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Posted By: terzaghi What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/20/08 03:27 AM
Well I played bionic commando (xbox live arcade) some more... It is a really fun, challenging game.

Its kind of odd how you jump around levels in an apparently random order...

I just beat world 6 and received the super claw... World 6 had an easy boss but the level itself was pretty tricky! (Lots of jumps and swings over water with the bionic arm)

Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/20/08 02:22 PM
GRID is awesome. Finally got it this weekend (along with an XBOX 360 controller).
I played the GRID demo... very realistic look and feel to the driving... Some racing games just seem to have an odd pace to it... GRID looks and plays very nice!
Civilization Revolution has been keeping me up late every night.
It seems once I start a game I try to finish, which normally takes hours.
I think I'm going to get Civ Revolution this weekend. Got a fifty dollar gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket.
Sean, its the first strategy type game I've ever played and I'm really enjoying it. Maybe too much. \:\)
Haven't played civ rev in a while.. I beat it on deity with all 4 types of victories... I used the Aztecs for it, and did it in one game save.. (kept reloading.. kinda cheap but hey, I wanted the acheivements!) I played the scenario where you start with 3 cities and everyone declares war on you... forget the name

I have like 750 achievement points
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/20/08 04:15 PM
I've never been much for the 'Starcraft style' RTS games but this new civilization game looks intriguing. Anyone care to describe the gameplay vs. a typical 'send in the trooops & build factories like mad' type game like the early Starcraft was?

I get that it's all about taking a weaker civilization to world dominating levels but I'm interested in how the gameplay mechanics go.

Thanks!
Sins of a Solar Empire for me these days.

I enjoy RTS games.
I enjoy space-themes.
I enjoy blowing things up (virtually).

They've struck a good balance between micro-management and fluid game play. Enough management to keep me entertained but not so much that it's daunting. I don't care that 20% of the population of Axiom-7 is unhappy with the wheat production, and there's none of that in SOASE. It's a great game. Fantastic graphics as well. Full 360 degree rotation, with fluid zoom levels from multiple solar systems down to the cockpit of a fighter. It's pretty incredible.

Something about watching my armada drop out of hyperspace in an enemy planet's gravity well and immediately start launching hundreds of missiles at his orbital defenses make me giggle like a little school girl.

Nuke 'em from orbit, I say. It's the only way to be sure. \:\)
I've been playing an assortment lately. My best is still Counter Strike Source, but I've been working on Call of Duty 4. I am playing in a LAN tourney in late September ( Showdown LAN )

When I'm not playing those, I've been messing around with Assassin's Creed and GRID. I haven't gotten very far in either, but just last night I played through the 24 Hours of Le Mans race (which is 24 minutes of gameplay for those that don't have GRID)...

A game that I will load up every now and then is Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 just to build stuff.

I need to finish Guitar Hero Aerosmith on my Wii one of these days, as well as finish Zach and Wikki and start Zelda Twilight Princess, oh and finish Mario Galaxy with my 9 year old, and fix my pinball machine (stupid stuck switch), and.....
brief description of civ rev at wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization_Revolution

If you have xbox live you should DL the free demo.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/20/08 07:12 PM
Yeah, I've got my second Le Mans coming up. I did quite poorly at the first one, unfortunately...
 Originally Posted By: PeterChenoweth

I enjoy blowing things up (virtually).


Sissy.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/21/08 06:15 AM
I should be playing Galaga Legions, but I'm listening to music instead.

I also got the Fable 2 Pub Games for preordering Fable 2, and I should play that enough to be able to take advantage of the exploit, so I can be rich when I start playing the main game, but I think I'm too lazy to be rich even in a video game.
I think that RPGs are not the right type of games to cheat at... you'll end up with so much money that you can buy anything you ever wanted... now doesn't that sound horrible? Nah, but honestly I do think it will make the game less challenging.

I am still playing bionic commando. beating a level every other night or so.. maybe they should have called it bionic headache instead!

Tried the galaga legions demo and didn't like it as much as I thought I would.. going to give it another try later.
 Originally Posted By: MarkSJohnson
Sissy.


Oh I've done my share of actually blowing things up. I don't think there's a kid who grew up in a rural-ish place that hasn't.

With the government the way it is these days, I wouldn't want to make a public post in an internet forum that says, "I enjoy blowing things up".

Suddenly, air-travel becomes a much bigger hassle....
*scribbles into notebook while reaching for telephone*
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/21/08 07:17 PM
Thanks for the link David.

My PS3 game time always seems to suffer because I'm always hooked on some computer MMPORPG. Age of Conan is my current vice.

I was getting kind of tired of that Genre but this one is kind of cool because they have thrown a little bit of a 'twitch' element into the normal, 'just choose your combat moves strategically and watch it happen', kind of play. Also they did a great job of integrating all the lore of the hundreds of Conan books into the game. Brings back a lot of memories from childhood reads. In fact, I'm trying to find the box I buried all those books in when I moved to the new house so I can re-read a few.
I try to stay away from MMORPG's...

I played the final fantasy XI online beta when it was free for xbox 360...

I clocked in like 40 hours in less than a week! I broke the disc and vowed never to return to the evil world of MMORPG's!
Posted By: ptRyno Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/22/08 01:55 AM
Borrowed Assassin's Creed from a friend and have been playing it a bit. It's pretty fun at first. Great looking game, great ability to explore horizontally as well as vertically. Probably the biggest selling point is being able to climb essentially anything. Thats all great for awhile, until you realize you are doing the same tasks over and over and over again. Everything is exactly the same. It's like they made some decent code, ran out of time and abused the hell out of the copy and paste button. Too bad because it had great potential.

Always love playing some halo3 and cod4 though. Never gets old. Anyone here play Unreal Tournament 3? Wondering if I'd like the whole "twitch" gameplay, er so they call it.
Ever since my 360 starting freezing shortly after Christmas and it took months for any new ones to show up in stores, I haven't really touched it. Recently, though, I dusted it off and have been trying to catch up on some games. Right now, I'm trying to finish Bioshock.

I really enjoy the game, but the chopping off some of the screen bugs me after a while.

On the PS3 front, I'm still trying to finish off MGS4 and GTAIV.

So many games, so little time. . .
PtRyno - totally agreed on Assassin's Creed - initial experience is awesome, but the game is incredibly repetitive. Bummer, because it had huge potential.
that is what I read in the reviews as well... I need to at least rent it and try it though I guess.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/22/08 12:39 PM
It's an awesome rental. I agree with it being super impressive in the short term and a bit tiring in the long term.
I just started Assassin's Creed and I'm just past the point where the first town is being threatened by the "other guy" (haven't played it enough to know his name) and I just did the high dive into some straw. That's it. So I've got at least a little bit of enjoyable play time left with it.

I haven't played any Unreal game in years, but the gaming community that I am a member of (EcS Gaming) has some people that play it. Seems like VERY fast gameplay.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/23/08 01:48 AM
I was playing Mythos for a while but got tired of it. Now I'm on a brief gaming hiatus until the new releases in September.

I've been playing early versions of Mount&Blade for a while, and the final version finally comes out in September.

Spore is also coming out in September, so I will be playing that as well.

Followed by Starcraft2 and Diablo3, whenever they come out.

I'm pretty much a PC gamer, but do have a PS2 and occasionally do console games (Guitar Hero and Gran Turismo 4 most recently)
Posted By: ptRyno Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/23/08 08:24 PM
Anyone else play the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed demo. I've never been one to get into any of the star wars games but thought I'd give her a go. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Pretty simple game but the different forces, especially the grab one, can really amount to some entertaining kills; I may need a session with the doc after that one.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/23/08 08:27 PM
I haven't downloaded the demo yet, but I've been looking forward to seeing how it turned out. I should download the demos on both the 360 and PS3 to see how both versions run.
Man... It isn't coming out for the PC! I guess I could get it for my Wii, but the graphics won't be as good. Of course, I could potentially (haven't checked into it at all yet) be able to use the Wii Remote as a lightsaber...
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/24/08 01:59 AM
Yeah, I think they're making up for the simpler graphics and physics with the fun lightsaber control.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/25/08 12:59 AM
I did end up downloading the demo of The Force Unleashed for both the 360 and PS3, and I can say there isn't a huge difference, so I'll be going for the 360 version. It's a fun demo, and I look forward to seeing more than that level. I'm not great at the controls yet, but that's my relationship with most games anymore.

I don't really care for the non-James Earl Jones Vader... and I thought being dubbed with a lightsaber was kind of lame, but other than that, my impressions were positive.
Posted By: ptRyno Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/25/08 02:59 AM
yeah, I may rent it, but wouldn't say I enjoyed it enough to buy. At least not at the $60 price point. Or maybe I could try and trade in Assassins Creed since I'm already bored to tears with it.
I played the Force unleashed demo for PS3, the kids and I enjoyed it, but unless there is some type of story or more complex levels I can see the game getting monotonous.
played heavenly sword for a while tonight... really neat game. The cut scenes are great too!
I've been meaning to get back to that that game, I enjoyed it also.
I enjoyed Heavenly Sword except for the moments I had to guide the six axis control around. I don't think I come equipped with the gene that governs "controller waving around."
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/25/08 05:05 PM
Oh, man, I totally do.

Unfortunately, I game with the keyboard and mouse or the xbox 360 controller.
Definitely takes some practice... the motion sensor in the PS3 controller is pretty sensitive.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/27/08 08:54 AM
Castle Crashers on Xbox Live Arcade

This game is as fun as I'd hoped it would be. I imagine it would be even more fun playing with three other people.
more heavenly sword. I am taking a break and finally popping in metal gear solid 4 though... I really hate how games have to be loaded onto the PS3 \:\(
Posted By: ptRyno Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/28/08 01:24 PM
Castle Crashers is one I definitely plan to download the demo for, I've heard good things and enjoyed Alien Hominid. Is it required to have games loaded onto the ps3? I always thought it was just an option to improve loading times. I don't own one so I don't personally know.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/28/08 04:04 PM
I don't have many PS3 games, but I think they've all required an install. Obviously it's not copying the entire disc to the hard drive, but I think they've been a couple gigs in size. The Xbox 360's upcoming install feature is optional and to improve loading times, though.
I believe it is due to the fact the BR disks read at a slower speed than a standard DVD... or so I have been told. To keep things running smooth you must install some of the game onto the hard drive.

In the case of metal gear solid 4, the game puts 4 gigs of stuff onto your HD.


But HOLY CRAP that game has amazing sound!!! I watched the opening cut scenes (all 45 minutes of them!) and I can honestly say that MGS4 has THE BEST surround sound out of any game I have ever played, and probably out of any movie I own as well.

I just got to the actual gameplay and then saved it and went to bed.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/29/08 04:09 AM
I really need to actually play MGS4. I have it, and I know the opening has amazing sound, but for some reason I never turn on my PS3 to game. But yeah, really incredible audio.
I still can't beat the first level though...
Ha ha. I'm near the end. \:\)





Yup, almost got the plastic wrap completely off the box. . .
I'm revisiting King Kong on Xbox 360 since I never finished it. The games kinda scary.
King Kong was a great game.. the first game I palyed on the 360. VERY FUN!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/02/08 01:24 AM
You're playing Metal Gear Solid 4.
Is that an order?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/02/08 02:24 AM
It was just me noticing. I tried playing some myself, but I fell asleep. Apparently it doesn't have to be passive entertainment for me to zonk out anymore.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/12/08 02:37 AM
Just playing Mahjong Titans from Windows Vista tonight while listening to music and chatting with Sana. I can't get used to the tilesets in this game. I was much faster at Kyodai Mahjongg. The good thing is that I don't really know what makes a higher score on this version. Faster games don't necessarily equate to a higher score. I guess I could read up on what the score means, but that would take a minute. Anyway, I'll never be as fast at any mahjong game as I was when I was using a ball mouse and staying up to all hours of the morning when I was in my first apartment and bored out of my skull and younger. I'm such a has-been!
I am actually kind of looking forward to SOCOM confrontation on PS3. I think it is an online only game, and the cost is only 39 bucks. However, if you want the one with the headset then it is 59 bucks. I need to see if the old motorolla bluetooth headset we have lying around will pair up nicely with the PS3.

I never really played any of the old SOCOM games, but I really like Ghost Recon and it seems kind of similar.

If it's anything like Call of Duty, the online version should be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to the next CoD as well, it's the only game on my PS3 I've played for more than 20 hours or so... (though that was pre-baby, so I may not do any better on the next version no matter how much fun)

Jason
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/13/08 05:07 PM
I didn't play anything because my PC died. Grr. And then I left my controller in The Boy's room after he was asleep, so I couldn't use my laptop either. Double Grr.


On another note: Exactly how many CoDs are they going to do? Jeebus...

Call of Duty 18: Spanish American War
Some friends of mine are playing the COD 5 online beta for 360 and they said it si really cool. Most (if not all) of my gaming buddies are on xbox, so that is the only down side to socom (I have to make new friends \:\( ) Plus I have been playing with the same group of guys online for like 3.5 years so it kinda makes it more fun.
If your buddies are all on Xbox, you need to start convincing them of the virtues of the PS3!
I've been playing the Little Big Planet beta since last week. VERY cool game and concept.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/13/08 05:54 PM
That looks awesome. What platforms does it support?
World of Warcraft - nothing else \:\)
how did you get in on the little big planet beta?

Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/13/08 07:09 PM
I think he has the right job.
I've been sith-ing it up in The Force Unleashed. It hasn't gotten the best scores, but there's something special about slamming storm troopers in all directions that brings a smile to my face \:\)
Ahh, that's right, I did download that Demo on the PS3... it looks like a lot of found. And 7.1 surround from a video game isn't bad either!
USATODAY.COM had about 15000 keys last week. I was able to snag one.
 Originally Posted By: pmbuko
That looks awesome. What platforms does it support?


PS3. I don't expect that I'll ever really make levels myself, but I will definitely play ones that others make. There's been a bunch of VERY impressive ones, even ones by artists that don't play video games.

I was especially impressed by the guy who made a simple calculator using the "parts" from the LBP environment. I was stumped on how he did it until I realized he used some type of old school ladder logic. Very analog and VERY VERY cool.

http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/09/23/parsons-students-create-shadow-of-the-littlebigcolossus/

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/10/little_big_computer.html

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2008-10-06-little-big-planet_N.htm
Playing Fable II right now. I rented it after the let down of Fable I.. but this game is really cool so far (only about 45 minutes in so far).

I pre-ordered gears of war 2 and call of duty 5 on xbox 360 today, as well as littleBIGplanet for PS3.

I think Iwant fallout 3 also, but I can't decide if I want it on PS3 or 360... hmmmm.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/27/08 12:27 AM
I'm caught between 360 and PC for Fallout 3. I'm sure the PC version will look nicer and will allow mods, but then I lose the fun of playing it on my home theater.

But I canceled all of my game preorders. I was going to get Fable II, Gears of War 2, LittleBigPlanet, and Fallout 3, but then the EP800 was announced, and I had to start cutting away at my other spending. So see, even if you don't get your EP800 right away, at least you get to enjoy all of these games I want while I gnash my teeth and wail through my layaway nightmare.
It will be SO worth it Charles. Stand strong!
Yeah, I can buy "inexpensive" items, just no big ticket purchases. I dont think I have any type of limit on the amount of "inexpensive" items though...

Hmmmm.. I wonder how many small discrete charges axiom could bill the ep800 to me for. I guess it there is no way to hide it when it would arrive so I guess that plan wouldn't work...
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/27/08 02:31 AM
You don't think Axiom would ship it in Lego-sized pieces for you to assemble yourself?
Just got my Little Big Planet pre-order yesterday. AWESOME platform game, very inventive level design.
I've been really interested in that game. I like stuff that is innovative and fun.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/27/08 02:57 AM
Hey, I was wondering if any of you have been buying any downloadable games from the PlayStation Store. I actually have a couple that I still haven't played. I'm horrible, I know.
I thought about Mega Man, but that's about it.

I wasn't any good at Mega Man back when I had a Nintendo.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/27/08 03:05 AM
I did okay at the Mega Man games, but they were hard. I used to be able to force myself through games. Now it's hard to even load them up.
I tried the Mega Man demo. I couldn't play for 2 minutes. It was too hard...
Call of Duty 4. Really liked the single player game and so far the multiplayer isn't all that bad (ie, I'm not the worst person at the end of a round).
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/27/08 04:27 AM
Just bought The Ship from Steam (on sale this weekend for $5.) Haven't downloaded or tried it yet, but it sounds interesting. Sort of a combo 20's murder mystery with FPS.
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/27/08 07:31 AM
Okay, I'm a bit behind the times, but I finally got a chance to try a Wii... and the best adjective I could come up with was "underwhelming"... someone please tell me that it was low batteries in the Wiimotes or a miscalibration that made it so bad.

I'm talking about things like in shooting games, having the reticle show up a random X-Y offset away from where I'm pointing the Wiimote (okay, not everyone playing is a marksman level bullseye shooter, but... it was way off)... spending half my time trying to get my pointer to show up on screen, making my onscreen persona putt in mini golf instead of driving... the horseshoe and bowling games seemed to respond fairly well... and L. says the yoga poses were pretty good in WiiFit, but so many other things that I'm pretty good at (tennis, baseball, volleyball) just didn't translate well.

Kind of glad I got a chance to play one... now we're looking at a 360 instead.

Bren R.
There are only a couple of setup options on the Wii that might have caused what happened. One, you have to set in the Wii whether the sensor bar is above or below the screen. If you get that wrong, it makes it a little erratic.

Second, if you have a really big screen, it takes a little getting used to, but once you do get used to it, I can't remember anything like what you described happening to me.

Either way, for me the Wii is a party gaming system and nothing more. The sports games are amusing in a group setting, but I find that if I actually want to seriously play a game (more and more seldom these days), the PS3 is my overwhelming preference.

Jason
I went to pick up littleBIGplanet at gamestop and they said that the game was recalled and all of the shipments had to be sent back. They said it would be a couple of days before new shipments arrived so I went ahead and reserved one of those. The guy said something about some references to the Qu'ran that led to the recall. This story seems to confrim that:
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=262215

But on another note, Fable II is really a cool game, so i have plenty to do until LBP arrives.
Yeah, it was supposed to be last Tue but moved back a week. Somebody already tried to ebay the original copy for $250. Frankly, I didn't think it was a big deal but Sony does.

Agree with Jason. Sounds like your Wii needs some calibration. Also, don't expect it to be perfect for FPS. If that's your main genre, Xbox 360 or PS3 is probably a better bet.
I find the Wii incredibly fun when you are playing with a group of people. We have one downstairs in the living room, but I have yet to feel the urge to play a game solo.

And, yes, the controller does take some getting used to.
Bren R.

BrenR. If your main priority with a console is to play quality games especially online, the 360 is my overwhelming pick. The PS3 has a few good exlcusive titles but overall the games are lacking. If you want to use a console for audio/video/blu-ray then I would pick the PS3. I was never impressed with the Wii.

For Games I would Rate: 1) Xbox 360 2)PS3 3)Wii
Features: 1)PS3 2) Xbox 360 3) Wii
Hardware: 1)PS3 2)Wii 3)Xbox 360
Software: 1)Xbox 360 2) PS3 3)Wii
Controller: 1) Xbox 360 2)Wii 3)PS3
Online Community: 1) Xbox 360 2) PS3 3) Wii
Overall: 1)Xbox 360 2)PS3 3)Wii
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/27/08 04:42 PM
At least now I know, thanks for the honest replies.

Bren R.
I like the ps3 controller more than the 360 controller...
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/27/08 06:04 PM
360 controller for me, but I never had a PS2.
How about a PS3? ;\)
 Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
I find the Wii incredibly fun when you are playing with a group of people. We have one downstairs in the living room, but I have yet to feel the urge to play a game solo.

And, yes, the controller does take some getting used to.


Like St_PatGuy, we have a Wii as well. I am the only really "gamer" in the house, and I have been a die-hard PC gamer at that. I've owned a couple of consoles in the past, but never really got a lot of use out of them until we got the Wii. It isn't the same as an XBox 360, PS3, or PC, but is isn't supposed to be.

For pure "pick it up and play at the spur of the moment" games, the Wii is a lot of fun. My youngest daughter is pretty much hooked on Super Mario Galaxy, but likes to take everyone on in tennis. I like some of the fun puzzle games like Zack and Wiki, and I will pinch hit for some of the more difficult Mario Galaxy levels. I've got Zelda Twilight Princess and a few other more "grown up" games, but haven't even broken them out after owning them for almost a year...
I recommend Boom Blox on the Wii. Surprisingly fun game that will throw your shoulder out in about 10 minutes...
I should also add that I was accepted into the PS3 Resistance 2 beta. I quickly learned that I am not an FPS player, after getting killed by zombies in about 15 seconds. All I could do was scan the sky trying to figure out how to target the moans surrounding me...
Posted By: RickF Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/27/08 11:29 PM
Any good flight combat games for the PS3 that any of y'all know about? I just picked up a PS3 a couple of weeks to use as a Blu-Ray player and have only played the NASCAR '09 game so I'm on the lookout for anything automotive or flight ... any suggestions?
 Originally Posted By: CV
360 controller for me, but I never had a PS2.


Me neither, just an xbox.

I always swore that xbox controllers were better than PS controllers... But now that I actually have both system I must say that I like the size, shape, and weight of the PS3 controller much better, not to mention how much better the D-pad is on it compared to the 360. However, I am still getting accustomed to the thumbsticks as they are much different than the ones on the 360
 Originally Posted By: RickF
Any good flight combat games for the PS3 that any of y'all know about? I just picked up a PS3 a couple of weeks to use as a Blu-Ray player and have only played the NASCAR '09 game so I'm on the lookout for anything automotive or flight ... any suggestions?


Have you tried the demos from the PS Store? I particularly liked Pure. Even though it's a Disney title, I liked the graphics and gameplay. Kinda like SSX Snowboarding but w/ ATVs.
Posted By: RickF Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/27/08 11:55 PM
No I haven't demoed any of the games, kids seem to be on them all of the time ... I did see that Pure the other day, maybe I'll check it out.

Nothing like a new-to-gaming 51 year old. ;\)
 Quote:
Nothing like a new-to-gaming 51 year old.


Rick, be on the lookout for Ultra Extreme Shuffleboard 3D.
Rick, nothng really good as far as flight combat out for the PS3 yet, but the beginning of next year it looks like there may be some pretty good ones coming out. This one I really like. Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/28/08 03:34 AM
 Originally Posted By: terzaghi
I always swore that xbox controllers were better than PS controllers... But now that I actually have both system I must say that I like the size, shape, and weight of the PS3 controller much better, not to mention how much better the D-pad is on it compared to the 360. However, I am still getting accustomed to the thumbsticks as they are much different than the ones on the 360


I haven't compared D-pads, but yeah, everyone complains about the 360's. Which controllers do you have for the PS3? SIXAXIS or DualShock 3? I only have the SIXAXIS controllers. I'll eventually get DualShock 3s, but it'll be a while.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/28/08 03:35 AM
 Originally Posted By: oldskoolboarder
I particularly liked Pure. Even though it's a Disney title, I liked the graphics and gameplay. Kinda like SSX Snowboarding but w/ ATVs.


The reviews seemed to be good for that game, and it looked pretty cool. I bet I'll pick it up when it's a budget title.
Playing my son's new Wii...
Posted By: RickF Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/28/08 09:09 AM
Wow, Extreme Shuffleboard 3D??

Forget I ever mentioned anything regarding flying or automotive fellas ... I think I just found my game. Thanks Sean!

\:\)
Aynone who is planning on getting Fallout 3 should consider doing so at Circuit City.

You get a free mini trategy guide and a $10 gift certificate with the purchase.

xbox 360:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetail.do?oid=210131

PS3:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Fallout-3...roductDetail.do
Ok, Wii owners....working with my son's new Wii. Ran the wireless setup option, put in my WEP key and it connected fine, and downloaded an update.

However, when I try to go into Weather or News, it says the Wii...24 or something like that is not configured to connect. So I go in them menu and try to setup that up, but it won't connect.

Do I need to go into my router and add the MAC address or something. I would think if it was able to connect and run the update, the other channels would work?

Thanks, Randy
hmmm.. does seem odd. I don't have a wii but you would think that if the network connection worked for an update that it would work for the wii channels as well.
wii connect 24, that is what you are trying to setup right? You have to set that service to on in the wii settings screens.
WiiConnect24, if memory serves me correctly, is where some features only work if your Wii is set to never fully power off, but goes into a "sleep" mode. That way, the Wii grabs weather, news, Mii Channel, Wii Shop, Everybody Votes, and other updates somewhat consistently throughout the day (and night). I am not at home, so I don't remember the exact steps to set it up.

Here is a Wiki about it...

WiiConnect24 Wiki

Just turn it on and give it a few minutes to start downloading information.
Yes, I seem to remember that it's not "instantaneous"; after successfully turning on the service, it seems like our Wii needed quite a while (I just left it overnight) to grab all the shards of data it needed.
The problem is that it won't connect, gives me a connection error when I go into that setup option and try. The wireless option works however after I entered in my wep key.

Maybe I don't need that feature, I was thinking there is a way to download old classic games?
I have found that even though I have the service on, if I haven't gone into those channels for awhile it still takes a minute or 2 to update itself before anything happens.

Randy, are you running the Wii wireless? I know it can have connection issues, drop outs etc, that won't allow it to connect. Maybe try to see if can reconnect to check for another update, if it returns no updates available then you know the connection is still good and you are simply waiting for the Wii connect 24 to grab all the info it needs.
I keep trying to post in the forums but my posts are timing out...
Randy, maybe go into the settings and delete the Wifi setup and redo it.

After redoing it, test the channel. If it works, then try the weather and news.

You could have an iffy Wifi location where your Wii is located. The Wifi antenna is located near the back of the Wii. If you installed it inside your A/V rack, the antenna is not optimal. Also, if you have a lot of 2.4GHz Wifi equipment around (including 2.4GHz phones) it could be interfering w/ the connection.

This is one of the reasons why I just switched it to a wired connection. I found a cheap $20 USB to ethernet adapter and use that. WAY more reliable. I think it's an Airlink 101 but you can google to find others that might work.
cool thanks guys.
Another thing to try would be to turn off WEP on your router and reset the connection to see if there is an encryption problem. Then you could turn it back on and start digging into if it is a WEP issue.
Yeah, what Nick said. Simplify the connection first.
I have a Wii... what jakewash said. \:\)

BTW, I have husband & wife friends that also have a Wii, and I must say...we're addicted to MarioKart! I can play from home, connect with both of them, and the 3 of us can play as a team online against up to 9 additional players from around the world. Usually, one of us will try to gain the most points while the other 2 attempt to 'spoil' for him/her (hehe). Superbly designed software! Many strategies and tactics to employ. There really hasn't been much else I've liked for the Wii except for Zelda. I've got the Xbox 360 as well, but 95% of my console gaming is on the Wii.
I agree, MarioKart is fun with multiple people!! Once you get used to steering it is a blast.
Well I grabbed LittlBIGplanet for PS3 and Fallout 3 for 360 today.

I orginally got Fallout 3 on PS3 but I later read that the 360 version was better and that the PS3 version had a lot of bugs so I swapped it out for the 360 version.

I am busy playing Fable II right now so I haven't even tried Fallout, but I did try LBP. It is a VERY innovative game and I think it is really going to be fun.
Working now, I think it was because I didn't read the agreement. \:\) So to play games online, I assume you have to purchase the game?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/29/08 03:20 AM
David, I'm going to have to live vicariously through you for now. I'd love to hear your extended thoughts on all of those games as you play them more.
The Wii doesn't have many online games but MarioKart for the Wii allows for online gaming, actually that is the only one I can think of at the momment; and yes you have to buy the disc first. You can purchase Wii points online and start downloading all the old games you used to play from the Shopping Channel on the Wii, too.
Have you tried that new Nintendo 0 Points option in shopping. Looks like you can check out demo's and other goodies?
No I haven't, but it does sound like a great idea for those titles that just don't quite work.
 Originally Posted By: CV
David, I'm going to have to live vicariously through you for now. I'd love to hear your extended thoughts on all of those games as you play them more.


As long as I can live vicariously through you when you get those Ep800's! ;\)
oh yeah, gears of war 2 and COD 5 are comming up next. I am going to have more games than I know what to do with... should get me through most of the winter and then some \:\)
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/29/08 04:21 AM
\:\) Yeah, it really is a good season for games. Can't wait to catch up on all of them.
I've been hooked on a paintball mod for Call of Duty 4... Can't get enough of that right now...
wow, that sounds cool! PC gamers get all the cool mods...
Getting my EP500 off layaway this week in time for Gears of War 2! Can't wait!!
Currently playing Fallout 3 on the Xbox 360. This game is money !

Terzaghi is correct about the PS3 version of Fallout 3 being inferior to the PC and Xbox 360 versions. The PS3 version suffers from visual as well as technical bugs/gliches which are not present on either the PC or Xbox 360 versions. 360 and PC has achievments, there is no trophies/achievments for the PS3 version of the game as of yet.

Dr. House
I too picked up Fallout 3 and put in an hour or two since i got it. I really enjoy it so far, it's a little more focused than Oblivion in terms of the story and progression (so far), but carries a lot of other attributes of that game that I like being carried over to Fallout. I can't wait for Gears 2. That EP500 will add a significant amount of depth to everything you listen to Ascension, including every bullet firing in Gears \:D
Fallout 3 is such an unbelievable game. The attention to detail of a game of this size is remarkable! In my opinion this is the best game released in 2008 so far. Still have to wait for Gears of War 2 and COD5 :):):).

Dr. House
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/29/08 11:36 PM
I've been trying to decide whether I would like Fallout 3. I like the idea of games with actual choices, etc., but I simply couldn't get into Oblivion. Paralysis by analysis, that sort of thing.
I liked Oblivion a lot and I think this is a much better game. Fallout 3 is way more polished than oblivion and I like the combat system (V.A.T.S) better. A simple way to describe Fallout 3 is a mix of a first person shooter mixed with Oblivion RPG elements.

kcarlile I would suggest you read some reviews of Fallout 3 to see if this game is for you. Here is one to start...:)

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/924/924165p1.html
I have Fallout3 sitting on my coffee table and haven't even popped it in!

I already made the mistake of putting in littleBIGplanet and now I am playing that instead of Fable II which I only rented.
terzaghi when you decide to play it, you are in for a real treat. It is such a great game. Let us know what you think of it when you get some time to play it:).

Dr. House
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/29/08 11:53 PM
Yeah, I read the arstechnica review, but I'm still not sure. I mean, I enjoyed WoW (totally different, I know), but it was still a whole lot more guided than Oblivion. I just had the constant feeling in Oblivion that if I didn't take care of this quest NOW then something horrible would happen but look there's that quest, better do that now, oh crap, what about this other quest! Arg!
After reading everything you guys just said about Fallout 3, I had to order it, I even added next day shipping so I would have it by Friday (the wife and kids are going out of town for the weekend so I wanted it by Fri.) I'm also really intrigued by Little Big Planet, if it's as good as it looks on the trailer I'll have to get that also, I'm just wondering if it's easy enough for my 7 year old to play also.
kcarlile, your answer lies in the last two words of the arstechnica review...Verdict: Buy :):):).
Three part post:

part 1: Yeah, with Oblivion you just have to learn to accept the fact that you are going to have a huge list of active/unfinished quests.... quests get dumped on you from right and left!

It seems like 2 new quests get assigned to you for every 1 you complete!

Part 2: I just called circuit city and verified that they are giving away the 1600 MS point cards with the GOW2 purchase. They said they don't do pre-orders though so I imagine you would have to get there pretty early to get a copy.

I have one pre-ordered at gamestop as a fallback though.


Part 3: And finally, I think the PS3 online system SUCKS. I was going to get Socom on the ps3 a while back but there were server issues that basically made the game unplayable.

The LittleBIGPlanet servers were up for a couple of hours the other day but other than that they have been down due to 'server issues'

The sad thing is that both of those games had extensive beta trials that SHOULD have given the developers enough time to work that kind of crap out.

I know that when buy Gears of War 2 I can pop it in my 360 as soon as I walk in the door and connect to a game in a flash. That is why I don't mind paying $50 per year for the xbox live service.
What is an MS point?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/30/08 03:52 AM
It's the currency for Xbox Live Marketplace. They don't do direct dollar amounts because then you wouldn't have to do math to figure out how much money you're spending each time.
 Originally Posted By: CV
It's the currency for Xbox Live Marketplace. They don't do direct dollar amounts because then you wouldn't have to do math to figure out how much money you're spending each time.
This how they are teaching kids math these days.
It prepares us for Las Vegas as adults. After all, it's only chips we're losing, not money.

Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/30/08 12:17 PM
I reloaded Oblivion on the PC after reading the word a bunch of times in this thread. I'm really enjoying it again but I've been playing multi-player RP games for so long, I actually keep thinking that some of the really well done NPCs walking around are actually player characters.

I'll be wanting Fallout III and I likely would have bought it for the PS3 because I have few games for it and I need more for when my wife commandeers the PC nightly to check facebook. From the sound of the bugs and video glitches, I should get the PC version. Thanks for the heads up.
1600 MS points= $20+tax
 Originally Posted By: thefwam
I too picked up Fallout 3 and put in an hour or two since i got it. I really enjoy it so far, it's a little more focused than Oblivion in terms of the story and progression (so far), but carries a lot of other attributes of that game that I like being carried over to Fallout. I can't wait for Gears 2. That EP500 will add a significant amount of depth to everything you listen to Ascension, including every bullet firing in Gears \:D


Yeah, I can't wait for that! They did a big overhaul on the sounds of their weapons. There's going to be a more "tactile" feel to the weapons when you fire them!
Fallout 3 is a challenging game. I have died many times just on the normal setting. I have been doing a lot of combat in tunnels lately. I have been successful with using the "sneak" feature, getting close to the enemy then using theh V.A.T.S and targeting their heads, legs and chest (if you have a high enough percentage of a headshot with a rifle, I have been decapitating the enemies with one shot).

Lately I have been struggling with finding health and have been very low in a lot of battles. It really makes you think about a strategy. This game is soooooo good!!!!

Dr. House
For the LBP players, send me a PM and we can hook up online. I played online w/ some people last night and it was hilarious.
do you have a mic for the PS3? I have a bluetooth headset but have not been able to verify that it works...

Anyone on LBP feel free to send me an invite!

My Playstation user name is terzaghi83
bummer no mic. i'll send you an invite assuming i can figure that out...
David - the mic thing is a bit tricky. You have to set it up under the settings menu to pair it to the PS3. Then, (the step I always missed), you also have to set it up under "chat" (one of the menu options to the far right of the menu bar in the PS3). From that menu, you have to go into some sort of settings menu and select the Bluetooth headset you just paired as the mic device for chat. From that point in, it should work auto-magically every time it's turned on.

Jason
yeah, I paired it to the PS3 but then I never did the second step...

However it appeared to be working a little because My sackboy in LBP would lipsync when I spoke... never heard anyoen else speak or got confirmation that they heard me though.

The mic I have is a crappy one that came for free with my GF's phone... I am thinking about buying the official PS3 one that comes bundled with SOCOM for $60.
Can you use any BT headset? If so, I might try my Plantronics one.

I noticed that someone online had one last night. I could hear his voice but it was pretty muffled so it was hard to understand.
yes, any old BT headset will do. follow the directions in the manual on how to pair the device with the PS3
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/02/08 01:20 AM
I tried the Mirror's Edge demo on the PS3 tonight. It was pretty cool. I like the graphics, and the feel of the gameplay is cool when you can actually pull off the moves. I have to admit my playing was pathetic and took multiple attempts at most parts. I'm just not the player I used to be.
Anybody been playing Fallout 3. I am currently working on escorting Dr. Li and company to saftey from the enclave. This game is so awesome.

Dr. House
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/02/08 02:48 AM
I very much want to play it. What platform do you have it for?
Xbox 360
Cv, I read that the PS3 version is buggy and doesn't look as good as the 360 version.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/02/08 04:01 AM
You're talking about Fallout 3, right?
I played Fallout3 on Xbox360 for about 5hrs tonight Great game, similar in many ways to Oblivion, but Imo it's much funner because you get to shoot things.
I tried Mirror's Edge. Cool aesthetic. I couldn't figure out how to cross the dang beam. I kept trying to balance and fell off.

Interesting parkour game though.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/02/08 04:48 PM
Instead of trying to push left and right a lot to balance, I put more effort into pushing forward.
Been playing Dead Space this weekend. So far, I really like it. A good surround system is a must for the immersive creepy factor. I need to work on my alien offing strategy--I seem to be dying a lot.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/02/08 11:38 PM
 Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
I seem to be dying a lot.


How much are you spacing, though?

And shouldn't you be writing?
 Originally Posted By: CV


How much are you spacing, though?

And shouldn't you be writing?


The zero gravity portions make me dizzy and queasy.


And, yes, I should be writing. Getting back to it right now.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/05/08 06:57 AM
Man, the scores for both Fallout 3 and Gears of War 2 are making me want to play them right now. Gears of War 2 would especially be good with the EP800s, I bet.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/05/08 06:58 AM
By the way, Sean, make sure you let me know your further impressions of Dead Space. It looked like an interesting game.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/05/08 12:10 PM
Me too. I like video games that are so scary my wife has to leave the room instead of sitting around making me feel guilty about using the TV when she wants to watch PVRed Oprah.
CV, yes I was talking about Fallout 3.
Late Sunday I stopped playing Dead Space. I just discovered a monster truck in the cargo hold of the ship and am able to crush all the scary aliens beneath my super huge tires. . . .


Sorry, guys, it's an old joke that, apparently, I'm not tired of yet.


I'll definitely let you know my further impressions of the game as I progress!
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/05/08 07:31 PM
I suppose a Chuck Norris joke will be coming next then ???
I am going to give the Call of Duty 5: World at War a spin tonight. I downloaded the demo last night, which seems like a full multiplayer game, so it should be interesting. WWII (again) with usable vehicles could be interesting....
oh whatt tell us how it is
I played the COD5 beta a bit on the 360... very fun game. At first it seems like the same as COD4, but after you play it a bit it has a different feel to it. Very good IMO, and I will def. be buying it.
I played the EndWar Demo last night. Pretty cool. I was ablt to sit on my couch and just bark orders at the screen and pretty much just press one button on the controller. It really made controling multiple units on the battlefield easier than manually moving them around. It was also very helpfull for calling in support like airstrikes and deploying new units. My wife found it weird however that i was yelling at the tv.

