STEAM Backlog Project 2012-2017

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Sun Dec 02, 2012 10:24 am

I was going to start the challenge, but then I started playing Skyrim again.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sun Dec 02, 2012 10:27 am

Which, I'm pretty sure is in your backlog.

TazFTW · Post by **TazFTW** » Sun Dec 02, 2012 6:22 pm

Finished the Blue Toad Murder Files last night. The Professor Layton series is the same type of game and does it better.

I've got a bunch of adventures games in my backlog, so my next game will be the Back to the Future episodes from TellTale.

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Sun Dec 02, 2012 6:33 pm

Smoove_B wrote:Which, I'm pretty sure is in your backlog.

It's not in the backlog when I have 102 hours played and intentionally avoided the main quest while I completed almost every other quest line.

The allure of being able to fit all of my books in one house is too strong.

My kingdom for some goddamn lumber.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:13 am

this isn't even a complete list...

currently playing:

Capsized - best music i've heard in a game in some years. also, nice retro Amiga-style side-scroller with incredibly detailed graphics.

Bastion

Chocolate Castle

Jamestown

LIMBO

1000 Amps - Flash-type puzzle game. it's neat, but i run into a difficult room and i have to shelve it for a while....

Portal 2 - not enjoying as much as the first Portal, which is why i'm not playing it as much...

Legend of Grimrock

Hammerfight - amazing game, but so difficult...

Puzzle Agent

Shatter - nice Breakout-type game. almost done with story mode.

Serious Sam 3 - not having nearly as much fun with it as with the First and Second Encounter. too bad. but i will keep on...

Devil May Cry 4 - haven't gotten too far into it to compare it to the first DMC, but it really is nice on Windows to look at and control. the end of crappy console parts.

Street Fighter IV - one of those games i boot up when i don't know what to play

Unstoppable Gorg - 'tower-defense' genre game, but with attack satellites and invading alien UFOs. has good atmosphere with the 1950's style interludes and decorations, but i really do not care too much for these games....

Queued up:

Vessel - looks awesome, but no time right now
Waking Mars
Rochard
Trine

Suspended:

VVVVVV - i lost my save game file

The Binding of Isaac - i have put dozens of hours into this. the unlockable stuff i haven't achieved yet are now in 'pretty difficult' territory and i was starting to get burned out on it. great Flash game, but time to move on.

Super Meat Boy - it's just not clicking...

King's Bounty - graphics driver conflict with video card that still hasn't been resolved

Torchlight - i may was well just play Torchlight II when i get it. seems like everything was improved in that one.

Snuggle Truck - the levels are getting pretty difficult now.

Osmos - also getting difficult.

Lunar Flight - nice execution, but learning curve is intense

Completed:

Might and Magic - Clash of Heroes

Wizorb

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 4:42 pm

After a little over a half hour, I'm done with AaAaAA!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity - putting my total time with the game at 1.4 hours. It seems like it should be more fun than it is, though ability to control the jumper AND score points is quite limited. I'm nearly certain I purchased this originally to chase an Xmas holiday achievement. I cannot imagine playing it for any other reason.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 5:55 pm

I have over 300 hours in Skyrim.
I might just have to finish it the next time I try it.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:10 pm

Smoove_B wrote:After a little over a half hour, I'm done with AaAaAA!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity - putting my total time with the game at 1.4 hours. It seems like it should be more fun than it is, though ability to control the jumper AND score points is quite limited. I'm nearly certain I purchased this originally to chase an Xmas holiday achievement. I cannot imagine playing it for any other reason.

On the flip side, my efforts starts, alphabetically, with Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. It's like a continuation of AC2 in all respects and I can't believe I waited this long to play it. I'm having a blast and apparently spent 12.8 hours on it this weekend.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 4:31 am

As I went back to play DiRT 2, I went back to play GRID as well. I have to limit myself to "basic" difficulty (i.e. wimp), and even then I can't finish LeMan in a decent standing. I went two seasons, and hired a driver for teammate. I'm fine on the short tracks, but on the long circuits like LeMans or Formula Ford I just suck.

And Don't get me started on Touge battles or drift events.

