December 2025 General Games Discussion

[neogunhero]

I just bought STALKER: Call of Prypiat on GOG just so I can play the mod STALKER GAMMA. I could have just modded the Steam version, but after skimming through the installation guide, my eyes glazed over and my brain fried. If you own Call of Prypiat or Stalker 2 on GOG, you can install GAMMA with just one click. I thought $14 for a game I already own was worth it just for the ease of installation, as well as supporting DRM-free gaming and the devs at GSC was also another incentive to buy again. I really need to use GOG more.

Stalker GAMMA is a hardcore, immersive mod pack, aiming to provide the best experience in the Zone possible. It has over 400 different addons included that change everything from visuals, audio, gunplay, NPC behavior, looting, economy, A-Life (the constant NPC simulation that happens even when you're not around), quite literally everything. Survival mechanics are more prevalent, you must eat and sleep to survive. Factions and their relationships have been reworked to make your choices and actions much more consequential. Bullet penetration has been added, making gunfights much deadlier even when hiding behind cover. Brand new bounty hunting missions and other contracts provides more freedom to how you find success in the Zone.

All of this sounds exciting, but really the one and only feature I was interested in was the ability to have a custom picture as an item you can bring up and view. I bought the game, downloaded the HUGE mod (85gb download!) then proceeded to spend 15 minutes figuring out how to put a picture of my wife and dog in the game. Now as I'm roaming the Zone, fighting for my life against bandits, mutants and violent anomalies, I can pull out my photo of my wife, regain a tiny bit of health, then puff down on a cigarette. Gaming in 2025 is amazing.

 

[BeardyHat]

I just bought STALKER: Call of Prypiat on GOG just so I can play the mod STALKER GAMMA. I could have just modded the Steam version, but after skimming through the installation guide, my eyes glazed over and my brain fried. If you own Call of Prypiat or Stalker 2 on GOG, you can install GAMMA with just one click. I thought $14 for a game I already own was worth it just for the ease of installation, as well as supporting DRM-free gaming and the devs at GSC was also another incentive to buy again. I really need to use GOG more.

Stalker GAMMA is a hardcore, immersive mod pack, aiming to provide the best experience in the Zone possible. It has over 400 different addons included that change everything from visuals, audio, gunplay, NPC behavior, looting, economy, A-Life (the constant NPC simulation that happens even when you're not around), quite literally everything. Survival mechanics are more prevalent, you must eat and sleep to survive. Factions and their relationships have been reworked to make your choices and actions much more consequential. Bullet penetration has been added, making gunfights much deadlier even when hiding behind cover. Brand new bounty hunting missions and other contracts provides more freedom to how you find success in the Zone.

All of this sounds exciting, but really the one and only feature I was interested in was the ability to have a custom picture as an item you can bring up and view. I bought the game, downloaded the HUGE mod (85gb download!) then proceeded to spend 15 minutes figuring out how to put a picture of my wife and dog in the game. Now as I'm roaming the Zone, fighting for my life against bandits, mutants and violent anomalies, I can pull out my photo of my wife, regain a tiny bit of health, then puff down on a cigarette. Gaming in 2025 is amazing.

I'll be curious to hear your thoughts as you play. I've tried a few STALKER mods (Misery, in particular), but they all felt way too punishing to play too much of; I feel like Stalker generally has a good difficulty curve, being somewhat punishing, but not overly so, but modders push it to the my limit.

I ended-up just going back to the stock Stalker installs. Much as I love the idea of GAMMA or something else and it does sound awesome, I end-up just getting tired and putting it down after not very long.

Also neat that you can add your own pictures! And slightly amusing that you spent so much time putting your wife and dog in and not bothering to mod the Steam version.

Since my Desktop is down, I went through today and setup my laptop in it's place. It's a hacky setup, with an HDMI cable, two USB, Ethernet all plugged in to my Steam Deck Dock, which is plugged into the USB port of my laptop and then on the laptop itself, another HDMI, dock, power cable and laptop raiser/cooling fan. It's a little ridiculous, but at least I can sit at my desk and use all my normal monitors, keyboard, etc. We'll see if I just end-up leaving the laptop down here or actually hauling it up with me to use around the house. Thankfully I have multiple chargers, so I can largely just leave everything intact.