The night before I played alone in the dark. Creepy game. The guy I shot just kept getting up. What the hell?
Well, I ended up not playing COD5 since one of the guys that I play games with hadn't downloaded it yet.

So we ended up playing iSketch at http://www.isketch.net

It is basically a free online Pictionary type game. It was kind of fun to see out sad drawing skills become even worse using a mouse, but it allowed us to all play across the internet. It was somewhat addicting after a while...
Just picked up Gear of War 2 before work with a buddy. we played a few minutes of Horde mode before I had to come downtown. All around the game is just a little better "feeling" than the last one. Everything is a little tighter.

Also the ability to pick up downed enemies and take cover behind them as you walk the battlefield isn't a bad touch either...
Little Big Planet -- just started it this week but it really is amazingly beautiful and fun so far.

Rock Band 2 for the PS3, including new instruments. Literally got it last night, so have only played the drums so far. Definitely a nicer feel to it, but seem to be having more of a lag issue that I'll address today.

Rich
played Gearsof War 2 last night for a while... cool game!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/08/08 06:24 PM
I want it!
Amazon just sent me a promotional code for $10.00 off a video game, I just purchased Fallout 3 and the new Call of Duty, any suggestions on a new game? I'm undecided between, Fable II, Resistence 2, Gears of War2 or Little Big Planet. Thanks
To add, even a really good Wii game would be considered.
Gears of War 2 is an amazingly fun game. Too often game developers come out with a sequel to a game that is more like a short extension to the campaign and a few new multiplayer maps that could have been downloaded as a map-pack. This is not the case of Gears 2. Soooo many new game modes, weapons, maps, and a great new campaign. Somehow they actually managed to make the game even more gory this time around too. If you plan on playing online then Gears 2 is a must buy. If you only plan on playing the campaign I think it is safe to say that you could beat it with a rent. (I am nowhere close to beating it since I keep spending most of my time online)

LittleBIGplanet is incredibly fun as well. Unlocking stickers, decorations, new costume pieces, objects, and materials is more exciting than it probably should be. Playing online is fun, although I haven't found anyone with a mic yet. I had some friends come over for football the other night and 3 of them ended up staying at my house. We all woke up the next morning and me, my girlfriend, and my 3 friends played LBP for at least a couple of hours. There was laughing, screaming, and cussing as we fought our way through a couple of the last levels that came included on the game. We only had two controllers so we just took turns... I can only imagine how fun it would have been with 4 controllers! The options are near endless when it comes to level creation. I am in the middle of my first level and it definitely takes some time and patience to figure out. However, playing levels people have uploaded give you some great ideas on what kind of stuff you can create and makes you want to try it yourself.

Very tough choice between the two... I am glad I have both!

David, would LittleBigPlanet be a game that my 7 and 4 year old boys could play together, if so it looks like I'll have to get a couple games. \:\)
LBP is definately something that kids can enjoy. A lot of the levels actually are pretty tough (especially toward the end) but there are probably enough easy levels for younger children enjoy it. Of course now a-days younger kids are probably better at video games than most adults...
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/12/08 06:26 AM
Go to your library this Saturday, the 15th, to take part in:

National Gaming Day @ Your Library
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/12/08 11:50 PM
Gears of War 2. So far the campaign seems better than 1 as there haven’t been as many “puzzles” requiring you to die multiple time just trying to figure out some special way to get through the level. Good but not great LFE since to much of what I want to feel through the LFE channel only makes the controller shake, why can’t they do both?
I'm MarioKarting yet again with friends online!! \:\)

BTW, Fallout 3...excellent! Obvious Oblivion engine tho.

Enjoying it!

Funny, 48 and still into video games like a kid. We all have our escapes I suppose...





Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/13/08 12:15 AM
 Originally Posted By: Spoiler

Funny, 48 and still into video games like a kid. We all have our escapes I suppose...

Same here. I just look at it as the natural extension of all the war gaming and role playing I’ve done since I was a kid.

Also picked up Fallout 3 but I figured I could finish Gears of War way quicker.
I think that is a pretty safe assumption.
Took a break from little big planet and Gears 2 and have been playing some fallout 3. Definitely a fun game and it will take a while to finish it up.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/17/08 02:00 PM
Purchased and played Rockband II last night for about two and a half hours until my body finally gave up. I think it's time I learned some proper drum techniques as my right wrist gets pretty sore when I step up to tougher songs on the hard level.

On the bright side I was very pleased to see that all my downloaded songs that I bought for RB 1, showed up immediately in my RB II, song list. No action required on my part. I also downloaded the additional 20 free songs and tonight I will export the original RB I songs of the old disk so they will show up as well.

Kudo's to Harmonixs for going from
- "We don't know if you will be able to play your old songs" to
- "We think you will be able to import most of them for a small fee" to
- "Just go ahead and play all your old songs."
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/17/08 02:22 PM
On another Rockband Note.
I went out and excitedly bought RB II yesterday because Saturday night I sat behind a real set of drums for the first time ever. Much to my surprise, after a few exploratory bangs to get used to the 'real' positioning, I was able to tap out some basic rock beats and even throw in a few fills that actually sounded like the real thing.

I even played along to a couple of more simple AC/DC tunes. I wasn't always using the same beats they were as I didn't know the song, drumwise. But it was a lot of fun and I threw in some fills when I knew they were coming. Not the correct ones, but they seemed to work well enough to give us all a good laugh!

I know I'm not learning proper technique, and my timing would suck for anything complex but but I have to say it's pretty cool that I developed a few basic skills from playing a video game. Of course I learned to type fast from an old DOS game called "Letter Invaders" so it's not that much of a stretch, I guess.

I almost bought a real set yesterday but luckily the music stores don't open on Sunday's and I really need to focus on Christmas presents, not presents for myself. I'm always a danger to our bank account when left alone for the weekend.
 Originally Posted By: Murph
I almost bought a real set yesterday


You mean all this time when someone would tell me to "get a set"... BUYING a set was an option???

Seriously, that's pretty cool regarding the drum set. I drum all day... on tables, desks, my torso, anything. I've always wondered what it would be like to sit on a throne..... (Bouncin' it right back to ya'...)
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/17/08 05:08 PM
As a guy who hangs out in front of the stage at rock concerts for a living, I imagine you have seen more 'sets' than we could ever imagine. Probably a lot of drums too even.

You get no sympathy from me, Buddy!

Notice, I narrowly managed to avoid the 'sitting on the throne' opening.
The vast, vast majority of my days are spent shooting and editing training videos... or photographing wicker baskets and antiques and stuff. It's not as exciting as it sounds on paper!
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/17/08 11:12 PM
Yeah, it must suck. When your boss is working you too hard, you have nobody to complain to.
I'm certainly not complaining... but it's really nothing to envy either.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/08 03:14 AM
Can I at least admire it approvingly?
so I am about 7 hours into fallout3 right now and man is this game ENORMOUS. I don't think I have done any of the main quests.. I have been busy doing little odd jobs/quests to make a few caps(dollars) and level up.
I just remembered that I had a free 1600 point ms card from my purchase of gears 2 at circuit city. Any 360 owners have any arcade game suggestions?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/08 04:35 AM
The ones I've enjoyed more than others:

Bejeweled 2 Deluxe
Braid
Carcassonne
Castle Crashers
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Catan
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Lumines Live!
Novadrome
Pac-Man C.E.
Pinball FX
Puzzle Quest
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/08 05:24 AM
Anyone playing Grid? I just drove the Audi R10 this weekend at Le Mans. Man, what a car--hits 200 in 5th, and topped out at 260 in 6th. I might have been able to go faster if the straight was longer. My only competition was the other R10...
Too bad you are not talking about the real thing.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/08 05:42 AM
I think I would have had the real thing into a wall faster than you could read this sentence...
 Originally Posted By: pmbuko
Can I at least admire it approvingly?

Only if you do so with a small smirk....not a smile big enough to see teeth.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/08 12:09 PM
 Originally Posted By: MarkSJohnson
The vast, vast majority of my days are spent shooting and editing training videos... or photographing wicker baskets and antiques and stuff. It's not as exciting as it sounds on paper!


Well, mostly I was having fun with you, but if taking photos of antiques was my ticket to big ticket concerts, change my handle to "Manager of Murph's Old Time Photography and Wicker Emporium".

My wife would love it, her fascination with wicker was of fire hazard proportions until we lost it all (sadly with a bunch of furniture and other items) to mold when it was in storage during our house build two years ago.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/08 02:02 PM
Ken, were you leaning through the turns? \:D
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/08 03:19 PM
Hell yeah, man!
GH3 with my oldest and getting my but kicked, but the tunes are good. \:\)
Finished Dead Space this evening. I thoroughly enjoyed the game even though I could see the ending a mile away. Still good production values, creepy sound, creepy atmosphere, and. . .creepy something.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/24/08 06:01 AM
I am interested in that game, but I think I'll wait until it's a budget title. What's next on your list?
Hmm, I don't know. I want to try Little Big Planet. . .I can't think of anything out there that's a must have for me. Need to finish Brothers in Arms. Kinda want to try the new Spiderman game.

Oh, you know what? I have Psychonauts for the PS2. Forgot I won it off eBay. I should play that next.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/24/08 06:10 AM
Oh, yeah, people love that game. At least, the ones who bought it did.
I have a bunch of 360 games to catch up on. Ever since my old Xbox 360 malfunctioned last Christmas and I had to wait months for the store to restock I haven't played much on it. Still have Assassin's Creed, and Rainbow Six Las Vegas, and The Orange Box to play.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/24/08 06:16 AM
I only finished Portal out of The Orange Box. I should try that again sometime. I mean, I have a million games I never finished, but shhhh.
That's a bad habit. Speaking of which, I need to finish Metal Gear Solid 4 and GTA4.

I must have something against the number 4.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/24/08 06:20 AM
Yes, those are two of the games I need to finish. Grrrr.
Add 'em to the pile, eh?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/24/08 06:23 AM
It's definitely a lot easier to add up the games that I've finished than the ones that I haven't.
This is what you do. Make a rule to not buy a video game until you finish the current one you are playing. This'll save you money and help you focus.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/24/08 06:27 AM
I don't think I'd ever get a new game!

It would be a good policy, though.
Try it for a while. Trust me.
Are any of you members of Gamefly? With the way some of you tear through games, I'm wondering if anyone finds this as good a deal as Netflix is on the movie side.

I've considered signing up in the past to try it, but just don't spend enough time gaming to justify it.

I did, however, just upgrade my Netflix subscription to get more movies at the same time to help make it through the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. \:D

Jason
I'm not a member of Gamefly but I have friends who are. They seem to like it.

I usually only buy a game if it has a really long single player story mode (like fallout or oblivion), or a good xbox live multiplayer mode (like gears2 or COD4).

If it is a rental (like mirrors edge) I just rent it from blockbuster because they don't have any late fees and I can keep the game for 3-4 weeks before they really start bugging me about it.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/13/08 10:02 PM
I just played through the Adventure mode of Peggle Extreme which is free on Steam. Pretty fun!
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/17/08 11:46 PM
A bit of a hijack... but to the Canadians:

Anywhere in particular you've seen the best price on an XBox Pro? Looks like $299.99 is about normal for the console, a controller, and 2-4 titles that I really don't care about. Future Shop, Best Buy and Superstore all seem to be about the same, am I missing somewhere?

Bren R.
Not that I have been looking much, but I think that the prices are fixed at that mark no matter where you go. I can only suggest possibly Wal-Mart or EBGames and hope for a few bucks off.
gears of war 2.. and losing ... I need more nights with hexic and John Mayer...
Been playing Animal Crossing, got me hooked. Also bought Prince of Persia for $40 on Amazon's deal today.
Good deal on Prince of Persia! Just got ordered it. Thanks for the heads up, Cesar!
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/18/08 06:06 AM
 Originally Posted By: jakewash
Not that I have been looking much, but I think that the prices are fixed at that mark no matter where you go. I can only suggest possibly Wal-Mart or EBGames and hope for a few bucks off.
Yeah, I couldn't find anything else either... by the time I totalled up the $300 for the console, plus the $180 for Rock Band 2, plus Guitar Hero Aerosmith for more tunes and the other guitar, and taxes, we were coming up on $700. It's fun, but not that fun. Plus, I don't know anyone who hasn't had to replace a guitar already.

Just don't think it's that fun for us, we'd never use the console for anything else.

So instead she's getting an iPod (eww... Apple stuff in the house - well, I DO have a MacAlly USB hub ) and I'm getting a duck blind. Much more useful for us.

Bren R.
Does the duck blind have a USB port?
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/18/08 06:13 AM
I am now laughing at Mr. Punk Rebel for suggesting that he would purchase anything with Aerosmith in its name. ;\)
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/18/08 06:34 AM
Aerosmith didn't just do soundtrack schlock ballads and songs beloved by chicks with femullets - they had some good songs too. Besides, they don't exactly make Guitar Hero: GBH or Guitar Hero : Crucif***s.

Bren R.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/18/08 06:49 AM
Do any bands actually get better after they've been together for, oh, at least 15 years?
Asked "santa" for Red Alert 3. We'll see if it comes.

Guys at my work play DotA, a map/mod/game for Warcraft 3. It is loads of fun.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/18/08 07:16 AM
 Originally Posted By: pmbuko
Do any bands actually get better after they've been together for, oh, at least 15 years?


Probably, but you'd have to count all of the time they were together BEFORE they had a record deal.
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/18/08 07:24 AM
 Originally Posted By: pmbuko
Do any bands actually get better after they've been together for, oh, at least 15 years?

The Descendents, Blondie, Agent Orange, The Misfits, D-A-D, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers... that's all I can think of off hand who have either gotten better, or not slipped too much over 15 years.

Bren R.
I don't think they're necessarily better - it's hard to top Moving Pictures - but Rush has turned out good stuff between their 15th and 30th birthdays.

I would disagree with Blondie - all their good stuff was within the first 6 years they hit the scene.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/18/08 02:04 PM
Agree. Prices seem to remain static on game consoles.

Slightly off topic but maybe relevant to getting service after the purchase. Anybody else hearing rumors of their Future Shop closing down?

Remember, I said rumors. I have no idea on the legitimacy of this.
It looks like Amazon is doing deals on PS3 games today.
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/18/08 05:12 PM
 Originally Posted By: medic8r
I would disagree with Blondie - all their good stuff was within the first 6 years they hit the scene.
I can't really agree... Blondie, Parallel Lines and Eat to the Beat were really good, Plastic Letters and Autoamerican (except Rapture and Suzy and Jeffrey) were pretty weak IMO. And The Hunter was a series of 10 or so B-sides to War Child.

The two new albums have been good... No Exit and The Curse Of Blondie aren't just "401K" albums.

I'm a much bigger fan of them than the "fusion jazz" she was doing with the Jazz Passengers.

Bren R.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/18/08 11:26 PM
I have to disagree with the Chili Peppers. They've been downhill ever since Blood Sugar Sex Magic.
 Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
Good deal on Prince of Persia! Just got ordered it. Thanks for the heads up, Cesar!


No prob. It's received great reviews and even though I have a big game backlog, I figured what the heck.
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/19/08 12:20 AM
 Originally Posted By: Zarak
I have to disagree with the Chili Peppers. They've been downhill ever since Blood Sugar Sex Magic.
Everyone but me likes that album. On a few occasions, I've nearly given away my copy of BSSM. Standout albums for me are Freaky Styley, Mother's Milk, Californication and Stadium Arcadium. I own BSSM, but would probably give it away (groan) to anyone that asked for it.

After that stinker, I refused to buy One Hot Minute (and don't think I missed anything), bought Californication (mostly because I know one of the engineers on it) and liked it, skipped By The Way as a ho-hum release, and own Stadium Arcadium, which I think both discs are solid on.

To each their own.

Bren R.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/19/08 10:58 PM
No, you didn't miss much, as I bought One Hot Minute and didn't like it. Most of the singles I've heard on the radio since don't do anything for me, with the exception of the Love is like a roller coaster song, mostly because I always think of Beavis and Butthead doing their little dance to it and it makes me laugh.
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/19/08 11:39 PM
Californication was also the return of John Frusciante. I like Dave Navarro, don't get me wrong, but he's Jane's Addiction material, not RHCP material... I don't think there's any "where's the track forward button" filler on the album.

Nothing on By The Way really grabbed me, and it and 1HM remain the only two albums of theirs I don't own.

And Stadium Arcadium is actually really good, it could have been a break-out album for a new band. I would have bought it no matter who the band was.

Bren R.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/21/08 10:57 PM
Well, I got back to playing Peggle Extreme and finished the challenge mode. It's a pretty addicting game. I'll have to get the full Peggle Deluxe at some point.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/28/08 12:11 AM
Has anyone played World of Goo? It looks like it could be really fun.
I like the dramatic music.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/28/08 01:43 AM
Ha ha, yeah, I liked that, too.
I noticed it won the Video Game award for best independent game.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/28/08 02:28 AM
I wonder how much goo that resulted in for its developer.
He could potentially be a goozillionaire.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/28/08 02:39 AM
Ha ha, sperm bank.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/28/08 03:32 AM
I like it!
I have been playing the trial version of the xbox live arcade game "Puzzle Quest". This game is pretty neat and I think I'm about to go spend 800 points for the full version.

Did anyone else with a 360 play this one?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/28/08 05:26 AM
Yeah, I enjoyed that one a lot. I got the expansion for it, too, but I haven't played it. I should make the time to do that at some point.
Yeah, I think I liked the demo when it first came out but the 1200 point price tag scared me off.

now that it is 800 points I think I will buy it.
I've been trying to slog through "Assassin's Creed". . . what a snooze-fest and a waste of a good idea. Talk about repetitiveness. . .zzzzzz. . .you do the same thing over and over and over again.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/28/08 06:11 AM
That's what the reviews seemed to say. That's why I didn't buy it. Of course, a lot of games I play are repetitive. I guess some types of repetition are more fun than others.
Yeah, I bought the game last Christmas and never got around to playing it. I should move on to either Fallout 3 or Prince of Persia.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/28/08 06:42 AM
I've been playing the World of Goo demo, and I love it. However, it's virtually impossible with a trackpad. I also just bought Race 07, and both STALKERs.
I've been playing Goo a bit on my Wii! Yes, I said "Wii" even though it isn't listed on their site, I've got it... It was a downloadable game.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/28/08 07:17 AM
Oh, it's on 2dBoy's site (the Wii thing).
 Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
I've been trying to slog through "Assassin's Creed". . . what a snooze-fest and a waste of a good idea. Talk about repetitiveness. . .zzzzzz. . .you do the same thing over and over and over again.


Totally agree -> The gameplay and graphics are really fun for the first few hours, but after that you have to be pretty dedicated to run the same loop a few dozen more times. I enjoyed the game for a short time. I still think it's worth a rental to enjoy the gameplay, but nothing more than that.

Jason
Yeah, Jason, the graphics are good and the cities are pretty magnificent to behold viewed from up high, but the actual gameplay bogs the whole thing down. I'm stubborn, though, and will stick with it to see if it gets any better. . .
So yeah, I'm pretty much addicted to that puzzle quest game now.
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/28/08 08:34 PM
Been playing Rock Band on 360 now for a few days... bro left his behind after Christmas day (mostly so he wouldn't keep avoiding work playing Gears of War 2).

Yeah, I'm still a one-and-a-half-trick-pony. Vocals on Expert for most non-screechy-metal songs, hard for those Geddy Lee/Rob Halfordy ones, and medium for songs I don't have the foggiest how the vocal line goes. I've gotten used to "sight-reading" the green/gold line instead of sheet music.

When I need to give the pipes a rest, I'll pick up the sticks and play drums, but the feel of the kick pedal keeps me on easy.

And the guitar/bass always baffled me. Being that I used to play bass, it doesn't feel the least bit similar to me.

Just find it kind of funny that when you get a Brit-popper, a west coast punk rocker and a bubble gum power-popper together to play... we gravitate towards playing arena rock?!?

Bren R.
 Originally Posted By: nickbuol
I've been playing Goo a bit on my Wii! Yes, I said "Wii" even though it isn't listed on their site, I've got it... It was a downloadable game.


I love Goo. Great game.
World of Goo is great! Well worth the $20 for the full version.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/28/08 11:46 PM
Good to know. I'll have to afford it at some point.
Mariokart on the Wii, Friend codes anyone?
finally got around to playing rockband last night (the first one). A friend brought it over and we had a 4 man (actually 3 man and 1 girl) band going. My girlfriend really liked playing the drums.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/31/08 06:22 PM
She likes to bang things, huh? ;\)
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/02/09 02:37 AM
Well, I've been playing World of Goo. I'm not terribly far, but I'm already feeling stupid and slow. I know if I was still a kid I'd be figuring this stuff out much faster. Still, I'm enjoying myself. I kind of wish it was higher-resolution, but other than that, it looks great and plays well. I felt bad for my brother-in-law, since he didn't get any gifts for Christmas, so I ordered him a copy, too. He doesn't have his yet, however. UPS likes to turn 2-day shipping into 3-day shipping a lot, so he'll have it tomorrow. I imagine my nephew will be the first one to finish the game, but hopefully my head start will keep me ahead of him for a few minutes, anyway.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/04/09 12:39 AM
I just finished Chapter 2 in World of Goo. I agree with the reviews I read about how imaginative the designers are, and how well-incorporated the ideas are into the gameplay. For $20, I don't think you can go wrong with this game.
Rock Band 2 with with my wife and son. My bands name?.......Axiom, of course, my wife rolled her eyes at that one. I have discovered I can do the bass guitar not too bad, still struggling with the drums and guitar.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/05/09 03:28 PM
Still addicted to RockBand but I also got "Dead Space" for Christmas for the PS3. Here is my two minute review.

I normally get tired of shooters but this keeps me wanting to go back for more. An fairly decent story based on the old human mutation/religious artifact genre. The horror movie style music does a great job at building tension. I sometimes have to tell myself to relax my shoulders.

What makes it different though is the extra strategy involved in the shooting aspect. Just shooting the creatures does little good. You have to use your various laser tools, meelee etc. to dismember their limbs in order to kill them effectively. Cut of their legs to slow them down then work on the arms or head. If they get close, a good stomp can remove a limb if you have em crawling around near your feet.

Some puzzle elements involving devices to slow things down or telekinesis, but you will never be stuck scratching your head for very long. Solutions are maybe a bit too obvious.

Scary, bloody and very gory. A lot of mature content and some swearing. Not for the very young or feint of heart but it is definitely the first shooter I didn't get bored of 1/2 way through.
I have been playing Dark Sector on the 360 and Drakes Fortune on the PS3 lately.

I am about 70% done with each game.

Dark sector is pretty good... its like a typical shooter, but then they mutate your character and give him a bionic arm with a sharp blade at the end that can be thrown at the enemies. The blade gets new abilities as the game progresses (fire, ice, electricity, ect.) Overall this game is pretty fun, but I am somewhat ready for it to be over. There is some puzzle/strategy
involved at certain places. You must use the powers of your bionic arm blade thingie to get past certain parts of the game and to beat certain bosses.

Drakes fortune on the PS3 is a really great game. it is a typical third person shooter but there is a lot of treasure hunting, small puzzle type sections, and lots of rock/wall climbing. Think tomb raider on steroids. I highly recommend you check out this game if you have a PS3. It may only be worth a rent though (depending on how much you play). I am 72% complete at about 6 hours of game play.

As soon as I beat these two games (both are borrowed from friends) I will return them and get started on Valkyria Chronicles on the PS3. I played the demo, and thought it was pretty fun so went and grabbed it yesterday. It is a battlefield strategy/rpg game with a japan-amination/comic theme to it.

Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/02/09 06:52 AM
Hmm.. another reason to eventually buy an Xbox360.

Bren R.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/02/09 07:04 AM
\:\) Looks fun, Bren.
Reminds of that mutant league hockey game I used to play on my sega genesis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_Sx-nGmMok&feature=related
I got Rock Band for Wii but you can't use your GH guitar. That blows.

But Rock Band 2 apparently does this.
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/02/09 08:56 PM
 Originally Posted By: CV
:) Looks fun, Bren.
I used to play the tabletop miniature version in a league... bought all the stuff to start playing it again, but realize I don't have the spare time to paint miniatures that I used to... have a high elf team about 90% painted and an Orc team in primer... and have for the past 2 years.

Bren R.
on the 360 you can use the GH III guitar on rock band 1 , but you can not use the rockband guitar on guitar hero 3... \:\(
World of Warcraft, same answer every time \:\)
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/03/09 01:01 AM
I'm so sorry. Clearly we need to stage an intervention.
Been playing Rock Band 2 and almost starting to get somewhere with it, slowly venturing into Medium range.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/03/09 04:26 PM
Completed Dead Space. Making it officially the first console game I ever actually finished to the very end. Going back to see if Snake died of old age yet in Metal Gear Solid.
 Originally Posted By: terzaghi
I have been playing Dark Sector on the 360 and Drakes Fortune on the PS3 lately....


update:

I beat drakes fortune yesterday. It is a VERY fun game, with a great story all the way up to the end. I highly suggest it to anyone with a PS3 who likes 3rd person shooters.

I am tired of playing the dark sector game though... I am out of ammo and tired of using my stupid metal blade to kill things.

I started Valkyria Chronicles last night and so far the story telling/intro is amazing!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/12/09 07:05 PM
I finally picked up Dance Dance Revolution Universe 3 for the Xbox 360 after it dropped in price. I needed a new pad. Well, the new pad was registering maybe only half the steps. Naturally, I wanted to blame the pad, as I've had bad pads. Well, I tried playing DDR Universe 2 with the pad just to see, and I was suddenly getting AAs again. I don't get it. The pad isn't measuring pressure or anything, so it seems like if it senses that you hit the arrow, that should be it. I haven't heard anything about the game being broken, either, so I'm at a loss. Anyway, I guess I'll just keep playing DDR Universe 2. Very odd.
I started playing the Valkyria Chronicles on the PS3, guess it would be considered a turn based RPG, pretty fun.
Yeah, I am really liking Valkyria Chronicles... I am on Ch. 7 and am totally hooked.

Guitar Hero World Tour for the Wii. The beauty is that you can pick up the stand alone Rock Band 2 game and all the GHWT instruments work. But not vice versa. Downloaded Rush's Tom Sawyer and Limelight yesterday - Immediately managed to massacre both......
Playing "The Last Starfighter". Oh wait, I guess it is just a movie.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/13/09 12:47 PM
Started Fallout III last night. Couldn't get out of the damn bunker.
Yeah.. it takes some time to go through the whole intro thing and get out of the vault.... Fun game though. I need to pick it bak up and start playing it again.
Waiting to get House of Dead Overkill for Wii. Love the retro Grindhouse look.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/13/09 06:42 PM
I'm thinking about getting Left 4 Dead, but I'm not into co-op at all. Anyone know if this is worth it for single player?
I haven't played it, but it has some pretty good reviews. Left 4 Dead
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/14/09 03:05 AM
My nephew prefers playing whatever he can in online multiplayer, but he was having plenty of fun with that game in single-player.
I just downloaded Halo Wars and it's really fun. I'm pre-ordering at Amazon for next Tues. release of the full game.
Yeah, I just downloaded Halo Wars too.... haven't had a chance to play it yet. I am still playing Valkyria Chronicles pretty regularly so no telling when I will get to it.

I think I may grab up Killzone2 in a couple of days for the PS3 as well.
Rog and I started playing Dawn of War II. Pretty fun.
Left 4 Dead is my favorite game. It is short ( 1.5 hour or so scenarios) and pretty good on your own but absolutely shines as a co-op or 4 versus 4 multi-player. If you don't plan on replaying it a lot i would recommend you rent it.
picked up killzone2 with a Best Buy gift card that I had.

This game is great... Amazing graphics, killer environments, great multiplayer... it pretty much has it all.

It is by far the best FPS I have played on the PS3 so far. It seems like a first person version of Gears of war (in regard to graphics, addiction, gameplay, ect.)

I highly suggest that anyone who likes FPS and owns a PS3 check out this game.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/01/09 01:47 AM
How's the sound?
I just rented Kill Zone2 this weekend, I agree with David's review, and it sounds great.
I think the sound is ok, but it seems to be lacking the LFE department... have you noticed this Homedad?

In comparison to explosions on other games like COD4 it really seems lacking. The dialogue, surround effects, ect. are great though
When the wife's home we have to play any shooters at low volume, I'll crank it up and check tomorrow while the wifes working out.
I guess that might be a small part of it.. I have only played at medium volumes myself due to my fiance...

I cranked it up a bit just now, (as much as I could get away with) and played a couple of online matches. It sounded pretty good, but I had to bump up the sub a couple of db's beyond its normal value.

Overall the sound it good though.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/04/09 04:03 AM
Not playing it tonight, of course, but I'm glad to see this remake is happening: A Boy and His Blob - Nintendo Power
A Boy and His Blob? YES!

First thing I'm doing is tricking the blob into eating a ketchup jelly bean.

Oh, I started playing Tomb Raider: Underworld tonight. Not sure how much I'm digging it. Rented from GameFly it'll probably go back next week.
I've been playing Fallout3 on the xbox 360 again. I stopped playing it pretty much when Gears of War2 came out. Since I am posted up in a hotel with crappy internet (and no xboxlive due to the way it is configured) I decided to pull out Fallout3.

I left off somewhere near the middle of the main quest line, and was level 10. I am now level 14, but still have only done a little more of the main quest. On my way to perform parts of the quest I keep getting side-tracked by random raider camps and other places I stumble across. I guess that is the one advantage of having a world like the "Wasteland". After roaming through miles of debris, you absolutely HAVE to stop and inspect any structure you find that is still standing.

Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/07/09 04:14 PM
Close Range

Finally, a game at my skill level.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/07/09 04:38 PM
The graphics are a bit outdated, and the gore level is realistic only if you're using hollow-point rounds.
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/07/09 04:43 PM
Or The Judge revolver by Taurus, firing 3" .410 bore shotshells.



Bren R.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/07/09 05:25 PM
That's like bringing a javelin to a toothpick fight.
House of Dead Overkill and Madworld, both for Wii.

Over the top, campy, and HILARIOUS, IMHO. Pretty violent and rough language, not good for kids.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/26/09 10:28 PM
Peggle on Xbox Live Arcade

I liked the limited version, Peggle Extreme, I got for free on Steam, and I had $5 in credit on Amazon.com's Xbox Live Arcade store, so for an additional $5, I decided to go for this version. It's just as addictive. I kind of hate how I get suckered into simple games like this, while my much more expensive games sit on the shelf.
playing infinite undiscovery from the 9.99 Bestbuy game sale (Thanks CV!) The game is pretty decent, and a definite steal at 10 bucks. I wasn't quite sure what I thought about it for the first hour or more of play but now that I am about 2 hours in it is really starting to grow on me.

For 10 bucks I wouldn't pass it up, but for $40 I would.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/16/09 04:00 PM
Crayon Physics Deluxe

Has anyone bought it yet? It looks fun, so I may have to go for it.
I downloaded the trial version a while back, but couldn't get it to work on my 'puter.
Plants Vs Zombies.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/30/09 09:54 AM
Fallout 3 [Xbox 360]

It's all right so far. I like the atmosphere, though I'll agree with whoever said it's harder to get into than Oblivion (David?). I think it's just easier to fill a fantasy world with things to do than a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Still, I can see playing this through and trying to max out my character. I have to make time for Gears of War 2, Fable II, and Tales of Vesperia, though. Yes, I'm finally catching up on some video games I wanted.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/30/09 02:19 PM
Plants vs. Zombies here while I wait for all my new PC components to show up.
I've been playing Fable 2 and have been thoroughly hooked on it. It's like video game crack!
With a nice beer buzz I chopped wood for a couple hours straight in Fable II..same with the blacksmith job.
That is eerily similar to what I did last night. . . .

*cue Twilight Zone music*


\:D

Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/30/09 04:21 PM
Why does this sound like WoW? (oh, there's another hour wasted fishing...)
Since I'm no good at really chopping wood, I can do it all I want in a video game?
Your next goal should be to impregnate as many women as possible \:D
Uh. . . .in the game, right?



LOL! \:D ...Yeah!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/30/09 04:35 PM
 Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
That is eerily similar to what I did last night. . . .


Word on the street is that you had a SO, though. You and Tom weren't just being SOBs, were you? Does she really allow you to chop video game wood all night? I suppose if she did control whether or not you chop video game wood, it would be symbolic of another type of wood being chopped.
No, we needed many more beers before we ventured into the SOB realm!

*sigh* And, no, I have to chop wood when she is NOT around. . . .
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/30/09 04:51 PM
Seriously, though, way to go on being tethered in some manner. I have supreme control over my free time, but something tells me I'd be happier if an external force kept me in check some of the time.
The good news is that without TV at my place we do a lot of music listening!! Although, she can't tell the difference between my two channel set up vs. her car stereo. . . again *sigh*
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/30/09 04:59 PM
Have you heard her car stereo?
Yes, she has line arrays in there. . .

Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/31/09 10:40 PM
I played a little bit of Gears of War 2 just so it didn't feel neglected. I played some more of Fallout 3 last night, but it's depressing me how hard I'm finding it to make my way through the early parts of the game. I love the ambient sound effects and music, though. Gears of War 2 looks like it will be fun as well, though it would be more fun to play through with someone else.

Now I should go try Fable II and see about this wood I keep hearing about.
I just started playing inFamous on ps3, pretty fun so far.
 Originally Posted By: CV

Now I should go try Fable II and see about this wood I keep hearing about.


I hope you find it.

*keeps fingers crossed*
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/01/09 06:34 AM
I actually have been playing Fable II. I got to be a five-star blacksmith, and now I'm working my way up the wood chopping. It's so frustrating getting a good chain going and then having my finger betray me.
Microsoft annouced project Natal at E3 which is basically a motion sensing console. It does not use any controllers but responds to your body movements. I'm an old school gamer and still like the non motion sensing but it is still cool anyways to see some innovation from Microsoft in this regards. We will see how well it works in time I guess.
That is pretty cool. I dig the Wii for what it is, and it CAN be fun in social situations. As far as the motion sensing feature of the PS3, I never use it unless I'm forced (like in Heavenly Sword).

My personal bias aside, it's interesting to see them push the envelope and develop new things.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/06/09 07:52 PM
I stayed up until after 8am this morning playing stupid Fable II.
Ha ha, you got sucked in!

Were you, uh, chopping wood all night long?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/06/09 08:10 PM
Not last night. I did bartending and some bounty hunting in addition to some quests. I did "The Crucible" which was fun. I need to find some augments for my weapons. I'll have to make some more money, too, as I keep spending it. I've only bought one property so far. Maybe I should buy more so I can have more rent coming in. Have you gotten married or anything? I've been ignoring that aspect of the game, which is perhaps a reflection of my real life.
The Crucible is a good way of getting money and experience if you keep replaying it.

I've made more money off buying stores and stalls rather than renting out houses. I dunno, maybe it'd make more if I spent time to redecorate and all that. After buying enough stuff, it's easy to start generating a pretty sizable income.

I got married twice, but I ended up losing them. Too much of a time suck to go and visit them all the time. Never bothered with trying to have kids and all that.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/06/09 08:20 PM
I guess I'll look at buying stores. Thanks for the tip.
Don't forget to purchase a Monster Truck!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/06/09 08:25 PM
Oh, man, if I could drive around getting trolls stuck in my treads, I'd be so happy.
That's my wish in every game.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/06/09 08:30 PM
You need a Game Genie. Remember those?
I do! I never had one. My friends did. I liked to earn things in games. I dunno, guess I'm weird that way.

It's boring to have everything unlocked and, well, I don't like cheating.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/06/09 08:38 PM
Yeah, when things are too easy in games, it starts to feel too much like real life.
 Originally Posted By: CV
Yeah, when things are too easy in games, it starts to feel too much like real life.

I hate you.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/06/09 09:07 PM
See how easy it was for me to get hated? I rule at life! \:\)
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/09/09 06:03 AM
Wow, I'd like to be playing this game:

Kotaku - This Is Why I Thought Just Cause 2 Was "Best In Show"

That looks like some fun stuff.
I never played the first one, but the sequel looks like tons of fun!
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/09/09 01:50 PM
Timeshift. It was gift I finally got around to trying. A FPS with the twist that you can slow or stop time. A cool concept but mediocre delivery.
3D Pinball for Windows - Space Cadet (comes installed on XP under games). I welcome anyone to beat my high score of 7,012,500. I am starting to get better at it.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/09/09 03:34 PM
Did you say Timshift?

Heh. When I was in college I made the shell of a game with that name as a project in a computer animation class I was taking.

You can look and laugh at it here.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/09/09 04:19 PM
 Originally Posted By: Dr.House
3D Pinball for Windows - Space Cadet (comes installed on XP under games). I welcome anyone to beat my high score of 7,012,500. I am starting to get better at it.


I don't remember my high score, but I got pretty good at it.
I just started to play it last week, it is actually fun. My next goal is 10 mil.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/09/09 05:22 PM
 Originally Posted By: pmbuko
Did you say Timshift?

Heh. When I was in college I made the shell of a game with that name as a project in a computer animation class I was taking.


