Octopus Overlords

I finished both Windbound and Spiritfarer over the last couple of weeks. i enjoyed both immensely.

This week, I have started playing Crossout, online with a friend. Its been a lot of fun so far. We'll see how much long-term play it has.

I have a love/hate relationship with Black Desert Online too. I think I like it more than you do (I've even spent money on it), but I never play for more than a month at a time.

It's an undeniably beautiful game, and the combat is the best in any MMO I've ever played. Most of the classes are very cool too. It's also deceptively deep, and therein lies the problem. If you want to get anything out of it you have to really commit, and that's where I have difficulty. It would help if I could find myself a noob-friendly guild to run with, I suppose.

Paradroid wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 5:43 pm I have a love/hate relationship with Black Desert Online too. I think I like it more than you do (I've even spent money on it), but I never play for more than a month at a time.

I've bought it now on both PC and PS4, but have yet to spend anything past the initial purchase.

It's an undeniably beautiful game, and the combat is the best in any MMO I've ever played. Most of the classes are very cool too. It's also deceptively deep, and therein lies the problem. If you want to get anything out of it you have to really commit, and that's where I have difficulty. It would help if I could find myself a noob-friendly guild to run with, I suppose.

I might be willing to commit, but it's surprisingly hard to find good details. Seems like you need to figure out some of the basic functionality before you can piece the puzzle together, and I'm not sure I'm really there yet. Seemingly basic things that should be a simple explanation go without one at all. Like "How do conversations work?" or "What benefit does investing in a farm give me?". I actually really want to figure it out, and wish I had an experienced person I could run around with for a few days and ask questions.

EDIT: Gave it another go last night, and just can't. The performance is SO bad on PS4 that it's basically unplayable.

i had a few Big Fish Games free credits to use, and after reading a number of gaming forums about 'what games from this publisher are actually worth one's time', acquired the Drawn trilogy. just finished the first installment, Drawn: The Painted Tower - this has a distinction of being a Big Fish Games production that, while relying heavily on numerous tired fantasy tropes and cliches and influences from all over the place, isn't a super cringe-fest of a story and has a few things to recommend it (mostly decent puzzles that are integrated into the game well enough, the backtracking and item re-use makes sense in the game's context, experimentation is actually kinda encouraged, good use of the whole art theme in some of the puzzles themselves). there are none of the usual hidden object scenes that are endemic in these kinds of games. it's also the only BFG puzzle game i've played that actually seems to have been developed in the US - every other one I have so far played has been of some former Soviet Bloc heritage. in true BFG fashion it was only about 4-5 hours long, but it was free so i don't care. will be playing the next two in this series.

anyone have thoughts on Destiny 2?

As for my BL1 obsession, I competed a play through with the Hunter which I thought was beyond me ....which then spurred me to play the melee brute guy. Still not sure why it took me a decade to love this game.

I enjoy Destiny 2. But I never got into the end-game. There is something very satisfying about the guns and the shooting. That said, I tend to only play for short periods before I put it down. But it is still installed.

Edit: Oh... and I think it's worth playing through the campaign once for the cutscenes and the voice acting.

TheMix wrote: ↑Wed Oct 14, 2020 10:42 am I enjoy Destiny 2. But I never got into the end-game. There is something very satisfying about the guns and the shooting. That said, I tend to only play for short periods before I put it down. But it is still installed.

Edit: Oh... and I think it's worth playing through the campaign once for the cutscenes and the voice acting.

Same. I usually revisit it once a year, play for a couple weeks, then put it aside again. I'm terrible at shooters so I never get very far, but it's always fun to mess around with for a while.

I've got into Destiny 2 myself recently (was thinking of resurrecting the thread actually). I wish I'd tried it years ago; it's a fantastic game in my opinion. There's a ridiculous amount of stuff to do, plenty of nice loot, lots of customisation options. I can't fault the multiplayer aspect either; I never want for random fireteam members to do strikes with, and when I do open world stuff there's always a good mix of people tackling the public events and so on. It's bloody good.

It's also free so may as well try it!

My 14yo is big into Destiny 2 and I am not. I've played through most of it but have no urge to play more. On the other hand I have put a bunch of time into the Division 2 end game. At one point he asked me why I would keep playing Division 2 but bailed on Destiny 2 and I really didn't have a solid answer. I think it might just be the more realistic setting and more choices on how to build out your character. Really, I just understand Division 2 better.

and my first play throughs of BL1 are complete. Man the brawler made so many boss fights easy peasy.......just go into beast mode and beat the crap out of them. Almost seemed like cheating. The only boss near the end that was different was Krom who i took out with rockets from afar. I almost want to repsec as a rocket man just to see what that is like.

Is BL1 DLC worth working through?

Why did this game not capture my attention a decade ago......I am puzzled.

