April 2023 Random Game Thoughts Thread

[ZedClampet]

Is that because you don't own them or because they're games you wouldn't have bought?

It's because I don't own them. I can't really explain why I feel that way, but I've ended up buying several games that I enjoyed there, so it works as a trial for me.

Epic continues expanding my backlog faster than I can clear it. I've tried the demo of Shapez a while ago and really enjoyed it. It looks like it might be a good game to play during work breaks, though it might look too much like my actual work.
Dying Light also looks interesting, especially the part where you can kick zombies. It's always fun to kick your enemies.

Kicking is fun, as are a lot of the movesets you acquire that let you run/jump/slide/kick/parkour right through a hoard of zombies without even slowing down. The pro move is to use the zombies as your playground rather than stopping and fighting them.

 

[Zloth]

When I get a game for free or for really cheap, I do get a sense that the game just isn't worth all that much. It fades after playing the game, but it takes some time. I figure it's the same psychology that makes people think that paying $40 for a fancy chicken dinner is way better than paying $10 for some Popey's.

 

[Johnway]

When I get a game for free or for really cheap, I do get a sense that the game just isn't worth all that much. It fades after playing the game, but it takes some time. I figure it's the same psychology that makes people think that paying $40 for a fancy chicken dinner is way better than paying $10 for some Popey's.

i have some similar feelings as well usually when it comes to completing them. i try not to use walkthroughs/cheats in general and play them on the hardest difficulty i'm comfortable with to savour the game entirely. But when a game is free? Well, i take some liberties and play them on easier difficulties or just give myself the luxary to cheat/read through walkthroughs when required. That said, that might be something to do with changing mentality as i get older and a massive backlog of games. I don't have time to wait and honestly playing the game above normal (like the devs intended) can cause all sorts of balancing issues etc.

Dying Light also looks interesting, especially the part where you can kick zombies. It's always fun to kick your enemies.

yeah dying light isn't a bad game. i liked Dead Island despite its flaws and Dying light was a more accessible version of that game. That said there were a few things that hacked me off and it was the climbing mechanics and swimming. The latter you won't do much of, but what got me was some of the challenges concerning swimming that required the special boosters etc to succeed. The biggest concern with climbing mechanics is how temperamental it can be to cling onto things. Sometimes he'll latch on, other times he doesn't. Its not helped my fingers aren't dexterous enough to perform certain stunts quickly and in some case misclick and get myself killed (like wall bouncing off a side of a tall tower). The grappling hook upgrade solves this beautifully, but when trying the challenges? yeah... skipped most of them because of how obnoxiously difficult they were for me.

 

[ZedClampet]

I got my new fiber Internet so now you get to hear stories like this:

We decided to download the 360 GB of Ark Survival Evolved to let our new ISP realize what they have gotten themselves into. Now downloaded, I take awhile to set up a server and try to get into the game. It crashes 3 times. Same old Ark. I finally get into the game, spawn into the world and...

Me: "God, I spawn and get immediately attacked by a dildo."

Guido: "You mean a dilo?"

 

[Zloth]

Zed has gone to plaid!

Me: "God, I spawn and get immediately attacked by a dildo."

Guido: "You mean a dilo?"

I presume you're using some Saints Row the Third mod that you won't tell Guido about.

 

[ZedClampet]

Zed has gone to plaid!
I presume you're using some Saints Row the Third mod that you won't tell Guido about.

Saints Row the Third is one of Guido's favorite games. He found a taser and ragdolled me 100 times.

 

[ZedClampet]

We're having fun with Ark creating a taxidermy museum. Our slogan is "The juxtaposition of nature and dinner." Our ultra modern facility is nearly carbon neutral (we're having a hard time finding oil).

In previous games, we had tried to create a Jurassic Park style zoo with varying successes. The problem is that we wanted the animals to wander around their enclosures instead of just standing still, so we set them to wander, and they kept getting out because the way Ark works is that it doesn't track your pets if you aren't near them, and then when you get near them, it puts them back down somewhere in the vicinity of where they were last it checked, and often that was outside of the enclosures, especially since the idiot AI dinos usually wall-hugged their way around.

 

[ZedClampet]

I see on the Steam page that Binding of Isaac got a new DLC in 2021, so that's probably why it got popular again.



I didn't know about games using a cursor based system even on consoles, that seems really strange to me. I thought that consoles are typically a bigger market than PC, so why would developers not make it easier to control with a controller?

Consoles are definitely not a bigger market than PC. At best they are equal. If you follow the quarterly reports of publishers, they often hide the fact that they sell as much on PC as on both consoles combined. Capcom finally broke the mold and said PC was their primary market. Even GTA V has sold as many copies (by SteamDB's estimate) as were sold across 3 console generations.

 

[ZedClampet]

When I get a game for free or for really cheap, I do get a sense that the game just isn't worth all that much. It fades after playing the game, but it takes some time. I figure it's the same psychology that makes people think that paying $40 for a fancy chicken dinner is way better than paying $10 for some Popey's.