That actually looked pretty nice Peter. When you said shell, I expected to see wireframes jumping around a crayola colored space.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/09/09 05:29 PM
I still have the interactive version -- only about 4 "rooms" -- on my home computer somewhere. It used QuickTime VR for 360° pannable panoramas and clickable hot-spots to move to other areas.
Speaking of E3, the games I'm most looking forward to are (most don't have official sites--or much on them if they do, but a Google of any title will give you more info than you ever wanted):

Final Fantasy XIII - looks beautiful, and while I like the darker Altus RPG series, Final Fantasies are always a fun timesink

Final Fantasy XIV - I'll at least give it a shot. I'm not a very social person, this forum is my largest interaction with other people, but Square has said there'll be more soloable content in this one

Heavy Rain - I was always a huge fan of the Sierra and Lucas Arts quest games, this is pretty much a modern take on the genre

The Last Guardian - Ico is one of my favorite games of all time, and I've picked up Shadow of the Colossus again, trying to get through it this time
I've been 'trapped' playing Broken Sword on my DS. Apparently, it's port of an older game but for some reason, it's eaten about 7 hours of my life during the past few weeks...
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/09/09 06:23 PM
Heavy Rain looks like an interesting concept. I'll be waiting for that one. In the mean time, you've reminded me that I can play PS2 games on my PS3 for cheap. Of course, it is also coming into Summer and the odds are I won't use it much.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/09/09 06:34 PM
 Originally Posted By: oldskoolboarder
I've been 'trapped' playing Broken Sword on my DS. Apparently, it's port of an older game but for some reason, it's eaten about 7 hours of my life during the past few weeks...

7 hours over a few weeks isn't that bad. Bad is when your wife starts walking around naked to get your attention and you fail to notice.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/09/09 06:38 PM
At least she hasn't gone so far as to wear another woman.
 Originally Posted By: pmbuko
7 hours over a few weeks isn't that bad. Bad is when your wife starts walking around naked to get your attention and you fail to notice.

Many years ago, before I met my wife, a coworker that I was interested in said that she broke up with her previous boyfriend for that exact reason.

"What an idiot!" I exclaimed sympathetically. "I wouldn't make that mistake!"

Sadly, I didn't get the chance to test out my theory. Shocking, I know; 'tis true.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/09/09 06:57 PM
I've passed that test.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/09/09 06:57 PM
That explains the broken laptop.
Lucky!

(Napoleon Dynamite, of course)
 Originally Posted By: Dr.House
3D Pinball for Windows - Space Cadet (comes installed on XP under games). I welcome anyone to beat my high score of 7,012,500. I am starting to get better at it.


Oh, man.... when I used to play with both hands (insert joke here) I used to get 50-60 million frequently.

I got so good at it, I only play one handed now (insert joke here) and play one ball (insert joke here).

Seriously... I frequently get 1~2 million with the left flipper, on the first ball only. It was just taking too much time to use both flippers...I'd be playing a game for an hour!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/10/09 04:34 AM
 Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
I never played the first one, but the sequel looks like tons of fun!


I never played the first, either, but yeah, tethering enemies to things and to each other looks like a lot of fun, and how can you not love using the grappling hook to pull yourself everywhere and launch yourself up for some parachute action? Here's hoping it only gets crazier as development continues.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/25/09 03:26 AM
Several of you already know, but I've been sucked into a version of Bejeweled again, that being Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook. I can finally stop playing, since I just got the highest medal on it. Whew! The only problem is my sister wants me to keep playing so we can potentially win the laptop.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/25/09 01:14 PM
That is just sick, in the "good sick" kind of slang.
Posted By: Adrian Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/25/09 01:42 PM
3D pinball on Windows? haven't played for years but I checked my highest score....25,983,250!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/25/09 02:47 PM
 Originally Posted By: pmbuko
That is just sick, in the "good sick" kind of slang.


So where do I pick up my hot caregiver?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/16/09 06:50 AM
Trials HD on Xbox LIVE Arcade. It's pretty fun so far.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/16/09 08:48 PM
Jardinains 2. The cutest breakout clone you'll ever play. I'm taking turns with my son, who's getting pretty darn good. \:\)
I might play Bioshock again on the hardest difficulty. Superb game, amazing sound and the story is one of the best.
I've been playing NCAA 2010 on PS3. Overall a pretty good game, but I find the controls while running (spin, juke, ect.) to be slow and somewhat unresponsive... kind of a bummer.
 Originally Posted By: Dr.House
I might play Bioshock again on the hardest difficulty. Superb game, amazing sound and the story is one of the best.


Agreed! Superb game..I don't usually play a game like that through twice...but Bioshock 2 comes out pretty soon!
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/18/09 09:44 PM
One of my good friend's sister is one of the main developers of Bioshock 2. I'm curious to see it when it comes out just for that alone.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/19/09 03:12 AM
WANT.
 Originally Posted By: Spoiler
 Originally Posted By: Dr.House
I might play Bioshock again on the hardest difficulty. Superb game, amazing sound and the story is one of the best.


Agreed! Superb game..I don't usually play a game like that through twice...but Bioshock 2 comes out pretty soon!



YEAH!!! September I think? I got totally wrapped up in the world that was presented. A nice way to escape from reality. I am really looking forward to Bioshock 2
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/19/09 03:59 AM
Man, I stopped playing Bioshock early on. I think I was having trouble finding my way around. I'll have to try it again and see if I'm any better a second time around.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/19/09 12:38 PM
You probably just didn't read the game manual far enough and missed this key combo move...

Press [X] [X] [L1] to yell "Reginaaaaaa. Where are you?????"
Wolfenstein should be here today.
I thought Bioshock was a great game and am looking forward to Bioshock 2, unfortunately I don't think it will come out until next year, many game releases got pushed back because they don't want to compete with Halo 3 ODST and Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 that are being released in Sept. and Nov. respectively.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/19/09 07:17 PM
I'm curious what you think of Wolfenstein. I could use a new FPS. And a computer in a room that I can actually use while the kids are sleeping, but that's beside the point...
Have you read any reviews for this game? It will give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/19/09 07:30 PM
Re... views... RE... views. re... VIEWS... Hmm. Wuzzat then?
I'm in a game limbo. Waiting for Professor Layton and Scribblenauts on the DS next week.

I've been considering Fat Princess on the PS3. Has anyone tried it yet?
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/20/09 06:47 PM
But will Fat Princess work in the new Slim Model PS3?
So far I've really enjoyed Wolfenstein, about 30 minutes into playing my 8 year old took command and hasn't let me back on ;\)
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/21/09 03:41 PM
Downloaded the expansion to Wipeout - Fury. For $10 I think it's pretty awesome - just started so not far into it yet. My son loves the new ships and skins though.

BTW, the new slim PS3 will support bitstreaming of HD audio.. It is also supposedly much quieter, might be worth the upgrade for movie playback!
I'm downloading Shadow Complex for the 360 right now, it's supposed to be a really good shooter.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/22/09 03:27 AM
I have that downloaded, but I haven't played yet. Yeah, people are gushing about that game.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/22/09 04:03 AM
It's as if they were pierced water balloons.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/22/09 04:40 AM
What about saline breast implants?
Now you're getting a bit salty for this forum.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/22/09 03:16 PM
So you're a silicone man.
Posted By: Adrian Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/22/09 04:12 PM
I wonder if women have the choice of silcone other than sizing. You know, like indoor/outdoor, 25 yr, 35-50 yr, paintable ect.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/23/09 07:37 AM
I briefly sampled TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled, Splosion Man, and Shadow Complex on Xbox LIVE Arcade. I think I'll have fun with all of them.
Was thinking about starting up a good old fashioned game of daggerfall...

To anyone who likes RPG's (and doesn't mind a slightly older game):
Check out Daggerfall, the second of the Elder Scrolls games if you never played it. Hell, even if you have it may be worth a re-visit

It is available for free download to celebrate the 15th anniversary of TES.
http://www.elderscrolls.com/home/home.php
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/30/09 05:11 AM
Thanks for the link. I’ve been playing Oblivion of and on for a couple years. One of these days I will finish it off.
Anyone get Batman yet? Played the PS3 demo and it was great. Not my normal cup of tea, I'm not in those sort of combat games but the graphics were phenomenal.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/30/09 07:30 AM
I was also wondering if anyone here has played it. I've almost ordered it a couple of times, but I haven't quite convinced myself to, despite the good reviews.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/30/09 08:51 PM
Has anyone bought any of the indie games on Xbox LIVE? I may have to break down and try a couple, just to see what's up.
I have played a few of the indie demos and found them quite fun... Still trying to decide if anything is worth buying or not tho.
I have the demo for Batman on the 360 and the game has great graphics and game-play, it got really good reviews, I'm just trying to finish some of the games I already have before I purchase it.
Skate 2 over the weekend. Really fun game, though the controls can be "clunky" at times. I might be a used copy. I like this game.
I am looking forward to the 2010 NHL video games.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/01/09 02:40 AM
Looking forward to Starcraft II and Diablo III, but it looks like they have been pushed back to 2010 and 2011 respectively.

Maybe Gran Turismo 5, but I'd be getting a PS3 just for that (and the blu ray of course).

The wife wants to get a Wii so we can get Wii Fit. I hear a new one of those comes out soon (october?) as well. Fit, not the wii itself.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/01/09 01:26 PM
Mmmmmk, so your wife wants to buy gaming consoles and you are the one holding back?

Please pass her your man card and the pants you used to keep it in.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/04/09 02:39 AM
I'm not opposed to getting it, just haven't gone out to do it yet. I see one in our future.

I can see how it'd come across as funny though. \:D
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/04/09 02:20 PM
I've really just been waiting for an opportunity to use the smirking dog gif.
Finally picked up Call of Duty 4 off amazon for $30. I don't know why I didn't pick this game up sooner. It's loads of fun! I wanted to play this because I've been impressed with the screens of Modern Warfare 2.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/06/09 09:43 PM
Man, I forgot how fun Burnout Revenge is. It's definitely the most fun I've ever had with a car game, though I'm sure I missed out on some classics.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/08/09 06:03 AM
A little bit of Fallout 3. I should have started much earlier. It's too big of a game to only play for a little bit.
SOCOM: Confrontation on the PS3. I really like this game, but I tpyically only get 3 kills per match, and about deaths.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/20/09 10:49 PM
Battlefield: Bad Company

Despite its name, it's not bad.
I've been playing call of duty 5 lately. I borrowed it from a friend and have really enjoyed it. Can't wait until modern warfare 2 comes out.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/21/09 12:54 AM
 Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Can't wait until modern warfare 2 comes out.


Yeah, that should be a good time. I probably won't get it right away, but it's one I'll definitely have to play at some point.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/21/09 03:29 PM
Since I just got the PS3...are there any good games I can pick up for cheap to try out? Don't know what games are good, and don't want to spend $60 a pop. Picking them up used is fine, or even last year's sports games are probably cheap if there is a good one. The only one I won't mind paying full price for is Gran Turismo 5 when it comes out in a couple of months.
Formula one 2006 , very fast and intense esp Monaco .

Cannot wait for new version.
 Quote:
Since I just got the PS3...are there any good games I can pick up for cheap to try out?


I would get Burnout Paradise, I just downloaded some new content for it and am playing it all over again.

Waiting for Halo 3 to be delivered Tue.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/21/09 05:03 PM
Halo on PS3 ????
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/21/09 05:12 PM
Yeah, didn't you hear? Microsoft bought Sony.
 Originally Posted By: Zarak
Since I just got the PS3...are there any good games I can pick up for cheap to try out? Don't know what games are good, and don't want to spend $60 a pop. Picking them up used is fine, or even last year's sports games are probably cheap if there is a good one. The only one I won't mind paying full price for is Gran Turismo 5 when it comes out in a couple of months.


has a release date been confirmed for gran turismo 5?

I am lookiung forward to that one as well!

To answer your question, you could always try metal gear solid 4, resistance 1 and 2, and if you like tactical online shooters you could go for socom confrontation,
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/21/09 06:27 PM
 Originally Posted By: kcarlile
Yeah, didn't you hear? Microsoft bought Sony.


and......




\:\)
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/21/09 07:11 PM
GT5 is Q4 this year. I haven't seen an exact date, but it does not sound like it is getting pushed any further. I have seen a couple of confirmations that it will be coming out.

Metal Gear Solid...I might have to check that out. I liked the other ones in the series.
If you like survival horror/third person shooters, check out Dead Space. Playing it in surround sound with the lights out was a wonderful experience. It can be had for less than $30 these days. I think a prequel is in the works; can't wait.

I just finished playing Dead Space on the Xbox...the best Sci-fi horror experience I've played yet. Excellent game.
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/21/09 10:36 PM
I've just gotten addicted to PixelJunk Monsters on PS3. My brother-in-law was making fun of me for being obsessed with 'rainbowing' the levels. Then he tried it and got hooked himself \:D
Damn, you guys are all advanced and stuff. I like Wii bowling. \:\)
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/22/09 05:17 PM
DeadSpace has been my favorite PS3 game to date.

Anyone MMO players looking towards the release of "Star Wars; The Old Republic" ?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/27/09 07:39 AM
Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection for Xbox 360. I only played a handful of games on each table, as it was making me angry. I hate losing balls.

Understandable. \:D
 Originally Posted By: CV
Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection for Xbox 360. I only played a handful of games on each table, as it was making me angry. I hate losing balls.


Oh, I love pinball games! I downloaded Zen Pinball for the PS3. It seems like they can never quite get the camera right on these games.


And I like to keep tabs on my balls at all times too.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/27/09 04:16 PM
Pinball games are great, even with the frustration. I would really like to buy an actual pinball machine, but I've never been able to set aside that much money for one.

I also have Pinball FX from Xbox Live Arcade, along with all of the extra tables that have been released. Fun stuff. I think I did download Zen Pinball for the PS3 when I had it, but I don't remember playing it. I guess I'll look into it again when I get around to getting a Slim.

I know what you mean about the camera, which is why I'd love to have an actual machine.
Me too. I'd love to have a game room and put some different pinball tables in there. I'm not very good at them, but it doesn't stop me from trying and having fun!

Zen Pinball was ten bucks to get. You only get four tables, but they are diverse and fun. Shoulda been five bucks or free, I think.
Posted By: Adrian Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/28/09 01:57 AM
The only problem with playing pinball on your monitor is that you can't put phone books under the front of it to slow the ball down. \:D
I used to be a Pinball Wizard.

Wizard, I tell you.
Posted By: Adrian Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/28/09 12:50 PM
One of my first jobs was in a gas bar, you know, when the gas attendant actually put the gas in the car. Anyway, we had a pretty cheap boss who paid us something like $2.15 hr which I'm sure he thought was too generous. So what does he do? he buys a beat-up, old used pinball machine and puts it by the door of the garage to try and get his money back off us . Anyway, when he went out on a service call, we'd get the phone books out and prop the front of the pinball machine up. The ball would get hung up on one of the pins and run the score way up....WHACK!!...free game!...WHACK...another free game \:D ! We'd run up about 10-20 free games and play it in between serving cars through the day. At the end of the week, the boss gets his keys out to open the pinball machine to check his little hoard, only to find a couple of dollars in there. He was a little bewildered because the game was being played so much, and it took him a few weeks to figure out what we were doing...I remember him telling his wife "Those little B#$t@rd$ have been putting phone books under the machine!!"

Alas, the pinball game was taken away \:\(
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/30/09 01:40 AM
Just read Gran Turismo 5 is not coming to Japan until March and the US some undefined but short time after. So much for Christmas 2009!

Looks like I'll have to get Metal Gear Solid 4 to hold me over.
If you have an xbox 360 you can pick up forza motor sport 3 at the end of October.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/01/09 01:46 AM
Just the PS3...no Xbox. I've never tried any of the Forza games (or even heard of them until earlier this week acutally). Started playing Gran Turismo with the first one and have played every one since. Looking forward to see what they can do with the series on the PS3.
you could always try gran turismo 5: prologue... It will give you a feel for things but it has little to no upgrade ability on vehicles, only a select number of tracks, cars ect. You can probably find it pretty cheap, or give it a rent.
Playing NHL 10. If you are a hockey fan this is a must play, fantastic game!
Playing The Uncharted 2: Among Thieves multiplayer beta/demo on PS3. So far it seems really cool. I'd suggest starting out with one of the CO-OP options to get the feel for things. It has a huge amount of unlockables (similar to perks on call of duty). I think I'll call this one a purchase for sure.
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/02/09 02:51 AM
Beatles Rockband on PS3. Wow, does it ever sound awesome on the Axioms! It's the Rockband we all know, but kind of smoother and 'trippier'
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/09/09 07:49 AM
I just wanted to say I like the new version of Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook better than the old version. It's possible to get way higher scores now thanks to a few changes. First, you don't have to wait for your move to complete before you start another one. It was aggravating how slow the old version could be. Plus, now if you keep your pace up for a while, it will let a small series of your moves be explosions, which helps get the multiplier up. And finally, now the gems you create aren't completely wasted if you don't use them in the time limit. It explodes them at the end to give you a little bit more. Of course, now this means there will be that much more distance between the REALLY good players and myself. I always figured that the only reason I placed so highly on the Xbox Live leaderboards for Bejeweled 2 Deluxe was because of the controller. It's so much clunkier than using a mouse and handicaps the players who think faster than the controller allows.
Bought my now 6yr old, Wii Sports Resort for his birthday yesterday, it has some fun pick up and play style games, both my boys like the 'sword' fight game. The bowling is fun with a full game using the 100 pin set.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/13/09 12:23 PM
100 pins? You must use an earthball.
I will be playing Uncharted 2 on the PS3 As long as possible tonight... It came out today.
I beat Batman: Arkham Asylum last night. If your a Batman fan, you need to check it out.

It's the best Batman game of all time, and one of the best games of the year.
I played the batman demo and was pretty impressed. will have to give the game a try sometime. However, I am hooked on uncharted 2, and my friend just loaned me ninja gaiden sigma on PS3 so I need to play that as well. In a couple of weeks I will be grabbing forza motorsport 3 on the 360, and then COD modern warfare 2 on 360 in November.

Too many games and not enough time!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/01/09 07:06 AM
Brütal Legend

It's pretty cool so far. The gameplay is pretty solid, and I like the art direction. I also have Borderlands to try.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/01/09 07:55 AM
Borderlands is pretty awesome, too.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/01/09 01:46 PM
Yup, I still want to be playing this: Just Cause 2 trailer
I can't wait to get my 360 from repair so I can finish off the campaign in ODST and do some firefight. I also want to play the new Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City.

Oh yeah, Bioshock 2 is not that far way 02/09/10 and Modern Warfare 2 is right around the corner
Yeah.. I'm still waiting on my xbox360 to return from repair as well.

I am looking forward to trying out borderlands too...

I think I will give it a rent on the PS3 (or 360 when back from repair) and see what I think. If I like it maybe I'll have to buy it.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/01/09 11:31 PM
Borderlands is way too addictive.
Sweet. Can't wait to play it!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/02/09 08:01 AM
I'll modify my statement now that I've played most of the day. It's addictive, but it's also getting frustrating. The missions are getting harder, and I can't seem to get ahead of the curve. If I was playing co-op, it would probably help. I also keep spending too much money replenishing my ammo and health packs, and the really good items cost a ton. Also, I spent a lot of skill points upgrading my turret's firing power, but even maxed out it's not all that effective anymore. I suppose it does still distract some of the enemies when there are a ton of them, but it would be nice if it was dealing greater damage. I can pay to reset and reassign all of my skill points, but that costs a lot, too. Respawning also costs money, so yeah, there are always things keeping me from getting the best items available.

I don't really know where the story is going. So far it's just a bunch of missions with no discernible connection, but there's a Cortana-like female presence who communicates every once in a while, so I know it's going somewhere.

My character is only up to level 16. My nephew is at level 32. He and my brother-in-law have been playing it a lot, I guess, and it sounds like they're getting as frustrated as I am. Here's hoping we find ways to make it easier.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/03/09 02:57 AM
I'm thinking about getting Dragon Age Origins. It comes out tomorrow and looks pretty good. I liked the old Baldur's Gate games by Bioware.

Not sure how much gaming time I'll have coming up though with only 7 weeks left until the baby is due.
I just recently finished Uncharted 2 and really enjoyed it. A lot of fun and great characterization. I loved how the characters interacted with each other.

Next up, I think I'm going to try to actually finish Metal Gear Solid 4. I got up to the last part a while ago, but never finished it.

I think my next purchase will be the Batman game. From what you guys have said it looks good.
 Originally Posted By: CV
I'll modify my statement now that I've played most of the day. It's addictive, but it's also getting frustrating. The missions are getting harder, and I can't seem to get ahead of the curve. If I was playing co-op, it would probably help. I also keep spending too much money replenishing my ammo and health packs, and the really good items cost a ton. Also, I spent a lot of skill points upgrading my turret's firing power, but even maxed out it's not all that effective anymore. I suppose it does still distract some of the enemies when there are a ton of them, but it would be nice if it was dealing greater damage. I can pay to reset and reassign all of my skill points, but that costs a lot, too. Respawning also costs money, so yeah, there are always things keeping me from getting the best items available.

I don't really know where the story is going. So far it's just a bunch of missions with no discernible connection, but there's a Cortana-like female presence who communicates every once in a while, so I know it's going somewhere.

My character is only up to level 16. My nephew is at level 32. He and my brother-in-law have been playing it a lot, I guess, and it sounds like they're getting as frustrated as I am. Here's hoping we find ways to make it easier.


Make sure you accept and complete every mission, especially in the begining of the game. If you don't, you won't level up enough and your character will be underpowered once you get further into the game.

One other thing to note: the mission difficulty levels are "Trivial, Easy, Normal, Tough, Hard, Impossible". Don't make the same mistake I made. I though missions rated "Hard" were easier than missions rated "Tough", and I couldn't figure out for the life of me why I was constantly getting killed on a certain mission.

And yes, playing the game with friends helps. I've been playing with two of my friends and while the game does get difficult at times, it hasn't been frustrating (besides for the one time when I took on the "Hard" mission instead of the "Tough" mission).
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/03/09 07:36 PM
I've been doing accepting all of the missions that I can, but I've had difficulty completing some, like the one where I'm supposed to retrieve TK's leg from Scar. I killed Scar, so I completed that part of the mission, but I died immediately afterward. I can't seem to locate the leg now. I'll have to figure that out at some point.
 Originally Posted By: Dr.House
I can't wait to get my 360 from repair so I can finish off the campaign in ODST and do some firefight. I also want to play the new Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City.

Oh yeah, Bioshock 2 is not that far way 02/09/10 and Modern Warfare 2 is right around the corner


Holy smokes I didn't know there was a Bioshock 2 coming... STOKED for that one!
 Originally Posted By: Potatohead
 Originally Posted By: Dr.House
I can't wait to get my 360 from repair so I can finish off the campaign in ODST and do some firefight. I also want to play the new Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City.

Oh yeah, Bioshock 2 is not that far way 02/09/10 and Modern Warfare 2 is right around the corner


Holy smokes I didn't know there was a Bioshock 2 coming... STOKED for that one!


Indeed! I can't wait to wrap my senses around that one. Modern Warfare should deliver as well. You mentioned Forza 3 in the other thread - Holy cow! That came looks awesome. I will have to check it out. All must plays in my book.
 Quote:
I've been doing accepting all of the missions that I can, but I've had difficulty completing some, like the one where I'm supposed to retrieve TK's leg from Scar. I killed Scar, so I completed that part of the mission, but I died immediately afterward. I can't seem to locate the leg now. I'll have to figure that out at some point.


I'm playing Borderlands now thanks to your recommendation \:\) . I'm a Level 11 Hunter and have done that mission. The leg (for me) wasn't at the waypoint marker but was in the general area...so keep looking!
Since I finally got my xbox back from repair last night I had to run out and grab Forza Motorsport 3. Very good game! I am on my second week of career mode and am hooked.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/05/09 02:31 AM
Anyone get Dragon Age: Origins yet? Looks good so I'm thinking of picking it up.
Zarak, If you get it let me know what you think because I have been thinking about playing that one as well.

However, I just bought Forza 3, uncharted 2, and am buying modern warfare2 next week so that is $180 in less than a month... I will likely wait to get dragon age and borderlands, or just rent them.

I hate how you go from having no good games to 5 or 6 to choose from around Christmas time.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/05/09 05:54 AM
I guess I'll be getting the PC version of Dragon Age: Origins if I get it: Dragon Age: Origins - PlayStation 3 Versus PC (Kotaku)
I wonder how the 360 version compares?
Actually this is one of the few third party games that is rated lower on the 360. In contrast Boarderlands is rated higher on the 360. Usually the 360 has slightly better performance over the PS3 when it comes to 3rd party games. Games do not port as well on the PS3. On the other hand 3rd party games are usually developed on the 360 or similar type dev tools so it is very efficient for game developers. If you have a good gaming PC, this game should be played on it then based on the reviews if you want to achieve the best performance possible.
Posted By: rage96 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/05/09 03:47 PM
Pre-ordered Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 just 4 more days well 5 but I will be there at 11:30 on the 9th told the wife I would be playing all night since our anniversary is on the 11th.

Told the wife we should stay in on the 11th and just have a bottle of wine, go to bed early and ..... sneak out and play games.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/05/09 04:05 PM
Sigh. I told my father in law I was going to give him my Radeon 4850, intending to buy a 5850. They're completely unavailable right now, and prices are going up. Not sure what to do now--other than the fact I haven't touched my computer for 3 months.
The last I heard about Modern Warfare 2 on the PC is that it will not support dedicated servers.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/05/09 05:58 PM
 Originally Posted By: kcarlile
Sigh. I told my father in law I was going to give him my Radeon 4850, intending to buy a 5850. They're completely unavailable right now, and prices are going up. Not sure what to do now--other than the fact I haven't touched my computer for 3 months.


By that time you will need the HD 5970 due out shortly, which is, actually just a name change for the up and coming HD 5870 X2.

Since your Dad will have your 4850 by that time, feel free to send me your 5870 as soon as the X2 arrives. \:\)
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/05/09 08:37 PM
You could always stop playing computer games. ?
Playing Halo 3: ODST Firefight mode. It is uber cool. So much action going on. One of the funnest modes I have played on a first person shooter. I could play this all night.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/06/09 03:12 AM
I guess I'll want to get the PC version of DragonAge as well. I'm old school like that anyway I guess....I still prefer my games on the PC.

However, it does mean that I'll finally have to buy a new desktop so I can run it. I'm due for an upgrade there anyway. It might just come sooner than it would have. I was going to wait for Starcraft II before getting a new machine.
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/06/09 05:18 AM
Been playing Borderlands lately, but tonight it was back to Dawn of War 2 with a friend of mine. This game is so amazing it never gets old.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/06/09 06:06 AM
Hey, nice to see a post from you, and happy birthday.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/07/09 11:38 AM
Finally started playing Bioshock and I like it. Has to be the easiest game to pick up I’ve ever played. I’m glad I waited to play this with the right setup it just wouldn’t have been the same in the apartment.
The atmosphere in Bioshock is superb. I can imagine playing it on your system and screen is quite an experience!

Bioshock 2 in February! \:\)
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/08/09 03:30 AM
Has anyone played Torchlight? It looks like a game I could enjoy.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/08/09 04:20 AM
I was just looking at Torchlight the other day. I added it to the Christmas list (I tend to just buy things I want so I'm trying to hold off to actually have a list this year).

I played Mythos back when the guys that did Torchlight were putting that together, and of course used to play Diablo (1 and 2...looking forward to 3), so I'm guessing I'd like Torchlight. My only concern from the one review I did read is that it is pretty similar to Diablo. I don't know that it will feel like something new, as much as a rehash of Diablo. I enjoyed Diablo enough years ago that maybe a rehash would be ok!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/08/09 04:33 AM
I never played the original Diablo, but I did like II a lot. I wouldn't mind a rehash.

Bad news tonight. One of my friends beat my high score on Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook, and by a lot. She got over 750,000, when I've only been up to 615,000. I can no longer brag.
 Originally Posted By: grunt
Finally started playing Bioshock and I like it. Has to be the easiest game to pick up I’ve ever played. I’m glad I waited to play this with the right setup it just wouldn’t have been the same in the apartment.


Exploring the world of Rapture is a real treat.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/08/09 05:07 AM
Yes it is very cool. The atmosphere of this game is great for a dark room and surround sound. I’m happy the interface is so easy and that it sort of gives you a tutorial as you go. I’m not even sure if it came with directions… so easy a cave man can do it. ;\)

I also like the way you can listen to the diaries and still walk around investigating things, much better way to keep the flow of the game going than using cut scenes. The only game I’ve played so far that has done the cut scenes well is Mass Effect.
Mass Effect was a very good game.

The storyline in Bioshock is well done...the best. My advice is to take your time and try to listen to as many diaries as possible... Andrew Ryan is also one of my all time favorite video game characters. \:\)
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/08/09 07:45 AM
I’m forcing myself to take my time. But you know you’re playing a great game when you need to set an alarm to get to bet before the sun comes up, especially this time of year. ;\)
I'm in line for the midnight release of modern warfare 2 at walmart... Prolly manage to get in a couple of rounds online then it's off to bed.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/10/09 05:59 AM
Awesome. I should get my copy from Amazon.com tomorrow.
I typically don't do the midnight release thing (first time actually), but I was up playing forza 3 and since it was almost 12 I figured, "what the hell?". People who attended the walmart midnight release got a free poster (kinda lame), and a copy of the game "signed" by several members of the Infinity Ward team (kinda cool).

Modern warfare 2 is one helluva a game. I played about 5 rounds of team deathmatch and am hooked.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/10/09 03:09 PM
Traded a buddy for DragonAge last night. Nothing holds his interest unless it's a FPS.

I didn't get it installed until late. Game play is great and the storyline with the twist for Mages is pretty cool so far. I am disappointed in the graphics though. PC version is supposed to be the better version and it's "OK" but I expected more.

In all, I am expecting that I will enjoy the game itself for some time though.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/11/09 08:23 AM
I got my new Xbox 360 Arcade unit, it's a Jasper, and it's just as loud as my pre-Jasper Elite. I loaded up Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but then Letterman came on. I'll try again tomorrow.
Wait.... Letterman trumped cod? U have issues! ;\)
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/11/09 07:05 PM
Come on, Jack Hanna was on. His appearances aren't to be missed.
Still playing Halo 3:ODST Firefight mode. It is so much fun and it is super addictive.
Still hooked on COD MW2.

Level 21 online now.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/14/09 03:19 PM
So I played Torchlight all night. Oops.
Aah, it's the weekend! Who cares?

Play all day too!

Keep going!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/14/09 03:57 PM
\:\) I'll play more in my dreams. I'd better get at least some sleep.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/14/09 09:32 PM
So I guess Torchlight is pretty good then. How does it compare to Diablo II? Pretty similar?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/14/09 09:43 PM
Yeah, definitely in the same vein. I don't really know if the story will be worthwhile yet, but of course I'm obsessed with gaining more powers and finding better equipment.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/15/09 09:36 AM
Man, another 4 hours went by since the last time I looked at the clock. Don't get this game.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/15/09 12:59 PM
Just what I need with a baby 5 weeks away is a game that I get addicted to and takes all my free time, right? ;\)
Better get it out of your system now! \:\)
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/17/09 01:12 PM
Much farther into DragonAge now. Gameplay is good but the storyline is Excellent for a video game. It's like a good book and makes you want to keep picking it up again.
Posted By: Zimm Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/17/09 03:14 PM
COD MW2 - Wow, great stuff. Better than an solid action movie on the projector. Fun, fun stuff.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/19/09 03:29 AM
Tried Torchlight tonight, as they have a free two hour demo that you can play. I actually wasn't that impressed. Maybe it's all the time I spent playing Diablo 2 years ago, but it felt like the same thing, without as good of graphics. The somewhat cartoonish look didn't do it for me.

That's ok though, I wanted to narrow down my game list. I still have these on it for Christmas.

Kings Bounty: The Legend
Metal Gear Solid 4
Dragon Age Origins

For those not familiar, there was a King's Bounty game years ago that was the predecessor to the Heroes of Might and Magic series. I always liked the original, so I'd like to give the new game a try too. It's cheap (under $20) so why not.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/19/09 06:12 AM
 Originally Posted By: Zarak
Tried Torchlight tonight, as they have a free two hour demo that you can play. I actually wasn't that impressed. Maybe it's all the time I spent playing Diablo 2 years ago, but it felt like the same thing, without as good of graphics. The somewhat cartoonish look didn't do it for me.


Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. Artistically, it's not in the same league as Diablo, and the story is nothing special (so far--I have more to play still, but I'm doubting it will turn into anything amazing). The gameplay also doesn't blaze any trails, but it's still the sort of gameplay I get into rather easily.
I've been going back and forth between modern warfare2 and forza 3. I painted up a 2010 Camaro SS to look like bumblebee on transformers2. The design is complete with autobot symbol and all. I put the design on the forza storefront and am raking in about 20,000 per day (nothing compared to some of those crazy cool designs on the storefront.)

Nevertheless, it is nice making little cash to add to the amount you make when winning races.




I've been playing or attempting to play Demons Souls on the ps3, great game but not your normal easy RPG.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/19/09 11:22 PM
I saw a commercial for Demon Souls and thought it looked good, but heard it was hard as well. I'd be interested in more of your feedback as you continue to play.
Has anyone tried Left 4 Dead 2? It's a must if you enjoyed the first.

Valve improved on every aspect of the original. The new Special Infected help to prevent players from camping, making the game more difficult and requiring players to work together as a team to survive.

I've played four out of the five campaigns available, and enjoyed each one. My personal favorites are Dark Carnival and Hard Rain.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/23/09 01:05 PM
Deeper into DragonAge now and still very impressed with the storyline. NPC interactions are well thought out instead of just plot pushers written as a side project by the building janitors who barely speak English, like in some games.

I got a great kick out of a Dwarven guard who was deciding weather or not my party or the enemies would be allowed access to the great underground Dwarven City. Something along the line of, "I don't care if the lot of ya tear each other to pieces, but take it off my stone steps."


Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/28/09 05:29 AM
I got my copy of Dragon Age: Origins for the PC today. I get the feeling it will build into a strong story like Mass Effect did, but it's also obvious it will be just as slow. The pace is the only problem I have with Bioware games. The conversations always seem to take too long. It's pretty, though, and I'm sure I'll like leveling up. I'm only up to level 3 at this point.
Amazon is selling dragon age for $35 on PS3 and xbox... thinking abut picking it up.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/29/09 09:28 PM
While I don't like how long the conversations take and how they slow down progress, I do have to laugh every time I talk after a battle and everyone's covered in blood.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/30/09 07:52 PM
Interesting, I don't find the pace slow at all for an RPG. But then again, I'm an old school RPGer. It's all faster than pen and paper.

I just finished the intervention in the civil unrest to name a new Dwarven king. It was a great side story with lots of ethical choices to be made to determine the outcome. Tough boss fights though. it was the first time I had to use the pause button a lot to rethink strategy.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/03/09 07:28 AM
Left 4 Dead 2. I own the first for the Xbox 360, but I never played it much. Instead, I watched my nephew play when he was over. Now I have the sequel for the PC. It's pretty fun so far. I bought the disc-based version, but I'm glad to see it integrates with Steam. I have to hand it to Valve; Steam is probably the best thing about PC gaming right now.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/03/09 03:10 PM
Is the single player any good? I know it's totally aimed towards multiplayer co-op, but I'm antisocial.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/03/09 06:05 PM
I'm with you on the anti-social thing. Single-player is all right so far, though I was definitely doing more than the computer-controlled players. They maintained their health, better, though.
 Originally Posted By: CV
They maintained their health, better, though.


Thanks to the handy NPC free clinics.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/04/09 05:31 AM
Oops, I don't know how that extra comma got in there. My brain health must have been low.
 Originally Posted By: terzaghi
I painted up a 2010 Camaro SS to look like bumblebee on transformers2.

Awesome!

Driving games are my favorite. Can't wait for GT5.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/05/09 06:04 AM
Finally finished Bioshock. Most of you have who care to have probably already played it but I figured I’d offer up some impression just in case. This is a great game for someone wanting an introduction to first person shooters. The controls are simple and changing weapons or attacks pauses the game so you have time to think about the best move so it’s not just a twitch-fest. For many things there are more than one solution for the ones that are linier there are usually hints.

Best thing about the game is the atmosphere. The visuals and the music are both great and creepy. Directional effect are mostly good but sometime I could hear someone talking like they were right next to me but actually one floor up or down but it wasn’t obvious the other floor was there. This happened when I killed one Big Daddy and could hear the little sister crying but couldn’t figure out where she was. I finally gave up and figured I’d just finish the lever since I’d already picked up a couple of extra ones (glitch). On the way out I found her on the level below were I killed the protector.

This is one of the first games I’ve had that actually puts out a lot of bass below 40Hz. The Buttkicker was going like crazy when the Big Daddy’s were walking nearby.

Dolby PLIIz worked fantastic. It completely filled the room with sound effects making the game come much more alive than when it was off. As I mentioned in another thread the Audyssey DSX wide were a no go because when panning either the L/H or R/H and it’s corresponding wide would put out the same audio causing a noticeable rise in SPL with noticeable dropp-offs passing center and again when moving back. This was both distracting and annoying as it covered up directional queues.

Bioshock was certainly one of the most entertaining and satisfying games I've played. Excellent concept and gameplay. I believe Bioshock 2 comes out in February.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/07/09 01:06 PM
Coincidentally, I picked it up for 20$ on the weekend so I can finish it. It might become the second console game I actually complete. Normally I get bored or they sit so long I'm compelled to start over.
I still can't put down Orbital Drop Shock Troopers aka ODST. Great game!
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/03/10 06:25 AM
Return to Dark Castle

I suspect that if you didn't play the originals on the old Macs, you wouldn't be interested, but I'm having fun. And getting frustrated, and having fun...
I just ordered Armored Core 4 for the PS3, got it for $16 shipped, so I figured I'd not be out anything if I don't like it.

What I'm really looking for is a modern game with some sort of strategic battling (not so much real-time or shooter style if possible) with hugely customizable units. I really liked the original Masters of Orion, but would like something with a little more flash.
I seen a commercial for Bioshock 2! I want to play you!

A well done commercial at that...it'll be soon!
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/18/10 08:59 AM
Playing “Fallout 3” today. So far I’m not as impressed I’d hoped. I’m not sure if I’m just not really in the mood for learning a new game right now and/or it’s the game it self. Surprising because I got hooked on “Elder Scrolls Oblivion” quickly though closing the gates does become tedious after a while.

First, I hate having to go through a mandatory character generation tutorial. While I can stomach it once (barely) please just give me a way to skip it after that or preferably from the start besides saving at the last minute.