On the other hand, the Xbox360 controller is perfect for this.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:19 am

I am weak.....I bought Far Cry 3. Project officially derailed for the foreseeable future.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 2:52 am

I'm about half into the DiRT tour, as I just finished all the rookie and pro events, and won all 3 X-games. It's now all-stars and the special events.

edit: i'M 24% or so into the All-Star tour, and I did two of the 5 world tour events. Now the cars are getting really exotic. They give you this "Toyota Stadium Truck", and oh boy, this thing is so easy to handle it blows all the big trucks out of the water. It's like a toy compared to the Tier 1 Baja trucks, but it's HECK fast... with special fat rear tires it's almost like a dragster truck, yet it's a full offroader.

Of course, the next event they give EVERYBODY that truck to equalize the field.

I found that I'm quite good in trailblazer, which is like a "hillclimb" except on flat ground, but you drive very very fast, with a huge rear wing and special front aero splitters and such. The events easily lasts 3 minutes or a little longer, and covers quite a bit of distance, but the speed's high, and mistakes often. What's better, you may run into cars that launched 5 seconds ahead of you.

So passing is a concern!

I'm NOT that good at regular rally, or gatecrasher, as I'm not that technical of a driver. I'm okay with Landrush (8 trucks jockeying for position on dirt tracks) and rallycross.

Also got this special Dallenbach offroad open-wheeler, which is like a small buggy with huge front and rear wings. That thing is FUN on trailblazer.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 1:19 pm

A while ago, I picked up Altitude as it was recommended as a great LAN game for one of our events. I would tend to disagree with it being "noob friendly", however it is a fun distraction if you can pick it up in the $2.50 range during a sale. What's hilarious is that I've put a little over an hour into the game. The person that recommended it to me current has 1,128 hours. Yes, you read that correctly. It's not that it's a bad game, it's just not something I feel the urge to play - though it does work nicely with a controller.

Next!

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 7:55 pm

I'd say crossing three games off my list during the first six days is a good run. I completed a short campaign of Atom Zombie Smasher and absolutely enjoyed it. I'm not really good at the "Tower Defense" style games (and I don't even know if this would be considered a true TD title), but the music, vignettes and variety of options make it interesting. I'm nearly certain it was also something I purchased during a STEAM sale while chasing achievements and I'd heartily recommend it in the $5 range for fans of tiny zombie dots. I think I put about an hour into it when I first picked it up and then became distracted (story of my life). It's keeper.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 9:43 pm

I completed a short campaign of Atom Zombie Smasher and absolutely enjoyed it. I'm not really good at the "Tower Defense" style games (and I don't even know if this would be considered a true TD title), but the music, vignettes and variety of options make it interesting. I'm nearly certain it was also something I purchased during a STEAM sale while chasing achievements and I'd heartily recommend it in the $5 range for fans of tiny zombie dots. I think I put about an hour into it when I first picked it up and then became distracted (story of my life). It's keeper.

You'll like it even better when you download one of the "mods" through the built-in download system. It's more like "tweaks", where they change the spawn rate, rules, and such. World War Z slows down the zombies, but increases them like tenfold.

And no uberzombies either.

-----

I'm now level 50 in DiRT Tour, finished all the all-star events in four places, plus a couple world tours. Some are in easy, but many are in casual (next level up).

UPDATE: Level 65, won 91 of 100 events. I won 4 out of the 5 world tours and missed by 2 points (got 2nd) for that remaining one. I only have 3 more events in Utah to finish, plus a couple more to unlock... and the Colin McRae Memorial Rally. My hands are cramping up, so i'm resting for tonight.

The trick to handling in DiRT 2 is strategic application of brakes and throttle. If you're taking a tighter turn, hit the brakes just before will not only scrub speed off, it also makes the front wheels bite better and thus turn better. To help along, blip the throttle (zoom, zoom, zoom) during the turn will break the wheel loose and help you "drift" around the corner. However, don't overdo it. Hit the throttle in the wrong time, and you may spin out, esp. in a vehicle that has "bad handling", in the sense that it's "loose", and thus very easy to spin out.

