Wasteland 3

[Kaamos_Llama]

Games out on Friday 28.8, reviews up on PCG and looking pretty good. Anyone else looking forward to it?

Its on Gamepass, so I'm currently preinstalling it hopefully I can get a good session in with it this weekend. Spent a lot of time with Wasteland 2 and wouldnt have minded spending the 60.

 

[drunkpunk]

I haven't played any of the previous Wasteland games but I'll definitely be checking this one out, as it has co-op. Gotta love gamepass, too.

 

[OsaX Nymloth]

Backer here, definitely want to dive in.
There's one problem tho, I am still on Windows 7 (makes no sense installing Win 10 on 5 years old machine).
Beta worked flawlessly for me, no issues at all, so there's that hope. We shall see.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

I never played the OG Wasteland, but I played through Wasteland 2 and went through the enhanced edition a few years ago. Looks like they've improved some aspects of the combat UI as well as making it prettier. Hope they can keep the same feel as well as improving on the formula.

 

[Frindis]

Currently installing with Gamepass. Wasteland 2 was a bit hit and miss, so I'm hoping Wasteland 3 will be better combat wise, not to mention not having any game-breaking bugs.

 

[Sarafan]

I would be excited for the game if it wasn't for my RPG burnout. I never finished Wasteland 2 (nor Wasteland 1...). I had to drop the game halfway through because of bad party composition. I'm hoping to finish it in the future however. The question is which of the Wasteland games will be first for me. 🙂

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

@Sarafan I almost always either watch a primer guide for RPG's or strategy games, without spoilers but just something that breaks down what skills might be more useful before I start. I don't follow anything to the letter, but it saves having to restart the whole game halfway through when you realize you bungled it 😀

Used to be different but these days time is at a premium for me.

 

[Sarafan]

Used to be different but these days time is at a premium for me.

Fair enough approach. 🙂 I also sometimes read some guides before I start to play, but this wasn't the case for W2. I screwed things up a little and there was no point in continuing the game. Maybe I would be able to beat it using save scumming tactics, but there's no fun in it. The older I get the more I value flow and smoothness in my playthroughs.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

How much saving constitutes scumming? In games that have combat permadeath for voiced/written party members I'd rather keep them alive for the most part. I usually allow whatever the consequences of my choices are to play out without loading a save though.

I know what you mean it feels good to flow through a game, I'm most engaged when I'm winning but still being challenged, because when things are too easy it takes me out of the experience. It gets boring when you feel like you cant lose, or that you're winning without thinking.

The same way it gets frustrating when you realize your party just isnt equipped for what youre facing and you have to YOLO it and savescum those 22% hit chances..

I think Wasteland 2 had a good balance like that (with the right party), as well as some fun story ideas and environments. The combat was good enough to keep me interested all the way through. Hopefully 3 improves it across the board.

 

[OsaX Nymloth]

I would be excited for the game if it wasn't for my RPG burnout. I never finished Wasteland 2 (nor Wasteland 1...). I had to drop the game halfway through because of bad party composition. I'm hoping to finish it in the future however. The question is which of the Wasteland games will be first for me.

Actually, you played what version of Wasteland 2? Original or Director's Cut? When game released I couldn't progress in the second half of the game, the difficulty spike murdered me and my unprepared team. Gave it a break, returned after a year or so with Director's Cut and had much better experience with it. Surely I didn't make as many mistakes this time around, but they surely made a number of QoL imprevements that mattered.

 

[Zloth]

I'm watching this one. inXile didn't impress me much with Bard's Tale and Torment but maybe...

 

[OsaX Nymloth]

Can confirm Wasteland 3 works in my PC with Windows 7. No issues, cutscenes and movies play normally, game runs without problems as well. Just finished tutorial and got to talk to Patriarch for the first time. Digging the humor in descriptions everywhere.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Funnily enough I seem to have played 30 hours of the original and then 100 of Directors cut as it was released while I was playing through. That probably explain why i don't remember too many problems.

I'm watching this one. inXile didn't impress me much with Bard's Tale and Torment but maybe...

I bounced off Torment Tides of Numenera as well, sometimes that happens to me when it's the wrong game at the wrong time though. I've been meaning to go back, because its Torment.

 

[Sarafan]

How much saving constitutes scumming? In games that have combat permadeath for voiced/written party members I'd rather keep them alive for the most part. I usually allow whatever the consequences of my choices are to play out without loading a save though.

So you're clearly not save scumming. 🙂 I remember that during one of my playthroughs of Jagged Alliance 2 I saved and loaded always when my characters received more serious wounds. And some saves and loads when they missed a target they were firing. This was massive save scumming and I would probably be able to finish W2 using this tactic.

The same way it gets frustrating when you realize your party just isnt equipped for what youre facing and you have to YOLO it and savescum those 22% hit chances..

That's exactly what I'm talking about. 🙂 This is save scumming. I also like when a game needs some effort to finish it, but not to the point when you need to repeat a single fragment a few dozens of times just to get that random chance for success.

I think Wasteland 2 had a good balance like that (with the right party), as well as some fun story ideas and environments. The combat was good enough to keep me interested all the way through. Hopefully 3 improves it across the board.

I agree that Director's Cut is balanced properly. It was entirely my fault that I chosen wrong characters to get the job done.

Actually, you played what version of Wasteland 2? Original or Director's Cut? When game released I couldn't progress in the second half of the game, the difficulty spike murdered me and my unprepared team. Gave it a break, returned after a year or so with Director's Cut and had much better experience with it. Surely I didn't make as many mistakes this time around, but they surely made a number of QoL imprevements that mattered.