Second, I thought I would really like the V.A.T.S. system but so far it sucks. I’ve always hated cut scenes in games because it takes me out of the game ruining the immersion. I was hoping it would take the twitch-fest out of the game but for close in combat it’s just cumbersome to use and disorienting to look at. Well at least you’re not forced to use it. Maybe it will fare better with longer ranged combat.

I’m also a bit bummed that the picture is so subdued looking. I have an awesome video display which brought the colours in “Oblivion,” and “Bioshock” to life and here I get lots of gray landscape and monochrome computer monitors. “Oblivion” lets me see my character when I’m equipping but here I get little monochrome images and rather than seeing what the character has on I get to scroll through lists looking for filled in checkboxes.

So far the audio doesn’t seem all that good either compared to “Oblivion” or “Mass Effect” though I’ve only done limited exploring so far.

As for the main quest so far? Well, dad went on walkabout, big deal.

And let’s not forget the bugs. Already got trapped between a rock and a building. Luckily I’d discovered another location and could fast travel out. The other bug was a game freeze when opening a door. Had to reboot the machine and start from a previous save. Now I’m not saying “Oblivion” didn’t have some bugs, but I think I only have had about 5 show stoppers in hundreds of hours of game play while I’ve already had one and what could have been another had I not been able to “teleport” out in only a few hours.

Hopefully I can stick with this long enough for it to become more interesting but it’s not looking good so far.
I like the combat better and find the overall game much more polished over Obvlivion especially when it comes to load times. Oblivion was a much deeper game though (more side quests). I have to admit I enjoyed the heck out of Fallout 3. Suprised to hear your comment about the audio, I found the audio to be excellent, if not amazing.

BTW with Oblivion and Fallout 3, if you have the Xbox 360 versions you might want to clear the systems cache. You shouldn't have problems with this game freezing.
I enjoyed Fallout 3, but not NEARLY as much as oblivion. I agree with just about every that you said grunt. Wandering the country side in oblivion was a blast... but in fallout it is just plain boring.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/18/10 04:44 PM
Played some Wii Pub Darts with my son this morning. Pretty well done.
Is it license to serve Guinness? If so, it might be time for me to upgrade my Ps3 to Wii! ;\)
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/18/10 04:55 PM
I could never get into Oblivion. As much as I hate to say it, I just enjoy games on rails too much. Open games, esp with side quests just frustrate me--I'm always afraid I'm missing something really important if I skip them, and then I get bogged down.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/18/10 07:05 PM
I am playing on the 360 and will empty the cache. BTW it that something you should do before every session or just when switching games or something? For the audio I will try tweaking the volume settings. Just seemed to me there was more and better discrete sound effects in “Oblivion” and the ambient effects like wind and rain also seemed better again maybe just a volume setting issue.

The look and variety of the county side depending where you are in “Oblivion” makes exploring fun. So far Fallout 3 is gray rocks and gray buildings and nothing interesting to collect. In Oblivion it was cool to clime to the top of a mountain just to check out the view.

I love open games like “Oblivion.” I generally don’t like being on the rails but most games out there are made like that which is why I generally prefer games that at least give some latitude like “Mass Effect” or “Bioshock” and of course the king “Oblivion” I guess I comes from my days of RPG playing before there were and “canned” adventures and each of us made and ran our own worlds giving people free reign to travel and do whatever they wanted as long as they didn’t get killed. ;\)
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/18/10 07:07 PM
Well, I loved Bioshock, but there really only was one major choice in the game...
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/18/10 07:27 PM

Bioshock does restrict you to one quest line at a time but you do have the freedom to wander around and engage certain enemies on your own terms. It’s also a quick learn, easy interface that lets you pause the action while deciding what to do but without taking you out of the game play as much. I also like the way really important things to interact with are highlighted so you don’t have to spend half an hour searching for a damm com station just so you can get into Rivet City. I didn’t like that aspect of “Oblivion” either but at least there were more interesting things to look at while searching. “Bioshock” is also a quick run through like “Gears of War” so being more constrained is less annoying.
Havent played any console games recently but looking forward to possibly getting Heavy Rain.

I did finish the latest Professor Layton on my DS. I love those types of games.
Heavy Rain? That must be the prequel to the game I just saw at Best Buy.
You are full of witty comments today Mark.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/19/10 05:08 AM
 Originally Posted By: MarkSJohnson
That must be the prequel to the game I just saw at Best Buy.


Oh, thanks for reminding me I have that game. I still haven't played it! Sick!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/19/10 08:04 AM
I wish I had the money to be playing video games like this family.
Some people have all the fun eh?
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/19/10 12:56 PM
I agree Grunt. I still go back to Oblivion now even though it's years old (still haven't finished expansions) but every time I play Fallout waiting for the love people keep telling me will eventually come, I get bored and quit. I also tired of the VAS system and tried to play it twitch style but unfortunately it seems designed so that although it may be optional, you burn through so much ammo without it that you will never survive. Admittedly, I'm a much better shot in real life than I am with a game controller so I'm already disadvantaged without it.
All this talk about Fallout makes me want to start playing it again. I still have the expansions to get through... I actually prefer it over Oblivion, but I like them both.

In any case, I'm pretty well addicted to Left 4 Dead 2... definitely my favourite game of '09 (just ahead of Dragon Age). And I'm eagerly awaiting Mass Effect 2. \:\)
I've been looking for a good computer game (that I would like), but don't know of any more. My favorites have been:

The old Infocom games back when they were popular.
All of the Myst game series
Syberia and Syberia II
Mystery Island and Return to Mystery Island
The Kings Quest games.
And a few that I can't remember the names of.

The kinds of games I don't like.
Those like the above, but really boring quality.
First person shoot em up games like Call of Duty.
I just saw an ad at Future Shop for Bioshock two... So STOKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/20/10 05:12 AM
Man, adventure games used to be the biggest games there were. I do miss those days.
 Originally Posted By: CatBrat
I've been looking for a good computer game (that I would like), but don't know of any more. My favorites have been:

The old Infocom games back when they were popular.
All of the Myst game series
Syberia and Syberia II
Mystery Island and Return to Mystery Island
The Kings Quest games.
And a few that I can't remember the names of.


I don't play adventure games often, but I have good memories of Kings Quest games. Here's a list of popular ones with decent reviews... although I haven't play them myself. As far as I know these are all games on PC.

The Longest Journey
Grim Fandango
The Black Mirror
Shadow of Destiny (my brother enjoyed this one)
Keepsake

Also, as much as I despise IGN, they do list games by category so you can always check there for any newer adventure games.
The Longest Journey was one of my favs that I forgot the name of. Thanks for the list. I'll check these out to see if they look interresting.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/21/10 04:04 PM
As a long time Adventure game and MMPORPG player, I can't say enough good about Dragon Age Origins. A very engaging storyline. A bit dark to break it away from the traditional and a good character development system. You can concentrate on just your own character or you can micromanage your entire party, so it suits different play styles.

I'm about 60% done as I took the time to explore restarting the game as different races to see how it greatly effects the beginning storyline and influences it still later on.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/23/10 02:47 AM
I'm playing Dragon Age as well, but only about 15% done...it's a big game. I stuck with one character, but after I beat it I'll likely go back and play just the beginning as others so I can see all of the opening stories.
What are you guys playing Dragon Age on?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/23/10 05:03 AM
PC for me. I need to get back into it. I got stuck at some battle that I keep dying in, though.
I've got the PS3 and it is pretty good. I have a 42" TV and sit roughly 7' away and I find myself constantly leaning forward to read the dialogue. I can see how it's geared toward the PC, but the console interface gets the job done just fine.
Posted By: SRoode Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/24/10 12:58 AM
I got Dragon Age last month for the PC and I love it! I made one character look like me (mage), and the other like my wife (warrior). I don't have too much time to play, so my main character is only level 8. I'm at the "Castle" now. The storyline is great, and it makes you really care about the characters who team up with you (Alistair in particular).
I Really want to play this game but have heard that the console versions don't look nearly as nice, and unfortunately my computers aren't the best in the world either.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/24/10 04:01 AM
So, are Bioshock and Dragons Age similar style games. My daughter seems to think I would like Bioshock.

I picked up the first Ratchet & Clank ps3 game for my son last week and I'm pretty impressed with the way they have integrated surround sound. Makes me want to try something a little more to my taste (something that requires strategy/thinking).
Posted By: SRoode Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/24/10 02:27 PM
I have Bioshock and Dragon Age for the PC and I like both of the games. Different types of games though. Bioshock is closer to a FPS, and Dragon Age is closer to a RPG. Both games have very interesting story lines (Dragon Age may be a bit better), and both are very fun to play.

I think you can download a free demo of Bioshock to try it out.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/24/10 04:11 PM
Hmm.... I'm not really into shoot-'em-up games. I wonder why my daughter recommended bioshock to me? Maybe I'll give Dragon Age a go.
Bioshock is fun in that you are really immersed in the atmosphere and it seems that the developers really paid attention to the small details. It's what sets the game apart from others like it.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/24/10 07:15 PM
I'd put Half-Life in a similar class, but you do have a bit more opportunity to run around in Bioshock. A bit.

Still, if you don't like twitch gaming, it's probably not for you.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/24/10 07:20 PM
 Originally Posted By: fredk
I wonder why my daughter recommended bioshock to me?


Maybe your daughter thinks of you as a Big Daddy?


Posted By: SRoode Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/24/10 07:33 PM
 Originally Posted By: fredk
Hmm.... I'm not really into shoot-'em-up games. I wonder why my daughter recommended bioshock to me? Maybe I'll give Dragon Age a go.


I'm not into them either, but Bioshock is a bit different. As said above, the atmosphere will really draw you in. Try the free download 1st. The art deco 20's theme in the game is really fun and interesting.
Half-Life 2 on the PC is one of the best games of all time, period!
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/24/10 07:53 PM
Yeah, if the free demo doesn't draw you in, the game won't. It's a good demo.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/25/10 06:54 AM
I guess it can't hurt to try the download.

CV, Yikes! I think I need to spend a little more quality time with my daughter.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/25/10 12:23 PM
 Originally Posted By: CV
PC for me. I need to get back into it. I got stuck at some battle that I keep dying in, though.


PC here too.

Charles where are you stuck? I have found that crowd control is essential, required even, for the really tough fights. If you keep two mages in your group you can keep enough enemies frozen, asleep, etc. that it can really turns things around for you.

I generally let the AI handle the fighters attacks but I retain control of the mages who are in charge of crowd control. Occasionally, I might take over a tank long enough to get him to taunt a mob off of me or my other mage.

I recall a particularly tough fight in the Dwarven underground, "The Deep Roads," where I had two mages just completely ping-ponging cones of cold on a ridiculously nasty mob boss to keep her frozen solid while my fighters killed the rest of her gang.

A lot of fights require some very inventive strategies, which is one of the reasons why I find it enjoyable.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/25/10 12:28 PM
 Originally Posted By: SRoode
The storyline is great, and it makes you really care about the characters who team up with you (Alistair in particular).


You might just be surprised at how close you and Allistair can become, depending on some of the personal choices you make within the game.

"Not that there is anything wrong with that." said in my best Seinfeld voice.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/25/10 05:15 PM
Hmm. That sounds like exactly not my type of game. ;\)
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/25/10 06:06 PM
Well you can make the same choice with Morrigan, the scantily clad female witch, if you prefer. Perhaps a seductive demon is more your thing or just choose 'keep your sword in it's sheath' if you will. I'll give them credit for not insulting anybodies personal life choices anyways.

I should also mention that it never does show anything beyond what a PC movie would but the intent is fairly obvious.
C'mon, Ken, share the love.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/25/10 06:26 PM
Oops, my reply was to the post above that one...
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/25/10 06:38 PM
Too late to retract it now. Your winky emote said it all.
hee hee
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/25/10 06:50 PM
Guys, this is the lamest thread on the entire board. What next? What color is your belly button lint?
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/25/10 06:51 PM
Sorta greyish, I guess. Depends which shirt I'm wearing.
Belly button lint? You mean my belly button has lint?
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/25/10 07:01 PM
I once stopped in a small gas station/general store in a sparse part of Northern Main on our way to hike up Mount Katahdin. The lady inside kept a large jar on the counter to drop your pocket lint into. What's even scarier was that she felt compelled to show me the already full jar from under the counter.

I tried to leave quickly but she just had to also show me how when she pulled a cord, a witch on a broom flew out of a hinged cabinet back above the entrance door and flew down a wire to behind the counter. I vaguely remember her commenting on how bored they get there in the winter as I 'briskly' walked back to the Jeep.

We took our chances on running out of gas on the return trip.
 Originally Posted By: pmbuko
Guys, this is the lamest thread on the entire board. What next? What color is your belly button lint?

Takin' lessons from 2x6speeds, are we?

If anyone wants to ignore pmbuko, then click this link.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/25/10 08:35 PM
I double checked your link to see if it really ignored "2x6speeds" instead. That would have been funny. Unethical, but funny.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/25/10 08:49 PM
If I ignore him, will my post count go above his?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/26/10 04:59 AM
 Originally Posted By: Murph
Charles where are you stuck?


I either forgot to respond to this or I was embarrassed. I'm not sure exactly where I am. Some house or something in Denerim? I'd have to get back into it to see. There are just quite a few enemies all at once, so I'll have to try to incorporate some of your strategies. I haven't really learned the finer points of combat.
A cheap strategy is to have your party hold position and then use one character to move ahead and draw a few of the enemies back to your party. Works good until you have a few crowd control spells to work with.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/26/10 08:14 AM
I’ve spent much of the weekend playing “Fallout 3.” I’m disliking this game less now that I’m growing more accustomed to it, however I know it’s never coming close to Oblivion for enjoyment or re-playability for me.

The biggest improvement is I’ve learned to save often. Twice more I’ve gotten stuck between to objects and been unable to move or fast travel out because I was inside. Some other things that have improved are just learning the interface and locations better so I’m not always spazzing to hit the right button or trying to find things. The local area map’s for interiors suck. Their really poor compared to the interior maps in Oblivion.

Figuring out that V.A.T.S. sucks for long range shooting. It might give me say a 13% hit chance for a real long range shot to the head that I can manually get 8 kill shots out of 10 with. V.A.T.S. is way better at close in shooting than me. Funny that mirrors real life where if I can see it I can pretty much hit it with a rifle. OTOH with a pistol I could probably hit somewhere in Arizona from where I’m sitting. ;\)

Still not liking the overall blandness of the game’s look. I liked the look of the armor in games like Oblivion and Mass Effect, whereas “Fallout 3” just looks boring. Hopefully I find more reasons to enjoy playing but I’m afraid that once I start running out of interesting perks to select the game is just going to bog down and I may lose interest before even finishing the main quest line.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/26/10 08:18 AM
 Originally Posted By: pmbuko
Guys, this is the lamest thread on the entire board. What next? What color is your belly button lint?


I think you should create a poll. I bet no other audio forums have a “What Colour is Your Belly Button Lint” poll.

What will really be funny is logging in late at night and seeing a bunch of lurkers reading it. Ever look at the thread being checked out sometimes. Makes me sort of scratch my head wondering. . . .
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/27/10 08:10 AM
I played just the first little bit of Mass Effect 2. Pretty cool. I just need to be like Dean and get a projector and hook my computer up to it so I can get the full experience.
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/27/10 08:39 AM
Strangely enough, I've been playing a lot of emulated Atari 2600 games lately.

A buddy of mine fulfilled his childhood dream of writing a game for the 2600 this fall, I helped out a bit in debugging (though my 650x assembler knowledge has really left me) but mainly in creating a faux-manual for the game in the style of the old manuals I knew and loved.

I guess one more thing we can both strike off our "bucket lists".

Bren R.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/27/10 09:13 AM
 Originally Posted By: CV
I played just the first little bit of Mass Effect 2. Pretty cool. I just need to be like Dean and get a projector and hook my computer up to it so I can get the full experience.


Why did you have to post this Charles. I managed to stay ignorant of it’s release date so I wouldn’t have to resist going out and buying it. Damm you!

I’ve got a three day weekend coming up. Must resist. . . .
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/27/10 09:21 AM
I was ignorant of its release date until yesterday, and then Steam had to entice me.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/27/10 12:44 PM
None!!
I'm pretty sure the Bluray diode on my PS3 just died. It will play DVDs fine but refuse to even acknowledge a game or BR movie is loaded.

So far I've tried lightly blowing some canned air in there to hopefully dislodge any dust or a cat hair that might have entered, performed a system restore and threatened it with a slow painful torture of playing Celine Dion CDs until it screams to be allowed to die. No luck so far.

I'm hesitant to do a total hard drive reformat as some people claim have fixed software glitches. I just can't see that doing much more that the system restore did except make me lose all my game data. Yes, i have done a backup but I'm pretty much convinced the diode is dead as they are now showing to be prone to failure.

It's one of the SACD playing 80 GB models so it might be worth the cost to send it to Sony for repair. I see replacement parts on ebay but I'm skeptical that I'd get a working part.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/27/10 03:38 PM
I need to dig out my 2600 again. I loved it when I got it, but then tried to playu Pacman and became disenchanted. Pitfall II didn't help, either. It's an awesome game, but incredibly difficult.
I got Mass Effect 2 yesterday, haven't had much time to play, but so far it's pretty cool.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/30/10 11:03 AM
More Mass Effect 2, just to annoy Dean.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/30/10 12:50 PM
 Originally Posted By: CV
More Mass Effect 2, just to annoy Dean.


Don’t worry it worked you annoyed me enough that I bought it Thursday and started playing it today. ;\)

So far I’m liking it better than the first one and that was probably my favorite role-play computer game ever. So far I’m really liking not having to drive that Mako around, though I did rather like shooting things with it. I also like the way they’ve simplified the weapons and ammo upgrades.

Also I’m really impressed with Martin Sheens voice acting.

I have been playing Mass Effect 2 as well. Great game! I am about 7 hours in so far and loving every minute of it.
 Originally Posted By: grunt
 Originally Posted By: CV
More Mass Effect 2, just to annoy Dean.


Don’t worry it worked you annoyed me enough that I bought it Thursday and started playing it today. ;\)

So far I’m liking it better than the first one and that was probably my favorite role-play computer game ever. So far I’m really liking not having to drive that Mako around, though I did rather like shooting things with it. I also like the way they’ve simplified the weapons and ammo upgrades.

Also I’m really impressed with Martin Sheens voice acting.


I'm with you, driving the Mako was my least favorite part of the game followed closely by the inventory system. Other than that, I really enjoyed the game. Looking forward to the second one!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/30/10 04:19 PM
I actually didn't mind the driving... or maybe I just forgot the trauma.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/30/10 06:51 PM
 Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy

I'm with you, driving the Mako was my least favorite part of the game followed closely by the inventory system. Other than that, I really enjoyed the game. Looking forward to the second one!

So far the inventory system seems painless unless I’m don’t something wrong. I probably should get around to RTFM. It seems you just select the upgrade in the armory and that class of weapon is upgraded. The ammo upgrades actually seem to be in the form of powers which are colour coded for effectiveness against your enemy when you pull up the “power wheel” with the RB.

Everything seem geared to making the game more seamless so you don’t get yanked out of the story as often.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/31/10 10:41 PM
Playing “Mass Effect 2” again. Still loving this game even more than the first but a couple of peeves so far.

“Logging in to the Cerberus Network.” Ok when I want to play a game by myself I don’t want to deal with that crap. Made worse because when I play a game I usually reset all my downloads to use up all my bandwidth so the login goes slow.

Minigames: I don’t think I’ve ever met a “mini-game” I liked.

Mining - by far the worst. What were they thinking? FTL travel and can’t automate the orbital survey of a planet?

Hacking/circuit bypassing - annoying but doesn’t take to long.

Dog Tags - easy enough to find but why make a mission out of it?

Space Travel - just let me pick a destination and let the auto pilot fly it there!

Pluses:

Cut scenes - one of the few games where the cut scenes are as interesting as the gameplay.

Inventory/upgrades - soooo much better than the first game.

Squad AI - huge improvement over the first game. No member of my teem had been incapacitated yet. Lets not talk about me. ;\)

Audio - great use of surround speakers and LFE channel. Lots below 40Hz since I can feel my Buttkicker “kicking in” often.

Music - love the chest pounding of the club music and the ambient stuff in the galaxy map.

Light levels - ok I’ve got a great projector for shadow detail but I love a game that actually had mostly bright scenes and nice colours.

Have been playing “Fallout 3” IMO this game beats the snot out of it on every level but one - openness.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/31/10 10:55 PM
Good points on the minuses. I should hate the mining, but for some reason I kind of like it. It's tedious and stupid, but I like seeing the levels go up on the different elements. I think I'm more annoyed by the hacking/circuit bypassing. But yeah, the space travel should really be automated unless you're going to be doing dogfighting.

Would a mod like this improve Fallout 3 for you at all?
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/31/10 11:18 PM
That looks like a cool mod and would definitely make wandering around more pleasant. Looks like PC only and I don’t plan on buying another version of the game. I pretty much only buy strategy games for the PC and action games for the console in both cases I prefer the interfaces more that way.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/01/10 12:28 AM
Ahh, okay. I must have missed what version you were playing. I have the Xbox 360 version of Fallout 3, but the PC version of Mass Effect 2. I'll probably be buying more PC versions of games with the aging of the 360 and PS3, as well as the cheaper pricing and potential for mods.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/01/10 09:32 AM
I'm using the wired Xbox 360 controller to play Mass Effect 2 on the PC thanks to Xpadder. Handy. I still do some stuff with the mouse and keyboard, but for combat, I do like using the 360 controller.
There is an abundance of iridium. I have over 350000 units of iridium and can't even upgrade anything with it (wish I could sell it for credits). Same with platinum and palladium . Element zero on ther other hand I am finding is very scarce. Once I upgraded my scanner I can complete a planet in 5-7 minutes.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/01/10 07:38 PM
I've been upgrading weapons tech with iridium. I used just about all of it up, but then I've collected another 40,000+. Element zero is hard to find, yeah. I found one small planet with a significant amount, but that's it. I can't remember which one it was, of course.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/01/10 07:51 PM
 Originally Posted By: Dr.House

There is an abundance of iridium. I have over 350000 units of iridium and can't even upgrade anything with it (wish I could sell it for credits). Same with platinum and palladium . Element zero on ther other hand I am finding is very scarce. Once I upgraded my scanner I can complete a planet in 5-7 minutes.


It only takes me about 5 minutes to scan a planet right now so what exactly does the scanner do? I’m in the same boat of not being able to do any more upgrades until I level up some characters abilities.

I must have found the same planet you did CV. That’s where I got the majority of mine.
The scanner seems to move faster around the planet once I upgraded. I have used up all the possible upgrades for iridium, platinum and palladium except for element zero. I just finished a session and now I have in excess of 500000 units of iridium, 400000 units of palladium and approx 270000 units of platinum. \:o Element zero I have only around 17000 units at the moment and able to do a few uprades with it, but saving it for now.

Also when you scan planets you can find anamolies which give you access to more assignments. I have found about 4 so far in my process. I still have a lot of scanning to do.... I scan the entire planet until it gives scan results of depleted (you still can find stuff when it says it)
If you guyss remember where you found all the iridium, or find a stash of element zero let men know!
For iridium scan any planet, it is by far the most common where you get big spikes on the meter. It appears on every planet I have scanned. Element zero is hard to find usually you do not get any on a planet. I will have to take notes where I find some.
I found about 5000 units of element zero on one planet but forgot where...
well I beat Mass Effect 2 tonight. I only rented the game so was kind of rushing through the main quest. I did the bare minimum when it came to building up my squad, upgrading my ship, ect. and only did a few side quests.

I was able to beat the game in about 20 hours (played on veteran for the first 12-15 hours, then switched to normal to speed up the play a little bit).

I won't throw any spoilers out there but will say that it is a very good game all the way up 'till the bitter end.

I might roam around a bit and do some more exploring and miscellaneous side quests now that I have finished the game... but I will be returning it soon.


Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/02/10 05:05 AM
Wow, already done. I'm being as thorough as I can, so it'll take me a while.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/02/10 06:19 AM
Finished! No way I could slam this game. Like Cognac I will savor it. ;\)


Not sure if you are already doing it but you don't have to hold the scan
button down while surveying the planet. I just tap the button every 4
squares 6 near the poles as you rotate the globe below the scanner and
you'll see the spike and possibly get the tone and vibration if there is
anything nearby. Scanning goes a lot faster that way since the globe turns
much faster when the scanner button isn't held down. I seldom miss anything
using this method
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/02/10 07:22 AM
I didn't know that on the scanning. Thanks for the tip. I've been collecting more of the elements, and I found another planet with a fair amount of element zero. It's the planet right by the prison ship. I'm assuming they don't randomize what planets are rich in what minerals, anyway.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/02/10 09:08 AM
I believe I found the same planet and I also think you’re right that they don’t randomize. I refuse to look up cheats on this game at least until I’ve played through it once but I’m sure by now someone has published a list of what planets to find the various elements on.

The “snapshot” survey method goes a lot faster than just dragging the scanner across the surface. No way you miss a large deposit and only occasionally have I missed a small one and just left the planet in a “poor” and not “depleted” condition. Plus by the time you’ve nearly finished a planet you’ll know if It’s got a particular mineral since one or two minerals usually dominate on each planet.

Another plus I’ve found in the game is Jack’s outfit. ;\)
Yeah, that was the method of scanning I adopted as well.

I would have loved to spend more time with the is game but just couldn't justify $60 on a new game purchase right now so I went with the rental.

Unfortunately I did the same thing with Mass Effect 1.

I'll be interested in hearing how things ended for you guys when you get there... I know my ending was not optimum because I did not build up my crew all the way.
I am taking my time with this game as well. I have invested about 35 hours thus far. I am trying to do 100% of everything that is offered. Scanning planets has become pointless but I want everything to read 100% on each area and have scanning results of depleted. I found some element zero last night in Rosetta Nebula: Enoch - Misrain, Laban and Joab. All I did late last night was scan planets and complete some anamoly assginments.
Currently I have over 1 million units of iridium, 800000 units of palladium, 650000 units of platinum and 90000 units of element zero. I have a few more areas to scan. It is totally pointless to do this but I want to complete everything possible even if I do not get any achievements for it. Scanning is repetitive, boring and tedious and felt bogged down at times (it helps doing a few anamoly assignments in between). I can't wait to start kicking some ass and go back to doing missions.


Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/04/10 06:12 PM
Wow, Dr., that's a hell of a lot.
I am confident I will get over a million with palladium as well. Platinum will be tough, element zero impossible.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/04/10 06:57 PM
A little OCD doc?

I’ve been trying to grab everything out of each system as I go but only in conjunction with following other quests. So far that’s kept me in more minerals than I can use due to other research prerequisites. I haven’t been able to block out any significant amount of time to play since the weekend.
Just enjoying this game to its fullest. ;\) IMO the best game to date of the current generation consoles (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii) that delivers on the entire package (graphics/environments/cut scenes, storyline/character development, sound, voice acting, depth, gameplay, controls) I'm up in the low 40's on time played on my first play through, still have plenty to do.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/04/10 07:14 PM
I plan on taking my time and making the first time through last. I will at least play two more times once going for max paragon and the other max renegade just to see if things differ significantly.
Yeah I am doing everything possible on the first playthrough. My next playthrough will be on insanity difficulty (which is supposed to be quite difficult) as a Sentinel (no scanning on this one...lol).

My Shepard is a bit of a mix right now, but I was striving for evil. I will try to go the max paragon route the 2nd time around.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/04/10 07:26 PM
I’m playing pretty much down the middle trying for a balance depending on the game situation and how I want to influence the NPC actions. Unfortunately I hadn’t read the manual and hadn’t seen the popup hint about the paragon/renegade special actions that might pop up so I missed a chance at a couple of those already.
The same game I always play ....every night baaa hahahahahah COD Modern Warfare II...........phild101 if you want to look me up on XBOX.
Hahaha, I love sniping enemies arms and legs off in ME2. If you shoot both of their legs off they start crawling.

PS - Travel to local cluster and scan Uranus.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/05/10 04:11 PM
[quote=PS - Travel to local cluster and scan Uranus. [/quote]

Hey, this is a family board!
Does Uranus have an atmosphere?
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/05/10 04:13 PM
Gaseous, I suspect.
Is Uranus receptive to visitors?
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/05/10 04:28 PM
Yeah, that joke is pretty high up there on the list of things that I find anti-funny. Right next to jokes about the "do not remove" tags.
i think Uranus is an out going station only
I finally completed all the N7 assignments last night. I still need to scan a few planets in the local cluster, complete Grunt and Mordin's loyality missions and few other things before heading into the Omega 4 Relay.
Grunt: Rite of Passage has some excellent LFE ;\)
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/06/10 12:57 AM

I hope I get to it soon. Not likely to be playing till next weekend due to guard drill. I don’t like to play for just an hour or so. I need to block out about 6 or more hours to really get into the game so I can get the most immersion out of it.
I don't think I can pull off a straight 6 hour gaming session anymore without something...oh the undergraduate university days...
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/06/10 02:56 AM
I’m not sure I could stay focused for 6 hours in an altered state but Mass Effect would so rock that way. If I really like a series even more so a game because it’s interactive I can marathon it for a good 18 hours. Can’t, nor do I want to get into doing multi-day sessions.
I sort of look at ME2 as a combination of playing a video game, watching a movie and listening to space opera all at the same time. It is an assualt on the senses. This game is something unique and special. I still stick to the point it is my favorite game under the Wii/360/PS3 era.

Intersting what my take on Bioshock 2 will be next week because I wasn't expecting the greatness (to the degree) this game (ME2) delivers and I have very high hopes for Bioshock 2.




Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/06/10 04:01 AM
While I enjoyed Bioshock I didn’t like it anywhere near as much as Mass Effect. So I would be stunned if Bioshock 2 beat out Mass Effect 2 for me. I’m going to try to hold off on getting Bioshock 2 since I still haven’t even taken the shrink wrap off Assassins Creed or The Orange Box yet.

I’m interested to hear your take on Bioshock 2 and how it compares to Bioshock 1.
AC 1 or 2?

Orange box will be great, Half Life 2 is an all-time classic IMO - never played the console version.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/06/10 04:14 AM
Didn’t even know there was a AC 2 yet.

I bought 5 games 2 years ago when I got back from a month in Guam and still haven’t gotten to the two mentioned above and just a month ago played Bioshock. In my defense I was waiting until I bought a house so I could have a projector and screen and turn up the volume two things I couldn’t do in the apartment.
AC2 was released a few months ago.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/06/10 06:50 AM
I don’t need to know theses things. I’ve even stopped watching X-Play so I wouldn’t be tempted. ;\)
Finished ME2. I want to change to the Sentinel class and keep my stats and play on INSANITY but can't seem to be able to do it like in the original. It looks like I will have to start my character from scratch...this sucks. Maybe I am overlooking something.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/07/10 12:34 AM
Do you have to stick to the same class to get the bonuses?
Heavy Rain on the PS3 looks pretty sweet! It comes out in a week or so.

Final Fantasy XIII comes out next month too so that will be sweet...
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/14/10 07:12 AM
Just in time for Valentines Day I got to “the scene” with Jack, now gotta go see if I can patch things up with Miranda for later. ;\)

 Originally Posted By: Dr.House

Finished ME2. I want to change to the Sentinel class and keep my stats and play on INSANITY but can't seem to be able to do it like in the original. It looks like I will have to start my character from scratch...this sucks. Maybe I am overlooking something.

How did you finish so fast. I’ve spent the better part of the day playing just trying to get through the loyalty quests and associated mining and pop-up quests.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/14/10 07:42 AM
I've finally been to every planet and done every task I can. I couldn't afford every single upgrade at every shop, though. I just went through the Omega 4 Relay. Oh, and I also just got to the special scene, only with Tali, if that's kinky enough for you. I never did get Miranda or Zaeed's loyalty, even though I did the missions. I guess I didn't side with them hard enough.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/14/10 09:30 AM
If you die during the loyalty mission and hit resume you can still complete it but you don’t get the NPCs loyalty. I made sure to save at every opportunity so I could reload from a manual rather than auto-save keeping the chance to gain their loyalty. Miranda got a bit pissed at me for siding with Jack during their argument so I’ll have to work on here for a chance later after entering the Omega 4 Relay.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/14/10 09:38 AM
That's what happened to me with Miranda, too. I was trying to be neutral, but I guess that means I sided with Jack. And yeah, Miranda just doesn't want to talk to me after that.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/15/10 01:49 AM
I just finished Mass Effect 2, and I finished it with my computer hooked up to my main system. It was nice to finish the game with the more impressive sound.

Nice bonuses on a fresh start when you import your character from your first run-through. I'm not sure I'll actually play through it again, but it's still cool.

I really need to figure out a good way to keep my computer hooked up to my main system. I'm using my normal monitor as a secondary display so I can do other stuff easier, but it sure is nice to be able to game on the big screen.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/15/10 02:48 AM
You mean to tell me you’ve been missing out on the big picture and full sound all this time? What’s stopping you from keeping it hooked up normally?

I’m playing again today and still can’t figure out how you guys are finishing it so fast.
 Originally Posted By: grunt

I’m playing again today and still can’t figure out how you guys are finishing it so fast.


My time logged in on my first playthrough was 50+ hours. I did everything possible based on the choices I made. I took me well over a week of solid playing, I would not consider that fast. ;\)
Posted By: gmeyer Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/15/10 02:59 AM
Loving Mass Effect 2!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/15/10 03:34 AM
I think I was around 45 hours. I did everything I could except for serious scanning of all of the planets. After a while I only scanned enough to see if there was any Element Zero. Even that was pointless, since I ended up with over 120,000 of Element Zero that was unused.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/15/10 03:42 AM
 Originally Posted By: grunt
You mean to tell me you’ve been missing out on the big picture and full sound all this time? What’s stopping you from keeping it hooked up normally?


The only thing stopping me is that it's not totally comfortable since I don't have good places for the mouse and keyboard or the 24" monitor, and I don't have a long enough HDMI cable for the PC to have it located out of the way, and I also haven't run ethernet to the wall I'd have my computer sitting at, which means another cable running across the floor. When I move my system to the basement, I'll make sure I can accommodate PC gaming on my main system, though.
I Downloaded the Heavy Rain ps3 demo today. Pretty neat game. Kind of slow paced, but very innovative controls, detailed scenery, and a deep story (or so it seems)
I also played Heavy Rain. I REALLY dig that game. It's like a couple of DS games (Hotel Dusk or the Phoenix Wright series) but w/ great graphics.

Yeah, it's a slower paced game, but it's like a mystery movie that you can control. I'll be getting this one.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/15/10 09:40 AM
 Originally Posted By: CV
and I also haven't run ethernet to the wall I'd have my computer sitting at, which means another cable running across the floor.


Scratch that. I had simply forgotten where along the wall I'd put the ethernet jack in. Now I just need the longer HDMI cable, which I ordered. Now I'll have to figure out how to do the monitor and keyboard/mouse in a way that works with this sofa.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/18/10 05:48 AM
For those who've played or are playing Mass Effect 2, maybe you'll get a kick out of Zero Punctuation's review of it. He can be a little colorful, if you need the warning.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/18/10 06:17 AM
Yup that pretty much sums it up. Though I would have compared resource using a stud finder on a wall.

I also hate the mini-games the always suck but are required if you want to play. Who ever decided RPGs must have mini-games anyway. At least in “Oblivion” you can get the skeleton key and forgo all but the loading and unloading of the lock picking mini-game.
Posted By: madjak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/19/10 06:08 AM
Just Got Bioshock and Bioshock 2 on Ps3.

The J-Man has been expelled from the HT room and has taken Maisy upstairs.

About time I had a geek weekend.....

Who needs sleep eh?
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/19/10 07:00 AM
Let us know what you think of it especially in comparison to the first one.
I just got Bioshock 2 for the 360, haven't had time to even open it yet, I need to get through Mass Effect 2 before I start on another game
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/22/10 06:04 AM
Finally finished Mass Effect 2. Now I want to go back and play again but can’t decide if I want to import a character from ME1 or just go with the ME2 character I just finished with. Then theirs the option of just starting over again with ME1. I’ll have to read up on what if any benefits accrue when importing from ME1.

I also went online to check on , since I didn’t want to cheat the first time through, who the missing team member was. All this time I thought it was one particular person but found out I was completely wrong, but because of the decisions I made never even knew who it was suppose to be.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/22/10 06:16 AM
I wish I could have imported my ME1 character, but I played that on the 360, while I played ME2 on the PC.

I'm still undecided on whether I'll play through again or not. I like the bonuses you start out with, but I wouldn't look forward to the tedious parts of the game again. Still, it would be nice to enjoy more of the game on my big system.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/22/10 06:32 AM
I only played through ME1 once but it shows up as a new game option but I’m curious about playing through the whole series with a dedicated character. I might what for ME3 to come out first and play through that once on it’s own and then go back and start the whole series over again.

I hear ya about the boring parts. About quarter of the way through I stopped mining altogether and still had minerals left over at the end. Will just mine what need from rich planets as I need it. I just checked and the ME Wiki list what minerals each planet has I’m sure I can also find a list of what planets have mini-missions associated with them too so I don’t have to hunt around a second time.

I wasn’t able to buy everything either but only had to miss out on a few item. Reading the Wiki it turns out I got real lucky picking my team at the end. I just figured it I should take the two I got into bed with me on the suicide mission which turn out to be a good choice.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/26/10 09:33 AM
Spent the previous two days playing Bioshock 2. So far it’s like a more technically refined version of Bioshock but w/o the freshness of experiencing the world of Rapture for the first time.

On the plus side some things have been streamlined. While there’s still a hacking mini-game it’s been made quicker though just getting rid of it would have made it even less annoying. New tools/weapons and plasmids/tonics add some variety. Both the new things and requirements of game play do make for one very interesting change which is the importance of tactics. Both preparing the battlefield and gathering allies is a very interesting spin on the simple FPS style. Ambient sounds are great and discrete sound effects are distinctive.

On the negative side Rapture has lost some of it’s freshness for me. The first time seeing this world was spectacular and while it’s still a visual feast it’s really just more of the same. I’m really getting annoyed at listening to people talking to me. I hate the voice acting. Conceptually having a “god-like” voice directing you along is a great idea since it doesn’t pull you out of the story but I’ve never liked the voice acting nor much cared for the writing. At least I found the narrative in Bioshock interesting whereas I don’t in this one. I’m also sick of the scratchy sounding music. I like the music of the period just not the gramophone like presentation.