At lower levels, you want the car that is easiest to handle, as you don't need to learn these tricks. However, at higher difficulty levels, you'll need to learn how to "drift" around corners which will allow you to retain more speed through the turn. The danger of course, is spinning out.

Another trick on raids, rallycross, and other multi-car events is you may want to let the other cars go ahead and give them half second lead, so you miss the initial bumper cars. You can never out accelerate them any way. Usually you can dive into a corner later than the AI and turn sharper, but they accelerate better. You may also want to cut into AI's racing line, forcing them to stay in the back.

high jumps are not always to your advantage. The hard landing may cause you to lose control make sure you are going into a jump perfectly straight.

EDIT: Level 67, got 1 world tour to finish (that was the one I got 2nd place), and two events, with 2 more locked (level 70?)

EDIT: Level 70, turns out the few remaining events require that special Mitsubishi Pajero Dakar 93 you only get when you win all 5 World Tours.

AND the AI cheats, really. I was doing a throwdown when Travis Pastrana in Morrocco. I was using the Pajero (Montero to us Yanks) and he was using a larger Hummer h3. I was gliding around the corners perfectly. I opened up a 2 second lead. Then somehow he took some sort of a shortcut and gained 2 seconds, and when he came out of the shortcut, he's half second ahead, and from there I can't never catch up. So I changed my vehicle to H3, identical to his, and basically muscled him off the road as much as I can. Despite that, he still got in front of me, but I was riding his bumper, then I cut inside his turn and basically shoved him aside and got in front again.

EDIT: Level 72, finished every event and won every cup at least on "easy". As there's no more multiplayer that's pretty much end of the game except for achievements.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:42 am

I'm just about to hit four hours in Avadon: The Black Fortress and I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying it. I'm nearly certain I picked it up last Xmas during a ridiculous sale and haven't touched it since earlier this week. I have no prior experience with the Spiderweb games (outside of maybe playing demos for Geneforge years ago), but outside of learning the RPG mechanics, it's quite enjoyable. If I'm to believe the internet, this is a 40+ hour game (which is insane) so I'll put my 5 hours in but unless something changes, this game is a keeper. While I know the graphics and controls are much better, when I'm playing I really do feel like I'm back in my youth, working my way through Ultima. Quite a pleasant surprise to find I'm able to enjoy this "retro" title as I thought I was incapable at this point in my life.

I've also been putting time into Torchlight 2 (which I suppose it technically backlog for me as well) and I'm enjoying it way more than the first game - which I liked, but grew bored with at some point. This one seems to have a fine-tuned flow about it. I guess the hamster wheel is well-oiled and your level ups happen at just the right time - at least that's how it feels for me.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 11:02 am

I finished AC Brotherhood and immediately started up AC Revelations. I loved that AC Brotherhood was AC2.1, now I am getting a bit tired of the formula in AC2.2. I really hope AC3 changes it up a good bit, though it could be a while.

In installing Revelations I noticed that I didn't actually start alphabetically. I skipped Alan Wake. Oops.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:34 pm

I spent some quality time with Company of Heroes last night. I still dig that The VO work is handled by the dude from Cowboy Bebop and hundreds of other things.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 12:29 am

coopasonic wrote:I finished AC Brotherhood and immediately started up AC Revelations. I loved that AC Brotherhood was AC2.1, now I am getting a bit tired of the formula in AC2.2. I really hope AC3 changes it up a good bit, though it could be a while.

In installing Revelations I noticed that I didn't actually start alphabetically. I skipped Alan Wake. Oops.

Finished revelations and installed alan wake. played through the first episode and a good bit into the second. Too friggin hard on normal. I'm curious about the story, but not enough to start over. Let's see what's next!

JetFred · Post by **JetFred** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:06 am

With almost 400 games added in the last year, I could not even begin to do this.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:51 pm

JetFred wrote:With almost 400 games added in the last year, I could not even begin to do this.

That's exactly WHY you should be doing this.

Doc Clock The Toasted Sandwich of Time is more evidence to me why I should never buy platformers. I hates them.

theohall · Post by **theohall** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:06 pm

Smoove_B wrote:I've also been putting time into Torchlight 2 (which I suppose it technically backlog for me as well) and I'm enjoying it way more than the first game - which I liked, but grew bored with at some point. This one seems to have a fine-tuned flow about it. I guess the hamster wheel is well-oiled and your level ups happen at just the right time - at least that's how it feels for me.

