What Game Are You Currently Playing?

[Toby Frost]

I bought Journey to the Savage Planet, which is ok so far. It has a very jolly look and the same basic joke as The Outer Worlds, namely that you're a small cog in an uncaring corporation, and feels quite like a mod for it. It seems ok.

I also bought The Banner Saga, which is a very stylish game involving Vikings. Its described as an RPG, but it seems to be more about managing supplies and winning turn-based fights. The logic to the fighting is strange and hard to grasp, and the lack of a manual save option makes it frustrating. Not sure I'll stick with this.

 

[thaddeus6th]

I got the first part of the Banner Saga. I think it's interesting and quite liked it, but it didn't grab me enough to want to replay or buy subsequent parts.

 

[.matthew.]

I had the same reaction to the Banner Saga as you two. I got a little into the campaign but didn't much like the combat. Ended up with the second from bundle or something, but doubt I'll ever play it.

I haven't played Journey to the Savage Planet but looked at it a few times. That it's 'ok' is pretty much the impression I got from the trailer and description.

I've been spending a few hours on Valheim for work and despite the dodgy graphics, it's quite good.

 

[Toby Frost]

I had another go at The Banner Saga and I'm liking it slightly more. The combat seems to be about whittling enemies down and doing combination moves. It's still rather weird.

It's a great-looking game, but the travel scenes remind me so much of the "Sir Robin's minstrels" scenes in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

What do you do for work, then, or did I misread that?

 

[.matthew.]

The story in Banner Saga is good as well, but overall it didn't click for me.

What do you do for work, then, or did I misread that?

Freelance games journalism/guides/reviews/deals (that sort of stuff) since lockdown started. I made the unfortunate decision to leave my last job just before everything kicked off so had to find something I could do from home.

 

[Toby Frost]

I hope you get to pick the games! An old friend of mine reviews films for a living, which sounds great until you realise just how much films vary in terms of subject and quality.

 

[.matthew.]

Yea, it's freelance stuff so first come, first serve when they pop up. Not a great living but keeping me in food

 

[thaddeus6th]

I'm playing Stellaris again, with the MegaCorp DLC.

I really like my ShroomCorp enterprise (where fungi meet finance, and armies are called Corporate Consolidation Teams [I wanted them to be Corporate Consolidation Committees but there's a character limit]). Won't spoil anything, but I massively buggered up an otherwise very promising initial playthrough and started again. In game 2, everybody else is a xenophobe. Literally everyone. Managed to get along with my isolationist neighbour through bribery, but some warrior numpties keep starting a war with me on one side.

And the advanced tech empire is also a ravenous swarm of hive-mind lunatics. And they're my other neighbour, after my first contact in that direction persisted in being my enemy (I did nothing to them) even when the hive-mind lunatics were annihilating them.

In short, in a world of idiots, bigots, and violent thugs, ShroomCorp is almost the sole bastion of civilization, reason, open-mindedness, and robust profit margins.

 

[.matthew.]

Everybody wants to kill me...
Mmm... whatever...
War is good for business.

 

[thaddeus6th]

That's one of the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition.

Another is that peace is good for business.

 

[.matthew.]

Yup, but I didn't think you'd have that opportunity

 

[thaddeus6th]

ShroomCorp is currently at peace, having successfully completed the hostile takeover of the United Sildor Confederacy (who, having been suitably bribed, now appreciate their financially prudent corporate overlords).

Just building up my fleet before I get a handy defensive pact with another power then start crushing the devouring swarm. Mwahaha!

Profits!

UNLIMITED PROFITS!

Ahem.

 

[Foxbat]

You make me want to buy Stellaris @thaddeus6th but it’s Paradox, and I’m a turn-based animal, and that means I know I will probably play it for a few hours and then never look at it again.

 

[.matthew.]

@Foxbat You could always play it with the pause on. Set up actions then unpause.

It has a great advantage over turn-based when you hit that point of having to just wait for stuff to happen.

 

[Foxbat]

@Foxbat You could always play it with the pause on. Set up actions then unpause.

It has a great advantage over turn-based when you hit that point of having to just wait for stuff to happen.

That’s the problem for me with Paradox games, I often feel like I’m sitting there waiting for something to happen more than turn based. I just don’t feel that I’m actually playing a game. I spent £60 on Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations (not a Paradox game but real time) and have the same problem.

Still, I notice that Stellaris is on GOG. That means it will be on discount now and again. Maybe wait and get it when it’s cheap. If I like it then it’s a bargain. If I don’t like it, I haven’t wasted too much money.

 

[.matthew.]

I get that feeling a lot more on turn-based when I have to keep clicking next turn without doing anything but waiting for building queues and stuff.

That said I see where you're coming from. Stellaris has a fair amount of flavour events and little extras to keep you engaged though, especially with a few mods.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Foxbat, I can see where you're coming from, much as I enjoy Stellaris.

You can speed things up.

With this playthrough, I've had a lot on my plate so the 'waiting' phase has been more the 'desperately build up my armed forces to try and win the inevitable wars on two fronts because everyone else is a xenophobic moron' phase.

 

[Overread]

Foxbat I have tried and tried and can't like Crusader Kings 2 nor many of the Paradox style real time games that feel like they should be turn based. I agree you're either sitting there waiting for something to happen or you speed it up and suddenly everything is happening at once and you can't keep up.

Stellaris is NOT like that. The game speed is far more smooth and whilst there will be times you speed it up and slow it down, I don't find it gets the bottlenecks of sudden events that games like Crusader Kings 2 gets. So you can often stay at a comfortable speed for a while. Indeed its much like a more fleshed out world version of Sins of a Solar Empire in terms of combat nad fleet structure. Overall I've sunk hours into it and its great fun!

 

[Venusian Broon]

That’s the problem for me with Paradox games, I often feel like I’m sitting there waiting for something to happen more than turn based. I just don’t feel that I’m actually playing a game. I spent £60 on Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations (not a Paradox game but real time) and have the same problem.

Still, I notice that Stellaris is on GOG. That means it will be on discount now and again. Maybe wait and get it when it’s cheap. If I like it then it’s a bargain. If I don’t like it, I haven’t wasted too much money.

I'm sort of with you Foxbat, not on the turn based stuff however. I do love CK2-3 because they are dynasty simulators - you build stories about characters and follow individuals in their lives and I feel it works exceptionally well. I think the main problem is the steep learning curve on building an active play style. Paradox games are quite easy to get totally lost at the start because of the large number of mechanics involved.

But Stellaris....meh, leaves me as cold as intersellar space. I would do a space opera 4X game differently.

Talking about strategy games that are sort of turn based, I've been looking at a lot of Steel Division II content at the moment. I love the nod to a form of historical realism, the RTS battles are lovely, and the campaign mode is interesting. Sort of Total War World War 2. I should, however, point out there are problems - battle maps seem repetitive etc... Have a gander at some Youtube let's plays for a look.

 

[Foxbat]

I’ve been playing Quadriga today - Roman chariot racing. It’s a simple fun game where you can play a whole season visiting various venues throughout the empire. Haven’t played it for years and found myself a bit rusty. I had a tendency to take corners too fast with the end result that my chariot fell apart and I was dragged to my death until I was nothing more than a bloody splatter on the sand. Good fun

For anybody interested (I bought it from Matrix Games but I see it’s now on steam).

Qvadriga on Steam

Qvadriga is a tactical game of chariot racing in ancient Roman circuses, where you take control of a four horse chariot team. Choose your preferred upgrade combinations and prove your skills at the arena.

store.steampowered.com