Lots more “badies” have guns even machine guns which means just running around knocking heads it’s always easy. However, it does mean machine gun ammo is more plentiful.

Overall it’s a good game so far but I’m just not drawn to it as much as I was to the original or ME2.
nice review grunt. I have been holding off on getting that one because i thought it might just be more of the same.

I rented Heavy Rain on the PS3 last night and played for an hour or so. I am very impressed so far. It is definitely a VERY story driven game, with many choices to make along the way. Sometimes it is hard to tell if you are in a cutscene or not , so I just keep mashing down the R2 button to walk all the time...

The controls are definitely innovative to say the least. When pulling orange juice out of the fridge you have to make the appropriate right thumbstick movements to open the fridge, then press up to pick up the OJ, then shake the controller up and down to mix the juice, and then up on the thumbstick again to take a drink. When shaving in the morning you have to use the right thumbstick VERY softly and move it slowly or else you cut yourself.

I am just getting out of these "daily routines" which I think are designed to get you accustomed to the controls- and I'm getting into the story now.

I highly recommend anyone with a PS3 at least download the demo. I just rented the game since I think it can be beat in 10-12 hours or so.
Another one holding out for BS2, I was so stoked but I read some reviews and they all seem to echo what grunt is saying... A good game but not much different from the first, which was just an awesome and hugely fun game. I will buy it but I think I will wait a bit.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/26/10 09:37 PM
Overall it is a fun game my personal annoyance aside. I do like what they have done with the mini-boss fights (Big daddies, Big Sisters) and the Adam gathering exercises (waves of enemies come at you).

The changes in weaponry you get and the harder the mini-bosses are to kill and the more weaponry of the splicers than in the first game really does make you think about how to take on each situation. You can win some of those battles with brute force and determination but it depletes your stores of ammo, eve, and health. OTOH if you properly lay traps and set up a good field of fire you can turn some of the fights into turkey shoots, but not all of them. In a way this give a little more of a turn-based strategy/tactics feel to what otherwise would be just a simple twitch-fest.

I would say this is the most significant improvement in the game for me though it might seem like a subtle change to some.

I finally took a look at Heavy Rain since so many people have mentioned it. Looks like it’s just a PS3 game. The control scheme does sound interesting but the story setting and plot don’t sound appealing to me so even if it does come out for the 360 at some point I’ll probably skip it.

I beat Heavy Rain tonight.

This game has one of the most detailed plots of any video game I have ever played. I actually had 3 buddies come over and we stayed up until about 2am playing this game and drinking whiskey (wife was out of town). This game is great to play but also great to watch..The twists, turns, and interaction between all of the various characters melt together for one helluva ride. The controls are simple yet extremely effective. There are many key scenes in this game that left me on the edge of my seat.

This game has good sound and puts a good surround system to the test (It has great surround effects and detail but doesn't necessarily have a whole lot of LFE). Graphics are top notch.

This game is definitely worth a rent. It's best described as a movie that you have control over, The ultimate mystery story in a modern day choose your own adventure book style. I am not sure exactly how many hours we clocked in on the game before beating it but I'd guess around 10-15 at the most. There is some reply value, particularly if you are interested in finding out what happens if you make different decisions throughout the game. The relatively short completion time is the only thing that keeps this game from being a must purchase if you own a ps3.
I'm playing Heavy Rain now.

MAN, intense game. Some scenes are pretty gut wrenching, especially if you're a parent. I think the simple controls work well with the gameplay and story line. I agree, some times you feel like your button mashing, but I think it adds to the frenzied feel/action on screen.

Stunning graphics and great gameplay. The adventure and story line feel are also well done. I REALLY hope to see more of these, but w/ my luck, probably not. \:\(
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/09/10 05:43 AM
So are you Mac users happy that Valve is going to be bringing Steam and its games to the Mac? I'm actually pretty happy about it, even if I don't own a Mac. Maybe I'll gift a couple of games to my parents and try to do some cross-platform play.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/09/10 05:48 AM
I think it's pretty cool, although I suspect my 9400M totin' Macbook Pro won't run a whole lot of them. I could boot into 7 and find out, but I kinda don't have 7 in a bootable partition on this thing. VMware ain't the same thing when it comes to games...
So Final Fantasy XIII came out today. I'm really thinking about picking it up but a little worried whether I will like the linearity of it all, especially for the first 25 hours or so according to several reviews.)

I haven't really played any FF games since FF VII on PS1 and also played many of the classic version 1,2,3,5.

Maybe I'll pick it up at lunch...
I think Jeremy, who is an editor at 1Up.com sums up FF13 nicely on his personal website.

I have a copy sitting right next to me, and will be taking a half day of work to get several hours into it.
picked up my PS3 copy of FFXIII on my lunch break. I'm Anxious to give it a go when I get home... not sure if I Can play much tonight or not since I have class but will hopefully get a little time to check it out.
This reminds me... Does anyone have any ETA at all on a new Elder Scrolls? It has been four years since Oblivion came out.
My guess is that it won't be until the next round of consoles hit the streets... But I will be buying that one up on launch day for sure! TES=best RPG ever.
I'm interested in Valve. Curious what games they'll have for OSX.

I did the Macheist recently and they have Monkey Island. Granted, in checking the first chapter, it doesn't need a whole lot of graphics power.

I'm w/ you kcarlie, I hope the 9400M is enough. I'm trying to suck it up and buy a refurb 27" iMac out of state so I can save some money on tax, but I may just have to live w/ my existing Macs instead.
 Originally Posted By: terzaghi
My guess is that it won't be until the next round of consoles hit the streets... But I will be buying that one up on launch day for sure! TES=best RPG ever.


That's what I am thinking too, which sucks. I imagine exclusivity to a certain console at launch would command one heck of a payday.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/10/10 05:14 AM
I don't mind them taking so long on each Elder Scrolls game because I spend so many hours playing them. I would really like someone to start pushing the envelope with physics, but until there's one set standard for physics acceleration, I think we're kind of screwed. I think it would add a lot to the series, though, to have such interactive environments.
Yeah, between dagger fall, morrowind, and oblivion I have logged who knows how many hundreds of hours. Not sure of the exact amount for morrowind and daggerfall because I don't think it tells you the playtime. I logged about 120 hours into oblivion and never did quite finish all of the side quests (never got any of the expansions either.) I'm guessing I EASILY doubled that time on morrowind as my character was maxed out at level 74 with all major, all minor, and many misc stats maxed out to 100. Daggerfall was probably somewhere around 100 hours as well, but maybe a little less as I tend to spend less time in front of a computer gaming than on the couch with a console.

I never did play Arena but I downloaded it with DosBox from Bethesda's website a few months ago... still haven't installed it though.
I sat down once after work (And before class) and again after class to play som FFXIII on the PS3 last night. I played for a total of about 1h40m . So far I am really enjoying the game. There are definite pluses and minuses that I see at this point:

Pros:
-Extremely beautiful graphics (during both cutscens and battles)
-The evironment is very detailed so far
-EXCELLENT sound, including surround sound and LFE effects, mabye some of the best in a video game.
-the transition from roaming to battles happens very quick. This is a huge plus for me because I can't stand RPG's that tend to hang, slow down, or go into excessive loading screens for every battle encounter. (thinking of lost odyssey here)
-The pace is very fast which is good.
-Excellent character development and interaction so far.

Cons:
-linear so far, and based on reviews I have another 20 hours of this \:\(
-only being able to control 1 character in battle is a bit different for me in a jRPG... maybe a con but maybe not as I am really starting to like the fast paced flow of the battles.
-Right now the battle system consists of just pushing x a lot. I think that the battle system will really develop into something interesting and challenging though.
-A heal potion heals the entire party??? Come on- I've never heard of an RPG where you didn't have to select who to heal in battle (unless you have a heal-all spell or something)

I'm anxious to play more and see how things unravel.
I have almost 300 hours into Oblivion and I bet I haven't played it in a year or so. I used to just run around and explore for hours. The map is just stupid huge, and then when you add in all the caves and building... Holy smokes. It would take you 15 minutes at least to run from one side to the other.
I'm really bad at games. Everytime a new console comes out I buy one and think this time I'm going to get into it, I play a game for a week and get frustrated.

Last was Oblivion and the 360.

The only games I've played and enjoyed was the original Zelda and "Mist" on the the PC.

Wish I could find some games I like. The fighting is okay, but I enjoy the thinking more and hate having to start over chapters again and again.

I just don't find the time, to get all the controls and fighting styles down for each game. Play for a few hours, then it might be 2 weeks and I'm starting over again with the "feel" of the game
As an update to my FF XIII playing. I am now about 3+ hours into the game and I can say that I am pretty much hooked. I have unlocked more battle options so battles no longer are just pressing x repeatedly but are pretty sweet. I also have unlocked the main system of leveling up which is really unique. All in all I would say that this is a very good game.
The leveling up system is very similar to FF-X, and FF-XII International Zodiac Job System.

I'm about 7 hours into the game now. It's OK. I like the story. I'm not normally one who likes the combat system in RPGs, so I figured the slimmed down one in this would be more appealing. It still isn't. I really liked the combat in XII.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/11/10 07:12 AM

 Originally Posted By: Potatohead

I have almost 300 hours into Oblivion and I bet I haven't played it in a year or so. I used to just run around and explore for hours. The map is just stupid huge, and then when you add in all the caves and building... Holy smokes. It would take you 15 minutes at least to run from one side to the other.

Get a horse, exploring goes a lot faster. Also get 100% chameleon and you can run through caves and dungeons w/o anything seeing you.
I've pretty much maxed out my character and done most of all the quests except for closing all the gates. If a new one is coming out I better get on it.
I liked everything else about Oblivion except for the gate levels. Ugh, those were bad. Well, I should say "the one" because I only visited one gate. \:\(
I agree... not very well implemented. All red and ugly looking with little change in scenery.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/11/10 02:06 PM
They were actually cool for the first couple of times, until you realized they were all pretty much the same.

Getting to near the end of Dragon Age Origins. Like always, it's taking me forever because I only play games in short but ambitious spurts but I'm still enjoying it very much. I don't think I'll ever finish Oblivion and it's expansions unless they invent a new life extending science.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/11/10 02:08 PM
 Originally Posted By: wordgasm

I just don't find the time, to get all the controls and fighting styles down for each game. Play for a few hours, then it might be 2 weeks and I'm starting over again with the "feel" of the game


I hear ya. I have the same problem with fighting games. By the time I get decent, I get bored. Come back weeks later and get my Azz kicked again.
Playing through God of War 1 and 2 right now to freshen up on the story for 3. It's been getting stellar reviews right now. Can't wait for the release of it! \:\)
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/12/10 10:11 PM
Played Oblivion, but it seemed like the same thing over and over after a while. I didn't think the quests were well done or had lots of variety.

On the other hand, I am enjoying Dragon Age. Playing is slow going since it is hard to find time with an infant at home, but I'm making progress. I think I am getting close...about to have the Landsmeet in Ferelden.
I admit in Oblivion it seems like every quest is just raiding a cave, and it does get a bit old. There is so much more to it than that though if you spend some time with it. The expanse of that game is insane.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/12/10 11:47 PM
I love just wondering around looking at things. The sky looks cool at night and climb up on the mountains and look down across Cyrodiil. The different terrain flora and fauna depending on where you go. The Weather (wind, rain, snow), waterfalls, little glens and other stuff to find. Blows Fallout 3 back to the last century.

The sound of the dripping water in, I think it’s “Greenmead Cave.” The bonfires inside a couple of caves. I’ve lost track of how much time I’ve spent on the game and still haven’t seen everything.

The only thing I don’t like about the game is having to watch what you do if you want to level up efficiently. It’s a bitch not being able to run because you’re to close to leveling up athletics. Also a pain if you want to max things quickly like plinking (just tapping the trigger) iron arrows from a rusty iron bow at goblins a 1000 times or so to max archery. But then while you’re doing that they are wailing on you so you’re armour and armourer are also going up. Or jumping onto a table in a tavern and then jumping up and down 10/sec cause your only inches from the ceiling to quickly level up acrobatics. Or pointing your character into a corner and rubberbanding down the run toggle to level athletics. Same can be done with sneaking in a corner.

My current character has 100 in Blace, Armourer, Athletics, Security (w/the skeleton key), Alchemy, Block, Acrobatics, Sneak, Heavy Armor, Light Armor, Marksman and Restoration at level 2. At this point one sneaking arrow shot kills anything but some bosses.
Dean, what do you play oblivion on?
Someone sent me a link for DDO about two months ago.
http://www.ddo.com/
I love the fact that its free.
Haven't done a ton with it and the game was very buggy until a recent update.
It's alot more fun to play with friends but geez, some ppl have ALOT of time on their hands.
Mercy me.

Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/13/10 03:39 AM
 Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Dean, what do you play oblivion on?

I play on a Xbox 360 if that’s what you meant.

For difficulty it varies depending on what I’m doing. When I’m trying to level up combat skill I push the difficulty slider to the hardest level that way each enemy lasts longer while you beat the crap out of them. I also use the weakest weapon like a rusty iron dagger, and fatigue myself by swinging like crazy going for maximum hits with minimum damage. When playing normally I keep it in the middle.
Yeah I was wondering whether u play on a console or pc. That is a pretty good strategy for leveling up.

I made several spells that cost like 1 pt to cast and just run around castinng spells over and over again
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/13/10 04:08 AM
Ha ha, yes, I did a lot of that stuff for leveling up. I played the 360 version for over 280 hours. I actually bought the PC version on Steam when they had a deal for it and Morrowind, but I haven't played past the first tiny bit simply because I don't want to start all over again. I wonder how many hours I put into Morrowind on the Xbox. It was also a lot. As tedious as some parts of the games can be, I still really love those two Elder Scrolls games. I will definitely be playing the next one, whenever that surfaces.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/13/10 09:24 AM
I played a little bit of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. It's pretty cool, but I'm disappointed the Xbox 360 controller doesn't work so well on the PC version. One of the sticks isn't recognized properly, so I can only move, not look. I hope they fix the issue. I'd rather not have to use the keyboard and mouse for games unless I have to now that I have my computer hooked up to my TV. I did buy a LapLogic lapdesk for when I need to use them, but the experience still isn't perfect. Part of the problem is I never take the time to re-map keys to what would be easier for me. What do the rest of you do for customizing control schemes in PC games?

I'm finally going to have a PS3 again this weekend. I think it's time. A lot of big games are coming out for it, and I'm planning on rearranging my home theater gear this weekend, so I wanted it in place. I'll really need to devote some energy into cable management when I switch what I'm using for my entertainment stand, too. Otherwise, it will look atrocious.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/13/10 03:57 PM
This is EA we're talking about. Remember Battlefield II? Horrible crashiness.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/15/10 12:38 PM
 Originally Posted By: chesseroo
Someone sent me a link for DDO about two months ago.
http://www.ddo.com/
I love the fact that its free.
Haven't done a ton with it and the game was very buggy until a recent update.
It's alot more fun to play with friends but geez, some ppl have ALOT of time on their hands.
Mercy me.


As a long time MMPORPG gamer, I tried that one when I discovered it had become "free to play" (was originally subscription based like all the rest.) I actually found it so bad compared to some of the good subscription based games that I quickly abandoned it and went back to paying 15 bucks a month for another. I guess you get what you pay for and if you are not willing to pay $15 bucks a month to run around a virtual world with your friends, than who am I to say it's a bad game.

Currently, we have settled on playing Everquest II the last couple of years. The world is immense, it easily dwarfs Oblivion, but yet just as detailed. Maybe even more so as it covers a world full of many, many climates and corresponding cultural diversities. To give you an idea of the uncanny size of some of these subscription based games, I have been playing EQ II regularly (couple times a week) for 2 years and I still have only explored maybe 70% of it and that is without counting the newly released expansion .Best of all, it's almost entirely mature gamers who have been around since the old EQ 1 days instead of thousands of bunny hopping, Chuck Norris joke spewing young teens and Korean gold farmers like in World of Warcraft. You have to be a serious player though as it is 15 a month US to play.

This may seem odd to people who have never played a subscription game before but when you see the amount of work they put into it, regular expansions, and the endless possibilities in such a game it starts to make sense. For me its the addition of real social interactions with my real life friends and also the cooperation of guildamtes from all over the world, verses just dealing with menu led discussions with AI. Friday nights are our regular late night sessions (Yes, like the buddies I play with, I'm old and married so Fridays are as good a night as any)and I might put in 5-6 extra hours during the week.

Real life always comes first and I figure $15/month for say 30 hours a month or so enjoyment is not that bad of a deal considering I'd be spending a LOT more if I was hanging out at a pub every Friday night instead.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/20/10 09:17 PM
Metro 2033

I pre-purchased it on Steam a while back because they were offering Red Faction: Guerilla for free along with it, and someone at work said that that game was a lot of fun. I've only played both games a little bit. They seem like they would be fun if I dug into them, but my attention span isn't so great lately. Also, I'm having sound issues with my computer. It mainly affects music playback, but today it was happening with my game, too. The sound will be fine for a while, and then suddenly it will go all scratchy. I don't really know what's causing it, but I'm guessing there's something amiss with the HDMI audio out on the video card. It's going to be very annoying if it keeps happening.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/24/10 04:57 AM
Just Cause 2 for PC. I got it on disc, and while it's released under Games for Windows, it also has a Steam activation code, which I was happy about. I like when disc-based games integrate with Steam. And the good thing about Games for Windows is that they usually have Xbox 360 controller support for these kinds of games. I'm no longer good at the keyboard/mouse combo, so it's nice to be able to use the controller, especially now that I'm sitting on the couch to play my PC games.

I can't say much for the voice acting, but the gameplay is fun so far, and it's running very smoothly. Blowing stuff up is nice.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/27/10 03:46 AM
God of War III

I only played to the first save point, but it seems like it should be fun enough. Nice art and sense of scale, but I don't really like the character I'm playing. Maybe if I'd played the first two.

A couple of guys at work keep telling me to get Final Fantasy XIII, but I'm not sure it's really my cup of tea. Maybe I'll borrow it from one of them after they've played it enough.

I'll probably play a lot more Just Cause 2 this weekend.

Finished BF: BC 2 today. Very well done! I ended up relying on the RPG and sniper rifle for nearly the last half of the game.
 Originally Posted By: CV
God of War III

I only played to the first save point, but it seems like it should be fun enough. Nice art and sense of scale, but I don't really like the character I'm playing. Maybe if I'd played the first two.

A couple of guys at work keep telling me to get Final Fantasy XIII, but I'm not sure it's really my cup of tea. Maybe I'll borrow it from one of them after they've played it enough.

I'll probably play a lot more Just Cause 2 this weekend.


I read that Kratos is not very likable as a character throughout most of this new game. I mean, I don't know how much of a sympathetic character he is to begin with. It probably builds on the first two games (which were very fun, by the way).
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/27/10 07:13 PM
I may pick up the collection with the first two games if I like this well enough. I figured I should go for the new one before investing in games from the previous generation.

I do like how God of War III starts, with Kratos ascending Mount Olympus along with some huge allies. It certainly makes it feel epic.
Augh, I got all in the mood to replay the first game and. . . .after searching through my closet, it seems I've sold it. \:\(

Stupid garage sale. . . .
Put a little more time into Final Fantasy XIII tonight. I'm about 24 hours in am enjoying the game thoroughly. I also played a thru the demo of God of War 3 and was pretty impressed.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/28/10 07:13 AM
Yeah, God of War III is pretty cool. I'm not terrific at the gameplay, but I'm really enjoying the environments.

I thought I'd take the opportunity to share my IDs again, in case anyone wanted to add me. I'm Bastia on both Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, and I'm GrayBabyOracle on Steam. Feel free to add me. Just let me know who you are on here so I don't mistakenly decline.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/28/10 02:17 PM
Anyone get the Dragon Age expansion? I'm up to the final battle in the original one, and feel like there is some replay value at least to see the origin story of the other character types. I'm not ready for the expansion yet, but wanted to know how it is. Is it basically more of the same, or did they change some things?
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/30/10 05:32 AM
Just wrapped up a night in WoW, running 5 mans for badges. Been away for a few months (played up to NAXX before I left) so need to regear.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/30/10 05:37 AM
Badges? Badges?! We don't need no stinkin' badges!

Sorry, couldn't resist.



Didn't really try, either.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/30/10 07:50 AM
 Originally Posted By: CV
I'm GrayBabyOracle on Steam.


Oops. For some reason I thought I'd made that my id on Steam, but it's actually

s.morgenstern

I need to keep better track of my identities.
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/30/10 04:29 PM
\:D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lj056ao6GE
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/03/10 03:15 AM
I bought Shatter on Steam a little while ago and played it a little bit the other night. It seems pretty fun, though it would take me some time to get any good at it, just like Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved did.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/03/10 10:36 AM
Borderlands

I got the Steam version since it was half-price. Unfortunately, it didn't want to run correctly. It would start with a black screen, but you could hear the sounds of the startup logos, then it would be a black screen and silence. I could alt-tab to another window, and then the menu music would play, but if you tried to go back into the game, it would go to black screen and silence again. After looking up potential fixes for a while (after reinstalling the game and updating my video drivers),I finally found a configuration utility, and selecting "Enable Windowed Rendering" allowed the game to run with actual video. The default resolution for the game is 640x480, apparently, and I guess my display didn't like it in fullscreen. I changed the resolution since I could actually get in and see the menu this time, so then I exited, ran the configuration utility again to get it out of windowed mode, and now I can finally play the game in 1920x1080 in fullscreen. What a pain trying to chase down that solution, though.

I look forward to getting further in the game than I got on the 360 version. I'll have to get the DLC for the game whenever it goes on sale. Did anyone here actually finish the game? I thought one or two of you had played it, at least.

I finished Borderlands on the 360. Well, almost. The final boss was much too difficult for me to keep my interest to finish it off. I did every mission available though, and it was enjoyable.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/05/10 12:55 AM
Ouch. I don't look forward to an impossible final boss. (Maybe that's why I haven't gotten married yet.) I just don't have the reflexes and accuracy I used to have for shooting games. I'm happy the Xbox 360 controller is supported without having to use a control mapping program. Several of the PC games I've played recently have had that, which is always appreciated.

Did you buy the DLC, too?
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/08/10 03:42 PM
Borderlands is a great game up to the final boss... all I'm gonna say is what many others out on the web have said. The ending is lame.

BTW I found that black screen issue with Borderlands was due to dual monitors and graphics driver. For me at least, when it would happen to me apon first launch, if I'd disable my 2nd monitor before launching it then it would run fine. Once I get in and set the resolution and stuff I wouldnt see the issue after that even with the 2nd monitor enabled.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/08/10 04:24 PM
Hmm, I was running two displays before, but not lately. It's not like I had a second monitor to disable, but maybe it still sensed traces through magic.
 Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
 Originally Posted By: CV
God of War III

I only played to the first save point, but it seems like it should be fun enough. Nice art and sense of scale, but I don't really like the character I'm playing. Maybe if I'd played the first two.

A couple of guys at work keep telling me to get Final Fantasy XIII, but I'm not sure it's really my cup of tea. Maybe I'll borrow it from one of them after they've played it enough.

I'll probably play a lot more Just Cause 2 this weekend.


I read that Kratos is not very likable as a character throughout most of this new game. I mean, I don't know how much of a sympathetic character he is to begin with. It probably builds on the first two games (which were very fun, by the way).


Yeah, he's pretty much a mindless, vengeful killer in part 3.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/14/10 05:43 AM
Thanks to Steam coming to the Mac, I just finished Portal. Beat it in about 6 hours. Very fun. Want more. Portal 2, please come to papa.
Just heard yesterday that Portal is now being offered FREE to PC and Mac users till May 24. Link! Hope it wasn't too pricey Peter! \:\)
Skate 3 just was released a few days ago. I am looking forward to playing that game. I really like this series.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/14/10 01:58 PM
Of course I got it free. \:\)
Posted By: SRoode Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/15/10 08:41 PM
Still hooked on Dragon Age: Origins. I only get to play it the weekends that I am not at home (this weekend being one), so I'm only up to level 14 on my main character. I like taking my time with games like this, and doing all the side quests I can.

It looks like they have released an expansion pack for it now too (Dragon Age: Awakenings), so I'll have that to look forward to when I complete this game.
Playing Resident Evil 5 on professional as well as Mercenaries mode. Very good game!
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/15/10 09:44 PM
World of Goo. I know it's been out awhile, but I've finally got it installed on my laptop. The trackpad isn't working as poorly as I had feared.
Posted By: Adrian Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/15/10 09:49 PM
A World of Goo on your laptop doesn't really sound too good when you think about it.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/15/10 09:54 PM
Depends on if you've got damage insurance or not.
 Originally Posted By: Adrian
A World of Goo on your laptop doesn't really sound too good when you think about it.


LOL! I agree somewhat. Depends on the type of porn we are talking about.
Halo 3 with my son \:\)
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/15/10 11:20 PM
 Originally Posted By: kcarlile
World of Goo. I know it's been out awhile, but I've finally got it installed on my laptop. The trackpad isn't working as poorly as I had feared.


I gave away my physical copy since I got it when it was cheap enough on Steam. I got my dad to give it away to one of his work friends, actually, and I guess the guy's family has been really enjoying it. I need to get back to playing it since I got stuck on one of the levels.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/22/10 04:39 AM
Anyone playing Alan Wake, 3D Dot Game Heroes, or Red Dead Redemption? I'm interested in all three. I'd probably buy them in that order, but I was wondering if anyone had some perspective.
I plan on getting Red Dead Redemption. The reviews sound really really good. I've been looking forward to getting it for some time.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/22/10 05:18 AM
It wasn't even on my radar simply because Red Dead Revolver had fairly mixed reviews, and now this new one seems to be getting all kinds of praise. I think my nephew was getting it, so I'll see how he likes it, too.
I played the first one and it was okay, not great. I think the new one is completely different, more free ranging and diverse.
I was watching my son rip through Lost Planet 2, looks to be a good shoot em up game, he seems to be really enjoying it.
I played lost planet 1 when it first came out and really enjoyed it. I wasn't aware that lost planet 2 was already out... might have to give it a rent.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/23/10 04:00 AM
I saw the black Wiis at Costco today and was tempted. Then I remembered I don't have the money at the moment. I'm feeling in the mood to play Super Mario Galaxy 2, though.
Ask Costco if they will lend you one?
Red Dead Redemption.

So far I really like it. It has set itself up with an interesting story. The main character is badass. The game definitely has that Rockstar feel to it and the western theme and environments I find very refreshing which is a good change of pace for me.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/24/10 12:01 AM
I think the last western-themed game I played was Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, and I didn't play too much of it, even though it was fun. Besides that, there aren't many western games I remember playing. Oregon Trail, obviously. Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist. I'm sure there must have been more, but nothing's springing to mind. So yeah, I think I'm ready for Red Dead Redemption.
I think you will be ready for Red Dead Redemption as well ;\) . I played the game to the early part of the morning and it was a joy. One of the most original games I have played for the 360/PS3. While there are gameplay elements that we are all quite familiar with like the shooting and cover system this game offers a unique experience and it has a different feel to it than any other game I have played. Roaming around on the horse sort of reminds me of Oblivion but the environments are so different with the western look.

There have been a lot of tasks with riding a horse. One of my favorite moments so far was riding around in town on my stallion and I lassoed a pedestrian walking about and starting dragging him. It didn't last long however because I commited a crime and it was game over. It was still very satisfying! I am really looking forward to what this game has in store.
fEAR Combat mostly and ocasionally I play Q3 arena Ufreeze mod with grapple. Not many if any public ufreeze servers using grapple so I run a server and client on same machine and play any of the 700+ maps I have. I watched the sun rise too many times to count playing Q3 and still would go into work.
Still playing Red Dead Redemption. This game is so awesome!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/29/10 05:40 AM
It's time for me to cowboy up.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/01/10 08:11 AM
Started playing “Mass Effect” again so I can max out a character and then import it to “Mass Effect 2” in anticipation of . . . . Well at least that is what I had been doing until Sean dropped off his subwoofers, fargin bastage. ;\)

Originally I was planning to just power through it to gain levels but very quickly I got into the story again and started playing along. Usually I don’t ever replay a story based game but I’m actually enjoying this more the second time through. Mostly because I know I don’t need to drive the Macco to every corner of ever planet. This actually makes the Macco sooooo much more fun the mining planets. They guy that came up with that one should get spaced. OTOH I still hate mini-games and for some reason the decryption game is kicking my butt. Well at least until I got some omni-gel built up.

Another plus is I figured out that since I usually take the same two NPCs those are the only ones I really need to keep well equipped which saves a lot of time sorting through inventories.

I also realized that just using a pistol is simpler since I can just blast away even while on the move and usually not worry about overheating.

Learning my way around the citadel again was a bit of a pain because the arrow doesn’t always point you where you really want to go. I’m also finding I like the elevator better than the newer graphic. Lean back angle the camera straight up and spin the image real fast. I’m not prone to motion sickness but I can’t do it for a whole ride w/o feeling a bit queasy.
I liked mass effect 1 a lot... very good game.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/12/10 07:17 AM
Some Fallout 3 to make me hopeful about the future.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/15/10 07:24 AM
Is anyone going to get the new Xbox 360? I'll probably end up with one just so I have a quiet black one to replace my loud white Arcade unit. It'll be after the Axiom 30th Anniversary celebration, of course. I'll have to get a black Wii at that point, too, so I can catch up on Nintendo first-party games.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/15/10 07:44 AM

I think I’ll skip this one. Mine is in the next room so I can’t hear the noise even with the attached fan and hard wired into my network. Unless the processor is much faster I can’t see spending any money to get features I don’t need. The Kinect sounds interesting but until games I want to play support it and do so well it’s just a curiosity to me. Any word if it will do 3D?

I’m not sure what MS has in mind but another incremental improvement in the Xbox would have me looking to a PS3 if I had to buy a new machine especially if I didn’t already have a Blu-ray player.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/15/10 07:49 AM
At this point, I would probably recommend the PS3 for anyone who doesn't already have a system. It's a solid system with a lot of value. I've already owned several 360s even though I've only had one fail on me, but that's just because I wanted HDMI, then I wanted a black one, then I wanted one that might be less likely to fail, and now this new one is quieter and has a bigger hard drive, as well as being black, which I want again. If I didn't own so many 360 games, I wouldn't be considering yet another 360.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/16/10 01:11 AM
And a release date for Gran Turismo 5 was announced today!

I'm waiting for that and Starcraft 2 at the end of July.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/16/10 06:36 AM
Well, that's super-annoying. I downloaded the new DLC and started up Mass Effect 2 to find that my saved game is no longer there. It was at the beginning of the game with the bonuses you get for already going through the game once. Now I have nothing. Grrr.
Gears of War 2
NHL 10
Red Dead Redemption
Halo 3: ODST
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/16/10 10:23 PM
Anyone tried Joe Danger yet? I downloaded it from the PlayStation Network last week. My 7 year old son and I have been having a blast playing it. Simple, pick up and play, entertaining but gets tough pretty quickly too. Good value IMHO - it was a $14.99 download.
Joe Danger looks kinda fun smile

Did anyone play Fat Princess on the PS3?

They are coming out with a patch that adds some new characters and local 4 player multiplayer.

I never got the game but am thinking about grabbing it now that it has local multiplayer.

info here:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/06/2...ith-patch-1-06/
I am playing Fallout 3 and Borderlands for PC.
I wasn't sure whether to put this in one of the many Rush threads, a Wii thread or what. So, here...

Rush’s 2112 Featured in New Guitar Hero Game

Oh yeah.
Originally Posted By: tomtuttle
I wasn't sure whether to put this in one of the many Rush threads, a Wii thread or what. So, here...

Rush’s 2112 Featured in New Guitar Hero Game

Oh yeah.

Since I like guitar hero series I might be getting this one! smile
Originally Posted By: Ichigo_Kurosaki
I am playing Fallout 3 and Borderlands for PC.


Good games.

I am currently playing Crackdown 2. The graphics are outdated, no story, environments are similar to original and it did not get the greatest reviews. However, it is also the ultimate "sandbox" game where I can just roam around the city aimlessly. I love the gameplay for the most part (driving and hand to hand combat could be much better) and just jumping around and climbing buildings around the city collecting orbs (the most unique thing I like about this game).

This game is not really that polished and could have been much better if they did not rush it to market, but I still love it, just like the first one.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/30/10 05:17 PM
StarCraft II is out as of a couple days ago. Anyone else playing? I'm doing the single player and trying to get the side objectives too, which is really slowing me down only at the 3rd mission.

Then again, I realize I'm way out of practice as I haven't played the first one in 10 years or so. The 2nd one seems to expect you played the first and know what you are doing. I need to relearn the hotkeys.
I'm torn between posting here and "what funny thing are you enjoying tonight" -- We moved the XBox 360 into the den and hooked it up to the Axiom system. "17" is enjoying the hell out Nazi Zombies at the moment (no offense to anyone, Heck I'm 3/4 German). So I asked the boy what they play in Germany. He said, "well maybe it's the similar to what they call the local cockroaches (here they're called German cockroaches). Apparently Germans don't like the term, so in Germany they call the bugs French cockroaches. So maybe, it's called French zombies?" Again, no offense to anyone. It's just a game. Brutal and pointless though it may be.

Scott
Counter-Strike

.....BOOM! Headshot! smile
Playing Final Fantasy I on my Iphone4. Great game, brings back a lot of childhood memories. All of the graphics were red-done and it looks pretty good.
Changed my opinion about Final Fantasy 13. That game is garbage. 67 hours in, maxed on most levels, 3/4 of the way done with side quests... and what happens? I get to the end boss (Orphan) and I can't beat him.

Screw this game. Why do people need to make final bosses so damn hard? Seriously, I was really dreading having to find out how long the last cut scene was going to be anyway.

Screw Orphan and screw Final Fantasy 13!

[/rant]
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/03/10 03:54 AM
I guess I won't buy it, then.
Well there is a high possibility that I just suck. I enjoyed most of the game, but the end just kept dragging on and on. Then when u think u killed the final boss the seemingly unbeatable final final boss arises from nowhere for one last battle. Who knows, there might be 6 more battles for all I know!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/03/10 04:03 AM
I'm sure I suck more than you. I haven't been playing any video games lately, and when I was still playing, I would usually play on the easier difficulties because I didn't want to invest so much effort. How old I've become!
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/03/10 06:24 AM
I finished “Mass Effect” last night in a quest to create a character to port over to “Mass Effect 2” and eventually “Mass Effect 3.” I didn’t get a high a level as the first time I played but then this time I didn’t explore every little part of the galaxy.

I immediately started again I got quite far in the primary quest line in just a couple hours. Helps that your skills and weapons stay with you and the new stuff you find is based on your characters level. I can no turn up the difficulty w/o getting slaughtered.

It also is making things faster that I didn’t have to re-learn where everything is on the Citadel.

I’ve found a new appreciation for the Macco(sp) vs the “mining” in #2 which now IMO sucks even worse. At least with the planet exploration in the Macco you don’t really have to do a lot of it if you don’t want but there is a lot of stuff you need to buy in ME2 which requires to much mining.
Yeah, that mining was a PITA
Since I've been a little tight in the pocket book lately,(with the help of my air conditioning and water heater going kaput on me) I haven't bought a game since God of War 3. I ended up putting back in COD4 MW1 and forgot how much fun I had playing this game.

I have a gold 1 year membership to xbox live, but haven't activated it yet. I'm wanting to get semi good again before going online and getting my butt handed to me.
Ascension, haven't played that game in a while and need a good excuse to play some online. Gamertag is terzaghi- add me.
So I gave final fantasy 13 another try tonight. I re-equipped my characters with HP enhancing items and damage reducing items... Left a couple magic increasing items on one character. I sold everything else I owned and got 400,00 Gil or so. I spent alll of the cash on upgrade components. Upgraded my hp and damage reduction items so that I had nearly 10,000 hp on my main char with a 25% reduction in physical damage on my main char.

With all of these changes I was finally able to beat the game. Pretty good ending and I am relieved to have beaten it. I hate having games on m shelf that are 99% complete.


It aint over yet, now you can level your characters even higher. smile
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/04/10 05:51 AM
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Pretty good ending and I am relieved to have beaten it.


Micah always feels relieved about that last thing, too.

But thanks a lot. You were making me feel good about not having the game.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/04/10 12:31 PM
For those interested, Everquest II is going "free to play." That is when a subscription based game loses the monthly fee.

Why would they do that? It's the new trend. You play for free but they make a virtual, in game marketplace where they sell a bunch of very convenient items or 'entitlements,' like rights to play certain classes/races, for real money. So you could theoretically play the game for years completely free but you would be constantly tempted to spend real money to get in game stuff. In fact, you can still get into a monthly fee if you want to subscribe to certain in game features that become buried in one of several "premium" services.

I've been playing EQ II since it came out 4 or 5 years ago. In my opinion, it's by far the best MMORPG out there and me and my buddies tried them all. Running around a virtual world one or twice a week while chatting and laughing with your buddies is a great way to keep in touch with friends you might otherwise never see.

In fact, we will likely stay on the old subscription based service because we figured out that to recreate everything in the "free but buy stuff" model, we would end up paying more per month than what we pay now.

However, the biggest thing for us is that EQII was kind of the game where 'mature' MMO players went because it's the spin off from the very first successful virtual world, EverQuest 1 that started it all back in 1999. While the free model is great for those who just want to try a game out or otherwise can't afford a monthly fee, it will also likely mean that the free servers will become flooded with young, hoppy, chuck norriss joke spewing twinks who can't afford to play WoW. In fact, the average age of the subscription service should hopefully even go up a notch or two, making the $15.00 a month even more worth it's while.

Long post. I really just wanted to announce the Free to Play thing in case people want to try something new but thought some explanation might be in order as not a lot here are MMORPG players.
Evony does the same thing. It's free, but they keep hanging the carrot in front of you to spend real money to advance in the game. I played Evony for a while, probably spent around $50 total. Now I just have a single city that's more-or-less maxed out. I visit it every day for the free amulet, but I don't know why I even bother anymore, since I'm not an active player. Just a habit I guess.
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Ascension, haven't played that game in a while and need a good excuse to play some online. Gamertag is terzaghi- add me.


