until 6 was announced; never saw them in a store, never heard anyone talk about them), but 2 was definitely not what you would say makes Armored Core, Armored Core.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Grids aren’t needed to get the same effect in a computer game. Also, when speaking about video games specifically, “grid based” combat has a bit of technical differences that you don’t necessarily want or need in a strategy game. It affects positioning and animations. It makes diagonal movement and height changes awkward. It makes sense when playing PnP and helping to visualize and handle rules. But when a computer is doing all that in the background, having the freedom of movement and the visuals match a more realistic way of traversing terrain is better.

I don’t really like grid-based movement in video games. It always feels weirder. It always shows how absurd some rules based on positioning are. It just sucks vs the more fluid style like BG3 has. Like, I love me some XCom, but I’ve played knock-offs that don’t use grids, and they feel way better.

Kolanaki, rok temu

I thought Lae’zel looked like that because she is a githyanki, but after seeing the actual actress I’m not so sure. Her nose looks unreal. They mocapped her way too well.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Well… Yeah. Wouldn’t you rather not pay for things? /s

Kolanaki, rok temu

But then how would you apply that logic to things like GamePass, where you will end up spending way less if you are a prolific gamer? I spent $120 for a year of PS+ Premium and it paid for itself in 2 weeks with the cost of buying the individual games vs just having access to the catalogue. And not just things I downloaded, played for 10 minutes and removed. There was plenty of things I would have out right paid $40-70 for and have put 40-100 hours in that I didn’t have to buy because they were on the subscription service. It would have cost almost a $1000 for the value of time spent playing games I got access to for only $120.

Kolanaki, rok temu

It only has 69,419 bugs this time instead of the usual 69,420+.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Knowing you can fuck the bear isn’t the same as knowing what it is like to fuck the bear. I’m glad I know fucking the bear is possible, because now I can go fuck it.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Soul Caliber and it’s predecessor which I’ve forgotten the name of. Especially the predecessor, being my absolute favorite arcade fighter.

Older than that would probably be Capcom vs Marvel.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Armored Core 6.

I was going to play Wrath of the Righteous finally but then my sister gets me this randomly and I can’t put it down.

Kolanaki, rok temu (edited rok temu)

I feel like I would have beat Balteus by now if I had the game on PC instead of PS5. Even with the auto lock aiming, this asshole moves around faster than I can turn the camera with a stick, even with the camera speed at 10.

Edit: Wait… Does the PS5 version support M&KB…? 🤔 I’ll have to try later when I have the chance.

Kolanaki, rok temu (edited rok temu)

If I was able to beat Steel Battalion, I sure as shit can handle this. Even if the boss at the end of chapter 1 is a huge douche nozzle with his god damn wall of missiles and speedy movement for his ridiculous size and god damn shield that sometimes doesn’t even take damage when I chip away at it, or my guns won’t fire despite not being reloaded or overheated…

Kolanaki, rok temu (edited rok temu)

Well… Front Mission and Xenogears, while featuring giant mechs, are RPGs/tactical strategy games and not “mech games.”

“Mech” games are typically what AC is or more of a tank simulator, your tank just has 2 legs and arms.

Kolanaki, rok temu

So I can change my build whenever I want? I could buy and sell outside of a sortie, but what if I want to swap shit between checkpoints? I can’t use the store then, but I can access my garage and owned bits. Can also have multiple mechs. And because I must. It’s video game law. 😤

Kolanaki, rok temu

I feel limited in my options because I’ve gotten everything I possibly can to mix up my mech at this point through the missions and the logcabin stuff, and while I do want to be a plasma goblin, I can’t even use 2 plasma guns without overloading my energy, let alone adding in the shoulder cannons. :/

I only have access to two generators. And one of those is the one I started with.

Kolanaki, rok temu

Die. Then you can reassemble before retrying. If you leave the mission, you start from the beginning. This way you can keep your checkpoints, but still switch up parts. It’s like it’s specifically there for people like me who suck lol

Totally agree with the supply cabinets they drop sometimes. That shoulda been a way to access your entire garage if you manage to reach it without dying.

Kolanaki, rok temu (edited rok temu)

Difficulty and weirdness in the story wise? Very similar.

How the game actually feels to play? Totally different. AC is more of a hardcore arcade action game. One part MechWarrior, one part bullet hell shooter. I’m surprised to see it hasn’t really changed much from AC2, the last AC I ever played.

Some of the levels are fucking epic as hell. One of the missions I’ve done so far, you have to take down this massive building sized tank on legs, and it’s like the size of a level in and of itself. You’re already in a giant mech that dwarfs a human, and this structure made me feel like just a regular dude fighting a skyscraper.

Kolanaki, rok temu

It’s awful because it’s non-existent.

Kolanaki, rok temu (edited rok temu)

I didn’t find it difficult so much as frustrating when I would do what it asked, but it wouldn’t register until I did it like 10 times.

Elite Dangerous had a similar tutorial where you had to run through a checklist of things to complete it and move on to the main game. When I first got it back in beta, it was not optional and it also wasn’t clear on how to do some of the shit it asked you to do, forcing you to check the controls constantly. It’s an optional thing now, and there is also the option of running through the lift off check list every single time you launch your ship. Pointless and tedious, but adds some immersion.