What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
An NG+ playthrough of Lies of P. I probably had some vague motivation of trying a different playstyle (I did parry much more often this time) or seeing a different ending (the very last boss did me in and I quit after
many tries of his second phase; I handled everything else in the game just fine, but this boss ugh). A good game, especially if you enjoy dark souls gameplay. The last boss gave me some carpal tunnel, which is still
lingering a bit now. I'll start Homeworld as soon as I can!
rms
I /was/ going to do an April Fools post here; in lieu of my normal
list, I'd put up a troll-post. I'd select some of the worst video
games ever written, claim I've played them, and hype them to the
stars. Games like "Alone in the Dark Illumination" or "Postal III" or
"Diablo Immortals". Except, the Internet being what it is, I'm sure
that there are fans of all those games, and thus the joke wouldn't hit
the way it should have. Of course I loved "Rambo: The Video Game",
people would say. "It was great". They wouldn't see the troll, they'd
just see somebody agreeing with their egriously awful taste. And then
I'd have to explain that, no, I didn't actually like those games. How
could I? They were terrible...
So no April Fools here. Just my usual blather. Speaking of which...
let's get to it.
Zip-zippity-zoom!
---------------------------------------
* Detroit: Become Human
* Half-Life: Alyx
* Aviators
* Eurotruck Simulator 2
* Horizon: Zero Dawn
Drone-drone-drone-drone-drone-drone
---------------------------------------
* Detroit: Become Human
I don't know why I play these games.
Games developed by Quantic Dreams, I mean. I have, over the years,
managed to acquire all of them, and I've not enjoyed the gameplay in
/any/ of them. I absolutely know what to expect from them too:
terrible quick-time focused gameplay, an unimaginative setting that
lacks cohesive realism, uninteresting characters, terrible dialogue
and visuals that - for their time - were impressive but haven't aged
very well.
"Detroit: Become Human" is, perhaps, the least awful of the series, if
only because the storyline doesn't veer into absolute bat-shit madness
as the narrative progresses. If anything, it's storyline is trite and
cliche, lacking originality or surprise in all its twists and turns.
But that's not surprising; David Cage - the game's director and
resident auteur - has all the subtly of a brick through the window.
But at least the story makes sense, even if it isn't particularly
novel or well told.
As for the gameplay, well, if you've ever played any of Quantic Dreams
games you know exactly what to expect: tiny, well detailed levels with
a handful of interactive objects that you manipulate through
quick-time button prompts. Why washing dishes is made more exciting by repeatedly slamming the S key rather than just a single tap of a
generic use button, I can't imagine, but that's just how it goes in
Quantic Dream-land. At least the button prompts are much less
time-limited, and better suited to mouse/keyboard; it doesn't make for
more /interesting/ gameplay, but at least it's less /aggravating/. The
other defining feature of their games is the branching storyline, but
this is much more limited in "Detroit" than their previous games. I
tried to play as an android bound by his programming (no dreams of
humanity for me!) but the game wouldn't allow it.
And the visuals? Well, they're fine. I'm sure that when the game
initially released back in 2018 they were something of a wonder, but
time and technology have quickly caught up and now the special effects
are looking a bit dated. Were there more to the game this deficiency
might be overlooked, but with so little else to the game, "Detroit's"
aging tech stands out all the more.
The end result is a game I just don't - and it seems I fundamentally
cannot - enjoy. It's Uwe Boll filmmaking coupled with the worst
aspects of modern video gaming (minus the micro-transactions. I'll
give credit to Quantum Dreams for that much at least; none of that
nonsense in this game). It's not fun. It's not interesting. It's a
chore to play and every day its visuals become more dated. I don't
know why I buy the games. I don't know why I play them. I sure as hell
have no idea how the developer stays in business.
* Half-Life: Alyx
Some might be surprised to find me playing this game, what with my
general disdain for VR. Or rather, it's not so much that I dislike VR
as I think it is over-hyped and under-delivers; it's a gimmick that
doesn't live up to its potential yet, and is overpriced to boot. But
if I'm playing "Half-Life: Alyx", a VR-only game, does that mean I've
changed my mind, that I've gone and invested in a VR headset of my
own?
Of course not. But that wouldn't stop me from playing another
Half-Life game. Thanks to a third-party mod, "Alyx" is now fully
playable without needing a VR headset. https://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-alyx-novr
Although perhaps 'fully playable' is a bit optimistic. Technically,
yes, you can get through the game, beginning to end with this mod. But
the experience is /very/ rough, and if you manage it without using
NoClip (conveniently already mapped to the V key by the developers,
thus showcasing even they were aware of the necessity) then you're a
better person than I, Gunga Din.
Movement is surprisingly tough in this game; for some reason, even the smallest obstacles - a wire on the ground, the kerb between street and sidewalk - can prevent easy progress. The protagonist does have the
ability to jump, but each hop is extremely low. Leaping across gaps -
which was sometimes required to progress - was all but impossible.
More than anything, this spoiled the overall experience. And don't
even get me started on how much more difficult this made the combat!
But even had the movement been as smooth and carefree as in the best
FPS, still "Alyx" would have been a sub-par experience to its VR
counterpart, just because the game felt so much less visceral. Many of
the objects in the game - which in VR you can pick up and use - have
been rendered 'flat' and non-interactive. Functionally, modded "NoVR
Alyx" is not any worse than most modern FPS games, but you lose /a
lot/ of verisimilitude playing the game without the VR headsets and controllers.
Still, I'm not really faulting either the core game nor the mod; I
purposely chose to ignore the original's strengths by playing it this
way, after all, and if the experience isn't as great that is on me and
not the developers. In fact, I think that the modders got the game to
work at all without VR is already something of a miracle. But playing
it the way I did offers a much poorer experience.
Still, I'm glad I did. Even in its pitiful, weakened form, it's easy
to see Valve's dedication to fidelity in its game-worlds. There's a
lot of fun stuff to see in do in "Alyx" (even if it is grim and
dystopian), the action is intense, and the story is generally
well-paced and exciting. It's definitely a game worth experiencing.
But probably not using the no-VR mod, unless that's absolutely your
only alternative. If you can get access to a VR headset (convince your
friend to buy one and use theirs ;-), do that. Otherwise, just watch a no-commentary play-through on YouTube. It's worth it just to get to
the ending. The NoVR mod is only interesting for how it overcame the
VR requirement.
* Aviators
I acquired "Aviators" because it was free. I played it because the
topic - refugee Polish airmen who fought for the Allies during World
War II - looked somewhat interesting. But despite everything, it's not
a game I can recommend.
