Videogame Discussion Thread

Discussion in 'Geek Cave: Computers, Tablets, HT, Phones, Games' started by sphinxvc, Oct 9, 2015.

Tags:
  1. pedalhead

    pedalhead Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,046
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Oxfordshire, UK
    How does PoE compare to Grim Dawn (from a high level)? I've got 500 hours into Grim Dawn & now waiting for the expansion. I'm a bit of a sucker for ARPGs though so happy to try another one if it's worthy.
     
  2. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2016
    Likes Received:
    4,521
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    London, UK
    Oh, as luck would have it, I played Grim Dawn shortly before getting into PoE. I had a lot of fun playing through the main Grim Dawn campaign, lots of pew pew, even if I couldn't always get the wandering sidequest NPCs to spawn in the camps (le grumble).

    It compares very well- PoE is probably a bit prettier, and has deeper customisation (both passive talents and crafting system). The classes are a lot more fluid in PoE too- a witch wearing armour and waving a 2h about? No problem!

    It has a standard game that is permanent, and periodic "leagues" where people start with fresh characters and build them up, racing to the top with the benefit of league-specific modifiers. When the league ends, the characters are converted to standard characters, keeping all their fancy gear. It also has the obligatory hardcore mode, for those with nerves of steel.

    The major downside, I suppose, is that unlike Grim Dawn, it's an online game. This doesn't mean that you have to play with others, everything is doable solo. It does mean that you can't really play on a laptop on a boring flight. It also means that there's a global chat channel that is full of all human life (both good and bad)- though you can turn that off with a single click if you've had enough.

    Oh, and using the London gateway, you'll get insanely low latency, as a bonus.

    If you enjoy ARPG dungeon crawlers, it's the best thing out there. That's a pretty bold claim, I know, but it won't cost you more than a free download to check it out.
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2017
  3. pedalhead

    pedalhead Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,046
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Oxfordshire, UK
    Thanks mate, downloading now.... :)
     
  4. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2016
    Likes Received:
    4,521
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    London, UK
    Be sure to refer to the wiki and the forum for insight into what all that crap actually is, and some sensible directions for the passive talents. That said, I think it's pretty standard to make a weird half-arsed character at the first try, and a better one later, when you have some grasp of what's going on ;)

    (I have a somewhat tenuous grasp of what's going on, it's possibly still early days in absolute terms, but it's fun.)
     
  5. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2016
    Likes Received:
    4,521
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    London, UK
    Following myself up, but if you do try PoE, be sure to take advantage of the loot filtering, too- you can use intelligent item filters to choose what gets displayed, and how it's marked up. The most popular one is the "Neversink" filter, which will adjust what it shows you as you level, as well as work well at the endgame.

    For more info, there's a nice web tool to generate pre-configured variants of it here:

    http://www.filterblade.xyz/
     
  6. pedalhead

    pedalhead Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,046
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Oxfordshire, UK
  7. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2016
    Likes Received:
    4,521
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    London, UK
    Hah, that's more than I did- I just jumped in with both feet. However, when the 3.0 patch came, there was a free talents reset, so I was able to do a complete respec, and correct any damage that I had unwittingly done.

    Edit: the "Part 9" video is actually really useful- thanks!
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2017
  8. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,051
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Oh God. Sonic mania drops today. Been pretending to ignore all information about this game but I'm excited.

    I need to dust off my vita for undertale, too. That's probably the first release for my vita I've cared about since Odin Sphere.
     
  9. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2016
    Likes Received:
    4,521
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    London, UK
    The question is, Sonic Mania on PS4 or Switch?
     
  10. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,051
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Easy choice. Haven't even hooked up my PS4 since we moved. Switch or PC are my only real choices.
     
  11. Melvillian

    Melvillian Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jul 3, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,345
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Sonic Mania looks great! Switch it is for me, although I wish it had a proper dpad.

    Stardew Valley next month!
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2017
  12. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,051
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Oh f**k. I'm going to have to use the pro controller or use the 3d printed dpad mod that scratches your joycon. I might look into modding a wii u pro controller d pad in there or something :(.
     
  13. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2016
    Likes Received:
    4,521
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    London, UK
    This is why I was wondering. I haven't used a Switch myself, but couldn't see how the ergonomics would square with this game, based on comments from actual Switch owners.

    (There was a Switch stand in a nearby mall at lunchtime, and I absolutely wasn't eyeing them up.)
     
  14. Melvillian

    Melvillian Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jul 3, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,345
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Fighting games are impossible with the left joycon. platformers are doable but not ideal.