 

[neogunhero]

I'll be curious to hear your thoughts as you play. I've tried a few STALKER mods (Misery, in particular), but they all felt way too punishing to play too much of; I feel like Stalker generally has a good difficulty curve, being somewhat punishing, but not overly so, but modders push it to the my limit.

I felt the same way with some other mods I've tried. Misery was intended to be very punishing if I remember correctly. I've only played for about an hour total, but from what I can tell, GAMMA can be as punishing as you want it to be. It gives lots of options for adjusting the difficulty to suit your playstyle. Of course with all the addons included, you can use the built in Mod Configuration Menu to adjust some things. I've barely dived into the plethora of settings you can tweak when it comes to the addons, but I'm willing to be there are many things you could change to make it more forgiving.

I'm basically playing the "stock" version of Gamma on Rookie/easy difficulty and already there are extra systems to keep track of that could add to the difficulty. Sleep, hunger and thirst are among them. You can also only save at friendly bases while near a campfire, but you are randomly given "Daddy Tokens"(the hell kind of name is that?) that allow you to spend them to save anywhere you want. I only have one currently so you have to use them wisely. Other addons like fast travel can make the game a bit easier, but they add some challenge to it by making you pay a fare as well as losing a small bit of gear durability and becoming tired and hungry. Nothing comes easy in this game apparently.

I'll most likely restart the game multiple times until I find a configuration I'm willing to stick with. I like all the new systems, but I still want to strike a balance between challenging and enjoyable. Gamma is meant to be played for a long time, but I don't want to hit a wall in terms of progression being too difficult or too grindy.

Also neat that you can add your own pictures! And slightly amusing that you spent so much time putting your wife and dog in and not bothering to mod the Steam version.

It was a bit convoluted but that could have just been user error. The texture was a .dds file, I though I could just open it in GIMP, replace the photo and save it, but that didn't work. I ended up finding some site that converts photos to .dds format, and replacing it in the textures folder with the same name. Easier than installing the mod I though, that requires you to install both Anomaly then Gamma lol.

 

[neogunhero]

So, i have returned to Destiny 2... i think.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on the Renegade expansion. I never got really into Destiny 2, the game seemed to be increasingly more and more complex, with no good reason to be. Renegade seems to be a lot more focused, and of course the Star Wars theme is awesome. I may check that out one day on sale if it turns out to be good.

 

[Pifanjr]

My brother always gets a shiny new gadget for Christmas from his boss. Last year he got a drone, which he gave away to our nephews, and this year he got a Switch 2, which he decided to give away to us. My daughter was ecstatic, she has been asking for one since she played on a Switch at a friend's house.

However, it obviously means we now need to start buying games for it and Nintendo is deathly allergic to things like "sales" or "reducing the price of decade-old games". The console came with Mario Kart World and we could get Fortnite for free, but anything else is going to cost us. At least we have Christmas coming up and my kid's birthday isn't too far away, so we can justify buying her a game for both of those occasions.

It seemed like fun, but stealth in that game is critically important. I tried to be more balanced between stealth and just barging in, which didn't work out well. Then I kept dumping all advancement perks toward stealth and couldn't catch up to the level needed.

That was a while back but still, I think you'll want to check a guide on just how to play.

I usually don't like checking guides, I prefer mostly mucking around on my own, but I do appreciate your advice to stick to stealth as much as possible.

 

[Zloth]

Dragon's Dogma 2 has some interesting travel systems. One of them is something like a ski lift/gondola. There are poles set up in the desert with wheels on the top and ropes between them. You and your pawns get on a little platform and somebody (you or a pawn) cranks a wheel around to make it move. It ain't fast, but it's faster than running through a desert overrun by monsters.

Harpies like attacking these things. So far, that's just given me something to do while the platform trundles along, but lately it has gotten serious. The harpies are getting stronger (a pawn called them succubi?) and can fly into the platform to attack us. I fell off and died once. Another time, the whole platform crumbled and dropped the whole party! I used a wakestone to get back up, otherwise the whole party would have been wiped out. (It was pitch dark, too, so wouldn't make for a good video.)

At least we have Christmas coming up and my kid's birthday isn't too far away, so we can justify buying her a game for both of those occasions.