Then again, it may not be fair to judge "Aviators" as a game. It's
intended more, I think, as a way to highlight the actions of Polish
airmen than to create software entertainment intended to compete with
modern games. And it's not completely without merits. If you've ever
wanted to get up and close with a British Halifax bomber, this game
may be as close as you'll get. The first part of the game has you
scrambling in and around a beautifully modeled version of the plane,
flipping switches and getting it ready to fly. You can practically
smell the AVgas and sweat-stained leather seats. It almost makes me
yearn to play it in VR.
Unfortunately, too much of the software is wrapped up in rather
amateur 'game' sections; an extremely simplistic (and forgiving)
adventure section at the start, an incredibly boring gunner section in
the middle, and a tedious and limited stealth section in the third
(and fortunately final) act. These sections are extremely linear, and
every action you need to take is telegraphed to you. There is
absolutely no challenge and no fun to be had 'playing' these sections.
Worse, the historical presentation is extremely simplistic, lacking
any real detail, history or depth to what these Polish aviators really experienced. I got more of a sense of history playing "Call of Duty"
games.
Its unfortunate the developers felt obligated to 'gamify' this
program. Had they simply made the whole thing a 3D-rendered museum,
where players could explore the planes and locations at their own pace
- and in a way that could present the user with a more thorough
overview of the Polish airmen's deeds and travails - the whole
experience would probably have been a lot more convincing and
thoughtful. Arguably, this program was designed for children, thus
excusing its shallowness. Still, given its violence, subject matter,
and pathetic gameplay, I don't think it's something kids would
actually enjoy.
On the plus side, the game is extremely short. You can probably finish
the whole thing in less than an hour.
I really had high hopes for "Aviators". The subject matter deserves to
be covered, and some of the production values in the game are quite impressive. But the overall experience was sub-par and far less
informative than it could have been. Those airmen deserve better.
* Eurotruck Simulator 2
It wasn't my intent to play "Eurotruck Simulator 2" again this month.
Then again, it never is. ETS2 is just the lowest-common-denominator
game in my collection; my 'go-to' title that I play whenever I can't
be bothered to play anything else. But even taking that into
consideration, neither was it my intent to play the game so much that
I'd have to include it in my monthly round-up. Had I only played one
or two sessions, I could easily have left it off this list. But my
recent hardware follies - my primary PC went belly-up for over a week
- meant I was forced to rely on an older computer as my daily driver.
And the only game that happened to be installed on that PC was
"Eurotruck Simulator 2". What was a hapless gamer to do?
Still, the circumstances resulted in some interesting gameplay. I've
been playing ETS2 for years upon years now, always using the same
save-game to track my progress. But /that/ save-game was locked on the
broken PC, so - playing on the back-up PC - I was forced to start the
game anew. It was an interesting experience. In my older save, my
virtual trucking business - with dozens of locations and hundreds of employees - made money hand-over-fist. Cash was never a problem. If I
wanted a new truck, I'd buy one. If I pranged the old truck, the cost
of repairing it - even were it totaled - was a rounding error on the
bottom line. And traffic tickets? I didn't even notice them, they were
so miniscule.
But as a newly-created, up-and-coming truck driver, I no longer had
this safety net. Every dollar counted. That $500 speeding ticket not
only delayed a much needed upgrade, but - depending on my finances -
could potentially push my virtual trucking company into the red. It
actually became important to deliver the cargo on-time (and intact!)
if I wanted to get paid. I started paying attention to the price of
petrol again. No longer counted amongst the ultra-rich, I was one of
the Little People and had to start following the rules again.
It didn't last, of course. The game's economy is extremely generous,
and just a few virtual weeks into the game, I'd already hired two
employees who were bringing me 20K EU per week. It wasn't quite the immunity-from-consequence I was used to, but it was enough of a buffer
that I dared drive ever-so-slightly above the speed limit. Still, most
of the good habits I'd been forced to re-learn stuck with me. I barely
ever run over SUVs anymore.
* Horizon: Zero Dawn^ this
"Horizon: Zero Dawn" is everything I expect from a triple-A published
game. Which is to say, it's a run-of-the-mill experience, lacking
novelty or excitement, but with all the polish you'd expect from
having a fifty-million dollar budget.
It's an okay game; don't mistake me. Triple-A published games almost
always are. It's mechanically sound, and its game-loop is, overall,
fun. It's entertaining enough to keep me playing it until the end. But
it lacks distinctiveness. It's a melange of elements from "Tomb
Raider" and "Assassins Creed" and "Far Cry", mixed together without
adding anything new. The only marginally notable feature is the game's green-apocalypse setting, and even that isn't original, having been
done to death in books, movies, and even other video games. It lacks
spark, creativity. It's pablum: filling, but not tasty.
None of its mechanics are particularly satisfying. The combat is
merely okay. Heavily reliant on ranged attacks, it feels very messy
when the monsters inevitably rush up right into your face. The camera
is workable but everything feels a bit too close. The stealth feels half-baked. The platforming lacks style. The characters are all
forgettable, the cinematics unexciting, the story trite and
predictable. None of it is terrible, but nothing stands out either.
There's no sense of adventure or being part of an experience. It feels
safe, humdrum. You know exactly what sort of game this will be five
minutes in, and it neither exceeds nor disappoints in that expectation throughout its forty-hour length.
I wasn't unhappy playing "Horizon: Zero Dawn". It kept me playing for hours-long sessions, exploring its overly-large open-world,
discovering all the various doodads and artifacts that typically are scattered in its numerous nooks and crannies. I killed innumerable
monsters and liberated many bandit camps. I bought weapons, harvested resources, and upgraded everything to its maximum potential. I climbed
towers and unlocked maps. I maxed out my stats. I ran up to all the
NPCs with a glowing green exclamation mark hanging over the heads and
helped them out with all their many errands. I even solved the mystery hanging over the main quest. I didn't lack for things to do, and none
of my many hours spent in the game felt completely wasted. But neither
did I feel any real excitement. Everything felt very mechanical, very paint-by-numbers. The end result might have been a pretty picture, but
it was a picture I'd seen dozens of times before.
Which is to say, exactly the sort of experience I expect from a modern triple-A studio production.
---------------------------------------
So that's my month. What about you? How did you spend your time?
Simply put:
What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
Never heard of it, what kinda game is that?
Never heard of it, what kinda game is that?
'dark souls -like' means an emphasis on melee combat where timing and strategy are important. Here you play Pinocchio a sentient robot, battling evil sentient servant robots in a 19th century setting to discover what went wrong with the world. Graphics and combat are satisfying and the story is interesting enough to prompt me to watch two movie productions and read the original Carlo Collodi stories! It's 'free' on PC Gamepass now.
rms
What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
So that's my month. What about you? How did you spend your time?