Torchlight 2 eliminated almost all of the annoying issues from Torchlight 1. I am still trying to think of an annoying TL1 issue they did not eliminate. Some of the TL2 achievements are ridiculous - 10,000,000 gold??? without cheating? I reached the 1M gold mark.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 10:44 pm

Based on the Bloodbowl thread here, my initial fears were confirmed -- the learning curve is ridiculous. I have the game on easy and I've yet to actually score a touchdown in 5 matches. Routinely my guys will fall over while trying to pick up the ball. Enemy AI is able to shuck and jive around my defenders while my guys take a step and get hammered into paste. I'm sure it's me, but as someone that's never touched the boardgame, I'm afraid the novelty of watching Vikings play Vampires has worn thin after 2.5 hours. I'd imagine it's a tremendous experience for fans of the actual board game, but I can't help but shake the feeling the AI is cheating like the dickens. But yes, I could also be completely clueless after the tutorial and two hours of playing. Sadly, I don't think I have the interest to continue down this road.

NEXT!

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 11:38 pm

I'm working my way through the Company of Heroes campaign. Of course, adding the keys from the other two titles added them all as accessible under the first game's menu.

Freddybear · Post by **Freddybear** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:02 pm

I just finished the last of the "extra missions" in Tropico 4 - that completes all the campaign islands. Steam says I have logged 186 hours played.
I saved the volcano god for last. Such fun!?

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 3:56 pm

It's not that I'm bored with Bookworm Adventures 2, it's just that it's clearly "more of the same" after beating the first of three chapters. I also know I am way late to the game and could see myself playing it on a mobile device, though it's a nice windowed game on the computer too. I think after four hours, I'm ready to move on.

The Mad Hatter · Post by **The Mad Hatter** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:16 am

I have a vast Steam library, compounded by all their sales and my tendency to explore every aspect of a game before considering it complete. I put almost 200 hours into Borderlands, which includes finishing three of the four DLC packs (Underdome was just too much work for too little reward to finish). I have over 300 hours in Dark Souls and 350 hours in Neverwinter Nights 2. I just started Skyrim and it’s probably going to top all of those. There’s so many quests…

Freddybear · Post by **Freddybear** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 4:42 pm

This morning, what do I see on Steam but another DLC for Tropico 4 - Vigilante!
You get another costume for your avatar, a new building - the Labor Camp where you can make prisoners grow crops - and a new mission where you will be The Masked Avenger, a Tropican superhero fighting crime and rebels.

Except for one minor problem - there's at least one show stopper of a bug. Spoilers ahead:

Spoiler:

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:28 pm

I think most of the humor for Breath of Death VII: The Beginning is lost on me as a significant number of references being made seem to for a slightly younger generation. Yes, there were some - including a Fallout reference during the intro, but after nearly three hours of game play, now with four companions in tow, I'm not feeling the urge to move on. I understand there might only be another hour of game play left, but I don't want to burn myself out as I am expecting to enjoy Cthulhu Saves the World much more. Considering I picked them both up for $2.69 during the 2011 Summer Camp sale, I can't complain. I'd imagine if you spent a significant amount of time on the Genesis, SNES, Playstation and/or Xbox during your formative years this game might hold a bit more magic for you. Me? Bring on the Elder Gods.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 4:52 am

Decided to skip SR3 and went to the other item of the THQ bundle... Red Faction: Armageddon. It's very reminiscent of playing Shadowgrounds, except in a behind-3rd person perspective instead of that isometric-y overhead view. You blast bazillion enemies using whatever weapons you have at hand, with a level up system that lets you buy "abilities" by collecting stuff from the levels. The occasional turret, tank, and other sequences are okay. The flyer sequence, not so much.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 2:18 am

Finished RF:A. It's a pretty decent 3rd person shooter, though this one is a bit too much of that "alien infestation" feel. Environmental destruction is cute, but only up to a point. A lot of structures are destructible, but you can rebuild them too, which is kinda interesting.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 2:39 pm