Played Director's Cut. The problem was not the difficulty level by itself. Or maybe it was due to bad party composition. For example I didn't have anyone specializing in energy weapons and safe cracking. What more, the skills of my characters were similar to the skills of recruitable NPCs. This was the most annoying part. I tried to cover as much skill holes as possible during the character creation part of the game, only to find out that all of these skills are already used by companions. There was no point in continuing the game.

 

[drunkpunk]

I'm seeing some reports on the steam discussions that co-op is potentially really, really broken, doing stuff such as resetting the map/quest progress whenever you change zones or getting stuck in an infinite loading screen. Bummer since I'll be playing with a friend.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

@Sarafan I'm pretty dumb sometimes and I guess I'd figured out what you meant by the middle of my post. I think of that as extreme save scumming, but I still feel a bit scummy for loading saves at any point if I wasnt wiped out so that's probably where the question arose in my mind 😀.

Its a good point you make about the skill holes in W2 that's where reading a primer really helped. It is bad design in that it should be possible to have any kind of character and not have that happen as far as lock picking and repair type skills go. A respec option or being able to skill up the NPC party members yourself would go a long way, maybe its included in the new game?

I'm not too sure I used energy weapons at all, it was a few years ago but I think snipers and assault rifles will pretty much carry you through the whole game without too much trouble. Could be wrong.

@drunkpunk that doesnt sound great, hopefully they patch it up quickly

I should be playing the game now, but my toddler daughter is refusing to sleep and now I'm getting tired myself!

 

[OsaX Nymloth]

@Sarafan ah yes, without energy weapons you will suffer... a lot. Especially since for long time you don't even get such guns and when you finally get, it's barely anything and is useful at like, one or two locations. And then you travel to LA and suddenly realize you're "doomed".

Some skills are not as useful as others as well, toaster repair was disappointing to me at least. 😛
And I never used companions, hated the fact I don't have full control over them and they could do random things that were totally against what I would do.

 

[Sarafan]

I'm seeing some reports on the steam discussions that co-op is potentially really, really broken, doing stuff such as resetting the map/quest progress whenever you change zones or getting stuck in an infinite loading screen. Bummer since I'll be playing with a friend.

Maybe you'll do best if you wait a little. They should patch the game quite soon.

Its a good point you make about the skill holes in W2 that's where reading a primer really helped. It is bad design in that it should be possible to have any kind of character and not have that happen as far as lock picking and repair type skills go. A respec option or being able to skill up the NPC party members yourself would go a long way, maybe its included in the new game?

The game should have enough companions to cover all the skill holes no matter what is your party composition. I started to highly value respec option after playing Divinity: Original Sin 2. It saved me a few dozens of hours spent in the game.

@Sarafan ah yes, without energy weapons you will suffer... a lot. Especially since for long time you don't even get such guns and when you finally get, it's barely anything and is useful at like, one or two locations. And then you travel to LA and suddenly realize you're "doomed".

You mean that energy weapons aren't more efficient against robots than traditional weaponry?

Some skills are not as useful as others as well, toaster repair was disappointing to me at least.
And I never used companions, hated the fact I don't have full control over them and they could do random things that were totally against what I would do.

I invested a lot in toaster repair. I know this is some kind of easter egg, but I also expected higher rewards. It was very disappointing. Wasted too much skill points into this one.

 

[drunkpunk]

Maybe you'll do best if you wait a little. They should patch the game quite soon.

yeah it seems they're aware of the issues so I'll probably give it a patch or two.

 

[OsaX Nymloth]

@Sarafan Energy weapons are the thing you want against robots - sorry if I confused you! I meant that your first energy weapon in Wasteland 2 is something that you may have sitting in your inventory for long time and first robotic enemies in Arizona don't appear till around mid game. And then you land in LA and suddenly energy weapons are a must and without somebody specializing in it, it's super hard to get through even basic encounters.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Sorry @Sarafan, you and @OsaX Nymloth are of course right.

Reinstalled the game, and it has cloud saves. Apparently I had one guy specialize in computer science and energy weapons. 2 Snipers with anti material, assault rifle, a sub machine gun dude and takayuki with a proton axe and RPG 7. Turns out my memory is quite unreliable, who knew!

 

[OsaX Nymloth]

14 hours in and just now got out of the city to the World Map. Phew.
Loving the writing and humor so far. Here's some screens, nothing spoiler-ish I think (I mean, Faran Brygo is an old meme that shouldn't surprise anybody familiar with Brian Fargo's games).

You can be SOOO METAL!

Laughed multiple times during his dialogue, his accent is amazing

Seriusly, whoever thought this out deserves a fish

Cute

Wrong kind of magic!

Who may that be?

Don't eat yellow snow!

Another great name

 

[Sarafan]

Just a technical question @OsaX Nymloth . How do you insert screens on these forums without using an external site? When I try to insert one, I have to enter a link to the other website (such as Imgur).

 

[FreezerBurn]

Just a technical question @OsaX Nymloth . How do you insert screens on these forums without using an external site? When I try to insert one, I have to enter a link to the other website (such as Imgur).

I usually post the image in the media section and link the BB code here in the forum post.

 

[OsaX Nymloth]

Just a technical question @OsaX Nymloth . How do you insert screens on these forums without using an external site? When I try to insert one, I have to enter a link to the other website (such as Imgur).

Those are on imgur. I just put direct links into IMG bbcode and... it works.

Edit:
adding a little book with jokes I just found. You bet whoever wrote these got a nice salary raise! 😉

PS - found clown's tent. Bad time. Very bad time.