Simply put:
What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
On 4/1/2024 7:16 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
I /was/ going to do an April Fools post here; in lieu of my normal
list, I'd put up a troll-post. I'd select some of the worst video
games ever written, claim I've played them, and hype them to the
stars. Games like "Alone in the Dark Illumination" or "Postal III" or
"Diablo Immortals". Except, the Internet being what it is, I'm sure
that there are fans of all those games, and thus the joke wouldn't hit
the way it should have. Of course I loved "Rambo: The Video Game",
people would say. "It was great". They wouldn't see the troll, they'd
just see somebody agreeing with their egriously awful taste. And then
I'd have to explain that, no, I didn't actually like those games. How
could I? They were terrible...
So no April Fools here. Just my usual blather. Speaking of which...
let's get to it.
Zip-zippity-zoom!
---------------------------------------
* Detroit: Become Human
* Half-Life: Alyx
* Aviators
* Eurotruck Simulator 2
* Horizon: Zero Dawn
Drone-drone-drone-drone-drone-drone
---------------------------------------
* Detroit: Become Human
I don't know why I play these games.
Games developed by Quantic Dreams, I mean. I have, over the years,
managed to acquire all of them, and I've not enjoyed the gameplay in
/any/ of them. I absolutely know what to expect from them too:
terrible quick-time focused gameplay, an unimaginative setting that
lacks cohesive realism, uninteresting characters, terrible dialogue
and visuals that - for their time - were impressive but haven't aged
very well.
"Detroit: Become Human" is, perhaps, the least awful of the series, if
only because the storyline doesn't veer into absolute bat-shit madness
as the narrative progresses. If anything, it's storyline is trite and
cliche, lacking originality or surprise in all its twists and turns.
But that's not surprising; David Cage - the game's director and
resident auteur - has all the subtly of a brick through the window.
But at least the story makes sense, even if it isn't particularly
novel or well told.
As for the gameplay, well, if you've ever played any of Quantic Dreams
games you know exactly what to expect: tiny, well detailed levels with
a handful of interactive objects that you manipulate through
quick-time button prompts. Why washing dishes is made more exciting by
repeatedly slamming the S key rather than just a single tap of a
generic use button, I can't imagine, but that's just how it goes in
Quantic Dream-land. At least the button prompts are much less
time-limited, and better suited to mouse/keyboard; it doesn't make for
more /interesting/ gameplay, but at least it's less /aggravating/. The
other defining feature of their games is the branching storyline, but
this is much more limited in "Detroit" than their previous games. I
tried to play as an android bound by his programming (no dreams of
humanity for me!) but the game wouldn't allow it.
And the visuals? Well, they're fine. I'm sure that when the game
initially released back in 2018 they were something of a wonder, but
time and technology have quickly caught up and now the special effects
are looking a bit dated. Were there more to the game this deficiency
might be overlooked, but with so little else to the game, "Detroit's"
aging tech stands out all the more.
The end result is a game I just don't - and it seems I fundamentally
cannot - enjoy. It's Uwe Boll filmmaking coupled with the worst
aspects of modern video gaming (minus the micro-transactions. I'll
give credit to Quantum Dreams for that much at least; none of that
nonsense in this game). It's not fun. It's not interesting. It's a
chore to play and every day its visuals become more dated. I don't
know why I buy the games. I don't know why I play them. I sure as hell
have no idea how the developer stays in business.
* Half-Life: Alyx
Some might be surprised to find me playing this game, what with my
general disdain for VR. Or rather, it's not so much that I dislike VR
as I think it is over-hyped and under-delivers; it's a gimmick that
doesn't live up to its potential yet, and is overpriced to boot. But
if I'm playing "Half-Life: Alyx", a VR-only game, does that mean I've
changed my mind, that I've gone and invested in a VR headset of my
own?
Of course not. But that wouldn't stop me from playing another
Half-Life game. Thanks to a third-party mod, "Alyx" is now fully
playable without needing a VR headset.
https://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-alyx-novr
Although perhaps 'fully playable' is a bit optimistic. Technically,
yes, you can get through the game, beginning to end with this mod. But
the experience is /very/ rough, and if you manage it without using
NoClip (conveniently already mapped to the V key by the developers,
thus showcasing even they were aware of the necessity) then you're a
better person than I, Gunga Din.
Movement is surprisingly tough in this game; for some reason, even the
smallest obstacles - a wire on the ground, the kerb between street and
sidewalk - can prevent easy progress. The protagonist does have the
ability to jump, but each hop is extremely low. Leaping across gaps -
which was sometimes required to progress - was all but impossible.
More than anything, this spoiled the overall experience. And don't
even get me started on how much more difficult this made the combat!
But even had the movement been as smooth and carefree as in the best
FPS, still "Alyx" would have been a sub-par experience to its VR
counterpart, just because the game felt so much less visceral. Many of
the objects in the game - which in VR you can pick up and use - have
been rendered 'flat' and non-interactive. Functionally, modded "NoVR
Alyx" is not any worse than most modern FPS games, but you lose /a
lot/ of verisimilitude playing the game without the VR headsets and
controllers.
Still, I'm not really faulting either the core game nor the mod; I
purposely chose to ignore the original's strengths by playing it this
way, after all, and if the experience isn't as great that is on me and
not the developers. In fact, I think that the modders got the game to
work at all without VR is already something of a miracle. But playing
it the way I did offers a much poorer experience.
Still, I'm glad I did. Even in its pitiful, weakened form, it's easy
to see Valve's dedication to fidelity in its game-worlds. There's a
lot of fun stuff to see in do in "Alyx" (even if it is grim and
dystopian), the action is intense, and the story is generally
well-paced and exciting. It's definitely a game worth experiencing.
But probably not using the no-VR mod, unless that's absolutely your
only alternative. If you can get access to a VR headset (convince your
friend to buy one and use theirs ;-), do that. Otherwise, just watch a
no-commentary play-through on YouTube. It's worth it just to get to
the ending. The NoVR mod is only interesting for how it overcame the
VR requirement.
* Aviators
I acquired "Aviators" because it was free. I played it because the
topic - refugee Polish airmen who fought for the Allies during World
War II - looked somewhat interesting. But despite everything, it's not
a game I can recommend.
Then again, it may not be fair to judge "Aviators" as a game. It's
intended more, I think, as a way to highlight the actions of Polish
airmen than to create software entertainment intended to compete with
modern games. And it's not completely without merits. If you've ever
wanted to get up and close with a British Halifax bomber, this game
may be as close as you'll get. The first part of the game has you
scrambling in and around a beautifully modeled version of the plane,
flipping switches and getting it ready to fly. You can practically
smell the AVgas and sweat-stained leather seats. It almost makes me
yearn to play it in VR.
Unfortunately, too much of the software is wrapped up in rather
amateur 'game' sections; an extremely simplistic (and forgiving)
adventure section at the start, an incredibly boring gunner section in
the middle, and a tedious and limited stealth section in the third
(and fortunately final) act. These sections are extremely linear, and
every action you need to take is telegraphed to you. There is
absolutely no challenge and no fun to be had 'playing' these sections.