Oh no! He's going to get her Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition and his daughter is going to leave all of us in the dust! I can see it now. "She says spirit ashes are spooky, so she just wins using the sword she got at the start of the game." <shudder>

 

[neogunhero]

However, it obviously means we now need to start buying games for it and Nintendo is deathly allergic to things like "sales" or "reducing the price of decade-old games". The console came with Mario Kart World and we could get Fortnite for free, but anything else is going to cost us. At least we have Christmas coming up and my kid's birthday isn't too far away, so we can justify buying her a game for both of those occasions.

There are some really good Nintendo games that offer tons of hours of gameplay, and the ability to buy secondhand physical copies is a nice benefit we don't always get on PC. Switch Online also seems to be a good deal with games included, though it's all older games.

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Ended up playing nothing but STALKER GAMMA all weekend. This game is seriously tough. One thing that I finally got the hang of is how the healing system works. It’s not as simple as popping a medkit, there are two different stages to healing you must do, and you must account for individual limb and head/torso damage.

The first stage is “First Aid”, which provides temporary healing to your wounds. The First Aid stage fills the health bars with a yellow line, which you then must use “Post Healing” items to permanently heal yourself. Different items heal specific areas of the body, so you’re usually carrying a good variety of drugs like a walking pharmacist. Usually in a firefight you’ll use bandages and first aid kits, then once you get out of danger pop a few various pills to post heal yourself. Typically they have negative side effects like making you dizzy or thirsty, so that’s another thing to constantly be aware of.

Speaking of firefights, enemies in this game are incredibly deadly. A few shots and you’re done, plus throw in a few highly skilled Military enemies and you’ll get sniped from very far. Enemies come in a variety of skill levels, so basic bandits aren't sharpshooters, but Military and Duty can be. Ammo is scarce, your weapons are broken and jam like hell, armor breaks within a few shots, you’re best to just avoid firefights whenever possible early on in the game.

Repairing weapons and armor is where I’m having difficulty with right now. As you may expect, again it’s not as simple and going to a craftsman or using a repair kit. You can use these, but they always require additional repair material and tools. Weapons can be broken down into a few individual parts like bolts, triggers, gas mechanisms, etc, same thing goes for armor. Each one of these parts requires a specific crafting material, plus a specific crafting kit, and sometimes requires you to bring that kit to a workbench. It’s very convoluted.

I’m constantly restarting the game to find what would be the best playstyle for me. I really like the idea of Warfare mode, in which the levels are scattered with many different camps with capture points. Factions duke it out all across the world, constantly changing hands between the different camps. Faction relations can change over time as well, so people that were once your ally can easily become your enemy should you do the wrong thing, such as accidentally killing them or continuously failing their missions to make you untrustworthy. For now I’m still playing around with how I want to approach the game officially, plus I’m learning all the mechanics as I go. I will most likely start another playthrough but keep Warfare mode off as things do happen and change so quickly that it’s hard to keep up with. Story Mode it is then.

 

[BeardyHat]

There are some really good Nintendo games that offer tons of hours of gameplay, and the ability to buy secondhand physical copies is a nice benefit we don't always get on PC. Switch Online also seems to be a good deal with games included, though it's all older games.

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Ended up playing nothing but STALKER GAMMA all weekend. This game is seriously tough. One thing that I finally got the hang of is how the healing system works. It’s not as simple as popping a medkit, there are two different stages to healing you must do, and you must account for individual limb and head/torso damage.

The first stage is “First Aid”, which provides temporary healing to your wounds. The First Aid stage fills the health bars with a yellow line, which you then must use “Post Healing” items to permanently heal yourself. Different items heal specific areas of the body, so you’re usually carrying a good variety of drugs like a walking pharmacist. Usually in a firefight you’ll use bandages and first aid kits, then once you get out of danger pop a few various pills to post heal yourself. Typically they have negative side effects like making you dizzy or thirsty, so that’s another thing to constantly be aware of.

Speaking of firefights, enemies in this game are incredibly deadly. A few shots and you’re done, plus throw in a few highly skilled Military enemies and you’ll get sniped from very far. Enemies come in a variety of skill levels, so basic bandits aren't sharpshooters, but Military and Duty can be. Ammo is scarce, your weapons are broken and jam like hell, armor breaks within a few shots, you’re best to just avoid firefights whenever possible early on in the game.

