Recent content by Withywarlock

Here's my opinion I know I'm alone in: the d20 system and ThAC0 are the best combat calculation systems in video games. Essentially it's rolling a 20-sided die (d20), and then adding modifiers, as well as additional die for certain actions like a d6, d12, et cetera. The reason why is because...

You mention Vermintide, and I'll mention a few other games in the Warhammer property that do this. Mark of Chaos/Battle March was my first exposure to adaptive morale, where units can break depending on how well leaders are doing, their presence, and the health of the unit. Being broken by...

I've been playing Frostpunk all day today, and I can see myself continuing to do so. It's brilliant on Easy mode where you have better control of resources, easier means of dealing with projected losses, and people don't demand so much of the Captain. Genuinely don't know how people play Medium...

I like inventory management as much as I like the system governing it. If it's about space management rather than weight, that's fine with me. Most games have a sort function, and if you can sort individual bags (see World of Warcraft), all the better. I particularly like how Dragon Age was one...

I guess my first experience of fast travel was with Spyro the Dragon: you could exit the level from the pause menu without losing any of your progress (gems, dragons and eggs necessary to beat the game). Because I enjoy taking my time navigating the levels right up to reaching the end portal...

A few people in my D&D group who have played it share the opinion that a lot of its players do: it's a damn fine Diablo game, but it's not a good product. They can't begin to think of a game that requires as much spending as quickly as D:I requires. Pay-2-Win is one of those terms that makes me...

Not really, no. In my let's plays I tend to let the credits roll for 'archival purposes', as I like to look back at older games and cover them as extensively as I can through that medium. But for personal play, only if there's an achievement and I'm generally not watching them as such. I do...

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is my choice. The rain and snow are rare but welcome occurances, especially in County Bruma and Leyawiin. The game's graphical fidelity and art style were all the more reason to travel on foot rather than fast travel. I hadn't heard that, but similarly Animal...

I concur. I'd like to think I coined a phrase with "Roberts' Razor", being that potential is not good enough for a reviewer to praise something. I can only talk about what it is now, not what it could or shall be. To me it's as much malpractice as it is having the pre-order perks turned on; I...

No. Even without my reviewer-head on I still believe that I'd be enjoying the mod, not the game. Take Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, which is a decent enough game without mods. However, the community patch that's still being worked on today makes it measurably better in terms of graphical...

Mostly Diet Coke, but water is my preferred energy drink.

This comic speaks the thousand words I inevitably would on morality in video games, quest rewards, and theft mechanics:

The Bed of Chaos in Dark Souls Remaster. I don't mind cheating to win a fight, but there was nothing a cheat engine, trainer, code or exploit could do to help me in a month of Fridays. The encounter essentially consists of needing to go to the left and right side of the map (in an arc), whilst...

I'll admit right out the gate I'm an Obsidian Entertainment fanboi, and though they're the first to own their shortcomings, I've not really noticed the more common criticisms myself. That said, Alpha Protocol is my choice. A spy game that lets you be one of the 'Three J.Bs' of espionage (that is...

In MMOs it's keyboard turning/clicking. The former is where you use the A/D or Q/E keys to turn left/right on the spot (as opposed to strafing), respectively, where a mouse should be used for movement to free up keys and fingers for abilities. Clicking is somewhat related to that previous point...