Worse, the historical presentation is extremely simplistic, lacking
any real detail, history or depth to what these Polish aviators really
experienced. I got more of a sense of history playing "Call of Duty"
games.
Its unfortunate the developers felt obligated to 'gamify' this
program. Had they simply made the whole thing a 3D-rendered museum,
where players could explore the planes and locations at their own pace
- and in a way that could present the user with a more thorough
overview of the Polish airmen's deeds and travails - the whole
experience would probably have been a lot more convincing and
thoughtful. Arguably, this program was designed for children, thus
excusing its shallowness. Still, given its violence, subject matter,
and pathetic gameplay, I don't think it's something kids would
actually enjoy.
On the plus side, the game is extremely short. You can probably finish
the whole thing in less than an hour.
I really had high hopes for "Aviators". The subject matter deserves to
be covered, and some of the production values in the game are quite
impressive. But the overall experience was sub-par and far less
informative than it could have been. Those airmen deserve better.
* Eurotruck Simulator 2
It wasn't my intent to play "Eurotruck Simulator 2" again this month.
Then again, it never is. ETS2 is just the lowest-common-denominator
game in my collection; my 'go-to' title that I play whenever I can't
be bothered to play anything else. But even taking that into
consideration, neither was it my intent to play the game so much that
I'd have to include it in my monthly round-up. Had I only played one
or two sessions, I could easily have left it off this list. But my
recent hardware follies - my primary PC went belly-up for over a week
- meant I was forced to rely on an older computer as my daily driver.
And the only game that happened to be installed on that PC was
"Eurotruck Simulator 2". What was a hapless gamer to do?
Still, the circumstances resulted in some interesting gameplay. I've
been playing ETS2 for years upon years now, always using the same
save-game to track my progress. But /that/ save-game was locked on the
broken PC, so - playing on the back-up PC - I was forced to start the
game anew. It was an interesting experience. In my older save, my
virtual trucking business - with dozens of locations and hundreds of
employees - made money hand-over-fist. Cash was never a problem. If I
wanted a new truck, I'd buy one. If I pranged the old truck, the cost
of repairing it - even were it totaled - was a rounding error on the
bottom line. And traffic tickets? I didn't even notice them, they were
so miniscule.
But as a newly-created, up-and-coming truck driver, I no longer had
this safety net. Every dollar counted. That $500 speeding ticket not
only delayed a much needed upgrade, but - depending on my finances -
could potentially push my virtual trucking company into the red. It
actually became important to deliver the cargo on-time (and intact!)
if I wanted to get paid. I started paying attention to the price of
petrol again. No longer counted amongst the ultra-rich, I was one of
the Little People and had to start following the rules again.
It didn't last, of course. The game's economy is extremely generous,
and just a few virtual weeks into the game, I'd already hired two
employees who were bringing me €20K EU per week. It wasn't quite the
immunity-from-consequence I was used to, but it was enough of a buffer
that I dared drive ever-so-slightly above the speed limit. Still, most
of the good habits I'd been forced to re-learn stuck with me. I barely
ever run over SUVs anymore.
* Horizon: Zero Dawn
"Horizon: Zero Dawn" is everything I expect from a triple-A published
game. Which is to say, it's a run-of-the-mill experience, lacking
novelty or excitement, but with all the polish you'd expect from
having a fifty-million dollar budget.
It's an okay game; don't mistake me. Triple-A published games almost
always are. It's mechanically sound, and its game-loop is, overall,
fun. It's entertaining enough to keep me playing it until the end. But
it lacks distinctiveness. It's a melange of elements from "Tomb
Raider" and "Assassins Creed" and "Far Cry", mixed together without
adding anything new. The only marginally notable feature is the game's
green-apocalypse setting, and even that isn't original, having been
done to death in books, movies, and even other video games. It lacks
spark, creativity. It's pablum: filling, but not tasty.
None of its mechanics are particularly satisfying. The combat is
merely okay. Heavily reliant on ranged attacks, it feels very messy
when the monsters inevitably rush up right into your face. The camera
is workable but everything feels a bit too close. The stealth feels
half-baked. The platforming lacks style. The characters are all
forgettable, the cinematics unexciting, the story trite and
predictable. None of it is terrible, but nothing stands out either.
There's no sense of adventure or being part of an experience. It feels
safe, humdrum. You know exactly what sort of game this will be five
minutes in, and it neither exceeds nor disappoints in that expectation
throughout its forty-hour length.
I wasn't unhappy playing "Horizon: Zero Dawn". It kept me playing for
hours-long sessions, exploring its overly-large open-world,
discovering all the various doodads and artifacts that typically are
scattered in its numerous nooks and crannies. I killed innumerable
monsters and liberated many bandit camps. I bought weapons, harvested
resources, and upgraded everything to its maximum potential. I climbed
towers and unlocked maps. I maxed out my stats. I ran up to all the
NPCs with a glowing green exclamation mark hanging over the heads and
helped them out with all their many errands. I even solved the mystery
hanging over the main quest. I didn't lack for things to do, and none
of my many hours spent in the game felt completely wasted. But neither
did I feel any real excitement. Everything felt very mechanical, very
paint-by-numbers. The end result might have been a pretty picture, but
it was a picture I'd seen dozens of times before.
Which is to say, exactly the sort of experience I expect from a modern
triple-A studio production.
---------------------------------------
So that's my month. What about you? How did you spend your time?
Simply put:
What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
I have been playing and finished Shadows of War.
This game actually was pretty good despite (or maybe because) it played
a bit fast and lose with the Tolkien legendarium.
The true star of the show was of course the Nemesis system, which
allowed the randomly generated orcs you meet to have some actual
personality and history with you. I think most of the game's huge size
(over 100gb which is kinda insane) might have been made up of assets to create this huge variety of characters. Even after playing 90 hours on
this game I still was encountering variations that I hadn't met, or at
least not recognized before.
The ending was a bit weak, the DLC promised some more thorough ending,
but in the end it also was quite a letdown. It ended with a cliffhanger
that didn't really feel like it had the impact they wanted from it.
(Sauron is defeated and the Bright Lord escapes).
This was nominally the game Middle-Earth 2, even if you'd be hard
pressed to remember that main title. Unfortunately it doesn't look like
we are getting a part 3.
I did hear WB games is working on a Wonder Woman game implementing the Nemesis system from this game, which... I dunno. it doesn't sound quite right. Might be good if they put some work into it.
So no April Fools here. Just my usual blather. Speaking of which...
let's get to it.
* Eurotruck Simulator 2
But as a newly-created, up-and-coming truck driver, I no longer had
this safety net. Every dollar counted. That $500 speeding ticket not
only delayed a much needed upgrade, but - depending on my finances -
could potentially push my virtual trucking company into the red. It
actually became important to deliver the cargo on-time (and intact!)
if I wanted to get paid. I started paying attention to the price of
petrol again. No longer counted amongst the ultra-rich, I was one of
the Little People and had to start following the rules again.