Repairing weapons and armor is where I’m having difficulty with right now. As you may expect, again it’s not as simple and going to a craftsman or using a repair kit. You can use these, but they always require additional repair material and tools. Weapons can be broken down into a few individual parts like bolts, triggers, gas mechanisms, etc, same thing goes for armor. Each one of these parts requires a specific crafting material, plus a specific crafting kit, and sometimes requires you to bring that kit to a workbench. It’s very convoluted.

I’m constantly restarting the game to find what would be the best playstyle for me. I really like the idea of Warfare mode, in which the levels are scattered with many different camps with capture points. Factions duke it out all across the world, constantly changing hands between the different camps. Faction relations can change over time as well, so people that were once your ally can easily become your enemy should you do the wrong thing, such as accidentally killing them or continuously failing their missions to make you untrustworthy. For now I’m still playing around with how I want to approach the game officially, plus I’m learning all the mechanics as I go. I will most likely start another playthrough but keep Warfare mode off as things do happen and change so quickly that it’s hard to keep up with. Story Mode it is then.

Definitely sounds cool, but probably not for me these days. I did see it on GoG and I do own CoP EE on GoG, so I was thinking about giving it an install just to check it out.

But it sounds pretty similar to Misery, as far as health goes, dying, guns breaking, etc and that was just a bit too hardcore for me as an old man.

I'll probably still give it a try though and probably on Steam Deck, which definitely isn't the ideal place to play 😂

 

[Pifanjr]

There are some really good Nintendo games that offer tons of hours of gameplay, and the ability to buy secondhand physical copies is a nice benefit we don't always get on PC. Switch Online also seems to be a good deal with games included, though it's all older games.

If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them. I looked through the available games and didn't see anything I'd really want to play. It doesn't help that I don't care for platformers or most action-adventure games. The only one that seemed interesting was Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles, but not for 50 bucks.

And while buying secondhand is a nice option, PC games generally get a lot more discounts. Though I did see that a lot of third party games available on the Switch 2 are a lot more reasonably priced and get better discounts.

 

[neogunhero]

Definitely sounds cool, but probably not for me these days. I did see it on GoG and I do own CoP EE on GoG, so I was thinking about giving it an install just to check it out.

But it sounds pretty similar to Misery, as far as health goes, dying, guns breaking, etc and that was just a bit too hardcore for me as an old man.

I'll probably still give it a try though and probably on Steam Deck, which definitely isn't the ideal place to play 😂

It definitely is hardcore and has so many systems to learn. My approach of doing multiple restarts seems to help with learning everything the game has to offer, getting me ready for a long playthrough. Warfare mode is honestly a bit of a gimmick, I wouldn't recommend actually playing the game like this, but it's a good way to learn the game quick. A few minutes out in the Zone and you're bound to find enemies to practice on.

I did see a video of someone getting it to work on Steam Deck at a solid 30FPS, so it's definitely possible.

If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them. I looked through the available games and didn't see anything I'd really want to play. It doesn't help that I don't care for platformers or most action-adventure games. The only one that seemed interesting was Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles, but not for 50 bucks.

And while buying secondhand is a nice option, PC games generally get a lot more discounts. Though I did see that a lot of third party games available on the Switch 2 are a lot more reasonably priced and get better discounts.

I've only played a handful of Switch games before. Zelda Breath of the Wild is the easiest recommendation, it's wonderful sandbox giving you lots of tools to let your imagination run free. Mario Odyssey is also a great one, but if you're not into running the challenges, the main game can be beat in around 20 hours or so.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them. I looked through the available games and didn't see anything I'd really want to play. It doesn't help that I don't care for platformers or most action-adventure games. The only one that seemed interesting was Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles, but not for 50 bucks.

And while buying secondhand is a nice option, PC games generally get a lot more discounts. Though I did see that a lot of third party games available on the Switch 2 are a lot more reasonably priced and get better discounts.

If you're looking for a kids first tactics game then Mario Vs Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a lot of fun. Nintendo tax is real but they have had Xmas sales sometimes so you might get a deal.

Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is also a really fun and clever co op puzzle game.

Luigis Mansion 3 is great, light puzzles exploration and action.

Kirby and The Forgotten Land is absolutely deranged and my kid loves it, the co op mode is great there too. Its an action game though.

SnipperClips is also great with the kid, a really unique co-op puzzle game.