I will definitely do that!
Homedad, it said "Crystalarium expanded", but then when I saved teh game at the end and reloaded it put me back before the boss... How can you continue playing?
Go back through the hall to the warp portal that got you to the final boss, from there you can use two portals to take you where you want to go.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/15/10 08:37 AM
Just finished replaying Mass Effect with the same character. It was much easier to get through even with the difficulty turned up because of keeping the stats and weapons. The first time through I did most of the side quests though not all of them and ended up level 42 after about 39 hours of game-play. The second time I mostly stuck to the main quest line only doing a few of the side quests moving up to level 55 after about 20 hours of game-play.

I just restarted for the third and final time and plan to do everything I can with the intent of carrying this character over to Mass Effect 2 eventually 3.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/15/10 08:46 AM
Nice, Dean.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/16/10 04:32 PM
Has anyone tried Limbo yet?

http://devour.com/video/limbo/

http://www.limbogame.org/

(only available on XBox Live frown )
I played it for a bit and it seems really cool. I only tried the trial.

It was pretty trippy and really sucked you in, especially with the surround sound cranked and the lights off.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/30/10 02:05 AM
Finished playing through Mass Effect for the third time with the same character. On the first two times through I pretty much just did the main quest line and a few of the random quests that popped up. The last time through I tried to hit most of the assignments but after reaching level 60 with all level 10 equipment by second to last mission I just blew through the rest of it. This was the most fun part of the game since I didn’t need to do anymore searching of crates for equipment and experience and was just able to play.

I found the Macco was much less annoying than scanning for minerals. Especially since I cheated and used the maps on the Mass Effect wiki to find the interesting stuff w/o having to drive around the whole map. I also used the infinite paragon/renegade cheat to max out both of them so I could make whatever decisions I wanted w/o regard to earning points.

I also finally realized that the sniper rifle is a kick a$$ weapon and also makes the Macco easier to use. Instead of shooting things with the Macco dismounting at a distance and shooting things up with the sniper rifle loaded with high explosive ammo rocks. Very cool to aim at a bad guys feet and blow him 50+ feet into the air. Also way easier to avoid incoming fire than with the Macco.

Got laid twice to boot, have to do it again in ME2 wink

I just started Mass Effect 2 with that character to play through for an eventual import to ME3.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/02/10 07:56 AM
Well, I can still feel good about myself. It's been a loooooong time since I've been brave enough to check the Bejeweled 2 leaderboards on Xbox Live. I'm somehow still in first place in Finity mode, and I was surprised I was still #3 in Action mode. I'm only getting slower these days, but at least that one score in Finity mode is keeping my *ahem* legend alive.

I haven't really been playing ANY games lately, but I think I'm going to get back into it a little bit. Which one, though?
You need your own action figure.
With Kung Fu Grip.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/03/10 04:08 AM
As long as my action figure gets to do stuff with Regina's action figure.
Regina comes equipped with Pinchers of Power.
Or Pinchers of Peril.


Depends on how you play.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/03/10 05:57 AM
I'm not sure if I'll be able to differentiate between the two.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/04/10 08:34 AM
Played just a little bit of Trials HD, 'Splosion Man, and Shadow Complex tonight.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/04/10 09:49 AM
Annnnnnd some Castle Crashers.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/12/10 08:32 AM
Pinball FX, Limbo, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game.
Halo: Reach
Quote:
Halo: Reach


I've been watching my boys play it since it arrived yesterday, I guess FedEx actually delivers early sometimes. It looks like a lot of fun, perhaps I'll get a chance to play soon. wink
Yeah, I just rented it and have played for an hour and a half or so. I played the campaign some and did a little online matchmaking. IT seems like a good game but I think I'll wait to buy another game until the next COD in november.
I think I have to get a second XBox because I have two boys and one is a Halo fan while the other is a COD fan. Too much jostling over whose turn it is to play.
Sounds like you need a 3rd for you too smile
Halo: Reach is an impressive game. Not enough time in a day to play all the content - campaign, firefight, custom game modes. Looking forward to the juggernaut game mode.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/16/10 05:07 AM
I had Halo: Reach on preorder, but I decided to cancel and wait for the legendary edition to drop to the price of the normal edition. I finally got the limited edition of Alan Wake after being patient like that. Of course, if I was really patient, I'd just wait for Game of the Year editions of every game, with all of the DLC included.
I'm liking halo reach a lot (for a halo game). I'm not a huge halo fan, but I'm glad I gave it a rent.

If I wasn't trying to watch my spending I'd buy it to hold me over until COD comes out in Nov. I'll probably just keep it from the rental store until I beat the campaign and play as much online as I can in the 1-2 weeks I have it.
The campaign from what I have played so far is really good. There are a ton of new weapons and I love how often you have access to vehicles and then can decide if you want to beat the area with the vehicle or get off and use your own weapons. You can even drive a forklift in a few areas. LOL. I notice the AI moves a lot quicker than previous installments when trying to snipe.

In the campaign there are tons of other new additions like character customization, access to in-game abilities (sprint, drop shield, invisibility etc) and one of my favorite aspects to the new gameplay is reticle bloom.

As for the soundtrack, Halo games never dissapoint.
I am a Halo fan, not a gamer (I don't think) but I do enjoy Halo and a couple of other 1st person shooters (Far Cry, Bio Shock, etc). Halo is my fav though.

I havn't had time to do the get my copy of Reach, but I am looking forward to it. Maybe next week.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/18/10 07:57 AM
Played a little Oblivion. It had been a while. I've been doing more stuff with my 360 now that I have one of the new ones. Nice and quiet most of the time, but I wish the DVD drive was quieter when spinning up. You'd think they would have taken care of that. Also, they may as well have made the USB ports USB 3.0 and made it gigabit ethernet while they were updating things.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/18/10 08:02 AM
By the way, has anyone tried using converting the Xbox 360 Oblivion game save to play in the PC version as outlined here? Am I reading that right? I may have to try that. I bought the PC version of Oblivion on Steam during a sale, but I haven't really played it on the PC because I'd already spent so much time playing the Xbox 360 version. Anyway, it would be cool if I could just port the saved game over.
Halo Reach is awesome. I would put it up there with Mass Effect 2 and Red Dead for my favorite games so far this year.
Cv, save the game to the HD and play it that way. Less spinning
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/18/10 07:00 PM
Oh, I've already done that with Oblivion, so I wasn't talking about that one, specifically. I won't be installing games to the hard drive as a rule, though. I guess I just don't like the hard drive space disappearing that fast, even though I have plenty of space left at the moment.

Dr. House, I'm waiting for another good deal on Red Dead Redemption. If anyone sees anything pop up, let me know.
I watched an entire 720p walkthrough of Splinter Cell Conviction on YouTube. Yes, it's long, but the video game is wicked, the video quality is stunning, and the guy who recorded his gameplay is REALLY good IMO. It's the only game that I get an absolute thrill out of watching someone else play.
I finished the campaign of Reach. Overall, two thumbs up!

There is so much content to explore afterwards with all the different game modes and forge. As a huge fan of firefight in ODST they have added a bunch of different variations. I tried GruntPocalypse on legendary and it was a lot fun headshotting hundreds and hundreds of those buggers.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/26/10 12:28 AM
Eternal Sonata was cheap enough that I finally picked it up. I still like the original title: Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream, but Eternal Sonata works, too. I barely started it, and it falls victim to the too-many-cutscenes-not-enough-gameplay prevalent in JRPGs, but I'm hoping the ratio improves a bit after the initial setup. The visuals are definitely beautiful. I'd play more for that alone. I didn't pay enough attention to the soundtrack. I got the Xbox 360 version, but maybe I should have gotten the PS3 version since it supposedly has extras.

I also have another JRPG to play. David was kind enough to send me Final Fantasy XIII (PS3) to try. I barely started a game in that the other day, too. I will have to give both games more time.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/26/10 09:43 AM
Took a break from Mass Effect 2 to load Civilization 5 on my computer the other day and on my fathers computer today. Both games have a feature that really pisses me off.

Mass Effect 2 logs onto the “Cerberus Network” (XBox Live?) every time before loading. Worse is Civ 5 which won’t even install unless you are connected to the internet and install “Steam” first. What a load of crap. My father doesn’t have an internet connection which ment dragging his computer to my house just to install the fracking game. Thankfully it plays w/o have to be connected or it would have gone back.

This internet “DRM” and the often associated spam email and adds you get when logging onto the server is quickly making me rethink the appeal of gaming.
Originally Posted By: grunt
Took a break from Mass Effect 2 to load Civilization 5 on my computer the other day and on my fathers computer today. Both games have a feature that really pisses me off.

Mass Effect 2 logs onto the “Cerberus Network” (XBox Live?) every time before loading. Worse is Civ 5 which won’t even install unless you are connected to the internet and install “Steam” first. What a load of crap. My father doesn’t have an internet connection which ment dragging his computer to my house just to install the fracking game. Thankfully it plays w/o have to be connected or it would have gone back.

This internet “DRM” and the often associated spam email and adds you get when logging onto the server is quickly making me rethink the appeal of gaming.


I can't stand Stream either, Dean. You use to have a choice to install the fracking stuff; and requiring an internet connection is complete BS.
The last video game I played was super mario galaxy with my 5 yr old.. I bought dragon age for PC but never played it. The only game I play regularly is Guild War.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/26/10 01:43 PM
DRM punishes honesty. The people who pirate the games and crack the DRM don't have to put up with that crap.
... and the DMR punishes n00bs.
Originally Posted By: pmbuko
DRM punishes honesty. The people who pirate the games and crack the DRM don't have to put up with that crap.


Yup.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/01/10 08:43 AM
Breath of Death VII

Fun enough so far, but I'm the kind of person who can get addicted to repetitive gameplay as long as I can level up and acquire new items. Can't go wrong for $1.
That looks a lot like dragon warrior on the NES, which I liked a lot back in the day. I might have to give it a try as I have 400 points that I have sat on my account for a while now...

CV, have you played Disgaea 3 on the PS3? It looks pretty like a decent RPG...
I just pre-ordered Medal of Honor, it looks very promising.
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/01/10 04:54 PM
Last night for some reason I wasn't into playing any of my current games I'm working on. So I looked through my library of older games and broke out an old PS2 classic - Shadow of the Colossus

It is still very cool and moody and fun even years after I first played it - glad I never traded it in!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/01/10 06:44 PM
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
CV, have you played Disgaea 3 on the PS3? It looks pretty like a decent RPG...


I haven't played it. I'll have to check it out. I also want to try out 3D Dot Game Heroes. Waiting for a good price drop.
I really don't like the Disgaea series. I tried 3 on the PS3, it looks like a PS2 game, with the same OCD requiring mechanics of the first two. Good thing it was just a rental.
oh yeah, should say looks like a "pretty decent".... oops.

And to follow up on Neon's respones: i must say that it looks decent if you like the older style rpgs with crappy graphics and redundant gameplay- which I happen to like on occasion smile
I'm still waiting for PONG to make a comeback.
Civilization V on my overclocked EVGA 460. Saaaaaaweeeeeet game utilizing DX 11. Darn difficult too.
Only 1 game to play.






Nice screen shots, what's the game wink
Halo reach. I'm still wondering why I Haven't bought it after I returned the rental
I knew that. I think you missed my smilie wink.

My son is anxiously waiting for COD Black Ops.
Beautiful video game.








Wife and kids are going out of town for the weekend, I'll get my 1st chance to actually play Halo Reach. wink The kids have horded it since it first arrived!
Can you blame them? grin Remember to get the home theatre going and enjoy. Its a great game.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/02/10 04:01 AM
Why don't I own a copy yet? Waiting on a cheap Legendary edition is so dorky.
If the shoe fits wink






Wait I think that shoe probably fits all of us at one time or another. smile
hmmm... missed the wink and forgot about any earlier discussions I suppose.

I think I'll just wait for COD black ops as well and buy that. I'm really trying to limit what games I buy for $60. I bought Halo 3 when it came out and played it for a month or two and then it just sat on my shelf.
I'm holding off on Call of Duty: Black Ops for now. Wait and see approach. Treyarch is the developer for this game and every time they have had their hands in a Call of Duty game, they have been disappointing. Infinity Ward is the developer that put this series on the map. Their work speaks for itself.

Lets break this down.

Treyarch: Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, Call of Duty 3, Call of Duty: World at War.

Infinity Ward: Call of Duty, Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
Playing this free, really fun flash game - Defend Your Castle

You can try it out here.

http://www.xgenstudios.com/play/castle/
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/16/10 11:03 PM
Just finished playing through Mass Effect 2 for the first time with a character imported from ME1. The starting bonuses for importing a character were nice, especially having some minerals to start with. The character maxed out at level 30 fairly quickly but I still made sure to play all the extra assignments since this character will export to ME3 when it comes out.

Mineral scanning still sucked but this time I only mined rich planets and then only for the minerals I needed so it wasn’t as bad as the first time I played it. I didn’t realize how much longer ME2 was compared to ME1 the first time I played since it had been so long between games. But collecting all your teem mates and doing their loyalty missions takes quite awhile. Now I’ll be itching for ME 3 to come out.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/17/10 07:38 PM
Just saw GT5 is delayed again. Supposedly it will still be out in time for the holidays.

Good thing I have Starcraft 2 to keep me busy. I don't know that I am ready to dive into GT5 at the moment anyway. Although it is nice to have 1 PC and 1 PS3 game I'm actively playing.
The GT demo I played was pretty disappointing in comparison to forza motorsport 3... I hope the end product is much better
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/31/10 08:11 AM
Pinball FX 2

I love pinball!

Even fake pinball.

I appreciate that it lets me use the tables from the first Pinball FX.
I've been playing the HD pinball game on the iphoen 4. I must say it is actually pretty fun.
I still play the "Space Cadet" pinball on my PC. It didn't come with Vista, so I ripped the files from an XP machine.

I play three games every morning....with one ball only and with one paddle only.

This morning I got 800,000+ on one game, 1.2 million on another and 2.6 million on the third.

Yes, one ball and using one paddle only.

I'm a pinball wizard. No trick.
Posted By: Adrian Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/31/10 02:09 PM
There's got to be a twist.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/31/10 02:59 PM
Tell us, Mark. How do you keep your wrist so supple?
Playing call of duty: black ops. Great game, and two thumbs up to treyarch for this one!
My son has been playing Black Ops since he got home from school and is really enjoying it as well
Yesterday I told my kids they had to finish their homework before they could play Black Ops. I have never seen homework get done so fast before.

I don't think I will get much chance to listen to music on my M80s for the next couple of weeks.
Yeah, but reviews say that it isn't THAT much better/different than MW or MW2, just heavy system requirements for PC (I know a lot of people play on their consoles). One review said that it was like a Michael Bay flick on steroids. Constant explosions that after a while make you numb. Granted that is single player.

Oh well, to each his (or her) own.
My boys since Tue. have also been getting their homework done in record time. Although I haven't had a chance to play the game they are having a blast and it looks really good.
Posted By: mpyw Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/12/10 12:27 AM
Just got myself a PS3 move sports bundle
playing a few rounds of Ping Pong and my arm really in pain now..and I'm sweating a lot during the game....really good for lazy people like me to get some work out.
Cool. How is the responsive of the controller system?
Posted By: mpyw Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/12/10 02:35 AM
very accurate, even a twist and turn of the wrist are captured by the system and for there you could angle the ball properly and applied some play tactic to win the game
We just picked up the Kinect bundle with the 250gb 360 today. The kids love it and played it all day after UPS dropped it off. My wife was even very happily impressed with it. It's got great graphics and to play without having to hold any type of controller is a big plus to me. I didn't think anything could get them to stop playing Black Ops. smile It's nice to see them playing more kids oriented type games and enjoying them. The added plus is they are worn out after playing and fall right to sleep. wink
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/25/10 06:35 AM
Crackdown 2

I got it when it dropped to $15 on Amazon.com. It's addicting enough so far, but I haven't done a ton of the missions. I'm mainly beefing up my character so far. My strength is the only thing I've maxed out so far.
Switching between Black Ops / Team Fortress 2 / and some WoW sprinkled in. shocked
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/25/10 02:58 PM
Just picked up the Gran Turismo 5 Collector's Edition last night. Not much time on it yet, but it is a huge game that looks great but is still pretty much the same GT we have known over the years. I am sure it will keep me busy for months to come. If you like GT it's worth it. If you're not a GT fan this will not change your opinion, IMHO.
Still playing black ops. I just saw a commercial for GT5, I didn't realize it was out. I played the beta demo a while back and was pretty disappointed in comparison to Forza 3 on the 360. Hopefully the final product is better... I'd like to pick it up but might wait a little while as I'm still hooked on Black Ops.
I just started playing GT5 last night and I thinks it great, the graphics are really good and I think it is as good if not better than any of the previous versions.
How do you control the cars in GT 5? Just wondering if I can use might track ball to steer the car and the keyboard as the accelerator etc. Does it give you an option to control the car with a mouse?

Thanks, guys.
No, GT5 has to be controlled by a PS3 controller, or a compatible wheel and pedal setup. It doesn't support any other input devices.
It's not available for the PC?

Edit- Never mind, I just checked and it's not.
Gran Turismo has always been a Playstion exclusive series.
Bout to go lay in bed and play some phantasy star II on the iphone which I got for $0.99 on sale from the appstore.

All of the Sega apps are on sale until december 1st...
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/26/10 06:44 PM
I am sold on the new GT5. It's car porn and fun. Yes, there's a few gripes with slow loads and menu system, but the sheer amount of stuff to do and collect is astounding. And of course the driving is great - go-karts are fun and feel close to the real thing from my limited karting experience. I also just raced a VW bus on the Top Gear test track followed by some timed practice laps in a Lamborghini.

OK, lunch is over, back to work for me. blush
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/27/10 11:02 AM
Blur for the PC and Red Dead Redemption for the Xbox 360. Both should be fun.
Sounds like fun Dan. I may buy that one when I get off my Black Ops kick.
Originally Posted By: CV
Blur for the PC and Red Dead Redemption for the Xbox 360. Both should be fun.


Red Dead Redemption has become one of my favorite games. Really enjoyed the set up and story. The attention to detail and atmosphere is excellent. I spent many hours just roaming around sightseeing.
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
I spent many hours just roaming around sightseeing.

I like Penny Arcade. They have a t-shirt for that.
I like it!

That'll go on my list I'm giving to Santa. That is, if I don't see him at the mall.
Bad news, Sean. I just saw him at MY mall, and it's gonna take him a long time to work his way to yours.
Fudge!
Sean, I really don't know why you're believing a word that comes out of that guys mouth grin !
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/27/10 10:24 PM
Sean, Mark, and Santa in a showdown?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_75ptQuFbEv0/SxGz8jOAHOI/AAAAAAAADbA/apgwWL1lU3A/s1600/rk8xmas.jpg
I don't even know how to describe myself?

Like some kind of cross between an elephant and Superman's Fortress of Solitude?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/28/10 12:16 AM
I bet if you shake off that snow you're quite svelte. That is snow, right?
Either that, or I need to invest in a bottle of Head and Shoulders.
I usually wait for games to hit the $20 mark before I buy them. But I gave in and got Gran Turismo 5 on Wednesday while I was out for lunch. I took Thursday off work. I do need to go in on Friday, but I know what I'm doing this weekend. laugh
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/03/10 03:31 PM
I played a bit of GT5 online last night. I jumped into somebody else's lounge (game). There were just 2 guys in there and obviously friends as I could hear them talking to each other. They were lining up at the start/finish line for drag race between a Bugatti Veyron and newer Dodge Charger Hemi. The timing was perfect - they had just lined up side by side and were at a dead stop with barely a car's width between them - I happened to come around behind them at that exact moment doing way over 200 km/h in an Audi R8. I lined them up and blasted between them with inches to spare - did not touch either one of them. It was hilarious to hear them both yell and react at the exact same time. Too much fun. grin

You're going to have fun this weekend Chris!
Its to bad that after 5 years in the making and one delay after another, Sony still can't make a superior racing game than Forza 3 which only took 2 years to make and released 1 year prior.

This is what happens with a system with complicated dev tools.
Yeah, I'm not sure what all is included in the online customization in GT 5 but the user storefronts with custom tunes, paint jobs, decals, etc that you can sell for credits in forza 3 is insane! Selling or gifting cars is a nice touch too, along with the in game photo and video uploading. The customization And online user storefront in forza 3 is simply amazing. Does gt5 have a similar setup?
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/03/10 05:16 PM
Still learning as I go David, but i think it's safe to say it won't be as extensive as Forza. From what I've seen so far we're limited to paint and wheel colours and aero kits. The rest are all performance related and not so much visual. GT is really focused on the simulation of the car physics and turns a blind eye to many of the 'extras' we are used to seeing in other racing games. However where I like it is it's sheer size and abundance of stuff to do and the actual driving feeling and racing. Anything else to me is a bonus.

For the record I am a GT fan because I have a PS3 only. If I had XBox I'm sure I'd love Forza or PC sims if I had a game worthy PC. You work with what you have!
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/04/10 02:28 AM
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
I usually wait for games to hit the $20 mark before I buy them.

You're as bad as I am. Looking to pick up Dragon Age Origins for cheap this weekend.
I have been watching my son play Medal of Honor, looks to be a bit of fun, he says he likes it. I guess I will have to try some of these games one of these days.
I would still like to try GT5 but will either rent it or buy when it is like 30 bucks.

Since I'm out of town I'm not able to play any COD so am enjoying Phantasy Star II on my iphone some more.
Someone asked me what my favorite game ever was recently. I couldn't pick one, but Phantasy Star II came to mind. That was another that I paid full ($70) price for.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/05/10 04:06 AM
Favorite game ever would be a tough call. Too many of them shaped my childhood. It would be like asking me what my favorite finger is. My middle finger, obviously, but then how would I hitchhike? So the middle game is my favorite. Both of them.
I only paid 99 cens for PS II through a sale in the app store:)
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/05/10 07:57 PM
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
I only paid 99 cens for PS II through a sale in the app store:)

OK, you got me beat on cheap. Just picked up dragon age for $20/
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/05/10 08:02 PM
Dragon Age Origins help:

So, how does a non-gamer start (think someone who has only played stuff like Rayman and Ratchet & Clank)? There seems to be a lot of stuff to pay attention to.

I'm tempted to start with the simplest setting to get a feel for the game and then start again at a more difficult level.

In general I don't do things multiple times, so I like to start on the most difficult level I can. I also prefer strategy over action, which, from what I have read suggests I start at a high level of dificulty. The question is if I can survive long enough to get a handle on the game if I start at hard or nighmare.

Thoughts?
Not sure about dragon age but some games let you change the difficulty at any point during play.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/05/10 08:25 PM
I think it does allow me to do that.
While some games have multiple endings to encourage replay. Dragon Age has like 8 beginnings!

I would play on easy. Even on that setting some big fights get pretty hairy.
Where did u pick up dragon age for only 20 bucks?
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/05/10 10:04 PM
In a dark alley? wink From a Kijiji advert listed only for a smaller town near me. I've seen listings for a larger city in the 30-50 range, but after adding gas and time...
Edit: Checked Toronto listings again and it looks like $20-30 is not unusual.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/05/10 10:09 PM
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
While some games have multiple endings to encourage replay. Dragon Age has like 8 beginnings!

I would play on easy. Even on that setting some big fights get pretty hairy.

Hmm, so I could do a little trial play with a throw away character that I am not likely to choose for a run through without ruining things much.
You get a Achievement/Trophy for playing through each classes starting story. You should play at least to that point (perhaps all eight times) to get a feel for the game. Then you can go back to the class that you liked the most. You can easily do the starting story in an evening.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/06/10 12:45 AM
Thanks Chris. I'll give one character a go on easy to that first point and see how I fair.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/06/10 12:49 AM
I'd recommend playing as a mage.
Mages get really over-powered by 3/4 of the way through the game...I'd recommend playing one too (for the shear damage they can do). smile
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/07/10 03:37 AM
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
You can easily do the starting story in an evening.

Well, maybe you can... I, on the other hand, can die on the easy fights... repeatedly. Geez, programmable behavior for characters. I could waste hours figuring out what all this stuff does.
I don't want to think about how many hours I've used playing this type of game. I first started with Ys: The Vanished Omens on the Sega Master System (Sega's 8-bit machine) in 1988. Been playing RPGs (and racing games--started with Outrun in 1987) since then.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/07/10 05:58 AM
OK, so I could waste a decade or two. Maybe that's why I never really got serious about gaming.
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/07/10 02:01 PM
Agreed, that's why while I like many types of games, I pick one or two each year that I will actually sink some time into. PS3 demos are great - you can waste half an hour having fun for free but not feel the need to actually advance.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/08/10 07:22 AM
Bejeweled 3

WHYYYYYYY would I buy this game? It was nice knowing you all.
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/08/10 02:56 PM
I didn't know there was a Bejeweled 2. I am so out of touch.
I can't get enough of Splinter Cell Conviction, it's such a wicked game. My mom enjoys playing it with me, just as much as I enjoy playing it smile . She's pretty darn good too.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/08/10 04:12 PM
Go Mom! smile

My mom just discovered the internet last year. Fortunately, she seems to have skipped right over the "forward every silly email that comes my way" phase of internet acclimatization. smile
Yup, Peter, my mom is pretty cool smile (regrettably, I do tend to give her a harder time then she deserves).

My mom also forwards just about every single e-mail that she receives. It's gotten better recently, as she knows I absolutely despised chain emails.
Finally gave in and bought a new video card so I could play Civilization V. Spec-wise the card I had should have been fine, but there's a bug in the game and a few cards simply don't work. Lucky me owned one of the buggy cards. Whatever.

Back to 2:30am-3:00am nights playing that damn game! God I love it so.

On the PS3 front, we recently bought Rock Band 3 and dusted off the guitar and drum set. I'd forgotten how fun that game is. The best news is that I just found out today that Guitar Hero: Van Halen is compatible with all of our Rock Band instruments! I hadn't bought it because I thought I'd have to purchase new gear! Rock on!!! Van Halen here I come! (You think I'll be able to do the kicks and splits like David Lee Roth???)
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/08/10 11:35 PM
Oh, I've been trying so hard to ignore Civ V... also, welcome back, Craig! Stick around, the water's... weird.
Is there any Rock Band software compatible with Guitar Hero controllers? I'm kind of in the opposite situation as Craig Lee Roth.
Civ V is great, but it's kinda nerfed. It's easier now, and they've really simplified battling. You pretty much need to go to war if you want to do well now. It's still addictive as hell though.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/29/10 04:06 AM
Got two new PS3 games for Christmas.

Gran turismo 5 and Demon's Souls. GT5 is ok so far....every race has been easy with my used unmodified CRX I bought to start the game (it is a 1983, and my first car was a 1984 CRX, so I had to buy it!).

Demon's Souls looks like it will be a really good game, but it is HARD. When you die you start back at the beginning of the level. no saving and reloading. I got beat on as a barbarian, started over as a hunter, and am doing better.
Got dragon age origins on PS3 for Christmas and have really been enjoying it. Off to go play some more...
Can't wait to try out Kinect with my family on New Year's. I have been too busy to partake but it looks very fun.
Originally Posted By: Zarak
Got two new PS3 games for Christmas.


Demon's Souls looks like it will be a really good game, but it is HARD. When you die you start back at the beginning of the level. no saving and reloading. I got beat on as a barbarian, started over as a hunter, and am doing better.


LOL! Get used to dying. And then dying some more.

Seriously.

The game forces you to respect it. My advice is to go slow and pay attention to the clues on the floor. Short cuts DO open up after you get far enough in some levels. You gotta earn it, though. Good luck!
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/31/10 05:45 PM
I've been careful lately and haven't died in a while. I just freed Ostera (something like that). I'm hoping to at least get to the 2nd shortcut before dying again. I peeked at some stuff online and it looks like there are some dragons ahead that I'll need to avoid.
Even without the floor markings, the game it self gives you a lot of clues. Just keep your eyes and ears open, and go slow.

I had some of my favorite video game moments play that game.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/01/11 02:44 AM
Well I finally got some time to play Dragons Age and so far I'm really liking it.

I started off as a dwarf. Boring. I'm not a hack and slash guy. Switched over to a mage on normal and the game got more interesting. After breezing through a few battles on normal bumped it up to hard. Just died on level 4 of the Mages tower.

I think I'll stay away from stupid hard for now. I can always bump up if my mage gets to powerful.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/01/11 04:12 AM
I only have one more badge to get in Bejeweled 3, and it's annoying the heck out of me. I'm supposed to get a 15x column combo in Ice Storm mode to earn the platinum badge, and so far I've gotten up to 14. Grrr. What's more annoying is that this is a badge my sister has already earned. I've been supplanted.
Kinect games with my kids, quite alot of fun. Feels a little Sci-Fi with the waving of the hands and the menus on the screen sliding by.
fred,

I'm playing as an elven mage and liking it a lot. I keep it on normal most of the time. Played on hard for a little bit but it sure was tricky...
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/01/11 05:43 PM
I wish I had the determination to play through games on their hardest settings. I'm so lazy anymore! *old man sound*
Dragon age has 4 settings:

Casual, Normal, Hard, and Nightmare.

I wouldn't even think of playing it on nightmare... definitely not on my first play through for sure.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/02/11 03:15 PM
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
fred,

I'm playing as an elven mage and liking it a lot. I keep it on normal most of the time. Played on hard for a little bit but it sure was tricky...

I agree. I like tricky and don't mind dying a few times to figure something out.

I'm struggling with the Desire deamon on the 4th floor of the mages tower right now. I know I could just let it go, but where's the fun in that?
I think my tactic was to barely enter the room and then run away to draw some of the knights out.

I died a bunch there, too.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/03/11 04:19 AM
In fighting games, I often try a full-on Rambo assault first. When that fails, at is usually does, I switch to the divide and conquer method, luring as few enemies at a time toward me as possible.

For games that don't have plentiful health restore methods, I'll default to the more conservative method.
OK, but specifically: Can these methods be applied to Ms. Pac-Man?

Edit:
As I think about it, it sounds quite a bit like playing Ms. Pac-Man (if I remember correctly, which is debatable).
Thought I would post a warning about a very poor Kinect game to hopefully save some people some money, the game in question - Game Party in Motion

This game is very poorly designed and has some major sensor issues. During game play with another person the game expects the nonplaying participant to remain in sensor window at all times and pauses the game if the nonplaying person steps outside the game area. This game also appears to have issues with reading the players correctly due to this second player in the window. We even had some issues with the nonplayer causing the playing character to react to his movements and not the participating player.

I thought this game might actually work OK for a single player but it still doesn't pick up the movements correctly, even after numerous sensor recalibrations.
I wondered how well the kinnect would work... Does it generally perform well for other games?
I've heard (from Penny Arcade, and other gamers) that the Kinect just doesn't work. Except for that Dance Central game.
Kinect works quite well for the other 2 games we have, the Adventures game it is bundled with and Kinect Sports we bought at the same time as Game Party In Motion. Kinect Sports is fun and it does get you moving pretty good. The harder I throw the javelin the farther it goes...sometimes, it also monitors arm angle etc.
My 9-year old thinks Kinect Adventures (the game that came with the Kinect) works pretty well. Although he seems to have just as much fun creating obstreperous avatars as playing the game itself. We also have Dance Central and it is a blast and works well.

I do notice quite a delay between gestures and actions when watching someone else play, but this seems to be mostly accounted for the brain by of the player. At least I hardly notice it while playing.

In a month or two I will no doubt be pressured into getting a new game. We'll see how that goes.
Our Kinect works great, Dance Central is super fun for kids and adults and has been a big hit at parties.
Lately I've been getting my butt handed to me playing Demon Souls on the PS3.
Demons Souls being played here too. It's still early on, but I'm trying to heed the advice of others and try to proceed slowly and carefully. So far so good. I'm still only in the Boletaran Palace.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/07/11 12:59 AM
Demon's Soul is beating me up. I got to the boss in 1-2 and he killed me, so I had to go back to the beginning. It was hard enough to take out the 4 archers and two blue knights just to get to him (I shot down the red dragon, so at least he is out of the way). I gave up for now and will try again once I get better stuff. I moved onto 2-1 for now.

I planned to go to bed early last night as I'm fighting a cold, and was up until 11:30 playing. I learned my lesson....I'm not even turning on the PS3 tonight. I'm going to get ready for bed and do some reading and turn out the lights early. The demon's will be waiting for me tomorrow I'm sure.
I rented Nier from Gamefly. It's going back after one day. Looks ugly, the camera is horrible, it's an action (button mashing) RPG, and I hate both the main characters.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/07/11 05:13 AM
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
I think my tactic was to barely enter the room and then run away to draw some of the knights out.

I died a bunch there, too.

Well, my tactic, since the frontal assault failure, has been to get sick and avoid the game entirely.

I have been pondering how best to get out of that room without the whole hoard following me: maybe sacrifice Alistair with a charge and then switch characters to see if I can draw some of the enemy out.
Playing NHL 11 on my PS-3 using the Leafs only way I'm likely to see them win a Stanley cup in my life time!!!! ROTFLMAO!!!!! It is a pretty good game,are there any others here that play it?
We picked up an Xbox 360 with Kinect for Christmas. I've wanted an XBox 360 for some time now, but with a wife and 2 daughters, we've been happy with the Wii.

Now I need to build up my library. I've gotten a few used games to get the "library" started, but need to find some that my non-gun shooting family will enjoy. Thinking about Hydro Thunder Hurricane as my wife mentioned always liking H.T. on our old Dreamcast....
Originally Posted By: Dr. House
Playing NHL 11 10 on my PS-3 xbox 360 using the Leafs only way I'm likely to see them win a Stanley cup in my life time!!!! ROTFLMAO!!!!! It is a pretty good game,are there any others here that play it?


Indeed. grin The NHL games have been great in the last 3-4 years. Haven't played 11 but I bet it is awesome.


Originally Posted By: fredk
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
I think my tactic was to barely enter the room and then run away to draw some of the knights out.

I died a bunch there, too.

Well, my tactic, since the frontal assault failure, has been to get sick and avoid the game entirely.

I have been pondering how best to get out of that room without the whole hoard following me: maybe sacrifice Alistair with a charge and then switch characters to see if I can draw some of the enemy out.


I'd stack up in the doorway, toss in a grenade, and then storm in.
Originally Posted By: Dr.House
Originally Posted By: Dr. House
Playing NHL 11 10 on my PS-3 xbox 360 using the Leafs only way I'm likely to see them win a Stanley cup in my life time!!!! ROTFLMAO!!!!! It is a pretty good game,are there any others here that play it?


Indeed. grin The NHL games have been great in the last 3-4 years. Haven't played 11 but I bet it is awesome.



Are you talking to yourself again?
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/10/11 09:06 PM
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy


I'd stack up in the doorway, toss in a grenade, and then storm in.


That actually works well in Dragon Age....instead of a grenade, it's called Blizzard!
Two quick handheld games I like.

Can Knockdown - Android and iPad. Classic game of fling the ball at the cans, arcade style. Enough variation to be interesting. Great crowd reaction to your results. Automatically restarts after your game is over, so practically impossible to stop.

X Construction - Android only, I believe. Like the "build a bridge out of popsicle sticks" experiment. Interesting and challenging.
Originally Posted By: Zarak
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy


I'd stack up in the doorway, toss in a grenade, and then storm in.


That actually works well in Dragon Age....instead of a grenade, it's called Blizzard!


LOL! That's true!
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/11/11 01:10 AM
Originally Posted By: Zarak
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy


I'd stack up in the doorway, toss in a grenade, and then storm in.


That actually works well in Dragon Age....instead of a grenade, it's called Blizzard!

Yeh, but first you have to run out of the room. Still havn't had the energy to revisit this fight.
I finally was able to find a PS Move controller (I've had an Eye for years, so I didn't want to re-buy it with a starter kit). So I picked up Echochrome ii, and Auditorium HD from the PSN Store. Been playing them. I like Echochrome ii, it's nice and relaxing. Auditorium HD is harder than I remember from the Flash game I played online.

I also ordered Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, plus I've had Hard Rain for a while. I stoppled playing Hard Rain when they announced that Move support was coming, figuring it would be more fun that way. I guess we'll find out tomorrow.
Don't own a PS move but I really enjoyed Hard Rain. I also liked echochrome but didn't know a second one was out.
The second echochrome is all about light and shadow, with the Move controller being a flashlight. There are separate blocks, but if you shine light over them the right way, they'll form a continuous shadow on the wall behind. Then the little guy can walk along the shadow.

I found the controls on the first one fidgety. On the second the flashlight movements just feel natural.
I got Mass Effect 2 for the PS3 today. I started playing at 5:30 PM, and didn't stop until 2:30 AM. I finally remembered to eat at about midnight because I was feeling faint.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/21/11 08:09 AM
Yeah, you need those carbs if you're going to do a marathon.
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/21/11 03:03 PM
Still playing GT5 trying to catch up to my brother-in-law who got the game after me and is way ahead of me! Also playing Auditorium HD for a change of pace of every once in a while.
Posted By: Zarak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/21/11 11:06 PM
Am I missing something, or does GT5 seem to have less races than GT4. The single make races in section for the manufacturers, is gone right? However, there do seem to be more special events than the old one had.

I was expecting more out of the graphics. They are good, but I was just expecting amazing with all the hype I heard. I don't have many premium cars, I'll have to pay attention more to premium vs. standard. I believe I am up to level 13. Sharing time between GT5 and Demon's Souls.
I picked up my character in the original Dragon Age. I hadn't played for a while, but in the last three days I've put in about 20 hours. I have Dragon Age II preordered (to get the cool bonuses), but probably won't play it for a while. Definitely checking out the demo tonight, too for bonuses.

I had a really bad headache yesterday. But after I couldn't sleep any more, I figured I'd just tool around in the game a bit. I don't like to do anything serious when my brain isn't working properly because I made big mistakes.