Still, most
of the good habits I'd been forced to re-learn stuck with me. I barely
ever run over SUVs anymore.
* Horizon: Zero Dawn
It's an okay game; don't mistake me. Triple-A published games almost
always are. It's mechanically sound, and its game-loop is, overall,
fun. It's entertaining enough to keep me playing it until the end. But
it lacks distinctiveness. It's a melange of elements from "Tomb
Raider" and "Assassins Creed" and "Far Cry"
Which is to say, exactly the sort of experience I expect from a modern triple-A studio production.
So that's my month. What about you? How did you spend your time?
Simply put:
What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
rms <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net> wrote at 19:30 this Monday (GMT):
Never heard of it, what kinda game is that?
'dark souls -like' means an emphasis on melee combat where timing and
strategy are important.
On 4/1/2024 12:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
rms <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net> wrote at 19:30 this Monday (GMT):
Never heard of it, what kinda game is that?
'dark souls -like' means an emphasis on melee combat where timing and >>> strategy are important.
It also typically means 'Really Fucking Hard' though the strategy can
usually get you past a lot of that if you can figure it out (or look it
up as I do when I get frustrated or as reminders) from simple things
like 'use a shield and fire against dogs' to much more complicated
things that are called cheese by the community, such as shooting a boss
from a distance from some outcropping before you actually get into their arena.
It can be a lot of twitch depending, though I tend to go for
spellcasters which tend to be much less twitch dependent. Though Lies
of P, Bloodborne and Sekiro don't really have much if any spellcasters.
It also is generally available to online co-op in some way which may
make it easier, or harder, which is my preferred way to play.
At this point I'd always say start with Elden Ring as it's the easiest
(if a long slog) if you use all the tools available. And if your PC is
up to it, being the the latest in the series.
If your PC isn't up to it, probably DS2 has the lowest requirements, and
has a somewhat easy start if you probe around until you find a way you
can go. It's old and clunky, and a bit long too. While the base game
is fine, I found the DLCs impossible. Unfortunately co-op is dead with
DS2 beyond the very early areas, and PVP invasions are much more
prevalent so would recommend playing it offline if you start getting
invaded with any regularity.
I find the games pretty varied, and extremely rewarding, but at times
they can definitely get a bit much. Breaking controllers throwing them
out of frustration is a common meme of people playing these games.
I used to get Dark Souls and Darksiders confused, thinking they were theNever heard of it, what kinda game is that?
'dark souls -like' means an emphasis on melee combat where timing and strategy are important. Here you play Pinocchio a sentient robot,
battling evil sentient servant robots in a 19th century setting to
discover what went wrong with the world. Graphics and combat are
satisfying and the story is interesting enough to prompt me to watch two movie productions and read the original Carlo Collodi stories! It's
'free' on PC Gamepass now.
rms
On 4/2/2024 3:10 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote at 19:03 this Monday (GMT):
Well, in this case the storyline was progressed. The main story was
I have been playing and finished Shadows of War.
This game actually was pretty good despite (or maybe because) it played
a bit fast and lose with the Tolkien legendarium.
The true star of the show was of course the Nemesis system, which
allowed the randomly generated orcs you meet to have some actual
personality and history with you. I think most of the game's huge size
(over 100gb which is kinda insane) might have been made up of assets to
create this huge variety of characters. Even after playing 90 hours on
this game I still was encountering variations that I hadn't met, or at
least not recognized before.
The ending was a bit weak, the DLC promised some more thorough ending,
but in the end it also was quite a letdown. It ended with a cliffhanger
that didn't really feel like it had the impact they wanted from it.
(Sauron is defeated and the Bright Lord escapes).
It's wild to me that DLC can just retroactively "fix" a game's ending.
IMO, the only game that did it well was the first Phoenix Wright.
about Talion fighting against Sauron between the Hobbit and The Lord of
the Rings (hampering Sauron's efforts in the time the ring was in the
Shire). You can play part of that in the epilogue of the main game, as
you have to fight a series of increasingly difficult sieges of your fortresses (originally that was over 20 of them, this has been updated
to just 5 in the current version). Then you get a cut scene where it
lays out that the main character succumbed to the ring he was wearing
after all, finally getting killed when Sauron falls at the end of LOTR.
The DLC goes into that process a bit more, showing his corruption by the
ring from the position of another person (the Elvish assassin Eltariel).
She also is in Mordor when Sauron falls and the Bright Lord
(Celebrimbor) escapes.
I am conflicted if this actually was better or not. It does show a bit
more of the progress of the corruption in a way that was not possible to
show in the main game without changing the status quo too much (after
all you were supposed to keep playing and doing further sieges and
defenses).
This was nominally the game Middle-Earth 2, even if you'd be hard
pressed to remember that main title. Unfortunately it doesn't look like
we are getting a part 3.
I did hear WB games is working on a Wonder Woman game implementing the
Nemesis system from this game, which... I dunno. it doesn't sound quite
right. Might be good if they put some work into it.
On Mon, 1 Apr 2024 18:40:08 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 17:16 this Monday (GMT):
I /was/ going to do an April Fools post here; in lieu of my normal
list, I'd put up a troll-post. I'd select some of the worst video
games ever written, claim I've played them, and hype them to the
stars. Games like "Alone in the Dark Illumination" or "Postal III" or
"Diablo Immortals". Except, the Internet being what it is, I'm sure
that there are fans of all those games, and thus the joke wouldn't hit
the way it should have. Of course I loved "Rambo: The Video Game",
people would say. "It was great". They wouldn't see the troll, they'd
just see somebody agreeing with their egriously awful taste. And then
I'd have to explain that, no, I didn't actually like those games. How
could I? They were terrible...
So no April Fools here. Just my usual blather. Speaking of which...
let's get to it.
Zip-zippity-zoom!
---------------------------------------
* Detroit: Become Human
* Half-Life: Alyx
* Aviators
* Eurotruck Simulator 2
* Horizon: Zero Dawn
Drone-drone-drone-drone-drone-drone
---------------------------------------
* Detroit: Become Human
Is that the JASON! game or was that another one?
You're thinking of "Heavy Rain", from the same developer. I'd argue
that "Detroit" is a better game, if only because it's QTE are less
annoying, and its story is less insane. But being better than "Heavy
Rain" is a really low bar to clear, and it shouldn't be implied that
makes "Detroit" worth playing.
* Aviators
I have neber heard of this.
It was a freebie on Steam announced here on Feb 23 this year. Because
the topic interested me, and because the visuals looked nice (and also because the game looked short), I decided to give it a try.