For me it's not about how much I paid, but just the fact that I don't own the game, and it can be pulled from Game Pass.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

I figure it's the same psychology that makes people think that paying $40 for a fancy chicken dinner is way better than paying $10 for some Popey's.

Sorrynotsorry

For me it's not about how much I paid, but just the fact that I don't own the game, and it can be pulled from Game Pass.

I get the same thing. If its an indie game sometimes I dont mind as I can play it once and maybe it only lasts a few hours and is done. If its really good I might buy it later to support it.

I played 20 or 30 hours of Crusader Kings 3 on Gamepass and bought it while it was still on there because I knew I would come back to it. I just like having it permanently there.
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I've been continuing Dead Cells and its still keeping me coming back. Unlocking a fair amount of stuff, its fun to build the character with whatever equipment you find on a given run. Picked up all the DLC's except the new Castlevania one so far, not sure how much variety exactly is in the base game, but I think theres plenty there without the DLC, at least it got great buzz as it was when it released.

Also like the way the devs handle their business, not that it affects the gameplay, but nice to know. Guess I like 2d Metroidvanias now, only really got into Hollow Knight before this one.

Also speaking of indie games on Gamepass, played a few hours of Pentiment and liking it. The writing is really good and a lot of historical research went into the setting and characters. Art style helps to set the tone of the whole thing too.

 

[DXCHASE]

I have an extended weekend cause of this easter holiday and i thought id be getting more done. I have managed to keep working my way through Resident Evil 4 Remake but i mostly have found i want to sleep.

 

[ZedClampet]

I really want to quit Forza, but I only have 8 cars left to get. Of course, by the time I get them there will be new cars to get, but I really just want to play NASCAR Heat and F1. The racing is so much more intense and fun in NASCAR Heat.

 

[ZedClampet]

Did anyone else get Battlestar Galactica Deadlock when it was free on Steam the other day? Getting ready to give it a try.

 

[Brian Boru]

Did anyone else get Battlestar Galactica Deadlock

I did, and probably a few others— @Csiri tipped us off.

No plans to play it tho, unless you can convince me

 

[Zloth]

Free? I bought Battlestar Galactica Deadlock years ago!

It was fun stuff for quite a while. The turn-based system is fairly unique (probably completely unique for spaceships) and works well. Also, you can play the battle back with all the turns stitched together. The base game eventually got tiresome because it was hard to see how you were progressing against the Cylons, but that may be fixed by the DLC.

 

[ZedClampet]

Steam's preference selections have improved since I last tried them out. You can now block porn without blocking adult content games. I don't care that this material is on Steam, but what is annoying is the vast quantities of it. It's literally, at times, made going through some of the queues I generate quite a slog.

 

[Pifanjr]

I tried out Mindustry on my phone. The game itself is okay for something to play in short sessions during breaks, but the controls on the phone suck. Specifically, putting down conveyor belts is an exercise in frustration, especially making sure they go around the bends correctly.

 

[neogunhero]

Epic continues expanding my backlog faster than I can clear it. I've tried the demo of Shapez a while ago and really enjoyed it. It looks like it might be a good game to play during work breaks, though it might look too much like my actual work.
Dying Light also looks interesting, especially the part where you can kick zombies. It's always fun to kick your enemies.

Dying Light is a ton of fun. It is very fun in Co-op, but I prefer it solo. I enjoy taking my time to explore, loot at my own pace and make my own paths when parkouring through the city. At some point in the game you go to a new level which is a more modern looking city and that is exciting. By then you should have lots of abilities and skills unlocked so it’s like it’s opening up more opportunities for you to use them in the new level. The story and voice acting can be a little rough but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.
It’s one of those games where you really start to feel much more powerful as you progress which makes grinding for new ability points a lot more enjoyable and satisfactory. Each ability has really meaningful uses, and the moment you get the grappling hook oooohhh boooyyyy.
The amount of DLC can be a little daunting but apart from the small handful that add new game modes or story expansions, they’re all cosmetics with new weapons also. AFAIK the DLC weapons aren’t too OP compared to what you can get in game. Maybe a couple DLC weapons are better than vanilla but it’s not gamebreaking or devastating not to have them. IDK what DLC the Epic version is giving away because I have it on Steam and had to get all the DLC myself.

 

[neogunhero]

Steam's preference selections have improved since I last tried them out. You can now block porn without blocking adult content games. I don't care that this material is on Steam, but what is annoying is the vast quantities of it. It's literally, at times, made going through some of the queues I generate quite a slog.

Glad this filter exists. Not everybody is just going to be okay with seeing explicit nudity on their store page or in their games. More games need less nudity or at the very least options to censor it. I had to download a No Nudity mod for TW3 for family reasons. As a grown man in a committed relationship, seeing virtual girls nude gives me no pleasure and frankly disgusts me.