Jaddison wrote: ↑Fri Oct 16, 2020 10:02 am and my first play throughs of BL1 are complete. Man the brawler made so many boss fights easy peasy.......just go into beast mode and beat the crap out of them. Almost seemed like cheating. The only boss near the end that was different was Krom who i took out with rockets from afar. I almost want to repsec as a rocket man just to see what that is like.

Is BL1 DLC worth working through?

Why did this game not capture my attention a decade ago......I am puzzled.

It's been a while but I remember enjoying the Dr Zedd one at the time. Also, BL1 is the weakest of the mainline BL games. Part 2 is soo much better in terms of characters, powers, story, guns, etc.

Jaddison wrote: ↑Fri Oct 16, 2020 10:02 am

Is BL1 DLC worth working through?

Why did this game not capture my attention a decade ago......I am puzzled.

Moxxi, no. The rest, yes. And some elements of them crop up in later games, so it's worth doing them at least once. They all change up the gameplay, too.

After thousands of hours with my main Final Fantasy XIV Bard, I decided to re-roll a new toon and start from scratch on PS4. Going for a Black Mage this time. Got nearly 20 hours in over the weekend, and I'm absolutely loving it...with one major caveat. I had forgotten how well-told this story was and how simply beautiful the world is.

Will be interesting to play through it all at once, rather than piecemeal. Getting incremental story patches every 3-4 months and an xpac every 18-24 months makes for an incredibly disjointed story. Half the time, I would forget who people were or what had happened by the time the next story bit dropped. Looking forward to seeing the whole thing at once.

They've really streamlined everything to make the base game leveling experience much easier and cleaner. Much like SWTOR, everything is boosted so you can go through the game using just the main story quests. There's a ton of side "stuff" to do if you want (which adds some great flavor to the world), but it isn't required any more. I was at level 35 before even getting my first mount, which used to be a huge grind to even get at 20.

And now the caveat. I'm having a hell of a time trying to used to playing with a controller vs. kb/m. It requires a completely different skillset that I'm really struggling with. While I do love playing on the big screen from the recliner, I may just have to break down and go back to my PC. Not sure I have the dexterity to manage a controller.

I canceled my sub after getting frustrated and hung up on a 20 minute duty that you have to start over if you fail against the boss at the end. After three tries of getting my ass handed to me I rage quit. I love the game but sometimes I wonder WTF they were thinking with some of their mandatory chokepoints.

YellowKing wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 12:46 pm I canceled my sub after getting frustrated and hung up on a 20 minute duty that you have to start over if you fail against the boss at the end. After three tries of getting my ass handed to me I rage quit. I love the game but sometimes I wonder WTF they were thinking with some of their mandatory chokepoints.

Yeah, there are definitely a few of those head-scratching design decisions.

They're thankfully few and far between, but are certainly still there.

I still really like the game overall, but after a 2-4 or 3-6 month stint, my gaming interests drift and I can't justify the sub. Once it starts feeling like a chore to log in and I start thinking of subscription value over fun, it's time for a break. I'll be back though eventually. It's still my MMO of choice at the moment (though I may jump back and visit LOTRO w/ the lifetime subscription for a bit first).

i'm trying to play through the Artifex Mundi 'Time Mysteries' series. i'm on the second one and i'm at a hidden object scene where one of the action items is to find the 'clean shoe' so i can tell one needs to select the rag and clean the shoe, then select it - but clicking on the shoe with the rag doesn't trigger the cleaning animation. i looked at walkthroughs on YouTube and no one else has this issue, obviously.

I managed to find a Nintendo Switch at regular price. So Now I'm playing Animal Crossing and Pokemon

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Tue Oct 20, 2020 2:22 am i'm trying to play through the Artifex Mundi 'Time Mysteries' series. i'm on the second one and i'm at a hidden object scene where one of the action items is to find the 'clean shoe' so i can tell one needs to select the rag and clean the shoe, then select it - but clicking on the shoe with the rag doesn't trigger the cleaning animation. i looked at walkthroughs on YouTube and no one else has this issue, obviously.

Are you sure you are selecting the right shoe? Is it obviously dirty compared to others?
From what I can see, it's the one in the lower left corner.

stimpy wrote: ↑Tue Oct 20, 2020 1:42 pm

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Tue Oct 20, 2020 2:22 am i'm trying to play through the Artifex Mundi 'Time Mysteries' series. i'm on the second one and i'm at a hidden object scene where one of the action items is to find the 'clean shoe' so i can tell one needs to select the rag and clean the shoe, then select it - but clicking on the shoe with the rag doesn't trigger the cleaning animation. i looked at walkthroughs on YouTube and no one else has this issue, obviously.