Well, I've been kinda all over the place this month. Mostly was on the
3DS tho. I did beat 3 of the Rhythm Heaven games, got past the terrible >>terrible case in Phoenix Wright, and some Mario Kart 7 (Modded, CTGP).
At first I thought you wrote you were playing games on the 3DO and was surprised not only that you were playing games that old, but that you
had the hardware!
There won't be played games in April, as I have busted my arm and wrist >>badly.
Whoa, hope you recover soon, man :)
rms
There won't be played games in April, as I have busted my arm and wrist >badly.
candycanearter07 wrote:
rms <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net> wrote at 15:58 this Wednesday
(GMT):
There won't be played games in April, as I have busted my arm
and wrist badly.
Whoa, hope you recover soon, man :)
rms
What happened? Are you alright?
Stupid dumb accident at home while spring cleaning. I have bruising from
the hand to half of my forearm, can't move the right wrist a lot or make efforts without pain (like picking a heavy backpack or push the bloody
coffee table back into place), and it requires a wrist brace for safety
until it heals.
Guess it would be a good time to learn how to play Nethack.
On Tue, 2 Apr 2024 09:01:04 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:
On 4/1/2024 10:16 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
*** Ghostwire Tokyo (epic frebie)
I will note it doesn't have English dubbing and it can be a bit hard to
catch all the subtitles during hectic bits.
Are you sure? I recall it being in English when I played it. I mean,
it's not a hill I'm going to die on, but it's one of those things I'd
expect to remember about the game.
candycanearter07 wrote:
rms <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net> wrote at 15:58 this Wednesday (GMT):
There won't be played games in April, as I have busted my arm
and wrist badly.
Whoa, hope you recover soon, man :)
rms
What happened? Are you alright?
Stupid dumb accident at home while spring cleaning. I have bruising from
the hand to half of my forearm, can't move the right wrist a lot or make efforts without pain (like picking a heavy backpack or push the bloody
coffee table back into place), and it requires a wrist brace for safety
until it heals.
Guess it would be a good time to learn how to play Nethack.
I find the games pretty varied, and extremely rewarding, but at times
they can definitely get a bit much. Breaking controllers throwing them
out of frustration is a common meme of people playing these games.
I absolutely can't stand super difficult games. Thanks, though.
Justisaur wrote:
Oof. That's all rough, sorry to hear.
Nethack's probably the most difficult of that type of that game, or
at least up there, and really requires writing *everything* down (or
a photographic memory, which I don't have) to make much progress.
I really liked Zorbus, which is (or was) free, fairly simple, IIRC
you can play it with only using kb as well.
I hear Golden Krone Hotel is supposed to have good accessibility
features and good for newbies to roguelikes, though it is $2, not
free.
There's always the original Rogue, and the fork Brogue as well.
I really like Dungeon Robber which is a little bit different of a
game, but is playable I think 99% keyboard only.
You can play a number of old games like platformers with keyboard
only, especially stuff on mame, like I was playing Rastan with only
keyboard a little bit a month or two ago. Doom and the like also work
keyboard. Though those games may be too twitch depending.
Thanks. TBH, the reason I decided to get into Nethack was the Ylliad's UserFriendly comic Strip. I got to the part where Sid introduces the
game and causes a productivity nightmare.
I'm trying to set it on a server at home so that I could SSH into it. I
know it sounds dumb, but I wanted to put the "Net" in Nethack. Another
thing to try would be using shaders / overlay bezels to simulate playing
it on an VT220.
On 02/04/2024 18:20, candycanearter07 wrote:
I find the games pretty varied, and extremely rewarding, but at times
they can definitely get a bit much. Breaking controllers throwing them
out of frustration is a common meme of people playing these games.
I absolutely can't stand super difficult games. Thanks, though.
I used to enjoy games with big manuals and a steep learning curve when I
was younger - the type of game where you have to spend at least an hour reading the manual and several hours playing just to get the basics of
the game. Nowadays, totally different and I really want to be able to
pick the basics in at most an hour and preferable far less than that.
candycanearter07 wrote:
Cool-retro-term?
Huh. And here I was, trying to apply Reshade to Putty or MobaXTerm.
JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote at 10:23 this Thursday (GMT):
On 02/04/2024 18:20, candycanearter07 wrote:
I find the games pretty varied, and extremely rewarding, but at times
they can definitely get a bit much. Breaking controllers throwing them >>> out of frustration is a common meme of people playing these games.
I absolutely can't stand super difficult games. Thanks, though.
I used to enjoy games with big manuals and a steep learning curve when I was younger - the type of game where you have to spend at least an hour reading the manual and several hours playing just to get the basics of
the game. Nowadays, totally different and I really want to be able to
pick the basics in at most an hour and preferable far less than that.
Yeah, exactly.
Ditto. And not grinding.
On Wed, 3 Apr 2024 15:20:15 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 14:52 this Wednesday (GMT):
On Mon, 1 Apr 2024 18:40:08 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 >>><candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
Well, I've been kinda all over the place this month. Mostly was on the >>>>3DS tho. I did beat 3 of the Rhythm Heaven games, got past the terrible >>>>terrible case in Phoenix Wright, and some Mario Kart 7 (Modded, CTGP).
At first I thought you wrote you were playing games on the 3DO and was
surprised not only that you were playing games that old, but that you
had the hardware!
Lol, that would be cool. I could be wrong, but I think the 3DS has a 3DO >>emulator.
I don't know what that surprises me. It shouldn't. But every time I
run into another example of just how powerful our computing devices
have become there's this moment of shock. Emulation is hard,
especially if the underlying hardware is significantly different (and
I can't imagine there's a lot of similarity between a Nintendo 3DS and
the 3DO). So learning that a simple hand-held toy console can manage
to emulate something like a 3DO - presumably running at a playable
framerate - just reminds me again that we're living in an age of
(computing) wonders.
The 3DO got a bad rap when it was released. It wasn't entirely
undeserved. Lacking a single manufacturer, it entered the market
fragmented and without a single standard. Its controller was awful, it
was far too expensive, and its release game was terrible. Worse, its
hardware was only /slightly/ ahead of its competitors, and at the rate technology was advancing in the 90s, that sole advantage quickly
disappeared.
But...
On its release, it was - at least in terms of its tech - one of the
best gaming platforms around. With a CD-ROM drive and (admittedly
limited) 3D support, it was better than pretty much any 'high-end' PC,
and the years ahead of consoles. It had - eventually - a number of fun
games (many of them enhanced versions of PC classics), including "Need
for Speed", "Shockwave", "Super Wing Commander" and "Road Rash". It
help push forward the 'multimedia wave' and seeing it play full-screen
video smoothly (well, smoothly by 1993 standards) was amazing.
Or maybe I'm just looking back at it with rose-tinted glasses. But
while the 3DO was never a /great/ console, I think it deserves a
better reputation than it currently has, as a laughingstock.