There are a lot of smaller budget 3rd party tactics games there as well, like Darkest Dungeon or Into the Breach. I also heard a lot of good things about Unicorn Overlord which isnt on PC for some reason.

 

[Pifanjr]

I've only played a handful of Switch games before. Zelda Breath of the Wild is the easiest recommendation, it's wonderful sandbox giving you lots of tools to let your imagination run free. Mario Odyssey is also a great one, but if you're not into running the challenges, the main game can be beat in around 20 hours or so.

Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom might be fun to mess around with, but the cheapest I can find BotW for is second-hand at €25 for the Switch 1 version, which then requires another €10 to get the Switch 2 upgrade and doesn't include transportation costs to go pick it up from the seller. I don't care enough about the Zelda games to justify that price.

Mario Odyssey is similarly expensive and is a platformer, so I would be even more hard pressed to spend anything over €10 for it.

I appreciate the suggestions though.

If you're looking for a kids first tactics game then Mario Vs Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a lot of fun. Nintendo tax is real but they have had Xmas sales sometimes so you might get a deal.

There are a lot of smaller budget 3rd party tactics games there as well, like Darkest Dungeon or Into the Breach. I also heard a lot of good things about Unicorn Overlord which isnt on PC for some reason.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Darkest Dungeon look interesting and have been discounted to less than €10, so I'll put those on my wishlist, thanks!

 

[neogunhero]

Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom might be fun to mess around with, but the cheapest I can find BotW for is second-hand at €25 for the Switch 1 version, which then requires another €10 to get the Switch 2 upgrade and doesn't include transportation costs to go pick it up from the seller. I don't care enough about the Zelda games to justify that price.

Mario Odyssey is similarly expensive and is a platformer, so I would be even more hard pressed to spend anything over €10 for it.

I appreciate the suggestions though.

You weren't kidding about Nintendo being adverse to sales and discounts. That adversity also translates itself to higher secondhand prices. That's too bad because those two games are fantastic. I don't get how some people are primarily Nintendo gamers, you have to be loaded with cash to grow a decent library on those systems.

 

[Pifanjr]

You weren't kidding about Nintendo being adverse to sales and discounts. That adversity also translates itself to higher secondhand prices. That's too bad because those two games are fantastic. I don't get how some people are primarily Nintendo gamers, you have to be loaded with cash to grow a decent library on those systems.

There are plenty of PC gamers who buy AAA games on launch, which would be just as expensive, so I guess the main difference is that Nintendo gamers can get more money if they sell their games later.

Anyway, I found the SteamDB equivalent for Switch games, https://www.dekudeals.com/, and added a whole bunch of games to my wishlist:

Spoiler: Wishlisted games

Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Wildermyth: Console Edition
Littlewood
Stacklands
Core Keeper
The Banner Saga
Valkyria Chronicles 4
Monster Train 2
Banner Saga 3
Banner Saga 2
Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut
Transistor
Shogun Showdown
DAVE THE DIVER Nintendo Switch™ 2 Edition
The Last Spell
Risk of Rain 2
Dead Cells
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
Cassette Beasts
Torchlight II
Monster Train First Class
BALL x PIT – Nintendo Switch™ 2 Edition
Valkyria Chronicles
Hades
It Takes Two
STAR WARS™: Knights of the Old Republic™
ISLANDERS: New Shores
Mario + Rabbids® Kingdom Battle
Darkest Dungeon®

These are mostly for me, I'll have to do another pass to check for games for my kid, but this site works a lot better than the official store.

 

[BeardyHat]

There are plenty of PC gamers who buy AAA games on launch, which would be just as expensive, so I guess the main difference is that Nintendo gamers can get more money if they sell their games later.

Anyway, I found the SteamDB equivalent for Switch games, https://www.dekudeals.com/, and added a whole bunch of games to my wishlist:

Spoiler: Wishlisted games

Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Wildermyth: Console Edition
Littlewood
Stacklands
Core Keeper
The Banner Saga
Valkyria Chronicles 4
Monster Train 2
Banner Saga 3
Banner Saga 2
Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut
Transistor
Shogun Showdown
DAVE THE DIVER Nintendo Switch™ 2 Edition
The Last Spell
Risk of Rain 2
Dead Cells
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
Cassette Beasts
Torchlight II
Monster Train First Class
BALL x PIT – Nintendo Switch™ 2 Edition
Valkyria Chronicles
Hades
It Takes Two
STAR WARS™: Knights of the Old Republic™
ISLANDERS: New Shores
Mario + Rabbids® Kingdom Battle
Darkest Dungeon®

These are mostly for me, I'll have to do another pass to check for games for my kid, but this site works a lot better than the official store.