    @zerodeefex modding is definitely an option. People have done it. I wouldn't even know where to begin though



    just bought through eshop. Hope it runs well :-/

    Edit* game is good. Of course it's reminiscent of Genesis sonic games. As expected the left joycon sucks for this game.
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2017
  15. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    5,085
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    I am usually months, if not years behind a lot of people when it comes to games due to being cheap and/or busy, so it's hard to keep up with most gaming threads. That said, I am just about finished with Breath of the Wild on Switch and it was pretty much everything I was expecting. Overall, I liked it very much, but I didn't love it - not like I was hoping to. While I think Nintendo did a very good job balancing traditional Zelda play with more rpg elements and the open world, I am just not as big a fan of it as a Zelda game. I have liked open world games (I enjoyed Skyrim quite a bit), but I am not too huge a fan of grinding for ingredients, weapon destruction (especially without repairs/forging), non-linear story telling, having multiple side quests that may or may not be relevant to the main story, etc. While I wasn't looking for something quite as on-the-rails as the new Tomb Raiders (though I really enjoyed those for what they were), I think I would have liked a little more narrative guidance and have the dungeons/shrines be fewer, but deeper and more tied to the story. I missed having a sassy fairy or kind of bitchy shadow creature hinting at what I should do next. I also wished music was a little more central to it. At any rate, it was worth playing and possibly worth getting the Switch just to do so since I am such a Zelda fan (really hoping for a new Smash Bros and Mario Party).

    The other big one I have tried recently is Mass Effect: Andromeda. I am a huge fan of the original trilogy and I am really disappointed in Andromeda. I don't think it is nearly as bad as many people on the internet try to make it out to be, but barely anything outside of some beautiful graphics and scenery has grabbed me. It doesn't feel like a Mass Effect. Very few of the characters interest me and the story seems so small and insignificant. I do like the new mobility in combat, but miss controlling my squadmates, and actually think having all abilities and all weapons available makes combat less interesting since you don't have to adapt to your initial choices. I have never been a huge fan of grinding for materials to make new stuff, but the way Andromeda has it implemented is just a mess, and it really takes away from the game. Man, I really wanted it to be like ME1 with ME3 combat and inventory on a modern engine - some exploration (with a vehicle that didn't steer like a drunk rhino), some rpg elements (lots of gear and guns to find but not have to grind for and craft), great story telling with fun characters, and decent combat. I feel like they totally whiffed. I am only a few planets in and am not sure if I will finish the game. I probably will, but ever time I think about it, I just want to fire up one of the original three.

    One of these days (probably once Kingdom Hearts 3 releases), I would like to grab a Playstation 4 Pro and play through some exclusives like Horizon Zero Dawn, Persona 5 and Yakuza 0. Also the remasters of Ratchet and Clank and the first couple Kingdom Hearts.
     
  16. Melvillian

    Melvillian Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jul 3, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,345
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    @fraggler I think the "A team" at bioware is working on "Anthem".


    Edit** I deleted all the crap and left the thing I actually wanted to say.
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2017
  17. Melvillian

    Melvillian Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jul 3, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,345
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I'm really enjoying Sonic Mania. It starts out like a remix of the older games, but as you progress it comes into it's own. Just a lot of fun to play. Visuals and music are beautiful, levels are large and well designed. If you have a Switch, it's a perfect game for it. I alternate between the left joycon buttons and the analog stick. It's a bit strange but it hasn't really gotten in the way of me having fun.
     
  18. LetMeBeFrank

    LetMeBeFrank Won't tell anyone my name is actually Francis

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2017
    Likes Received:
    3,758
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Jackson, Mi
    Anyone else playing Escape fom Tarkov? I was in the alpha with 2 other friends and now that it's in beta I have 3 more friends who all play. It has been very fun with a 5 man team. It can be pretty difficult though with that many to keep track of friendly and enemy players. Overall its intense and gets the heart pumping.
     
  19. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,051
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I have no time for anything and I've totally forgone what little sleep I could claim for a little bit of playtime. It's amazing how many people don't "get" Sonic but they've perfectly recreated the feel and excitement of learning the levels, going back to replay them to plumb their secrets and getting faster and more precise with each successive attempt at a different path through the levels.
     
  20. BenjaminBore

    BenjaminBore Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    May 23, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,842
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    London, UK
    I haven't felt excited for a Half-life game since playing 2, but this brief plot overview of Episode 3 has me more interested in the story than I ever was. A crying shame that we'll never see it get made.

    The following is written by ex Valve writer Mark Laidlaw. The genders are swapped, and various words switched. The last paragraph appears to be subtext for the circumstances at Valve.
    http://www.marclaidlaw.com/epistle-3/
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2017

Share This Page