Are you sure you are selecting the right shoe? Is it obviously dirty compared to others?
From what I can see, it's the one in the lower left corner.

yes, it for sure was the right one. i eventually managed to get it working by installing on a different machine and rapidly clicking in about a two-inch radius with the rag all around the shoe for about five seconds. (luckily it didn't penalize for the 'random selecting', i'm trying to 100% the achievements)

I love these types of game and it's frustrating when there is something so obvious but it doesn't register for whatever reason.

I was early picking my kid up from band practice (as I thought I would be) so I plugged the xbox controller into my car and played some Cuphead. I played for about 20 minutes and couldn't complete the first level in probably close to 20 tries. I've beaten many souls-likes and metroidvania type games which this seems to be kind of a blend of, but this was just beyond me. Normally in a souls-like there is some sign of progress or learning but I after the first few tries I was just getting nowhere. I am not sure I will go back to it. Now I think maybe I know how other people feel about souls-likes.

coopasonic wrote: ↑Tue Oct 20, 2020 2:24 pm I was early picking my kid up from band practice (as I thought I would be) so I plugged the xbox controller into my car and played some Cuphead. I played for about 20 minutes and couldn't complete the first level in probably close to 20 tries. I've beaten many souls-likes and metroidvania type games which this seems to be kind of a blend of, but this was just beyond me. Normally in a souls-like there is some sign of progress or learning but I after the first few tries I was just getting nowhere. I am not sure I will go back to it. Now I think maybe I know how other people feel about souls-likes.

it's more of a 'slug-like'...

Having no concept of what a Metal Slug is that doesn't mean much to me.

edit: Checking out a video, it looks familiar and the gameplay is certainly similar to Cuphead based on my 30 minutes of experience.

the old term for this style of side-scrolling arcade shooter is "run'n'gun" (see also: Contra and Gunstar Heroes)

Yeah, I remember Contra fondly, but I don't remember that having the same level of technical platforming stuff. I think that's a meaningful differentiator that led me to compare it to metroivdania style games.

coopasonic wrote: ↑Tue Oct 20, 2020 2:24 pm I was early picking my kid up from band practice (as I thought I would be) so I plugged the xbox controller into my car and played some Cuphead. I played for about 20 minutes and couldn't complete the first level in probably close to 20 tries. I've beaten many souls-likes and metroidvania type games which this seems to be kind of a blend of, but this was just beyond me. Normally in a souls-like there is some sign of progress or learning but I after the first few tries I was just getting nowhere. I am not sure I will go back to it. Now I think maybe I know how other people feel about souls-likes.

Try remapping the controls, as suggested here. If you map your gunfire to a trigger you have more freedom to jump and hit the other face buttons without ever letting up on your stream of fire. The default control scheme is kinda janky and tends to make it much more onerous. Having said that, it is an undeniably tough game and I recall finding the tips offered in the following video quite helpful:



Also, the smoke bomb definitely ought to be the first upgrade purchased.

coopasonic wrote: ↑Tue Oct 20, 2020 2:43 pm Yeah, I remember Contra fondly, but I don't remember that having the same level of technical platforming stuff.

apparently you don't remember that stupid waterfall level

but yes, it's all evolved and advanced over the past 35 years; i was giving early examples.

YellowKing wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 12:46 pm I canceled my sub after getting frustrated and hung up on a 20 minute duty that you have to start over if you fail against the boss at the end. After three tries of getting my ass handed to me I rage quit. I love the game but sometimes I wonder WTF they were thinking with some of their mandatory chokepoints.

I don't know if this is a new addition or not (it had been a long time since I've done a difficult main story Duty), but when I failed one last night, it gave me an option to retry it as-is, or with "Easy" and "Very Easy" options. I tried it on Easy and sailed right through.

Seems like they're actively trying to remove that potential barrier, if people want to use it.

Thanks Skiny, let me give that a try. Now that you mention it I think I saw that pop up but in my Hulk smash rage just dismissed it.

Today is a good day to die!

Im playing my Klingon in Star Trek Online today. While Im doing that Im defrosting some old ground beef from the freezer of ages past and making Klingon Sloppy Joes. I cook it. I say Qapla' . I eat it.

I may or may not die.

Full day.

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 12:29 pm

YellowKing wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 12:46 pm I canceled my sub after getting frustrated and hung up on a 20 minute duty that you have to start over if you fail against the boss at the end. After three tries of getting my ass handed to me I rage quit. I love the game but sometimes I wonder WTF they were thinking with some of their mandatory chokepoints.

I don't know if this is a new addition or not (it had been a long time since I've done a difficult main story Duty), but when I failed one last night, it gave me an option to retry it as-is, or with "Easy" and "Very Easy" options. I tried it on Easy and sailed right through.

Seems like they're actively trying to remove that potential barrier, if people want to use it.

I can confirm seeing this prompt at least a few times while playing. What I can't pass along is if it's universal to all duties or selective. Either way - wishing you good luck YK!