I'll vouch for Breath of the Wild. Granted, I just emulated it on my Deck and didn't end up finishing it, but I enjoyed the amount that I played. Still think about going back to it, but there are some annoying bits with it.

By the same token with all the games listed, why not get them on Steam instead? At least if you have a PC in ten years, they'll still be playable, versus having a Switch 4, where you'll need to keep your old hardware around to actually play the stuff most likely.

But maybe it'll be easily hackable by then and you can just pirate stuff, I dunno. That's what I do with my 3DS...

 

[Pifanjr]

I'll vouch for Breath of the Wild. Granted, I just emulated it on my Deck and didn't end up finishing it, but I enjoyed the amount that I played. Still think about going back to it, but there are some annoying bits with it.

By the same token with all the games listed, why not get them on Steam instead? At least if you have a PC in ten years, they'll still be playable, versus having a Switch 4, where you'll need to keep your old hardware around to actually play the stuff most likely.

But maybe it'll be easily hackable by then and you can just pirate stuff, I dunno. That's what I do with my 3DS...

The main difference between the Switch and Steam is how easy it is to start up. It's much easier to grab the Switch and play for a couple of minutes than it is to switch the HDMI cable and the USB for my mouse and keyboard from my work laptop to my game PC, then hope the PC actually starts up. Most of the games I put on my wishlist are games you can play in short sessions.

That's a fairly small difference though and there's a good chance I'll only get one or maybe two of the games I put on that list and still do most of my gaming on the PC.

I did go back and added a bunch more games which are appropriate for my kid, including a bunch with local multiplayer, since my kid is probably the one who'll use it the most.

 

[BeardyHat]

The main difference between the Switch and Steam is how easy it is to start up. It's much easier to grab the Switch and play for a couple of minutes than it is to switch the HDMI cable and the USB for my mouse and keyboard from my work laptop to my game PC, then hope the PC actually starts up. Most of the games I put on my wishlist are games you can play in short sessions.

That's a fairly small difference though and there's a good chance I'll only get one or maybe two of the games I put on that list and still do most of my gaming on the PC.

I did go back and added a bunch more games which are appropriate for my kid, including a bunch with local multiplayer, since my kid is probably the one who'll use it the most.

Alright, I'm just gonna say it: Steam Deck.

You can essentially have all the same thing but with the Deck. Grab it, unsleep it and start playing. Obviously, that means buying new hardware and I know you'll probably end-up giving the Switch to the kiddo, but there's options!

I dunno, I am just over Nintendo. From their hardware and software costs, closed systems, asking people to rebuy the same stuff, stealing emulation projects from the community and then suing them, etc, etc. But if I got a Switch for free, I'm sure I'd be doing the same and wanting to spend some money for some games.

 

[Johnway]

Not much going on on my front. yakuza5 i've got to the second half of act 3 and it seems like we've get introduced to akiyama's side of things adding much needed combat to harukas story. i've just been spending the time wandering the city completing the various challenges and just side content before progressing the story. Akiyama doesn't add any real side jobs as haruka fulfills that role and honestly i'm almost done with that.

Onto other gaming news POE i'm still playing it. only got 11 challenges but i can easily make a move on 2 or 3 challenges if i decided to just do them. I've pretty much done all the maps except for the tier 17 ones ( i need to find the bloody maps first).

Again like the previous leagues the main issue is that its becoming very luck based. i could probably complete challenges faster if the things just spawned. Would probably be closer to 15 at this point. But still short of the 28 needed before i can check out.

 

[Pifanjr]

Alright, I'm just gonna say it: Steam Deck.

You can essentially have all the same thing but with the Deck. Grab it, unsleep it and start playing. Obviously, that means buying new hardware and I know you'll probably end-up giving the Switch to the kiddo, but there's options!

I dunno, I am just over Nintendo. From their hardware and software costs, closed systems, asking people to rebuy the same stuff, stealing emulation projects from the community and then suing them, etc, etc. But if I got a Switch for free, I'm sure I'd be doing the same and wanting to spend some money for some games.