On 02/04/2024 18:20, candycanearter07 wrote:
I find the games pretty varied, and extremely rewarding, but at times
they can definitely get a bit much. Breaking controllers throwing them >>> out of frustration is a common meme of people playing these games.
I absolutely can't stand super difficult games. Thanks, though.
I used to enjoy games with big manuals and a steep learning curve when I
was younger - the type of game where you have to spend at least an hour reading the manual and several hours playing just to get the basics of
the game. Nowadays, totally different and I really want to be able to
pick the basics in at most an hour and preferable far less than that.
Ant wrote:
candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid>Still, I would settle for a middle ground approach. In-game learning,
wrote:
JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote at 10:23 this Thursday (GMT):
On 02/04/2024 18:20, candycanearter07 wrote:
I find the games pretty varied, and extremely rewarding, but
at times they can definitely get a bit much. Breaking
controllers throwing them out of frustration is a common meme
of people playing these games.
I absolutely can't stand super difficult games. Thanks,
though.
I used to enjoy games with big manuals and a steep learning curve
when I was younger - the type of game where you have to spend at
least an hour reading the manual and several hours playing just
to get the basics of the game. Nowadays, totally different and I
really want to be able to pick the basics in at most an hour and
preferable far less than that.
Yeah, exactly.
Ditto. And not grinding.
then a thick manual for when I need a refresher or there is something I
did not properly learn (and I can't see that tutorial again).
This is the case for the Disgaea games A zillion mechanics and systems,
but you can get through the game with the basics,at least the first 20
hours, without having to use stuff like geopanels. Then open the manual
when you feel ready for them.
What I don't like is the current trend of no manual, only telling the
basics, dropping tips on social networks, then "There are guys that will write a wiki on the game for free, so we don't have to worry about
explaining things".
Bloodborne will tell you how to move, attack and parry, but without a
manual, it's impossible to know how to create the character and assign
skill points correctly, requiring to use a wiki (because apparently
printed strategy guides have gone the way of the dodo) if you don't want
to be stuck after several hours because your character sucks, even if
you did not pick the default "Waste of skin".
On Thu, 04 Apr 2024 14:42:48 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
Ditto. And not grinding.
Ditto as well as to what JAB said but I am still ok with grinding. :-P
What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
Only Horizon Forbidden West. Streaming the Playstation version with PS
Plus. I have now about 100 hours in it. I guess I'm hopelessly enamored
with
the game
Magic the Gathering: Arena
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:
What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
Only Horizon Forbidden West. Streaming the Playstation version with PS
Plus.
I have no idea if I'm playing the PS4 or PS5 version of HFW or
if there's any way to choose that.
The tech issues with PS Plus streaming have pretty much stabilized. I
don't mind the occasional video glitches and drops in
quality. Controller disconnects usually just mean I need to restart the gamepad emulator (DualSenseX) and PS Plus patiently waits through that.
As a gaming platform PS Plus seems a little poor in information, for
example I have no idea if I'm playing the PS4 or PS5 version of HFW or
if there's any way to choose that. Also the DLC doesn't seem to be
available. So it looks like a meh effort by Sony. They also "helpfully" recommend you save your game if the connection quality goes down but not
all games have save anywhere, anytime.
Controller delays are a bigger issue especially when I fail an easy jump
five times in a row. I've come to the conclusion it's not that I suck,
it's the streaming that sucks, at least some of the time. This likely
affects combat also but it's harder to see there, I have no way to
compare.
On 4/4/2024 3:23 AM, JAB wrote:
On 02/04/2024 18:20, candycanearter07 wrote:
I find the games pretty varied, and extremely rewarding, but at times
they can definitely get a bit much. Breaking controllers throwing them >>>> out of frustration is a common meme of people playing these games.
I absolutely can't stand super difficult games. Thanks, though.
I used to enjoy games with big manuals and a steep learning curve when
I was younger - the type of game where you have to spend at least an
hour reading the manual and several hours playing just to get the
basics of the game. Nowadays, totally different and I really want to
be able to pick the basics in at most an hour and preferable far less
than that.
I personally don't think the souls games are all that hard, that's just
the reputation. Especially if you compare to older games like nethack.
If you die in a souls game, you only loose souls (money) and even then
only if you don't manage to get back to where you died and pick them up
again (happens a lot until you get used to spending them before going
after bosses/new areas.) The controls aren't particularly difficult to
pick up.
The real difficulty is figuring out weaknesses, ways around things,
and/or learning patterns of behavior of enemies and how to avoid
attacks. That seems to vary a lot between people, I seem to be a slow learner in that regard, and I tend to look up spoilers for ideas when I
get to the frustration point, but I get through, some others just zip
through the games first time without much issue. I consider anything
below 20 tries against a boss to be easy for me (Most in Bloodborne for
me took 2-3 tries, which I consider to be laughably easy.)
A lot of difficulty of the game is people deliberately (or caving in to internet sentiment) restricting themselves, such as only using melee, no spells or items, no co-op, not going over internet suggested levels for
each boss/area (o.k. I do that last one as it makes co-op more likely)
etc. because so many spout off nonsense that that's the only way to play
the game 'for real' and that gets to 'no true Scottsman' territory.
I feel DS1 and DS3 both have a bit too high of difficulty initially for someone unfamiliar with the type of game, which is why I suggested Elden
Ring or DS2 (only if your specs aren't up to Elden Ring, as it can be a
lot harder, more getting through the areas than the bosses) to begin on it.
That perceived difficulty results in a greater feeling of
accomplishment, at least for me. That might actually be a reason to
avoid them though, after you're accomplished at souls, most games don't
give that dopamine hit as they're more like a walk in the park. On the other hand sometimes a walk in the park is a nice change.
On 4/4/2024 11:53 AM, Anssi Saari wrote:
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:
What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?Only Horizon Forbidden West. Streaming the Playstation version with
PS
Plus.
I assume it's pretty much just more HZD which is essentially an
AC/Farcry clone with enough difference/innovation to barely keep me interested to finish.
I looked a bit into that previously, and found info that they claim
they're using the highest listed version, so it should be the PS5
version.
I'm still not sure how much of my difficulties with Bloodborne and God
of War (2022) were from any input lag, vs. my old reflexes. They have
some sort of predictive input, but I'm not sure how good that is, nor
if that means I'm really playing, or their logarithm is playing the
game for me, or maybe it's just failing on those games.
I used to enjoy games with big manuals and a steep learning curve when I
was younger - the type of game where you have to spend at least an hour >reading the manual and several hours playing just to get the basics of
the game. Nowadays, totally different and I really want to be able to
pick the basics in at most an hour and preferable far less than that.
candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote at 10:23 this Thursday (GMT):
On 02/04/2024 18:20, candycanearter07 wrote:
I find the games pretty varied, and extremely rewarding, but at times >>>>> they can definitely get a bit much. Breaking controllers throwing them >>>>> out of frustration is a common meme of people playing these games.