Baroquen wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 2:20 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 12:29 pm

YellowKing wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 12:46 pm I canceled my sub after getting frustrated and hung up on a 20 minute duty that you have to start over if you fail against the boss at the end. After three tries of getting my ass handed to me I rage quit. I love the game but sometimes I wonder WTF they were thinking with some of their mandatory chokepoints.

I don't know if this is a new addition or not (it had been a long time since I've done a difficult main story Duty), but when I failed one last night, it gave me an option to retry it as-is, or with "Easy" and "Very Easy" options. I tried it on Easy and sailed right through.

Seems like they're actively trying to remove that potential barrier, if people want to use it.

I can confirm seeing this prompt at least a few times while playing. What I can't pass along is if it's universal to all duties or selective. Either way - wishing you good luck YK!

I'll test this on my next few and see. Working through the main story with my alt right now.

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 2:26 pm

Baroquen wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 2:20 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 12:29 pm

YellowKing wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 12:46 pm I canceled my sub after getting frustrated and hung up on a 20 minute duty that you have to start over if you fail against the boss at the end. After three tries of getting my ass handed to me I rage quit. I love the game but sometimes I wonder WTF they were thinking with some of their mandatory chokepoints.

I don't know if this is a new addition or not (it had been a long time since I've done a difficult main story Duty), but when I failed one last night, it gave me an option to retry it as-is, or with "Easy" and "Very Easy" options. I tried it on Easy and sailed right through.

Seems like they're actively trying to remove that potential barrier, if people want to use it.

I can confirm seeing this prompt at least a few times while playing. What I can't pass along is if it's universal to all duties or selective. Either way - wishing you good luck YK!

I'll test this on my next few and see. Working through the main story with my alt right now.

You have GOT to stop talking about FFXIV or I'll end up caving and re-subbing. In the name of research and helping others, of course!

Baroquen wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 6:49 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 2:26 pm

Baroquen wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 2:20 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 12:29 pm

YellowKing wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 12:46 pm I canceled my sub after getting frustrated and hung up on a 20 minute duty that you have to start over if you fail against the boss at the end. After three tries of getting my ass handed to me I rage quit. I love the game but sometimes I wonder WTF they were thinking with some of their mandatory chokepoints.

I don't know if this is a new addition or not (it had been a long time since I've done a difficult main story Duty), but when I failed one last night, it gave me an option to retry it as-is, or with "Easy" and "Very Easy" options. I tried it on Easy and sailed right through.

Seems like they're actively trying to remove that potential barrier, if people want to use it.

I can confirm seeing this prompt at least a few times while playing. What I can't pass along is if it's universal to all duties or selective. Either way - wishing you good luck YK!

I'll test this on my next few and see. Working through the main story with my alt right now.

You have GOT to stop talking about FFXIV or I'll end up caving and re-subbing. In the name of research and helping others, of course!

If it's any help, I'm having a bugger of a time getting my head around the PS4 controls. They're damn near impossible...but I'm getting very slightly better.

Second play through on BL1 done with the giant dude. Now I am on some island of apparently endless zombies that scale with me as I level.....including two I guess boss level things that took almost every bullet I had to kill as pummeling them didn't even scratch them- Pumkinhead and some Frankenstein thing. Not sure if I am doing the DLC in the right order but zombies it is.

Pumpkinhead is tough. Advice for zombies: Fire and headshots.

DLC order:

Zombie Island
Skip Moxxi's unless you're really bored (there's no story, just horde mode), but absolutely go to the location (Underdome), as that gives you your bank.
General Knoxx (T-Bone Junction)
Claptrap (Tartarus Station)

The order does matter, or at least Claptrap should be last or there will be spoilers. Oh, and something to be aware of with the DLC. They didn't originally design the engine to handle it, so they weren't able to create fast travel points from within the locations. There's only ever the single fast-travel point at the start.

One super-minor spoiler for the Knoxx DLC. When you go in to fight the final boss, empty your inventory. Seriously, throw away everything that isn't five-star top tier gear. After you win, loot fast. Don't look at the stats, don't compare, just look at the colors, scoop it up, and scoot.

I messed around with Forza Motorsport 7 since it was added to GamePass. I completed the first 3 tiers of progression, but interest is waning as it is very same-y after 30 or 40 races. It made me miss Horizon. The. variety in seasons, terrain and racing styles in Horizon makes all the difference to me... though the even greater variety in The Crew 2 does nothing for me.

I also gave My Time in Portia a couple hours, but I am not sure I am too interested in that. I want to play past the early stages to give it more of a chance, but it's not exactly grabbing me. I'm just biding my time until Watch Dogs Legion in a couple of days.

/edit - moved to the game's thread so that it will be there when people search for info on the game in the future.

tl;dr - Halo 1 Anniversary was an OK game whose remaster was an example of how not do remaster a game.