I can't sell the Switch 2 and buy a Steam Deck instead when it was a gift from my brother mostly to my kid. And even if it was a gift just for me, selling a gift that expensive is kind of in poor taste, as it's obviously way more than he'd normally spend on a gift.

And of course, buying my own is way too expensive for what I'd get out of it.

 

[Zloth]

Spent several hours in Dragon's Dogma 2 yesterday just exploring. No quest, just a valley guarded by a dragon and an interesting looking set of ruins on a ridge. I tried going in there long ago, but the dragon wasted me, so I came back at higher level.

My new 'discoverer' ability that makes seeker tokens (that you can trade in for nice equipment) go 'ping' and let's you play 'hot and cold' going by the frequency of the pings has added a lot, too. I hear the ping and I *MUST* find the token! That's led to a lot more exploration, as I go scrambling up ledges and levitating around to try and get to them. And, wouldn't you know it, one of the equipment things you can earn is the 'dowsing daggers.' They flash when there's a treasure chest close by, flashing faster as you get closer. Still more things to hunt down!

The sad thing is that the game is getting quite easy. The rewards I get for finding things are good but, with the game being so easy, they tend to just get dumped into common storage until needed, which isn't likely to ever happen. I presume that's why I didn't hear much about all this ahead of time - most folks want decent rewards for their searching. At least with this game, I don't care. I find it and that's reward enough.

Still, I think it's time to get that 'custom difficulty mod' off Nexus.

 

[BeardyHat]

I can't sell the Switch 2 and buy a Steam Deck instead when it was a gift from my brother mostly to my kid. And even if it was a gift just for me, selling a gift that expensive is kind of in poor taste, as it's obviously way more than he'd normally spend on a gift.

And of course, buying my own is way too expensive for what I'd get out of it.

Oh no, I'm definitely not saying that. I'm saying that the Deck just makes more sense, since whatever you buy you'll keep indefinitely (probably), rather than buying stuff on Nintendo that will be invalidated within a generation or two.

Obviously you got the hardware for free, so spending any money on software puts you ahead, it's just, Nintendo, you know.

Anyway, I'm going say, get Darkest Dungeon. I played like 170-hours of it on my Vita and that runs (mostly) at like 30fps. Gotta know what you're getting into though; it seems like a game where the heroes are important, but they're not. They disposable. Your village is what matters.

Also, Darkest Companion on the Google Play Store is your friend.

 

[neogunhero]

Restarted a new character in Stalker GAMMA and I'm going to stick with this as my main playthrough, I've had enough practice for now. I started as a Loner as it has a nice mix of neutral and enemy faction relations, the game can be too easy if you're in good standing with too many factions such as Freedom. Of course throughout the game you can always alter these relations, but starting out, having 4 friendly and 4 enemy factions works well. I also started on Story mode, Warfare mode is really awesome but way too buggy and chaotic. Points change hands between factions in a matter of minutes, the firefights become all out wars, it's just too crazy and hard to keep up with if you really want to fight for your faction. Story mode is better for a "normal" playthrough.

One thing I'm starting to learn is that you can basically call anywhere home if you'd like, there are even very basic base building mechanics in this game to build a shelter or place decorations and furniture. So far all I have is a sleeping bag placed in an old train car and a storage box, but I've seen other players bases online and they're really awesome. One day I'll have a nice apartment to call my own.

I didn't have much time to play yesterday so I haven't actually started the missions yet, just roaming around and collecting things to sell or break down to crafting resources. I really need to upload some screenshots because this game is gorgeous at times.

 

[BeardyHat]

Restarted a new character in Stalker GAMMA and I'm going to stick with this as my main playthrough, I've had enough practice for now. I started as a Loner as it has a nice mix of neutral and enemy faction relations, the game can be too easy if you're in good standing with too many factions such as Freedom. Of course throughout the game you can always alter these relations, but starting out, having 4 friendly and 4 enemy factions works well. I also started on Story mode, Warfare mode is really awesome but way too buggy and chaotic. Points change hands between factions in a matter of minutes, the firefights become all out wars, it's just too crazy and hard to keep up with if you really want to fight for your faction. Story mode is better for a "normal" playthrough.