So of course I went to Alistair's home town, forgetting the connection, and solved their big problem, all without him. When I get back to camp he comes up and says something like, "so I heard you went to such and such, and did this and that." I replied, "yeah, you jealous?" I didn't know how big of an insult that would be to him. Oops. Oh well, I don't like him anyway.
I did that and Alistair put fire ants in my sleeping bag. The cad.
Black Ops Zombies.

Managed round 32 on Five and 24 on Kino 2 player co-op. End up getting f'd on ammo which usually does me in. 2 player is much harder than going solo.



Dusted off the old PS2 and am playing Psychonauts!
Level 23 black ops zombies ascension
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/23/11 05:34 AM
Civ5
Wow, the Dragon Age II demo is harder than I thought it would be (at least playing as a mage). I'll give it another shot tonight. Will try with Heal as my second spell instead of Arcane Armor. It's bad when the mage is the last standing on the battle field. I was delivering good damage from a distance, but can't handle the full force of the enemy horde crushing down on me.
Ever since we (finally) got an Xbox 360 for Christmas, I've been trying to pick up some used games. A recent favorite, al beit a couple years old, has been Batman: Arkham Asylum. I am really liking it...
I just sent as a gift Arkham Asylum GOTY edition and Fallout: New Vegas Dead Money DLC for the PC through Steam to my brother. All I hear is great things about Arkham.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/24/11 05:15 AM
I rather liked Batman, but I wasn't fond of all the hand holding. Well, part of me was, but another part was going, do you really need to tell me exactly where I can and can't throw my grapple, just when I'm looking around?
Ken wanted to grapple Poison Ivy.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/24/11 05:32 AM
Ha, I never even got to the Poison Ivy part, I don't think.
Man, you were really put out by that grappling thing, huh? laugh
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/24/11 05:39 AM




<----or maybe just this little dude...
Just think, when you get the time to start gaming again he'll be old enough to want to play. . .and, well, you'll be stuck in the same boat again!
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/24/11 06:37 AM
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
Just think, when you get the time to start gaming again he'll be old enough to want to play. . .and, well, you'll be stuck in the same boat again!

That's why you buy more than one computer, gaming console, car...
Arkham Asylum for the PC and the control scheme looks like it would be much better suited using the wireless Xbox 360 controller over keyboard and mouse. The PC version also uses the PhysX engine which neither of the console versions support.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/24/11 07:04 PM
I was using the keyboard and mouse, worked just fine, although I do have a controller. I'm just better with kb/mouse except in racing games.
Most FPS I like keyboard and mouse because they have simplistic control schemes like Counter-Strike etc. RPG's like Fallout Vegas, I find KB&M unplayable. The 360 controller is pretty sweet to use on some of the PC games.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/24/11 07:07 PM
I’ve got a few days off again and was getting a little tired of not interacting with what I was watching so I’m giving “Fallout 3” another try. I never got very far the first time because I just wasn’t feeling any love for the game.

However, so far this time it’s feeling better. I restarted from the beginning, still think that part takes to long, so I would know where I was in the game and have continuity. I’m not sure I’ve I’m getting a better handle on things but I’m not getting slaughtered by everything I meet this time around. Also gotten better at using the local map to find my way around so I’m not lost looking around Megaton for a certain building. I still think “Elder Scrolls Oblivion” looks nicer and is more varied and interesting terrain. Everything in “Fallout 3” still has the same washed out colours. OTOH I am appreciating the leveling system more in “Fallout 3” than in “Oblivion” which can be extremely tedious if you want to level efficiently. Though it is sort of fun having a 2nd level character that can kill anything with one arrow shot while sneaking.

This “Dragon Age” sounds pretty interesting so I might have to try it out.
Dragon Age is a lot of fun. I had defected to the Mass Effect crowd when the second was released for the PS3. But it had a save corrupting bug (the patch was just released) so I stopped playing it. With Dragon Age II coming out soon, I picked up the original again. It's so much deeper than Mass Effect.

I found out that Dragon Age II will import your save from the first game. I didn't think they were going to do that, because the "sequel" follows a completely different character, and actually starts its story right after the first big battle of the original game.

But what happens is II actually covers 10 years of story, where as the first one is probably a couple months at most. So it does become a true sequel. But why import the data from the first one? Because you make world altering choices throughout the adventure. The imported save makes it so the DA2 world is consistent with the one you created in the first.

The first game, called Origins by the way, has some downloadable content that takes place after the game too (and some that takes place during, even one that is set before). Dragon Age II, can incorporate the events of:

  • Dragon Age: Origins
  • Awakening (a $40 DLC because it's enough content to be another full game)
  • The Golems of Amgarrak
  • Witch Hunt

So if you play those in order always importing your data from the last (each also give you the option of creating a new character) every major event will end up reflected if the last save of Witch Hunt is brought into Dragon Age II.

Amazing!
I love the washed out look of Fallout 3 and the most recent Fallout New Vegas. I find it really complements the whole nuclear "post apocalyptic" theme and atmosphere. On the contrary I don't like the film grain that is automatically set in Mass Effect 1 and 2. I always turn that off.

The Fallout and Mass Effect series are about equal to me. However, I don't remember a game that was so much improved on for a sequel than Mass Effect 2. Most sequels are basically just the same with a few tweaks here and there with different environments. Mass Effect 2 improved in every possible way over 1. Just a brilliant game.
Just from the demo, I can tell Dragon Age II pretty large improvement over Origins also. Not saying the first is bad, just the second has learned a lot along the way (the DA team doesn't work in a vacuum either, the conversation wheel from Mass Effect is now being used very effectively).
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/24/11 08:48 PM
Ok I’m sold. I just order “Dragon Age Origins: Ultimate Edition” from Amazon. I was to lazy to drive over to the nearest Game Stop to see if they had it since I’m actually enjoying “Fallout 3” this time, so far. With Prime it should arrive on Saturday but sometimes I get orders the next day if I order before 4PM.

It says it contains the “Awakening Expansion Pack and all 9 additional content packs.
I didn't look at the details of the Ultimate Edition because I figured I had already bought everything that it might have. Just looked now, and wow, it even has the Feastday Gifts & Feastday Pranks. They were limited time content for Christmas 2009.

Good deal.
Yeah, I really loved playing Dragon Age Origins. I need to finish it, have been busy and haven't played it in a few weeks.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/25/11 09:34 PM
Just as I suspected “Dragon Age: Origins” arrived today instead of Saturday. Figures just when I’m actually starting to get the hang of “Fallout 3.” Life’s good when you biggest worry is which video game to play.
Gears of War 3 announced for September 20th. Can't wait!!!
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/26/11 03:52 PM
I couldn’t resist anymore and took a break form “Fallout 3” and started playing “Dragon Age: Origins” about 7PM last night. Boy am I glad I did, just wish I’d have popped it in around 1PM when it got here.

So far I like this much better than FO3. At first the control layout looked a bit daunting but I’m getting the hang of it quickly. Well except for the “A” and not the “RT” being the attack button like about 99.9% of the games I’ve played. But in a way it does make sense and keep things simpler in that “A” always initiates the action that has focus.

I really like that you can set ‘loot” to sparkle. I hate having to search around looking at everything and still end up missing something because it’s buried in a box on top of a desk with other boxes partly on top of it. I also like the colour pallet much better. Sorry I live less than 10 miles form desert wasteland and the colours are not muted and dull. Nor do I enjoy looking at monochrome monitors or heads up displays which seem more like night vision goggles.

I also like the character interaction much more than FO3 so far. I would prefer a ME/ME2 style dialogue wheel and it would be nice, read more evolving the hear your characters responses. Just seems sort of half baked compared the ME/ME2 interactions.

I am having a little trouble controlling the movement of my character. I think part of that is switching to the 3rd person view and another part is getting use to not being able to back up since it just turns you around. However, at least so far being precise in moving doesn’t seem to mean much.
I played DA:O - Leliana's Song until about 4:30 AM when I finally got all six pieces of her special armor. Then I went back to the main game (unable to beat a mage in the addon at this point), and played until 7:30 AM.

I think the main character is not voiced in DA:O because there are literally 16 different base versions of the character (8 origins, times male and female), each would have a different speaking style. That would mean recording all the main dialog 16 times. Might be able to thin it down to human, dwarf, and elf, by male/female, but that's still 6, and wouldn't be correct because the different elves you meet in the game talk differently. DA2 solves the problem because you play a human no matter.

DA:O started development before ME, and ME's dialog wheel is pretty revolutionary (at least evolutionary). As I said DA2 is getting it. So all you have to do is wait. smile
Arrg, stupid little ghost kid. I missed something important, and have the save I have before is way too far back.

Oh well, next play through, I guess.
Originally Posted By: Dr.House
Gears of War 3 announced for September 20th. Can't wait!!!


Gears of War 3 is easily my most anticipated game of the year. I hope the competitive multiplayer plays more like it did in the first Gears of War. They added too many long range weapons (Mortar, Mulcher) to the competitive multiplayer in Gears of War 2, and it really took away from the up close and personal, in your face firefights of the original.
Gears of War 3 and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (11/11/11) are easily my most anticipated as well. As for new weapons, 3 will feature a upgraded Lancer with bayonet, double-barreled shotgun, Digger Launcher (shoots explosive diggers that rips through the ground at high speeds), One Shot (kills enemies with a single round), Gorgon SMG (not the pistol). I haven't heard anything of the Mortar being used in this one.

Other features are new turrets that allows up to four players to be mounted on them (4-player co-op), mech suit (not sure if used in multiplayer) armed with machine gun and rocket launcher.

Multiplayer now includes a mode called Beast Mode (play as Locust upgrading to stronger class as you progress) along with the opposite Horde Mode. Games like Team Deathmatch, Warzone, Capture the Leader, Guardian and Submission have also been slightly tweaked.
Crazy Machines 2 . It's challenging, and lots of fun.
Yeah, but you have to have the right hardware to run Crazy Machines! (I still remember the days of The Incredible Machine from the mid 90's... Loved those games.)
Yeah, Nick; I played Incredible Machines too. This is a more graphic intense version.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/01/11 07:18 PM
Originally Posted By: Dr.House
Gears of War 3 and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (11/11/11) are easily my most anticipated as well.


Yeah, Skyrim is undoubtedly going to own my soul for a while. So much for NaNoWriMo this year.
Holy hell where have I been? I did not know they announced the next in the elder scrolls series! Sweet!
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/05/11 07:11 AM
I'm getting old. I started playing Far Cry 2 tonight (yes, I know it's also old...), got bored because a)nothing happens for 30 minutes and it's all freakin' cutscenes, b)when stuff does happen, it's handed to you on a platter, c) there's missions. With choices. About whether you do the mission or not.

So, I figured, I need something more... basic. So I fired up Unreal Tournament 3 (yes, also old, whatever, man...) and discovered that it was TOO basic. Does anyone make games like Half Life 2 any more? Or even Far Cry 1?
What is so special about Half Life 2 and the episodes is that there is nothing like it for shooters. If you liked the puzzle game Portal that came with the Orange Box package, Portal 2 is coming out in a little over a month.
Nick, wheels, I loved incredible machines too! I always would enter cheat codes and jump to the levels at the end though...
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/05/11 03:44 PM
My fear with Portal 2 is that it's being billed as multiplayer co-op. I really hope there's a way to play it single player. Need to get Bioshock 2 and see if it's something I want to play. I really enjoyed Bioshock one, although it still silver plattered some things (like ammo, powerups, etc.)
Portal 2 will be a single player game first and foremost. This is where the majority of the content will be.

The multiplayer co-op feature is an entirely separate mode from the single player. Different characters, story and gameplay. Single player and co-op are not commingled at all.

I love the Bioshock series. Bioshock 2 is a good game but there are not many improvements to the game made in the transition. Pretty much the same game with a different story and character. If you liked the first one it is worth the $20 or so.
If you don't mind switching from first-person to thrid (over the shoulder, rather than through the eyes) check out Deadspace. The sequel just came out, and I've heard it's as good as the original (but maybe in different ways).
Anyone played or playing Splinter Cell Conviction? I failed to mention that I finished it a couple months ago, and really enjoyed it.
There is also Left 4 Dead 1 and Left 4 Dead 2. Made by the same developer as Half Life. I haven't played them, just waiting for them to go on sale again as a package deal and then...yoink!
I am playing Battle Heart on my ipod touch. It is silly but I just noticed I manged to log 4 hours on it.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/05/11 08:47 PM
I have L4D, but again, it's coop. I'll have to pull it out and see how good the AI is.

I stopped playing Doom 3 since it freaked me out, so I'm not likely to enjoy Dead Space... wink

If Doom 3 freaked you out, Dead Space will have you running for the doors. smile
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/06/11 04:23 PM
Pretty much what I figured. After the second or third time the screen started bleeding and the scary voice started growling at me, I figured I was done.
I was playing Army of Two for the first time last night. Went back to our house with the Xbox and called up a buddy that I hadn't seen in a few months. We hung out all day and played Arkham Asylum and Army of Two. Army of Two has some neat teamwork mechanics, but it was the harder of the two for my buddy to get in to. He loved Batman: Arkham Asylum. The biggest benefit of Army of Two is that we could play it together.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/06/11 10:38 PM
Ken, our schedules may soon be jiving more in the near future, so if you're looking for co-op...
OK, I picked up Crazy Machine 2 on the cheap. At the maximum settings and 1680 x 1050 resolution, it runs super smooth. Not sure why people had so many problems. My PC is 2.5 years old too.
Originally Posted By: nickbuol
OK, I picked up Crazy Machine 2 on the cheap. At the maximum settings and 1680 x 1050 resolution, it runs super smooth. Not sure why people had so many problems. My PC is 2.5 years old too.


I also have everything on high, Nick. My computer is an overclocked 2.4 GHz Q6600, currently at 3.2 GHz; and I have a EVGA 460 that's overclocked also.

I only get very minor lag when the game is loading (the three gears hesitate a couple times), but other than that it's fine.
I think it all boils down to the graphics card.
For most games it usually does.
Playing dragon age 2 on PS3... or the demo at least. Just now got it installed so will see what I think about it.
dragon age 2 demo is alright... the game seems much more "actiony" and less "RPGy" then the first one. Perhaps this is due to it being a demo and not having full access to inventory, shops, exploring the world, etc.

Overall, I would say the first one is better but that is only based on the demo play of dragon age 2.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/13/11 10:15 PM
Geez, I need to get back to Dragon Age. There don't seem to be enough hours in the day lately.
Dragon Age 2 will be more actiony, but still very much an RPG at heart. I have it, but am still working through Origins.

I played DA: Origins until 7:30 AM (well, there was a DST change so it was only 6:30). Got the three main quests to deliver the treatise done. Now I'm picking up side quests that I missed. But nearing the end game now.

Still have Awakenings, Golems, and Witch Hunt to finish before I go on to DA:2.
Yeah, I need to finish dragon age: orgins as well. I think I will pop it in. I'm about 45 hours in or so, should be nearing the end I think.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/14/11 04:32 PM
Any of the MMO players here tried "Rift" yet? I was a beta tester when I found the time and ended up buying it.

Nothing revolutionary in it except the ability to significantly change your characters special abilities (within your main calling) on the fly by changing "souls" verses being stuck in the same build your whole career. Interesting concept I wasn't sure I would like but I am enjoying it. Makes it easier to form more successful small groups.

The Rift invasions and the constant invasions by the the opposing faction (mostly AI but sometimes by invasions of actual players) works pretty well to keep the world feeling 'alive'.

I started playing DragonAge II after Christmas. I liked it but didn't find the time to get too deep in.
How were you playing Dragon Age II after Christmas when it was released last week? Confusing it with another game?
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/14/11 06:20 PM
I played “Dragon Age: Origins” all day yesterday. I was starting to get a little pissed of at my NPCs doing stupid things but I think I’ve figured out what was wrong with the orders I was giving them. I also wish it did a better job of showing quest markers like “Mass Effect” but I’m learning to cope. Otherwise I’m really getting into the game now that my party isn’t getting wiped out every encounter and I’m getting use to navigating my way around the screen better. I’m sure I’ll just get use to this version and then find they changed everything in DA: 2.

One thing I can’t figure out that is really pissing me off is that some, not all the time, when the character I’m controlling either kills or stuns an enemy instead of switching to the nearest enemy or beating down the one on the ground he just starts running off straight ahead. It’s almost like the input on the controller is stuck the way computer joysticks would get if you didn’t run them through the calibration routine. Guess I could dig up one of my other controllers and see if that fixes it.
It may be that the character has targeted another enemy and is running to go engage them.

My mages and archers don't do that, but I've noticed warriors, and especially dagger wielding rogues like to take random sprints at times. Manually selecting a nearer target makes them stop.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/14/11 07:15 PM
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon

It may be that the character has targeted another enemy and is running to go engage them.

That was the first thing I though of so I let him just go and he runs forward with a slight right arc every time until he hit’s a wall. If he runs into any enemy he doesn’t engage unless attacked. As far as I can tell only the character I’m controlling does this.

Quote:

My mages and archers don't do that, but I've noticed warriors, and especially dagger wielding rogues like to take random sprints at times. Manually selecting a nearer target makes them stop.

I’ve mainly been controlling only my warrior unless I need something specific from the mage but I’ll see if it makes a difference. I’ve used the switch target feature with mixed results. It mostly seems to work but occasionally he runs over to the nearest chest or selectable object so I’ve resorted to turning him manually with the controller.

It’s mostly only annoying now when I have a good choke point set up and he sprints out of the doorway into the middle of a room full of enemies both getting surrounded and letting some of them by to attack my Mage and Archer. However, I have been able to mitigate the latter by using talents to get the enemy pissed enough to come back and target me the “Tank.”
The rogue in my party is the one that tried to assassinate me early in the game. I went against my better judgment and let him join my party instead of killing him since I missed the other rogue in the game. I really needed someone to pick locks so I asked him to join my party...

That ungrateful sonnuva bitch attacked me with a bunch of his outlaw friends yesterday and I had to kill them all. Now I'm without a rogue...
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/15/11 05:11 AM
I let him join the party buy haven’t used him, I prefer Leliana since she occasionally seems to be making advances to Morrigan during some of the background conversations. But I wanted to have him around in case Leliana gets pissed that I’m sleeping with Morrigan and wants to bail.
You can "harden" Leliana so she doesn't go on about the Maker, and will let you have threesomes (and destroy artifacts).
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/15/11 11:47 AM
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
How were you playing Dragon Age II after Christmas when it was released last week? Confusing it with another game?


Nope. I believe you are confused. The PC version has been available since before Christmas. Perhaps you are referring to console versions?
No. DA2 had a simultaneous release on all platforms (PC, 360, and PS3), on March 8th in the US and 11th in Europe. The pre-order bonus ran until January 11th. So I am still confused.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/15/11 02:57 PM
So am I. I received it as a Christmas present from my wife and have been playing it ever since. I even looked it up online to make sure it wasn't an expansion pack I was confusing it with. Same box. Same story line.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/15/11 02:58 PM
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
You can "harden" Leliana so she doesn't go on about the Maker, and will let you have threesomes (and destroy artifacts).


Thanks for that. I’ve purposely avoided looking up to much info on the internet about the game play so as not to ruin my first play through.
The release date was March 8th on PC and consoles. Stores get games in stock well before the release date but they don't sell them to customers before that date.
thought about getting homefront on xbox360 but will probably just rent it and test out hte multiplayer. I hate spending $65 for a game these days...
The next game I will pay full price for is Gears of War 3.
Originally Posted By: Murph
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
How were you playing Dragon Age II after Christmas when it was released last week? Confusing it with another game?


Nope. I believe you are confused. The PC version has been available since before Christmas. Perhaps you are referring to console versions?
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
No. DA2 had a simultaneous release on all platforms (PC, 360, and PS3), on March 8th in the US and 11th in Europe. The pre-order bonus ran until January 11th. So I am still confused.
Originally Posted By: Murph
So am I. I received it as a Christmas present from my wife and have been playing it ever since. I even looked it up online to make sure it wasn't an expansion pack I was confusing it with. Same box. Same story line.


I don't know, and I'm confused, but Murph is right smile .
Gears 3 and elder scrolls V will each get my money at launch.

Went to rent homefront but the video store was sold out. As a bonus, I found a Socom4 beta code in their Killzone 3 case and the guy at the register said I could have it. Beta starts march 29th so that should be fun.

I've got a free rental coupon so if they don't get homefront back in for rent within the next few days I'll probably just rent killzone 3 instead.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/16/11 04:41 PM
Thanks Cam,

I checked it out last night. Definately II, not an expansion. I also owned DA - Awakenings but finished it long ago.

So I remain confused. Perhaps she is having an affair with someone at Bioware? So the question is now. Do I call a lawyer or just demand an early copy of Mass Effect III?
Probably an affair with someone that works at a videogame store. shocked On a more serious note, even places like walmart have actual copies of the games on hand before the release date (but its illegal to sell them). I have seen non-released games locked up but in stock on the floor when buying other games on numerous occasions. Ask where she got an early copy of the game but don't tell us here. smile


I'm with House, Sharon is definitely having an affair.

On the question of a lawyer or video game-if I were you, I'd continue riding the wave and getting early releases of video games.

Plus, maybe some smooth talking, womanizing, handicapped guy (disclaimer-I know nothing about charming married women) has swept her off her feet. You wouldn't want to ruin that for him now would you, my walkie friend?
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/17/11 03:40 PM
As long as I get to watch.... and there is no foot rest carnage. That sounded rather unpleasant.
smile

Yes, it was, but thankfully it's healing.
I've been playing Killzone 3 for the past couple of days. Pretty good campaign but I don't care for the multiplayer.
Finished Dragon Age: Origins at about 9 AM today. Started on Awakenings right away, but only played 90 minutes...because I had been awake for 26 hours.

Got to get back to it!

Oh, and I had about 91.5 hours on the game clock when I finished.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/27/11 02:19 AM
I'm impressed by the length of Dragon Age. My son finishes most games in a matter of days when he really gets into them. He basically spend reading week with Dragon Age and is still working throught it. Not sure what his clock is at.
Hey guys - I need some remediation.

I recently bought an Xbox (w/Kinect) for my son. He seems happy.

But I'm having some trouble with the cabling. I'm out of HDMI ports on my receiver.

Does the XBox offer true multichannel surround through the optical and/or the HDMI?

Does the HDMI offer better video than component video?

It looks like I have to buy an HDMI switcher and probably also reprogram my remote (insert agonizing noise here).

Right now, I have everything running through the receiver. I was thinking that I could run the XBox to the TV via HDMI and then run the optical out to the receiver. Obviously, I'd have to switch both the receiver and TV inputs, but I think I can make that work.

Comments, please.
Tom, I'm pretty sure you can run an optical cable and still get 5.1.


That's how I ran my first Xbox before the Elite came along.
By the way, I just checked in the closet and I still have my old Monster Cable component cable with the optical doohickey thingy.

It's yours for the price of free!


Um, on second look, I'm don't remember if it was for the original Xbox or the 360? Crap.
After all this, I better double check that it is, in fact, my own closet I am looking in.
I am currently running my xbox360 with optical cable for surround sound with no problems whatsoever.

I have been playing a lot of the Socom4 beta on PS3 the last two days. Pretty damn good game if you ask me. I'm thinking about buying that one when it comes out.
Posted By: SRoode Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/31/11 12:03 PM
One of my XBoxes is older and doesn't have HDMI out, so I run it through component and optical. Like David said, it works great.
Finished the final, story influencing part of Dragon Age: Origins, the Witch Hunt. But I'm not going to start Dragon Age II yet, because of all the bug reports I'm seeing. Things like it not honoring the choices you made in Origins. I didn't spend 120 hours playing through that game to have the world I built be ignored. Will wait for a patch or two.

So I'm going back to Mass Effect 2, which I stopped playing because it was so buggy (it got it's patch).
Finally played a kinect.... Very fun! I played some bowling, ping pong, and boxing on the sports game. Fun with 6 adults and lots of beer......
The 360 version is not buggy at all. Damn porting to cell!
Which do you mean? DA2 or ME2? It's true that ME2 on the PS3 did ship with more bugs than it had on the 360 at the time (but the 360 version was not bug free when it shipped, and still has little ones).

But DA2 is buggy on every platform. If you're playing it, count yourself lucky if you haven't triggered a game breaking (i.e. some internal variable gets set in a contradictory way so the game cannot be finished) bug.
Recently playing.

Counter-Strike: Source
RISK: Factions
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Rainbow Six Vegas 2
Gears of War 2
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/17/11 06:49 PM
I'm wearing my Portal shirt in anticipation of its sequel on Tuesday. I have both the PC and Xbox 360 versions on preorder. They should play the same, with the edge going to the PC version for graphics, but I still wanted the 360 version for ease of playing with others if I do much of the co-op.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/18/11 12:13 AM
Oh, but nice bonus for the PS3 version. I guess I hadn't been staying abreast.

Portal 2: which version should you get?
Finally beat Dragon Age: Origins. I was pleased with the ending and enjoyed the game overall. It took me about 47 hours total to beat it, with a fair amount of roaming around on side quests before I finished it up.

Definitely got my 20 bucks worth out of this game (got it for Christmas used from Amazon.) However, I don't think I will get the expansion pack as I have had my fill at this point.

Now when Dragon Age 2 can be had for the same price I'll jump on it.
Originally Posted By: CV
Oh, but nice bonus for the PS3 version. I guess I hadn't been staying abreast.

TSk Tsk...

You should always be staring at breasts.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/18/11 02:27 AM
I need a portal into the women's locker room for that.
When does that game come out?
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/18/11 03:49 AM
It doesn't. It only goes in.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/21/11 07:54 AM
I'm a fair way into Portal 2. I'm enjoying it enough. Of course, it's making me feel slightly dim at times. My nephew has it, too, so we'll have to try the co-op mode.
Tycho of Penny Arcade said the co-op is really what the sequel is about.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/21/11 10:51 PM
dammit.
Of course that is what people will say because that never existed in the first one. Regardless, Portal 2 has both a single player and a co-op mode, each having a different story. About as perfect implementation one could ask for.
Read what he has to say on the subject: http://www.penny-arcade.com/2011/4/20/kombat/

It's not so much that the single player portion is bad, it's just that the co-op is so good.
Lame. Just rented socom 4 to try out the online maps not in the beta... only to learn that the playstation network is down for a day or two.


Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/22/11 04:54 AM
I'm sure we'll have ample opportunity to play co-op in the near future. Right, Ken? … … … …
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/22/11 06:38 AM
I played with my nephew, and my feelings of dimness increased. He was much quicker figuring everything out, and GLaDOS didn't spare me any criticism.
COUNTER-TERRORISTS WIN
Playing Gears of War 3 Beta
L.A. Noire looks like an intriguing release for May. For a game developed by Rockstar, there is not much hype surrounding this which is a good thing.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/adventure/lanoire/index.html
Out of town in Mississippi so no Gears of War 3 beta for me tonight. Maybe will go for a little phantasy star II via iphone, or perhaps something else.
Wanted to play Killzone 3 online but PSN is shutdown, so maybe will start playing Biohazard again.
Still down? Crap Sony Sucks.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/08/11 03:09 AM
I finally finished the single player portion of Portal 2. Give me a break. I was only playing on weekends, and I let myself get distracted then, too. I don't know why I've been having a social life lately. Okay, plus I was a little slow getting my head around some of the puzzles. I'm old! In any case, I liked the game a lot. I thought they did a good job expanding the story and the gameplay. I look forward to doing more of the co-op with my nephew.
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Still down? Crap Sony Sucks.


L.A Noire can't come out soon enough....
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/09/11 03:05 AM
I beat Portal 2 last weekend. The only time I had to play it was after the kids and wife were in bed. I played it on my MacBook Pro with headphones and used the trackpad. It worked surprisingly well. My laptop is coming up on three years old and I was still able to play with high detail, but less than max resolution.

I found the game quite entertaining and enjoyable, but found the last "boss" easier to defeat than the one in Portal 1 was. I look forward to trying co-op with someone in the future.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/09/11 03:15 AM
Yeah, I agree on the last boss. Definitely took less effort, but I won't complain too hard. Co-op is cool. I hope you find someone to play it with.


Exclusive content on the PS3 and the lead dev platform. 1 disk on the PS3, 3 disks on the Xbox 360. Tuesday can't come sooner.
I just picked up Portal 2 a couple of days ago. I am just a little past half way through after playing a little bit. Very fun. Best part is I got the full retail version for $7.09 at Walmart. Woohoo..
Kids are having fun playing Mario Slugger Baseball on the Wii.
Here are the first reviews coming out of L.A. Noire. Looking forward to see the implementation of the MotionScan technology. The original gameplay this game has to offer will be a good change of pace for me.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/adventure/lanoire/review.html

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/116/1168433p1.html
Besides a couple of frame rate issues I have experienced, L.A. Noire has been a fantastic game, in fact great. A very refreshing gaming experience. I have solved about 4 cases, 5 street crimes and have also been searching for some hidden vehicles.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/17/11 07:18 PM
Just read the reviews. I haven't played a game of that play style since the old "Police Quest" and "Space Quest" days. YES, I'm old. Well, relatively, anyways.

Definitely going to pick this up.
I have really enjoyed the detective aspects so far. Examining and following up on clues, talking to witnesses, interrogation and paying attention to all the nuances involved so you make the correct decisions. The way the game is presented makes you want to take your time with it. The production is top notch. Something much different than anything that is out right now. On the other hand the driving, hand to hand combat and shooting feels similar to that of GTA and Mafia 2.

P.S. Take off hints.
I skimmed through a review last night (skimmed on purpose, as I hate having good parts divulged and what not). Eagerly looking forward to playing this game.
Originally Posted By: sirquack
Kids are having fun playing Mario Slugger Baseball on the Wii.



I wish they had wii or Kinect when I was a kid. Good thing I can still enjoy these things as an adult! smile
BTW if you have both consoles(360 & PS3), the PS3 version is the one to get unless you prefer the 360 controller. It will get exclusive content. The blu-ray disk on PS3 is one disk while the xbox 360 version is 3 disks. Performance is on par but the PS3 was the lead developer console. Both versions suffer from minor frame-rate issues.

I am playing on the 360 version and my biggest complaint is the occasional frame rate issue. I might be 15% complete and have had it occur maybe 3 times so far.
I normally get PS3 versions because I prefer the controller over the 360. Although I'm glad the 360 controller was a huge improvement over the original Xbox controller. Man, I hated that controller.
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
Here are the first reviews coming out of L.A. Noire. Looking forward to see the implementation of the MotionScan technology. The original gameplay this game has to offer will be a good change of pace for me.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/adventure/lanoire/review.html

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/116/1168433p1.html


Well that will go to my wish list. smile
I am considering getting Heavy Rain. Have anyone played that? I know it is now a new game but it looks cool IMO. My wife wants Alice in Wonderland Madness Returns ( I think this is the name of the game ). Well she will have to wait till the release date though.
Haven't played Heavy Rain, Ichigo, but it is one on my wish list. Prices have recently gone down on that game, so it's a good time to try it out.

Looks like it's another game that tries something different. I like that.

Ha ha, get it and let us know what you think? laugh
I was playing Heavy Rain, and really enjoying it. I was into about a 3 hour session when the March 1st bug struck last year, and lost all my progress during that session, and couldn't play again for 24 hours. I never picked it up again.

I had been planning to once the Move came out, and even bought the controllers specifically for that game. But again, other games attracted my interest more. Still need to go back.
Loving LA Noire. Great graphics and storyline. I'm most impressed by the facial features. This is the first time the people's faces look real and you can actually recognize the actual actors voicing the characters.

I also love Heavy Rain. If you have kids, it's a tough story to swallow at times, gut wrenching I'd even say. But love the idea and execution, though some of the timed button mashing kills me (horrible at FPS and fighting games) so I got stuck.

I like the mystery/puzzle genre after playing all the Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton games on my DS. Haunted and the Broken Mirror series are great on the iPad/iPhone as well.
Noire is getting better and better. Really good plot going on. The soundtrack and score is sooooooooo good. The background music to this game complements the atmosphere and tension build up so well. The devs really payed attention to small details in the sound effects. Most notable is the detectives footsteps on different surfaces.

The only thing that bugs me is when I pick up a bloody knife or any evidence with my bare hands for that matter. Even being the 1940's, didn't they wear gloves back then?
Heavy Rain is really good. I rented the game and beat it within 5 days or so though...

I'm interested in LA Noire but don't have the time to get into it right now. I may borrow it from a buddy in a couple of months.
Just finished Portal 2. Pretty darn fun.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/23/11 03:32 AM
I still need to play more of the co-op. Darn me.
I finished L.A. Noire. Excellent game. I would put it up there in the top ten as one of my favorites this generation. The ending was a bit of a let-down/disappointment. Now I am working on getting 100% completion. You really have to explore the map to find all 50 golden movie reels. They are hidden very well. It is sinister and puts the pigeon finding in GTA to shame. You will have to use a map location or description to find them or you will be spending weeks if not months trying to get them all. It is that frustrating and time consuming. I also want to go through the cases again because I want to get 5 stars on each and pick up more details on the characters and story.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/31/11 11:46 PM
I’ve played a few partial and 2 complete games of Dragon Age Origins but not any of the follow on expansions yet. At first I wasn’t too keen on it. Then as I started getting the hang of gameplay it became very interesting. However, once I got the hang of gameplay it’s become somewhat tedious.
Likes: (as compared to other games I’ve played)

Tactics – Nice to be able to pre-plan your characters moves.
Party Camp – much easier than running all over your ship in ME1-2 to talk with party members.
Option to have important items identified – I hate this part of Oblivion when trying to find something especially when it’s under water.
Money is actually worth something - unless I missed something there is a fairly limited supply of cash so you can’t just go around buying everything.

Dislikes: (as compared to other games I’ve played)

Graphics – It looks downright ugly compared to Oblivion, ME1-2 or Bioshock 1-2 on the 134” diagonal.
Audio – not as immersive as ME1-2 or Oblivion.
Dialogue selections – little hint on what they do. Most are pointless but hard to know that.
No main character voice – really ruins the immersion when only half the conversation is voiced.
No first person option – again ruins immersion when always viewing from 3 person.
Main Quests too long – the main quests just take too long to progress through. They have too many sidetracks which could have been better placed in optional side-quests.
Cut scenes – again not on par with ME1-2, mostly just boring walking up to bad-guy before obligatory melee battle that prevents you from pre-casting AOE spells.
Looting the battlefield – really . . . running from body to body to pick up the paltry crap most of them have. Not to mention how long it takes for some loot to spawn.
Running back and forth to talk with people to complete a quest – Ok Oblivion suffers from the same, however, few of those quests are necessary for the main storyline.
Meaningless side-quests – it would be nice if the side quests rewarded you with something special like gaining specializations as an incentive to do them.
Pickpocketing useless – you never get caught.

Ok, I have more but you get the point.

Now don’t get me wrong I have enjoyed playing this for the most part but would have expected more “re-play” value. At first I thought that there was because I could play many different characters. However, due to the length of the main quest-line the game becomes repetitive as you quickly figure out how to play a particular role. Being able to switch between characters (I guess you could force yourself not to) compresses the learning curve.

Overall I’d give Origins 3 out of 5 mainly because I imagine it’s one of the best at what it does. However, it just gets so much wrong compared to other games.

Based on the reviews I’ve read at Amazon I think I’ll be skipping DA 2 as it sounds like the improvements (graphics, main character voice) aren’t enough to lure me in.
Dean, I agree with you on DA Origins. I liked it more than I disliked it, though. As far as the graphics go, I read that the Xbox version was noticeably not on par with the PS3 or computer version.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/01/11 12:28 AM
Interesting to hear about the Xbox version. Overall I did like the game for what it is, however I’ve set up my system to maximize the suspension of disbelief which this game does not. Right now I’ve got Fallout 3 in and just listening to the wind swirling around me is so cool even though I don’t find the visuals of it nearly as good as Oblivion.
I really liked the story of DA, and some of the decisions you are forced to make. Not all of them easy.

Is a third installment due for Dragon Age?
I got the first Portal game, and played for about 5 hours. I got to the 18th level, and I know what I need to do, but I can't move my fingers fast enough to do it.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/05/11 01:55 PM
If I could beat that game using a trackpad, surely you can beat level 18 with a mouse. :P
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/05/11 03:19 PM
You may be wrong about what you need to do, then.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/05/11 05:11 PM
Hey Dean, is there a 'Dragon Age like' game that you would recommend? I actually quite liked DA. I agree about some of your criticisms like side quests, though the graphics on the PS3 seem reasonable. It is one of the few games I have actually finished.
Have you played the Mass Effect series? A little more action oriented, but you can develop a character to suit your play style, if you don't like to run and gun.

Only part 2 is available on the PS3 (with part 3 coming). You can pick up the first one for the PC cheap now, though.
I've been playing Dead Nation that I got as part of my "Welcome Back" gift from Sony. Fun game so far. I have only been playing solo but am sure it is even better with local or online Co-op.
I downloaded that, too, but have yet to play it. Got good reviews.
decently tough game when playing solo... lots of options to upgrade weapons etc.

If you decide to play co-op my PS username is terzaghi83... if you see me on I would be down to play. not sure if I have already added you before or not...
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/05/11 07:53 PM
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
Have you played the Mass Effect series? A little more action oriented, but you can develop a character to suit your play style, if you don't like to run and gun.

I havn't tried that one. I'm not much of a fan of run and gun games. I prefer something that involves strategy more than reflex.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/06/11 12:37 AM
Originally Posted By: fredk
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
Have you played the Mass Effect series? A little more action oriented, but you can develop a character to suit your play style, if you don't like to run and gun.

I havn't tried that one. I'm not much of a fan of run and gun games. I prefer something that involves strategy more than reflex.



If you haven’t already played them your best bet are the downloadable content and expansion “Awakening.” I haven’t played it but guess Dragon Age 2 is your next best bet.

I would read up on the Mass Effect games. They are stand-alone so even if you don’t play the first one you can still play the second just that you come in after the first act, but they do a good job of explaining what happened. I also don’t think you miss all that much by not importing your character from the first game.

To Two biggest shortcomings in I found in ME2 were the running around the ship to talk with your companions and mining for minerals to build special upgrades. Both can be more painless when you realized you don’t have to talk to ever person after every mission and you don’t have to mine every planet out there.

