Octopus Overlords

Uplay free titles tend to get scattered around in their own threads here, so this is an attempt to consolidate them.

For Honor: Standard Edition

Rabbids Coding

https://register.ubisoft.com/rabbids-coding/en-US

just came out! edutatainment title for ages 7 and up

That sounds too much like work.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2019 5:29 pm That sounds too much like work.

You deal with Rabbids at work?

Jag wrote: ↑Thu Oct 10, 2019 3:13 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2019 5:29 pm That sounds too much like work.

You deal with Rabbids at work?

They prefer to be called "Marketing".

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Thu Oct 10, 2019 3:19 pm

Jag wrote: ↑Thu Oct 10, 2019 3:13 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2019 5:29 pm That sounds too much like work.

You deal with Rabbids at work?

They prefer to be called "Marketing".

Oh. I call them "they" as in... "What the fuck did THEY do now?"

Child of Light

https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/child-of-light/

free on UPlay right now

Rayman Legends

AssCreed 2

(approximately half of the AssCreed series has been given away by now:

2
Brotherhood
3
4
Syndicate [Epic Gamestore giveaway]
Unity
Odyssey [Stadia beta]
Chronicles China

)

Child of Light

Wow, when did their client get so obnoxious? Windows popping up and sliding in from everywhere. I clicked on a pre-order title and the page didn't actually tell me anything about the game.

The Division free (again) right now

and Far Cry 3 free (again) if you login through the Chinese language site (see instructions below)

https://slickdeals.net/f/14313737-far-c ... le-browser

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

is this one worth playing?

No idea. I didn't even know there was one from 2001. I was going to ask "Wildlands or Break Point" until I looked it up. Neither.

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Wed Oct 06, 2021 11:26 pm Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

is this one worth playing?

It's a game from way back then. Graphics are horrible, and IIRC, you control up to 3 teams of soldiers and try to lead them around firefights ambushing enemies, IIRC. It can be pretty tense, and you get some cool guns to play with, but it's an ancient game, so adjust your expectations. But I seem to remember being able to give go-codes so you can coordinate fire from multiple teams.

Ok, ok. Stepping in. I've played this sucker at least two or three times, plus have spent a great deal of time with the multiplayer (mostly with OOers... Siljanus, Brian... ProblemChild?)

This one was built off of a modified Rogue Spear (Rainbow Six 2) engine. It wasn't cutting edge graphics for 2001, but it wasn't ugly, either. It was from right after Ubisoft bought Red Storm Entertainment, during the period when Tom Clancy was still involved (and the games were thus fairly accurate and realistic, and less GI Joe action games.) It was, unlike practically everything in the series since, a tactical shooter. That means realistic ballistics, realistic damage, the game keeping track of each magazine (so if you reload with your mags only half empty, you'll end up with nothing but half-empty mags.) It meant needing to approach everything with tactics rather than reflexes.

The missions were objective based, and the levels were open, not linear. You could travel freely throughout the large, open levels and deal with the issues however you saw fit, from going in with carefully suppressed weapons, or just staying back and spraying the area with OICW 'smart' grenades.

You controlled multiple soldiers, but it was up to you how many you brought with you, and how you divided them up into fireteams. Unlike Rainbow Six, which was all about clearing dense structures of build-up areas, Ghost Recon was about large areas of wilderness or large sections of city. Some were seek-and-destroy missions, others were escorts, others were about defense. Some were balls-to-the-wall firefights with both allied and opposing armor, others were stealthy infiltration. Since the battles were more dynamic than R6's, you didn't come up with detailed plans in advance. You set up your teams, you equipped them, you selected starting locations, and then you planned and gave orders on the fly. As I recall (and it has been a while), you could set each team's ROE (when they were allowed to fire - return fire only, move and engage if seen, and all the bullets!) and their movement (hold, move, and charge!.) You gave them orders by pulling up the map and simply clicking where you wanted them to be and dragging their facing. It worked really well:

"All teams hold!"
Open map, click the sniper, click one point on a hill overlooking the compound and drag so he's facing it. Click 'hold fire', tell him to advance so he gets in position.
Click the second fireteam, click the left side of the compound, tell them to fire if they see a target. Close the map.
Sniper reports that he's arrived.
Start heading to the right, give the order to advance. Team two heads left while you approach the right.
Give the order to fire at will (this allows the sniper to pick off any targets he sees.)
?
Victory

Since the missions were so much bigger than R6's, there was a quicksave option.

The whole thing was playable cooperatively (and was a lot of fun that way.)

And there is progression. As you use each soldier, you get points to upgrade their shooting, stealth, leadership, and endurance. By the end you had built your core group up into a team of real badasses - and if you lost one, you hated it.

Has it held up? Well, since the tactical shooter genre sort of fizzled out and went underground a few years later (save for ARMA), the gameplay really doesn't seem dated. The graphics are still 2001. That is an issue for some. Not for others.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a mod that recreates the missions in this game within the ARMA engine.

Or here - watch the three or four minutes I queued up.

TheMix wrote: ↑Thu Oct 07, 2021 12:31 am No idea. I didn't even know there was one from 2001. I was going to ask "Wildlands or Break Point" until I looked it up. Neither.

Who are you and what are you doing on our forum?

The original Ghost Recon was a beautiful experience that the most recent sniper genre games kind of remind me of. It would be *really* hard to go back now though. Like JA2, it's one of those games that really doesn't have a proper "modern" equivalent in my mind.