One thing I'm starting to learn is that you can basically call anywhere home if you'd like, there are even very basic base building mechanics in this game to build a shelter or place decorations and furniture. So far all I have is a sleeping bag placed in an old train car and a storage box, but I've seen other players bases online and they're really awesome. One day I'll have a nice apartment to call my own.

I didn't have much time to play yesterday so I haven't actually started the missions yet, just roaming around and collecting things to sell or break down to crafting resources. I really need to upload some screenshots because this game is gorgeous at times.

Was going to install this today, but it's absolutely massive! Had to clear out some games to actually make the space for it and then, I might wait until January. I've been hitting my data cap pretty hard downloading AI models.

Plus I'm still very invested in Darkest Dungeon 2. I'm taking down detailed thoughts for gods sake's, trying to figure out why certain team comps aren't working for me and I'm getting crushed early on. Think I've got it figured at this point, but I'll wait until tomorrow when I (probably) start a new run.

Seems like a big gamble for the studio, hopefully it pays out.

Ashes of Creation on Steam

Ashes of Creation is an old-school take on the modern MMORPG set in a living, reactive world where your choices shape civilization. In this PvX open world sandbox, players will build cities, forge empires, and lay siege to foes. Uncover the Ancients as you fight to reclaim the fallen world of Verra.

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Moving this over to this thread, so we're in the correct month.

Honestly, looks pretty bland. I'm not convinced the realistic art style is the correct choice for an MMO, let alone most games; it ages poorly and blends in with absolutely everything else. I think part of the reason for WoW's appeal is just that distinctive art style, you can immediately tell what that game is and what you're looking at. Of course, it's not foolproof, see Wildstar as an example, but as someone who used to be a huge MMO fan, having tried dozens, this looks like more of the same we've seen over the years. I'll probably still keep an eye on it, but I don't see it really going anywhere.

I'm honestly not sure what would bring me back to MMO's. When I want to dip into one, I just go back to Turtle WoW, because it's doing exactly what I want the genre to do. Be basically WoW Classic, but with a bunch of new and interesting stuff added. But even then, I don't often play that long, a week, two maybe and then I'm back on to something else; been there done that, as far as MMO's go.

 

[Frindis]

Moving this over to this thread, so we're in the correct month.

Thank you

Honestly, looks pretty bland. I'm not convinced the realistic art style is the correct choice for an MMO, let alone most games; it ages poorly and blends in with absolutely everything else. I think part of the reason for WoW's appeal is just that distinctive art style, you can immediately tell what that game is and what you're looking at. Of course, it's not foolproof, see Wildstar as an example, but as someone who used to be a huge MMO fan, having tried dozens, this looks like more of the same we've seen over the years. I'll probably still keep an eye on it, but I don't see it really going anywhere.

Yeah, it does look a bit bland. It could be that it is more appealing for those who played Dark Age of Camelot and those early ones, or perhaps Guild Wars. I'm going to keep half an eye on it, but that is about it.

I'm honestly not sure what would bring me back to MMO's. When I want to dip into one, I just go back to Turtle WoW, because it's doing exactly what I want the genre to do. Be basically WoW Classic, but with a bunch of new and interesting stuff added. But even then, I don't often play that long, a week, two maybe and then I'm back on to something else; been there done that, as far as MMO's go.

I might jump back into LOTRO since I have just rewatched all the movies. Maybe take my horse and visit Bree and The Shire. It's a very cozy and accurate game for any LOTR fans. I also have to watch this video when I get the time

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYipECdYpXc&t=4010s

 

[Frindis]

@BeardyHat Btw, have you tried Where Winds Meet? It is a surprisingly refreshing RPG game set in ancient Chinese times of mythology and such. It got some of that MMO feel, and so far I have been having a blast just roaming around doing stuff like fishing, petting kittens and finding dungeons. It's free and kind of takes me back to the Age of Wushu MMO. Unfortunately, that game was waaaay too PTW , so kind of nice to be able to run on walls and do martial arts in this one. If you ever take it for a spin, I would recommend using the Chinese voice with English sub, because the English voicing is really bad.

Where Winds Meet on Steam

Where Winds Meet is an epic Wuxia open-world action-adventure RPG set in ancient China at the tenth century. Players will assume the role of a young sword master as they embark on a journey to uncover the mysteries of their own identity. Let the wind carry your legend on an epic journey to the East!

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