 

[Pifanjr]

I did end up playing a bit more of Mindustry on my phone. The controls are still not great, but I'm getting more used to it. Using the copy paste option helps and I noticed you can save a template to use for later as well, but I haven't used it yet.

I've only done 4 levels so far, but I really like that you can continue playing in a level after defeating all the waves to unlock more research. I've mostly just been expanding one level, which now has a 6 lane highway transporting resources to my base. Seeing that steady stream of resources makes me forget the fiddly controls a bit.

 

[ZedClampet]

It's amazing how everything goes to the last second in game development. House Flipper released it's major DLC today that greatly expands the game (you can build houses from scratch, now, or just add additions to existing houses. And, for some reason, you have farming and a grappling hook).

Anyway, they delayed the launch of the DLC by 30 minutes. The implications of that are a little scary. Maybe I should wait a day or two before launching this thing.

 

[neogunhero]

It's amazing how everything goes to the last second in game development. House Flipper released it's major DLC today that greatly expands the game (you can build houses from scratch, now, or just add additions to existing houses. And, for some reason, you have farming and a grappling hook).

Anyway, they delayed the launch of the DLC by 30 minutes. The implications of that are a little scary. Maybe I should wait a day or two before launching this thing.

I’ve never heard of a game or DLC release get delayed for that short Hopefully it was something simple, like a typo in the code that was causing the game to not work properly, rather than something more serious. I wasn’t a huge fan of the base game but that DLC sounds interesting and more in line with what I was hoping to get out of the game when I first played it, I’ll have to give it a look!

 

[Zloth]

That could just be some issue on the Steam side causing a small delay.

A new DLC showed up for X4:Foundations, so I've been busy playing that and updating my new guide.

 

[ZedClampet]

I bought a piece of land in House Flipper and am recreating my dream house, which happens to be the home my aunt and uncle owned in Florida. It was "U" shaped and in the middle there was a pool with a rock waterfall on one end. The pool was bordered on three sides by the house, and over top and on the open end it had netting to keep bugs and other wildlife out. There were solar panels on the roof that heated up the waterfall for year-round swimming.

The, er, bottom line of the "U" was a tiered, open floor plan with the kitchen, eating area and living room. Along the sides of the "U" were bedrooms and bathrooms. Their daughter and her family lived with them (It's an Italian thing).

Anyway, I can't do the netting over the pool nor the tiered floor design, but the rest is coming along nicely. Instead of a waterfall at one end of the pool (another thing I can't do), I added an elevated hot tub.

Been pretty fun.

 

[Brian Boru]

recreating my dream house, which happens to be the home my aunt and uncle owned

Oh that's pretty neat
Brought Fallingwater to mind—there's a future project for you.

Far Cry 6

In the middle of an occasional work project at the moment, so sticking with a no-learn option… and I'm curious how play on Hard—known in-game as Guerrilla if I recall correctly—will go, as in will it be more enjoyable, or differently enjoyable. If it's not, I'll drop it.

I mentioned 1-2 weeks ago I couldn't start a new game. Issue was the 3 save slots were occupied, once I deleted one of 'em all was well. I still have the annoying KB problems I detailed before, where game minimizes to Taskbar when using certain keys in certain ways.

Still had to go thru the annoying intro sequence, which is basically just running around the city for ~15 minutes. Good news is almost all cut scenes are skippable, thanks for that Ubi.

Tactics changes for Hard

Got shredded a couple of times on the opening island, so can't just dance around as freely as in Normal. The tactic of sending Guapo—my croc Amigo—to attack someone on the W side while I sneak in on the E side is proving successful. Baddies are easier to pick off when they've all been decoyed to the same direction—much reduced flanking danger.

I may just stick with Guapo and ignore the other Amigos. Guapo has the huge trait of reviving himself back to 90% health a couple of minutes after being killed. The Wicked Chicken is the most fun Amigo, but has an annoying Space Invaders melee to get him… so I'll probably let him RIP—roost in peace.

One thing I don't like is now there are no enemy indicators on the mini map, that's making things slower as more thorough scouting and more defensible positions are now essential.

Putting the Basics in place

This time when landing on the main island, I didn't follow the mission guide to meet Philly because that takes quite a while and doesn't give any FT—Fast Travel—point early on, which is a pain if I need to quit the game. Instead I used my pre-knowledge of the map and landed near the closest enemy base and captured it, and then worked up to Philly.

That got me to Meet the Monteros, which allowed me to build my first 2 camps—the essential Hideout Network and the desirable Guerrilla Garrison. So now I have the wingsuit, the first bunch of FTs, and I was able to buy the KSG—Kill Soldado Guys?—which is the best shotgun. I have the MS 16S AR for now, and saving up for the best MS 16L which is also available to buy. That'll leave only the RAT4 purchase to complete my ideal loadout.

Priority objectives for now are to kill the anti-aircraft sites—so I can use wingsuit over more of the map—and capture road checkpoints, which also provide FTs. That should provide a good base for going after enemy bases and whatever story missions I feel like doing.