I played the original with one of my friends as co-op. I still remember some outdoor area on a map. Got killed a lot. I didn't like the game. I was expecting more Rainbow Six but got something totally different and I just didn't care for it. Turned me off to any more Ghost Recon named games and I didn't play another until Wildlands.

I tried a couple of early Tom Clancy titles (probably the OG one, or whichever one kind of "broke" this genre open - I remember at least buying Rainbow Six and trying that), but immediately found that I have neither the patience nor skill (nor desire) to 'direct' other entities in a game.

Further evidence: Was completely psyched to play Mass Effect when it came out. Bounced HARD off that one (stopped playing, cold) as soon as I reached the point (which is VERY early on IIRC) where you have to strategically direct others, WHILE KEEPING YOUR OWN DUMB ASS ALIVE.
I just can't. Wish I could! Can't.

Same reason, I suspect, that I couldn't really get into games like Rome: Total War (and ALL its follow-ups) as much as I wanted to. I suspect it has something to do with "lots of things going on at the same time, in real time", and linked to ADHD maybe....no idea.

It's almost absurd, because I keep buying games like that SOLELY based on the fact that I KNOW they are good, and often ground-breaking games. And thinking of myself as a Good LIttle Gamer, I MUST like The Greats, right? So I buy them, and almost try to force myself to play and like them. It's a weird, very dysfunctional relationship.



HELP!!!

FWIW, ordering the AI in the original Rainbow Six (which was indeed the one that broke the genre open) was a nightmare. That game was entirely original and fresh, but it was also fidgety as hell.

I remember one time I had to try a mission a dozen times. I finally finished every objective and just needed to go outside to end it. Which I could not do. Because one of my AI teammates decided to stand in front of me as I passed through a narrow spot, and there was no way to make him move. I was trapped, and had to replay the mission again.

coopasonic wrote: ↑Thu Oct 07, 2021 11:14 am

TheMix wrote: ↑Thu Oct 07, 2021 12:31 am No idea. I didn't even know there was one from 2001. I was going to ask "Wildlands or Break Point" until I looked it up. Neither.

Who are you and what are you doing on our forum?

The original Ghost Recon was a beautiful experience that the most recent sniper genre games kind of remind me of. It would be *really* hard to go back now though. Like JA2, it's one of those games that really doesn't have a proper "modern" equivalent in my mind.

That was probably during the 6 years that I only played WoW.

I never played the original Rainbow Six in single player. I always played multiplayer. Was really fun as a team vs team game.

I think the only tactical real time game of these I truly loved was SWAT 4.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Thu Oct 07, 2021 2:39 pm I think the only tactical real time game of these I truly loved was SWAT 4.

Meet Zero Hour, twelve bucks on Steam:

That looks ok but like Seige Im not interested in that type multiplayer. I used to love it due to the first Rainbow Six. But these days I didn't even get Seige. I thought I would and put it on my wishlist even but after seeing it played Im not interested. I loved SWAT 4 for the single player. It had many locations too and missions. I also dont care for the pre planning stage of setting up teams and telling them where to go. I was getting tired of that in the older games. I like to just have 1 team and go in with that.

You can play it solo, but it is just you against the world, although there has been talk of them adding an AI squad at some point in the future. Minute to minute gameplay, Zero Hour is closer to SWAT 4 than anything - announcing yourself, intimidating enemies into surrender, penalties for shooting hostiles that aren't acting aggressively, cuffing enemies who have surrendered, recovering dropped enemy weapons, etc.

I cant seem to get the Breakpoint DLC. It never takes me to a page when I click ...talking app here.

AssCreed Chronicles Trilogy, starting Nov 9th

This is going to be free as part of the Ubisoft 35th anniversary promotion.
Trilogy:
China
India
Russia

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory

https://register.ubisoft.com/sc-chaostheory/en-US

(and Double Agent is free if you VPN in with a Japan-based IP address)

for the UbiSoft 35th Anniversary thing this week, Anno 1404 History Edition will be free

https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/ubi35

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 6:05 am for the UbiSoft 35th Anniversary thing this week, Anno 1404 History Edition will be free

https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/ubi35

Didn't see it or anything to claim other than a free in game thing for stuff I dont own.

Love that game. Hell, love the whole series.

I even like the Industrial Age one even though that period is not nearly as interesting to me as this one.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 11:21 am

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 6:05 am for the UbiSoft 35th Anniversary thing this week, Anno 1404 History Edition will be free

https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/ubi35

Didn't see it or anything to claim other than a free in game thing for stuff I dont own.

live now

ah! Thank you! Wish I had Valhalla and Far Cry 6. One day....

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 2:57 pm ah! Thank you! Wish I had Valhalla and Far Cry 6. One day....

What are the Far Cry 6 PC specs?

OS: Windows 10.

Here are the Assassin's Creed Valhalla System Requirements (Minimum)

OS: Windows 10 (64-bit versions only)

Join us.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 3:13 pm

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 2:57 pm ah! Thank you! Wish I had Valhalla and Far Cry 6. One day....

What are the Far Cry 6 PC specs?

OS: Windows 10.

Here are the Assassin's Creed Valhalla System Requirements (Minimum)

OS: Windows 10 (64-bit versions only)

Join us.

Daehawk will die on the hill of Windows Me!

ME never gave me any problems until a virus. I had to wipe the system. Thats when I got XP I think.

Me was the only time I've downgraded an OS install, rolling back to Win98. I don't remember much about it aside from disliking it, but I do remember that their (brand new) System Restore regularly went haywire and would completely fill hard drives.