After a few more hours with BRINK, it's been shelved for good. I feel like it had so much potential, but it just never comes together. Maybe if I was playing in a LAN environment it might be more interesting, but there's only so many times I can empty two 25-round magazines into an enemy while he shrugs it off.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:44 pm

I remember now why I stopped playing Burnout Paradise - the "figure it out yourself" style of racing where you're supposed to quickly parse a city street mini-map while driving at break-neck speeds to the finish line. While some might scoff at the idea of mystical glowing arrows giving you some guidance, I guess I'm too used to what has become acceptable practice in more current racing sims. The car feels great and the soundtrack is nice, but I don't think the game is for me.

I am also playing fast-and-loose with the "5 hour" guide I set back on 12/2. My intention was to give each game a fair shake, but I'm going with my gut now and cutting my losses earlier if I need to. I don't want to force myself to spend the full 5 hours if I can tell it's going to be a mess. I've also really reorganized my STEAM library with labels now, which I do think was part of the problem. Only having two categories ("Finished" and "Games") was really adding to my insanity. Now that I have them sorted out, I'm also feeling a lot better (for those that were worried).

JetFred · Post by **JetFred** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 7:35 pm

See, my Steam categories are collection based, not play based. Like "adventure special edition" and "version orginal physical". To do what you are doing...it's not that I lack the free time (I certainly do lack it), but that I lack the discipline. Or maybe I'm just hesitant to say that I lack the interest, because I have little to no criticism of people who are interested in doing that (unless they start to complain about work or family or money). I'd be excited to actually get to play games for 10-15 hours a week. I wouldn't be excited anymore at 30-40 hours a week.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 8:10 pm

According to STEAM, I've spent about 7 hours each week for the last two weeks playing games - the majority of which (8 hours) is Torchlight 2. I'm struggling to justify buying MORE games when I have so many that I haven't touched. And that's what this exercise is all about - justifying the purchase of more games.

I've already learned that I should probably have more discretion and that even when something is <$5 doesn't mean I should necessarily purchase it. After ~3 weeks, I'm feeling pretty good. If it ever feels like a job, I'll stop, that's for sure.

JetFred · Post by **JetFred** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 8:43 pm

Maybe because I'm not playing along, I wasn't totally paying attention, but I thought you had put 5 hours into each game you've mentioned all in the past week. Of course nothing I said was directed specifically at you. Due to the realtive maturity of folks on this board, I'm confident most of us have a conceptual threshold of what would be too much gaming, even if that threshold is higher than I've ever had the luxury of discovering.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 9:52 pm

Yeah, my original plan was to give everything a minimum of 5 hours, but in practice I'm finding that was probably being too generous. I think I'll use the 5 hour mark if I'm enjoying something as a place to stop and at least know it's something I should come back to (like Avadon). I'm still finding time to play regular games, but now I've split that gaming budget 75/25 to help address the backlog. So far, so good.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 11:22 pm

Smoove_B wrote:After a few more hours with BRINK, it's been shelved for good. I feel like it had so much potential, but it just never comes together. Maybe if I was playing in a LAN environment it might be more interesting, but there's only so many times I can empty two 25-round magazines into an enemy while he shrugs it off.

Brink never clicked with me either. The class warfare just feels too derivative, and every kill I make just doesn't seem to make a difference, even with I'm playing against bots.

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 10:08 am

Smoove_B wrote:And that's what this exercise is all about - justifying the purchase of more games.

TWIST!

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 3:18 pm

I'm ADDING to my backlog. Despite my intentions, I went ahead and BOUGHT Saints Row the Third Full Package (despite owning the main game).

AND Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition. Two days ago I added Dead Island GOTY and HAWX 2 (a game I've always wanted, just never at $5 until now)

JetFred · Post by **JetFred** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 3:35 pm

Kasey Chang wrote:I went ahead and BOUGHT Saints Row the Third Full Package (despite owning the main game).

Me too. In fact, the THQ bundles on Amazon and Humble eventually prompted me to spend a total of $30-$40 on THQ games that I wouldn't have bought. Clever. Not enough to pay off their debt, though.