I absolutely can't stand super difficult games. Thanks, though.
I used to enjoy games with big manuals and a steep learning curve when I >>> was younger - the type of game where you have to spend at least an hour
reading the manual and several hours playing just to get the basics of
the game. Nowadays, totally different and I really want to be able to
pick the basics in at most an hour and preferable far less than that.
Yeah, exactly.
Ditto. And not grinding.
Magic the Gathering: Arena
Do you buy physical cards for this? I've watched streams where they just unwrap cards and comment on how they look or hoping for rare ones :)
rms
JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:
I used to enjoy games with big manuals and a steep learning curve when I
was younger - the type of game where you have to spend at least an hour
reading the manual and several hours playing just to get the basics of
the game. Nowadays, totally different and I really want to be able to
pick the basics in at most an hour and preferable far less than that.
I don't know if I'm still the same person that wants to play a game with a big manual. Games don't come with manuals anymore, big or small. What I
do know is I don't like it when you have to search the web for critical information about a game that you used to be able to find in the manual.
JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote at 10:23 this Thursday (GMT):
On 02/04/2024 18:20, candycanearter07 wrote:
I find the games pretty varied, and extremely rewarding, but at times
they can definitely get a bit much. Breaking controllers throwing them >>>> out of frustration is a common meme of people playing these games.
I absolutely can't stand super difficult games. Thanks, though.
I used to enjoy games with big manuals and a steep learning curve when I
was younger - the type of game where you have to spend at least an hour
reading the manual and several hours playing just to get the basics of
the game. Nowadays, totally different and I really want to be able to
pick the basics in at most an hour and preferable far less than that.
Yeah, exactly.
candycanearter07 wrote:
JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote at 10:23 this Thursday (GMT):I like difficult games, but not difficult-to-learn ones. Like chess,
On 02/04/2024 18:20, candycanearter07 wrote:
I find the games pretty varied, and extremely rewarding, but at times >>>>> they can definitely get a bit much. Breaking controllers throwing
them
out of frustration is a common meme of people playing these games.
I absolutely can't stand super difficult games. Thanks, though.
I used to enjoy games with big manuals and a steep learning curve when I >>> was younger - the type of game where you have to spend at least an hour
reading the manual and several hours playing just to get the basics of
the game. Nowadays, totally different and I really want to be able to
pick the basics in at most an hour and preferable far less than that.
Yeah, exactly.
for example. There's a handful of rules and practically infinite number
of possibilities. Steep learning curve is not too important to me.
Maybe only Civilization of the games that I play has a learning curve
like this. Why put all that time into learning some esoteric game when chess is already strange enough. I ask myself sometimes if learning
those moves like of the knight has any practical benefit. Then you come
in with a 200 page manual and tell me to play Hearts of Iron III.
candycanearter07 wrote:
JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote at 10:23 this Thursday (GMT):I like difficult games, but not difficult-to-learn ones. Like chess,
On 02/04/2024 18:20, candycanearter07 wrote:
I find the games pretty varied, and extremely rewarding, but at times >>>>> they can definitely get a bit much. Breaking controllers throwing them >>>>> out of frustration is a common meme of people playing these games.
I absolutely can't stand super difficult games. Thanks, though.
I used to enjoy games with big manuals and a steep learning curve when I >>> was younger - the type of game where you have to spend at least an hour
reading the manual and several hours playing just to get the basics of
the game. Nowadays, totally different and I really want to be able to
pick the basics in at most an hour and preferable far less than that.
Yeah, exactly.
for example. There's a handful of rules and practically infinite number
of possibilities. Steep learning curve is not too important to me.
Maybe only Civilization of the games that I play has a learning curve
like this. Why put all that time into learning some esoteric game when
chess is already strange enough. I ask myself sometimes if learning
those moves like of the knight has any practical benefit. Then you come
in with a 200 page manual and tell me to play Hearts of Iron III.
On Fri, 5 Apr 2024 20:42:35 -0500, Lane Larson
<lnlarson@stoat.inhoin.edu> wrote:
I never was into those at all. If I am playing a space sim and there is
a 40 turn tutorial, I toss it out. I prefer Master of Orion, Space
Empires, Ascendancy. I think the word for it is self-explanatory.
Ascendancy... now there's a name I haven't heard in a long, long time.
It's one of those games I tried ever-so-hard to enjoy, but never quite managed it. It's hard for me - especially now - to remember why,
although I recall that its aesthetics were a big turn-off. It wasn't
just the visuals, but how uninformative those visuals were. Take the
aliens: in MOO, it was fairly easy to glean - simply by appearance -
what each species was about. The big-headed psilons were techies; the always-cloaked darloks were spies. You could quickly read the most
important aspects of each species simply by looking at them. Not so
with Ascendancy, where you'd have to carefully read the details of
each species to get the same info. And this sort of thing was rampant
in Ascendancy, from its tech tree to its planets. And this added
abstraction rarely added anything new to the 4X genre; it just made
things slower and weirder.
It's a game I played, quit, returned to, quit, returned to again, and
quit repeatedly, ultimately just going off to play "Master of Orion"
or something similar. It's probably a great game, but we never saw eye
to eye.
The best manuals, for me, were the ones that combined gameplay
explanations and world-building all in one. Origin Systems was a
master of this (with their best work being the "Book of Lore" in
Ultima 5). But I've fond memories of many other manuals of that era
too; "Kings Quest 6", or anything by Infocom. Flight sims of the era
always had very impressive manuals; "Falcon 3.0" weighed in at 350
pages, and not only detailed all its various game-modes and facts
about its planes, but also gave detailed lectures on everything from
how planes worked to advanced fighter tactics. Later games also are
memorable (I loved the manual for "Independence War" from '99, for
instance).
Ascendancy... now there's a name I haven't heard in a long, long time.
It's one of those games I tried ever-so-hard to enjoy, but never quite >managed it. It's hard for me - especially now - to remember why,
although I recall that its aesthetics were a big turn-off.
On Sat, 06 Apr 2024 20:26:23 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
The best manuals, for me, were the ones that combined gameplay
explanations and world-building all in one. Origin Systems was a
master of this (with their best work being the "Book of Lore" in
Ultima 5). But I've fond memories of many other manuals of that era
too; "Kings Quest 6", or anything by Infocom. Flight sims of the era
always had very impressive manuals; "Falcon 3.0" weighed in at 350
pages, and not only detailed all its various game-modes and facts
about its planes, but also gave detailed lectures on everything from
how planes worked to advanced fighter tactics. Later games also are
memorable (I loved the manual for "Independence War" from '99, for
instance).
I used to love reading game manuals for exactly the reasons you state
here. However, I have not read one for a long time now and I do not
think I want to anymore.
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