What Game Are You Currently Playing?

[Garfunkel]

I loved that game! I kept annoying myself by switching between the original and the updated character artwork, though


Played a bit more of Jedi Fallen Order (now on Zeffo) but I really must finish one or two of the other games I've got going. Ys IX is the best of the lot, so I'm concentrating on this . . . mostly

Haha, I've stuck to the updated character artwork, so haven't had that annoyance.

I'm pretty sure it's going to go down as one of my all-time favourite RPGs.

 

[alexvss]

Just beat Far Cry Primal, and I regret not playing this sooner. I bought it for a few pennies on a recent sale and, man, did I like it!

I confess I stepped in a little biased because of the lack of firearms (they do have "firebombs" but I think that's historically inacurate ); but fighiting with spears, clubs and bow and arrow is just as fun, if not funnier, than shooting things. It's just a little harder to take aim and kill the enemies.

It's not perfect though. The villains, the highest point in the franchise, could be much better. Far Cry villains are so good that they're on almost all the covers. But it fell flat here.

Excited for Far Cry 6.

 

[Rodders]

I started playing Death Stranding last night. Only a couple of hours in and It's leaving me a little cold as there are a lot of cutscenes in the initial stages of the game. The game seems to revolve around delivering packages to other cities in old continental United States and I think i prefer something a little more shooty. I'll stick with it for perhaps another ten hours, or so to see if i can get into it.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Ever play a Hideo Kojima game before? Much to like, but the man does have a thing for cutscenes.

 

[Rodders]

No, never. I've been looking at some YouTube videos and it does look intriguing. I'll play it again in a minute and see if i can get into it a little more.

 

[Deke]

Playing fallout 4 modded to the gills for immersion.

Before I left online gaming behind for the last time, I used to play this D&D style game called Neverwinter Nights. It recently got an enhanced edition on Steam and my old server is pretty popular these days. It’s a persistent world role playing server, if you like D&D and immersive storytelling it’s the place to be. PM me if you want the details I’d be happy to share.

 

[Foxbat]

Just got my arse handed to me as my beloved Nova Carthago crumbled into the post apocalyptic dust. Like all great empires, the rot started from within when one of my most trusted advisors turned on me along with many disloyal militia. As I struggled to maintain food and power supplies, my northern neighbour just wouldn't surrender, sucking up much of my forces and I ended up with the dreaded war on two fronts.

Shadow Empire is the kind of game where taking a break from it for a few months and then going back to it creates a huge disadvantage. There are so many nuances.

From the ashes, my next empire: New Byzantium.

 

[alexvss]

Ever play a Hideo Kojima game before? Much to like, but the man does have a thing for cutscenes.

I've beaten Metal Gear Solid 4 and Death Stranding. If cutscenes aren't your thing, stay away from it. I'd literally sleep with MGS4 cutscenes; Death Stranding's thing is to make you walk for hours on end.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Yeah, MGS4 was really overdone in that regard. Shame.

 

[Foxbat]

I’m not a fan of cutscenes. I just like to get on with the mayhem.

 

[Overread]

I find that there's a balance between the two. Having too many cutscenes or talking points can interrupt the flow of the gameplay because you just get into the swing of enjoying the game and suddenly it all has to pause. Similarly sometimes having too much grind and repetitive gameplay with no goals, achievements or changes can end up leaving a game feeling hollow. Both are problems.

I've been playing Digimon Cyber Sleuth and that one certainly has a lot of very short missions interspaced with long talking segments and "back and forth" missions (without any fights/gameplay) which can make the game feel less engaging even though they are trying really hard to build a huge story into it.


That said the worst crime are cutscene quicktime events. When you're watching a cool cutscene battle and suddenly everything pauses or slows down and a BIG "Press X" symbol appears and you have to hit it at either the right time or many times to "advance" the scene forward. Or the infamous "Press F to show respects". Basically events that have to happen and are going to happen to make the scene move forward, but which require you user input in a totally skill free and meaningless way. They annoy me because you can't enjoy the scene before you and because the developers feel like "yeah we've put gameplay into it" when really its not.

 

[thaddeus6th]

I've started a new Dragon Age: Origins playthrough. PS4 being a bit wobbly and I go back to old consoles now and then anyway.

Just finished the dwarf commoner origin (female warrior). Holding up very well so far.

 

[Foxbat]

Not sure if you’re aware @thaddeus6th but there’s a number of old consoles been released in mini version with a load of games built in. One of those is the Playstation 1. Might tickle your fancy

 

[thaddeus6th]

Foxbat, hmm, cheers for the heads up.

 

[Foxbat]

I’ve restarted my new regime in Shadow Empire. The food shortages in the last game were a huge problem so I visited the official forum and searched for tips. Apparently it’s better to minimise government run farms and let the private economy supply the population. I’ve done that and It seems to be working. In my last game, the more I built state farms, the worse things seemed to get but this time, with a hands-off approach, things appear to be better (so far). It kind of reminds me of all those inefficient state run farms in soviet Russia.

 

[thaddeus6th]

One of the hardest parts of Dragon Age: Origins is picking party composition because the characters are great.

This was Inquisition's weakest spot, perhaps. Blackwall was depressing, Iron Bull a bit of a lecturing dong on legs, Serah annoyed the hell out of me. The Cassandra, Dorian, Varric combination was pretty strong, but there isn't a single weak link, in character terms, in Origins.

 

[Foxbat]

I think my head is going to explode. I'm starting to suffer food shortages again in Shadow Empire and have discovered it's because of 'adminstrative strain'. What that means is my regime is too big and making food is too labour intensive (humans who work have a very bad habit of wanting to be fed). The further the asset is from my capital, the less efficient and more logistics hungry it gets. My farms are currently running at 41% administrative strain, which is much too high. I need to bring more automation into food product and rezone my regime but first I need to research the relevant tech. On top of that, my southern neighbour has decided to invade. Right now, it's only my vast metal mining and manufacturing might keeping me afloat. I'm having to buy in huge quantities of food from the profits they generate. If I exhaust my mining operations, I'm probably kaput.

I don't think I've ever played a more complicated game.

 

[.matthew.]

Apparently it’s better to minimise government run farms and let the private economy supply the population.

The history of the 20th century could have told you that

Right now, it's only my vast metal mining and manufacturing might keeping me afloat. I'm having to buy in huge quantities of food from the profits they generate. If I exhaust my mining operations, I'm probably kaput.

Since you're already at war, can't you just use your manufacturing might to take some more farmland off your neighbour?

I don't think I've ever played a more complicated game.

You nearly had me interested in trying it... missed by this much. Though I do like complicated games so....

 

[Foxbat]

Since you're already at war, can't you just use your manufacturing might to take some more farmland off your neighbour?

A landgrab right now would only increase administrative strain because it’s based on a formula that takes into account distance from the administrative centre. I could build more farms but that would increase inefficiency. What I really need to focus might manufacturing on is rezoning and multiple administrative centres (to decrease the distances) not fight a war (and increase the distances). Like I said, complicated and hurting my head.

 

[.matthew.]

A landgrab right now would only increase administrative strain because it’s based on a formula that takes into account distance from the administrative centre. I could build more farms but that would increase inefficiency. What I really need to focus might manufacturing on is rezoning and multiple administrative centres (to decrease the distances) not fight a war (and increase the distances). Like I said, complicated and hurting my head.

Yea I get you, administrative simulations like that always drive me up the wall as well.

But on the other hand... WAR!