As far as comparing it to DA I’d say the ME2 has much better graphics and surround sound. At to that the flow of the story and dialogue between the characters and it’s more like you are “in the game” rather than playing it.

It is more of a shooter from the action standpoint. You can’t assign tactics to your teammates about all you can do is have them hold position or follow you. You can pause during fights to have them attack particular targets with their special abilities like mages casting spells.

Overall I prefer the non-action parts of the game so usually set a low difficulty so I can blast through the action to get back to the story. I just found it easier to suspend disbelief and get involved in the story which to me just flows better and seems more epic.
Posted By: JohnK Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/06/11 01:10 AM
Fred, where you been? I was wondering if that #&*%#$& landlord had shut off your electricity!
OK, beat 18, and the rest of the game. Really, 18 was the worst for me.

19 and especially after were so much fun. I had seen people comment when the game first came out, that after level 19 it was almost like you were cheating.

I ordered Portal 2 for the PS3, I think that also gives me a Steam unlock so I can play it on the PC too, if I wish.
Fred, what about The Witcher 2 ?
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/06/11 11:28 AM
Hey Fred,

Fantasy RPGs have all kind of moved to MMORPGs. The rest are all button masher console games, mostly. It's tough to find a PC based, single player fantasy game anymore. Dragon Age II is currently filling my need there.

However if you are willing to give in and shell out 15 dollars a month, it sounds like you would enjoy a good MMO. It is essentially like playing Dragon Age but in huger worlds and with other players running around.

You don't have to play cooperatively. You can, and some do, live their entire game lives solo. However, these games are definitely most fun when played with friends (in real life or met online) and you team up to go and do things you would never survive on your own.

Lately, I've been trying RIFT and thoroughly enjoying it. However, I maintain my Everquest II account because that is where my real life friends play. I have the most fun with them on our arranged nights and I tend to just solo if they are not on. I'm not overly social in the game at all outside my friends but I do belong to a guild in EQ II and I'll always help out my guildies if they call.

Be glad to meet you in game and show you the ropes if your interested. Of the two, Rift is more fun for new players but EQ II has the more mature crowd and has been around a long time so the world is IMMENSE and there are more features built in. I just suggest avoiding WoW. I find the age group of players to be very young and thus the accepted behavior of the players is just plane rude and annoying for an old school MMO player like me. Rift is not bad for this either. The annoying people, of all ages, always try out the latest and greatest games but always gravitate back to WoW. Which is fine for me.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/07/11 10:59 PM
Dean. It sounds like you and I play games for different reasons. I've been playing DA on hard and may try DA2 on extreme now that I've got the hang of the game.

Murph. Sounds like a place for me to avoid unless I want to turn into a 400lb gaming couch potato. wink Seriously, DA has sucked up a lot more time than I wanted it to.

I'll check Witches out Cam.

Still stuck with the @#**!***@ landloard John. I thought I might have found a condo, but the fees were high and there was an additional assessment coming for 'improvements'. I have no need to jump from the frying pan into the fire.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/17/11 06:57 PM
I had a 3 day weekend so I broke down and picked up Dragon Age 2 while shopping at Wally-World. I’ve only just finished the 1st act but I sure am glad I got it.

Pretty much every complaint I had about DA: Origins is taken care of in DA: 2. The graphics are so much better it’s like a completely difference generation of game. The main character has a voice. The dialog options are easier, streamlined and more intuitive. The maps are easier to read. The inventory system streamlined, with miscellaneous loot going straight to the junk pile. Less loot dropped reducing the running around and grabbing it and having to sell it all the time.

So far only 2 minor quibbles about the game, having to find a kiosk to change party members, and no central location like the camp where all party member hang out. I call them minor because I seldom change party members, only doing so when the quest requires it, and only talk to them for their companion quests, though romance may become another factor now that I’m in act 2. It also took me a bit to realized that each city location had a night and day setting so I was stuck trying to figure out how to progress a quest until I realized this, but no problem with it now.

If you’ve played ME: 1 and liked the changes made in ME: 2 (ok not the mining) then then consider this 10 times better than that. Everything about this version of DA is makes the game more immersive, playing out more like an interactive movie similar ME: 1 & 2. Special kudos go to the change in the dialogue which gives more information than just “paragon” and “rogue” in ME. The icons show other info like money options.

This first play-through I made Hawk a Female Mage/Healer so I could have an all-female party with a Mage/healer, Mage/damager, Warrior/tank, and Rogue/dual-wield. However most of the time I play the Isabel character because the Rogue just seems more fun. I’m not that great at twitch-fest style games so I’ve stayed on “normal” difficulty which still got me killed quite often in DA: origins just because I found it hard to see what was going on with the crappy graphics. So far in DA: 2, I’ve only had to restart 3 times and easily won by switching between characters to optimize the Mage’s attacks.

Though I’m still early in the game this one seems like a must have if you like Roleplay or even Third Person Shooters games.
Thanks for the review Dean. I was somewhat hesitant to give this game a second chance after playing the demo. The game looked beautiful and felt smooth, but I just felt like it was too "action-y" and less "RPG-y" compared to dragon age origins. I'll probably buy a used copy through amazon when I have a little more free time and the price drops a little more.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/17/11 09:36 PM
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Thanks for the review Dean. I was somewhat hesitant to give this game a second chance after playing the demo. The game looked beautiful and felt smooth, but I just felt like it was too "action-y" and less "RPG-y" compared to dragon age origins. I'll probably buy a used copy through amazon when I have a little more free time and the price drops a little more.


I think they have come up with a good balance of Action vs RPG in that you can sort of make it both. Keep the difficulty to normal and the action while challenging is not overwhelming allowing more focus on the RPG elements. However, crank up the difficulty and I imagine the action becomes much more of the challenge.

I also like that the quest are subdivide into “Main,” “Secondary,” “Side,” and “Companion.” So far it seems that only the Main and some of the Secondary are required so this first play-through I’m bypassing most of the Secondary and Side Quests so they will be fresh on subsequent play-throughs.

Another nice touch I forgot to mention is that you can “fast travel” to locations within locations. So rather than being deposited at the gate of the city you can pop right to your house if you want, making it much easier than running back and forth across Orzammar 20 times just to finish a required quest.

Also, the locations of the next step of each quest shows up on both the fast travel map and the local map making it very easy to find what you are looking for. I really have to give them kudos for making the interface as helpful and unobtrusive as I think is possible. As I mentioned before it really helps the suspension of disbelief, which IMO is a major plus on the RPG side. It is certainly more scripted than something like Elder Scrolls, or Fallout 3 but I think it make up for that in keeping things simplified, and thus more playable w/o micro-management.

About the only other thing I can think of right now that they might have done better, more on par with ME: 1 & 2 is the audio ambiance. ME really makes you feel (by the sound) that you are in a spaceship, club scene, etc. . ., the same with Elder Scrolls Oblivion. Though the audio is good in that sounds track 360 like they should the ambience just isn’t up to those other two.
Fast travel will definitely be a welcome addition!
The only tip I have to give to you is enhance the skills you have first, rather than learning new ones. Pay attention to how they chain together with other classes. If you don't do that, you'll end up with boss fights you can't win without great luck.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/18/11 02:30 AM
Thanks for the review Dean. I guess I need to get my but in gear and finish the final battle in DA Origins so I can try out DA2.

Chris. Is the action stuff in DA2 harder than the in the original? I played Origins on hard and it was challenging, but not overwhelming.
I'd say the fights are unbalanced (although there has been some rebalancing in patches since I last picked it up, so it may be better). I'd walk through day-to-day fights (on normal) without any problem. But be utterly defeated time after time during boss fights. It was only when I used the item that lets you re-roll your characters, and followed the advice I gave that the boss fights didn't feel totally unfair.

But still the technique between the two fights are different. It's hard to lose the normal fights, but chaining skills is pretty much needed to make it through boss fights.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/18/11 05:59 AM
I'm still plugging away at Bejeweled 3, simply to get to the highest rank. I was hoping 100 was the top rank, but it looks like I'll have to get to 131. That's going to take forever. I'm at 97. I still have one platinum badge I haven't earned, too, and I don't know if I'm ever going to get it, since I don't like that game mode. I tend to only play Diamond Mine these days.

1. Novice
2. Apprentice
3. Trainee
4. Beginner
5. Amateur
6. Jr. Appraiser
7. Appraiser
8. Gem Polisher
9. Gem Scraper
10. Gem Grinder
11. Jewel Thief
12. Jewel Scavenger
13. Gem Scrounger
14. Jr. Gemfinder
15. Gemfinder
16. Master Gemfinder
17. Jr. Jewelkeep
18. Jewelkeep
19. Master Jewelkeeper
20. Gemhunter Lv 1
21. Gemhunter Lv 2
22. Gemhunter Lv 3
23. Gemhunter Lv 4
24. Gemhunter Lv 5
25. Gemcrafter Lv 1
26. Gemcrafter Lv 2
27. Gemcrafter Lv 3
28. Gemcrafter Lv 4
29. Gemcrafter Lv 5
30. Jr. Gemstalker
31. Gemstalker
32. Sr. Gemstalker
33. Topaz Hunter
34. Onyx Hunter
35. Amethyst Hunter
36. Ruby Hunter
37. Emerald Hunter
38. Opal Hunter
39. Sapphire Hunter
40. Diamond Hunter
41. Topaz Blaster
42. Onyx Blaster
43. Amethyst Blaster
44. Ruby Blaster
45. Emerald Blaster
46. Opal Blaster
47. Sapphire Blaster
48. Diamond Blaster
49. Topaz Hoarder
50. Onyx Hoarder
51. Amethyst Hoarder
52. Ruby Hoarder
53. Emerald Hoarder
54. Opal Hoarder
55. Sapphire Hoarder
56. Diamond Hoarder
57. Topaz Master
58. Onyx Master
59. Amethyst Master
60. Ruby Master
61. Emerald Master
62. Opal Master
63. Sapphire Master
64. Diamond Master
65. Lapidary Lv 1
66. Lapidary Lv 2
67. Lapidary Lv 3
68. Lapidary Lv 4
69. Lapidary Lv 5
70. Master Lapidary
71. Supreme Lapidary
72. Ruby Wizard
73. Emerald Wizard
74. Opal Wizard
75. Sapphire Wizard
76. Diamond Wizard
77. Jeweled Wizard
78. Jeweled Mage
79. Jeweled Archmage
80. Jewelcrafter
81. Jewelforger
82. Bronze Blitzer
83. Silver Blitzer
84. Gold Blitzer
85. Platinum Blitzer
86. Bronze Master
87. Silver Master
88. Gold Master
89. Platinum Master
90. Jr.Bejeweler
91. Bejeweler
92. Sr. Bejeweler
93. Master Bejeweler
94. Mega Bejeweler
95. Hyper Bejeweler
96. Ultra Bejeweler
97. Prime Bejeweler
98. Ultimate Bejeweler
99. Bejeweled Regent
100. Bejeweled Demigod
101. Supreme Bejeweler
102. Jewelmagus Lv 1
103. Jewelmagus Lv 2
104. Jewelmagus Lv 3
105. Jewelmagus Lv 4
106. Jewelmagus Lv 5
107. Jewelmagus Lv 6
108. Jewelmagus Lv 7
109. Jewelmagus Lv 8
110. Jewelmagus Lv 9
111. Elder Jewelmagus
112. Jewelknight Lv 1
113. Jewelknight Lv 2
114. Jewelknight Lv 3
115. Jewelknight Lv 4
116. Jewelknight Lv 5
117. Jewelknight Lv 6
118. Jewelknight Lv 7
119. Jewelknight Lv 8
120. Jewelknight Lv 9
121. Elder Jewelknight
122. Bejewelian Lv 1
123. Bejewelian Lv 2
124. Bejewelian Lv 3
125. Bejewelian Lv 4
126. Bejewelian Lv 5
127. Bejewelian Lv 6
128. Bejewelian Lv 7
129. Bejewelian Lv 8
130. Bejewelian Lv 9
131. Elder Bejewelian

God help me.
Imagine if the forum had that many titles.
Posted By: BobKay Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/18/11 03:48 PM
Originally Posted By: CV


God help me.


Addictions aren't his strong suit, Charles, apparently.

137 levels of compulsion is more in JP's "realm."

I'd start with Wellbutrin for the OCD component and branch out from there. Maybe add some Symbalta after a few months.
Bob, Bob, Bob ...

If you tried, you probably could not pick a worse anti-OCD medication. Wellbutrin works primarily through dopamine and secondarily (just a pinch) through norepinephrine. OCD, as we all know (?! wink ) is mediated mainly through serotonin, so the SSRIs (Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, Celexa, Luvox) are first line treatment. Also, the "golden oldie" tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine works well, if you, or should I say Charles, can tolerate it.

In your defense, your combination of Cymbalta and Wellbutrin would be hard to beat for depression.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/18/11 07:37 PM
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
I'd say the fights are unbalanced (although there has been some rebalancing in patches since I last picked it up, so it may be better). I'd walk through day-to-day fights (on normal) without any problem. But be utterly defeated time after time during boss fights. It was only when I used the item that lets you re-roll your characters, and followed the advice I gave that the boss fights didn't feel totally unfair.

But still the technique between the two fights are different. It's hard to lose the normal fights, but chaining skills is pretty much needed to make it through boss fights.


I agree that the fights on “normal” are mostly pretty easy. On about 3 of the boss fights I’ve lost the first round but just reloaded and did a little micro managing and won fairly easily. Another good tactic I’ve found for some boss fights is to run your party out of the “boss room.” Otherwise it seems like underlings just keep spawning until the boss is dead, however if you leave the room that doesn’t happen. It doesn’t always work since not all bosses can leave the room they’re in.

During one fight with an ogre, I think in the deep roads, it missed charging me and ran into the wall getting it’s horns stuck. A mage with a dagger could have killed it.

I’ve also noticed that the default tactics seem a lot better in DA: 2. Some tweaking still helps to optimize them but I think that’s also part of what makes some fights seem easier. I just wish you could put a “hold” on a single party member. I usually have my Mage/Damager set to chain attack the “biggest bad” in the fight. However, since they often hold back that means the Mage runs up closer usually ending up in the middle of the raging melee.
Posted By: BobKay Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/18/11 09:12 PM
Originally Posted By: medic8r
Bob, Bob, Bob ...

If you tried, you probably could not pick a worse anti-OCD medication. Wellbutrin works primarily through dopamine and secondarily (just a pinch) through norepinephrine. OCD, as we all know (?! wink ) is mediated mainly through serotonin, so the SSRIs (Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, Celexa, Luvox) are first line treatment. Also, the "golden oldie" tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine works well, if you, or should I say Charles, can tolerate it.

In your defense, your combination of Cymbalta and Wellbutrin would be hard to beat for depression.


Jeez, JP, you're not supposed to be the first one to dump "explanation necessary" all over my jokes. And you say you "were" a nerd. Ha!

Choosing pharmaceuticals for depression is easier than you think. Just look for the labels that say "Take With Alcohol."
Careful, 'cause when you're hammered they all appear to say that.
Yes, I've always construed "alcohol may intensify the effect" as advertising.
Posted By: BobKay Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/19/11 05:24 AM
Not advertising, nor a "serving suggestion," Tom. It's a flat-out directive! Unless you were Karen Ann Quinlan.

I still have her recipe for an 8 year coma, then death, if anyone is interested.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/25/11 07:34 PM
I finished my first play-through of Dragon Age 2 yesterday. For me there is no contest that this version is a far better RPG than the first. I disagree with almost all the complaints about how the first version is better.

First let me explain that I play RPGs for the same reason I watch movies, immersion, so anything that takes away from the suspension of disbelief is usually bad. Most of the changes made to DA: 2 enhance the immersion at the cost of micromanagement. No loss for me here. If I want to micromanage something I’ll play Civilization or even some first or third person shooters where min/maxing a character may actually be part of the gameplay. Since I’ve war-gamed and role-played for 42 and 36 years respectively I’ve always wanted computers to be able to automate the game mechanics so I could focus on the gaming itself. With titles like DA: 2 and ME: 2 Bioware is getting as close to realizing that goal as may be possible with present technology.

I already commented on what I thought of much of the game earlier so I’ll just update my thoughts since finishing the game.

While I liked the more personal nature of the story I was a little disappointed in the story overall especially the ending. It seems like so many first sequels to movie trilogies, to be just a placeholder between the opening and closing acts. Unlike ME: 2 which felt like a story in its own right.

I really liked that there was no “Circle Tower” style quest which simply turned an RPG into a FPS for a much to long mandatory Quest. I also liked that most of the Quests, even those in the main quest line were shorter in DA: 2. I skipped most of the side, secondary and companion (except for my core party) quests so they would be fresh on subsequent play-throughs.

It was a little irritating that they re-used the same maps over and over just blocking and unblocking certain areas. At first I didn’t like the multi-act concept but realized that it allowed them to add more quests to the story while reusing the same location without requiring you to progress through all of them.

In a nutshell if you prefer immersion and storytelling over micromanagement and strategizing in your RPGs then Bioware hits it out of the park with DA: 2. If however, you are a control freak in all aspects of your gaming you will likely hate the changes made to DA: 2.

You may want to hold off on your next play-through until the first big expansion pack is released (coming soon). It can be played after the main story is finished, but it also integrates into the story well (from what I understand). One of the biggest things they've addressed is that the expansion reuses no maps throughout.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/26/11 04:47 AM
Thanks for that info Chris, I had no idea one was coming out already.
Oh, it comes out today.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/27/11 06:41 PM
I just ordered “Deadspace” and “Deadspace 2” to play this weekend. Anyone else out there play through either of these yet. From the reviews it looks like they should be very immersive gaming.

Played the first one. Outstanding atmospherics...a dark scary, and gory as hell game. No RPG here...essentially a very well done shooter. I enjoyed it.
I have both of them, I want to finish the first before I start the second. But they throw a totally different game play mechanic in the middle of the game, and I can't get past that point. It pissed me off, and I never went back. Up to that point, I was loving it, though.
Thoroughly enjoyed both Dead Space games.


Dean, you should really enjoy it with your giant screen and surround sound. Like spoiler mentioned the atmosphere is spot on.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/28/11 05:42 AM
Thanks for the feedback guys. If the atmosphere and immersion are as good as they sound I think I will like it a lot. Well it should get here tomorrow so I can start playing first thing Friday after I workout.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/29/11 05:08 AM
I bought both when they were cheap on Steam, but I haven't started playing. Go figure.

I'm so ready for the new Elder Scrolls: "Setting out in Skyrim"

Unfortunately, I couldn't get the two weeks off in November that I wanted. I was going to play a lot and hopefully write a lot for NaNoWriMo. Maybe I can at least get a couple of days later in the month.
Yeah CV, I'm anxious awaiting the new Elder Scrolls as well. I'll probably buy it on PS3. My computer isn't really suited for gaming and I think I will choose PS3 over xbox 360.

I've been an Elder Scrolls fan since Daggerfall was out on PC in mid to late 90's.
Yeah, Skyrim is a definite buy for me. I will have Gears of War 3 to keep me busy before that release. When it rains it pours.

Right now I am playing Fallout: New Vegas (Honest Hearts DLC) and Crysis on the PC.
Yeah, I got hooked on the gears of war 3 beta... Awesome game. I'm ready for the release of that one for sure!
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/30/11 05:42 PM
Originally Posted By: Chris

I have both of them, I want to finish the first before I start the second. But they throw a totally different game play mechanic in the middle of the game, and I can't get past that point. It pissed me off, and I never went back. Up to that point, I was loving it, though.

Well I hope I just got past that part, the asteroids? If not I’m going to be really pissed off because I hated both parts of that mission. I was ready to quit but then just barely got by it. Only a few minutes later to get ganged up on by a bunch of baddies and decided I’d had enough frustration for one day.

On the good side this has to be the most immersive game I’ve ever played. With few exceptions, the store and occasional cut scene it never takes you out of gameplay. No mini-maps or stat lists or anything else to clutter the screen. All is displayed as part of the player’s suit or in the form of pop up holograms while the player is still active. Even the map clues and accessible item clues are integrated into the environment. Add to that the sound clues and this is and 11 out of 10 for immersion, nothing I’ve seen touches it.

The controls are actually surprisingly easy to learn for a shooter, though mastering them is proving difficult for my spastic hands.

As for gameplay my main issue is the mission I mentioned above. Totally takes you out of the gameplay and I hope they don’t repeat it in DS: 2. Also, initially I was a little pissed at things coming at you from all sides with seemingly no warning but the audio cues until I realized where they were actually coming from allowing me to recognize what areas were more likely to be dangerous.

My second issue with gameplay is when they throw you into a situation where you really have no choice but to die the first time to learn what you must do to survive. Sort of irritating but I guess understandable when used to introduce new baddies. And the game does give you hints as how to beat some of them.

Also the gameplay becomes much easier by referring to the map. Often it shows you a save point right around the corner you might have otherwise missed, and if your path does happen to pass a save point there is a reason.

One minor game mechanic irritant is that you can’t use something unless it’s in your inventory. Numerous times I’ve come across a health pack I want to use right away but my inventory is full. So I have to drop something, pick up the health pack, use it and the pick back up the item I dropped. I wish there was a way to use the item w/o “equipping” it.

So far this is both a very fun and very irritating game. I’m finding it’s not something I can marathon so far because something comes along to frustrate me and I just have to take a break. That’s the only real issue I’m having with the game so far.
I agree with you guys on the asteroid thing--that part was frickin' hard and I was ready to walk away. Fortunately, the rest of the game was so good I buckled down and willed my way through that part.

Overall, I was really impressed with the production values on both games. Top notch stuff.

And, Dean, I share your frustration with the inventory.
Yep, it was the asteroid thing. Other games have done it too me too, both Ocarina of Time, and Xenosaga 1 had stealth missions thrown in. Please developers, don't drastically change the play style for one mission in the middle of a game. I'm playing an RPG because I don't like stealth action titles.

Anyway, I just got Catherine, without knowing anything about the game other than it was from the creators of the Persona series, which I love, and it's their first PS3 title. I was expecting the usual dating sim stuff, for the personal interaction, but figured it would be dungeon crawling between the plot points. Color me shocked when I was confronted with a Qbert like puzzle. I wasn't good at Qbert. But I'm making do on the Easy setting.
A good game play preview video of Skyrim:

http://www.g4tv.com/videos/54388/the-elder-scrolls-5-skyrim-gameplay-preview/
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/01/11 06:14 PM
Yup, my mage's robe is wet.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/01/11 07:25 PM
Originally Posted By: terzaghi


Thanks for posting that. i usually catch the g4 previews on Hulu but haven’t been keeping up with them lately. 11/11/11 is good timing since theirs two federal holidays in November.
As a federal employee, I couldn't agree more wink
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/02/11 03:57 AM
I'm going to have an 11/11 party that day. Maybe the party will now consist of people coming over to watch me play.
Gee, that sounds like fun, Charles. . .
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/02/11 04:53 AM
Ha ha ha. Event planning isn't a passion of mine, obviously. Seriously, though, what should I do for my party?
A rousing round of hoop rolling outside on the street? Followed by some mumblety-peg on the porch. And then top everything off with a staring contest.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/02/11 05:32 AM
Quote:
I'm going to have an 11/11 party that day. Maybe the party will now consist of people coming over to watch me play.


Quote:

Ha ha ha. Event planning isn't a passion of mine, obviously. Seriously, though, what should I do for my party?


Set up a webcam so people can watch you play without actually being there to annoy you while doing it. wink
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/02/11 05:35 AM
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
A rousing round of hoop rolling outside on the street? Followed by some mumblety-peg on the porch. And then top everything off with a staring contest.


Dizzy Izzys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctf2voqw6Zk

Way more fun.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/02/11 06:08 AM
See, your ideas are already better than anything I'd come up with. Keep 'em coming, guys.
Virtual party at Charles' house! BYOB.
Originally Posted By: tomtuttle
Virtual party at Charles' house! BYOB.


Yeah! Bring your own blond!
Does anyone with a PS3 want a code to get early access to the resistance 3 multiplayer beta that starts Thursday?
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/10/11 07:08 PM
Well I just pre-ordered a copy of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim from Amazon.
The waiting game begins!
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/11/11 02:56 AM
They better be shipping it UPS or FedEx since the 11th the day they promise delivery is a Federal Holiday.
Most of my shipments from the local Amazon depot come UPS or FedEx.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/11/11 05:09 AM
I just went ahead and pre-ordered Gears of War 3, and Mass Effect 3.
All should be excellent games. I preordered GOW3 a while back through gamestop so I could participate in the online beta. The multiplayer on that game is a blast.
I see you get a twenty dollar credit when you pre-order GOW3 on Amazon. Not bad!
Heliophobia is alive and well on the Axiom Message Boards. wink
Dang, Dean and I are in the wrong state then!
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/11/11 02:02 PM
Any MMO folks going to try Star Wars: The Old Republic ? I'm hoping Bioware will be the one to do Star Wars some justice. Sony certainly did not.
There is only one game to be playing on September 20th.

I'm diggin' the retro lancer. I like the bloom, has deadly midrange power. The bayonet is killer.




Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/21/11 04:21 AM
I never even finished the second one. I should do that sometime.
Since I knew I would eventually use it anyways, I bit the bullet and did the newegg deal with the $20 gift card. Cant complain though, I have to wait til Friday but I am taking a sick day on Monday and don't plan on doing ANYTHING else this weekend.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/22/11 05:36 AM
I am not playing Gears of War 3 . . . must resist playing until Friday . . . can’t put it in the machine . . . can’t afford to burn a sick day tomorrow . . . must wait . . . .
I'd like to say that I am playing Gears of War 3. Unfortunately every ounce of my time is split between painting the new house and getting ready for the move, work, and school. I pre-ordered the game but never picked it up
I have already beat the campaign, but I still need to complete it on insane. It unlocked after I beat it on hardcore. I won't get back to the campaign for a while though because Horde on insane is one of the funnest experiences ever. They have made some awesome improvements on it. Sooooooo much fun.
I WISH that I was playing GoW3... However, my wife says that I have too many XBox games that I don't play, and some of my good friends only play PC games (which I am most comfortable with anyway), so it will be another night of zombie killing tonight with Left 4 Dead 2... I have to take zombie killing breaks from working in the basement...
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/05/11 05:33 AM
Rage

I only played through the first mission. I decided to get it even though the reviews I looked at were mixed. There's some cool audio, and of course the engine is beautiful. I guess we'll see how annoyed I get with certain aspects of the gameplay. I sure suck at shooting so far. I even lowered the difficulty to Easy to ensure actual progress. Ha ha.
Picked up Gears of War 3 last night. Played online multiplayer for an hour and a half or so. Fun game, great sound. Only problem is that I got killed alot since I don't knowm ost of the maps yet.

Played the intro of the campaign and it seems pretty good.
I have been doing Horde and Beast mode with my brother on Insane lately. We have beat all the maps in Beast mode but Horde is just so difficult with 2 people especially once getting up to the second boss level. Insanely difficult.

I have a feeling the final boss in the campaign on Insane is going to be really frustrating.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/30/11 06:26 AM
I bought Battlefield 3 and Dead Island for the PC.

Battlefield 3 was a mistake. I should have waited until everyone weighed in on the horrible Origin software you have to install and run with it. It really contaminates the experience. I didn't get too far into it because of how turned off I was after the install.

Dead Island seems like it can be fun, but I'm barely into that one, too. I do appreciate the games I buy on disc that will automatically activate on Steam. I really wish EA had done that for Battlefield 3 instead of coming up with that Origin software.
Now that Infinity Ward is responsible for the Nov 8 release of MW3, I'm under the impression the Spec Ops mission will be back. Can't wait to play this game.
Just a reminder. MW3 gets released this Tuesday the 8th and Skyrim on Friday, the 11th. Big week! Then 4 days later, the 15th, Bungie is releasing Halo: Combat Evolved remastered for the 360.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/06/11 03:31 AM
Skyrim I'm getting right away, but I'm sure I'll end up with the other two not too long after.
I am going to pick up both MW3 and Skyrim, but Halo: Combat evolved looks like it would make for excellent value for just a rental. I will eventually buy that one too because they are not charging full price for this game like they would a new release. It is my favorite of all the Halo campaigns. The engine is exactly the same, just a major graphics overhaul. Remember the uber pistol? LOL
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/06/11 03:48 AM
God, I loved the pistol in the original Halo.

So no real tweaks to the gameplay mechanics, then? I thought they might be tempted.
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/06/11 04:23 AM
I've been playing Dues Ex and Rage, both pretty fun. Tonight I decided to try out DC Universe for the hell of it since its F2P now. Got my char created then got stuck in a queue to log in so gave that up.
That's my understanding CV. I believe the gameplay, weapons, mechanics and controls are all the same.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/11/11 10:42 PM
UPS just delivered Skyrim, but I’m half way through “Captain America” hell of a dilemma. wink
If you have the 360 version does it only have a loose cover? And if you take it off it's just a green see through case? It's cheap looking and I don't like it. It's like they made a mistake or they cut costs because of the quality map they provided in the case. But the game so far that I have played briefly is really good.
I've played Skyrim for about 3 or 4 hours and I'm absolutely loving it so far. I didn't enjoy the last Elder Scrolls game, Oblivion, so I was worried I wouldn't like Skyrim but that hasn't been the case.

The game feels very cinematic, the graphics are fantastic (PC on Ultra settings) and the interface is clean and easy to use (unlike Oblivion).
About 6.5 hours into skyrim and totally hooked. I picked it up at midnight last night and fell asleep playing the game, then would wake up and play for 25 minutes until I started falling asleep again. I was exhausted but didn't want to stop playing! My wife is really enjoying the game as well. It took me a few hours to really get into it but I'm definitely hooked. Gameplay mechanics are much better than oblivion, morrow wind or dagger fall (better combat, better menu navigation, better npc interaction). I'm playing as a high elf with a focus on destruction, conjuration, and one handed weapons. I'm in bed now but thinking about playing a bit more wink
I might add. I'm pretty much just stickig with side quests and dungeon romping for now. I've done may e 2 quests towards the main story
I bumped up the difficulty from adept to expert. It's been a good challenge so far. We will see how it scales once I start leveling up significantly. I haven't experienced any glitches yet. A few of the reviews that I read made it seem it was plagued with them, like Oblivion.

No glitches here either... at least nothing major. I've entered into conversation with one NPC through a wall which was weird but didn't cause any problems. I may bump up the difficulty as well.
I have experienced a few now as well. When mounted on a horse for the first time rotating the camera, the horse disappeared. Also there was a scene where there was a huge creature floating in the air for no apparent reason and crashed to the ground.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/14/11 12:11 PM
I must buy this game, despite the fact I will have no time to play it. If I could just wait until I do have time, the game would even be cheaper but I know I'll break down and probably have it by the end of the day. Goodbye sleep, it was nice seeing you for a change.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/14/11 03:26 PM
I played a little on Saturday but realized I made some bad perk choices so I restarted on Sunday. My goal was to play until I got a house which happened just short of hitting level 10 and only doing one real quest.

The interface is similar enough that it was easy to learn and so far the changes are real improvements. The pop-up list for favorites is great. Blocking really makes a difference in the amount of damage you take. I like that you don’t have to keep repairing weapons and armour after every fight.

Though it seems small I like that conversations don’t give you a close up of the face of who you are talking too, and that many conversations continue without locking you into that person.

I did “game” the leveling system a little bit but not as much as Oblivion because everything now levels evenly, a huge improvement. I hated the bookkeeping and planning needed to level efficiently in Oblivion. The only gaming I did was to follow someone around in town in sneak mode and watched my sneak skill shoot up. Also whenever I could find a single opponent I would just block them constantly increasing my blocking skill. However, this didn’t last as long as in Oblivion since you still take damage when blocking.

I’ve only run across two glitches so far. I wasn’t even sure the first one was a glitch until I restarted. When escaping from the first encounter the guy with me stopped following me, but the second time through he did, which is what I think is supposed to happen. The other glitch was just that a butterfly I was trying to catch landed on a stone and disappeared inside of it, but I was still able to grab it. I’m not sure if something else was a glitch or by some design but once when I tried to fast travel it only let me select locations fairly close. So to get to my final destination I had to fast travel in bounds rather than straight there.

Murph, just find a bed any you can sleep all you want “in game.” wink
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/14/11 07:31 PM
I haven't tried to fast travel yet, but that's annoying if you have to do it from point to point.

I should have read up on the levels/perks, but I've just been winging it. I may regret that later. I actually kind of miss the athletics and acrobatics just because those would help me level up faster. I still do a lot of jumping everywhere out of habit.

The world is very beautiful. They do a really great job with the environment. The people's faces still don't look quite right.
I hope they included a place for me to park my monster truck.


And a gas station, or two.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/15/11 02:44 AM
This is why I don't play Elder Scrolls games or anything like them. Because that's me.
I put the brooms in the back of my monster truck.



Plus all the other knick-knacks.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/15/11 05:03 AM
Originally Posted By: Ken.C
This is why I don't play Elder Scrolls games or anything like them. Because that's me.


Just think if every broom you picked up became a post here on the Axiom message board. Then you wouldn't have such a pathetic post count!
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/15/11 06:34 AM
No need for monster trucks when you have Lydia following you around who you can have carry things.

I’ve found another thing I like a lot about this version over Oblivion. It seems most caves/dungeons have a back door so you don’t have to walk all the way back through them to get out. The ones I’ve found without them were small enough it wasn’t a bother to backtrack.

The AI is still stupid about handing things you do when sneaking. I’m getting to where I can one-shot kill a lot of weaker stuff with an arrow while sneaking and as long as no one is looking at you when you take the shot they don’t seem to notice the dead person on the ground the next time they walk by. I’ve also noticed that the vendors don’t have much money. I quickly ran everyone in the first two towns I’ve found out of money selling them all the “brooms” I’ve picked up. I’m not sure how long it takes for their money to reset yet.
Dean got the beta version of the new DLC-- "Skyrim: The Broom Peddler."
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/15/11 01:01 PM
Originally Posted By: Ken.C
This is why I don't play Elder Scrolls games or anything like them. Because that's me.


That is funny. This is why I stopped doing Alchemy in Oblivion. Stopping to pick every weed, flower, berry, etc. becomes a horrible time sync. Yes, eventually you learn what ones are worth stopping for but what if that next recipe..... I get you Ken.
MY wife stops me in my tracks if I pass a flower and don't pick it in skyrim!
Originally Posted By: grunt
No need for monster trucks when you have Lydia following you around who you can have carry things.


I had a khajit following me around for a while but he left when I had someone else follow me fora quest. Now they are both gone and I'm left carrying my own stuff frown
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/15/11 06:16 PM
I haven’t had a quest follower since the very first escape sequence but I have read that you can only have one follower at a time, too bad that seems to also apply to mandatory ones.

So far I like having Lydia as a follower because she is a thief and I’m doing a lot of sneaking right now so she can sneak along with me. Though if I spend too much time pissing around she starts yawning and sighing like she’s bored. I think once she even started an attack because I snuck around in the shadows trying to up my sneak skill for too long.

I do wish they had a sort function for the items you carry where you could sort by value to weight ratio, though recently I’ve been making most of my money with alchemy w/o too much stopping to pick the flowers, just the ones in my direct path.
Yeah, the quest I was on was for the mages college and I let the guy I freed from the cell follow me into the end of the dungoen (forget the quest name now.)

I realized the damn khajit was gone after it was too late. After the quest the mage just left.

Had I known I would have selected the option of "get out of here and leave me alone) after I freed the mage and kept my loyal khajit.

I wonder If we will ever cross paths again? I think that bastard left with some of my gear too!
See if the follower can train an ability. Buy it, then take
the gold back.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/16/11 03:19 AM
Good to know about how you lost your follower. I’ll think twice about inviting some random person to follow me.

And thanks for the tip about training, I’ll check to see if she can train anything but I don’t recall seeing that as an option for her.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/16/11 05:48 AM
It's a testament to how big and open the game is when I talk to people and they've had such different game experiences right out of the gate. A coworker has been playing it, and I've seen almost none of what he's mentioned.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/16/11 05:59 AM
Well I just ran into the first baddy I can’t take. While the first dragon I fought killed me a couple times before I figured out how to take it this magic user blasts the crap out of me with fireballs before I can either get close or even get a couple arrows off. Luckily I was just passing by his hideout on the way to find the Gray Beards so I just gave up and went around his place.

Also nearly got my butt handed to me by a Snow Bear. Only thing that save me was my follower kept it occupied while I jumped on a rock, healed myself and then commenced to make it a pincushion with arrows. Clearly some directions on the map are safer to travel in than others.
Frost trolls and giants are difficult early on. Playing on expert, I had to run away from some enemies. Beautiful environments, large open world are the best things going with this game. Just a TON of content to get through. I'm not totally blown away as I thought I would be however. Overall I prefer what Mass Effect 2 offered vs Skyrim. Different games I know. I am also now running into slowdowns, occasional glitches and the game just froze on me.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/16/11 12:53 PM
Question, as I can't buy it until I finish a big picture frame project that I'm ever so slowly doing or it will never get done....

Does the world difficulty scale equally with your level like Oblivion (meaning there are no high level areas on the map verses low level areas, it just scales everything everywhere to your level.)

and

How do the level and skill advancements work compared to Oblivion. Do you still have to carefully micro-manage your skill advancement and be very careful when you sleep or end up with a high level character with many skills not equal to your level. Given the way the world worked, this made it very easy to end up with a character that got a lot weaker vs. mobs instead of stronger as you level because the world scaled harder but your skills might not have advanced sufficiently.

I know the veterans didn't need the longer explanation but I tried to explain it for those new to Elder Scrolls games.
Game players at young age creates more grey matter in the brain that supports addictions. Article
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/16/11 01:29 PM
Good thing I'm not young. Nothing to worry about. Now hand me that controller or I'll blow your brains out.
Originally Posted By: Murph


How do the level and skill advancements work compared to Oblivion. Do you still have to carefully micro-manage your skill advancement and be very careful when you sleep or end up with a high level character with many skills not equal to your level. Given the way the world worked, this made it very easy to end up with a character that got a lot weaker vs. mobs instead of stronger as you level because the world scaled harder but your skills might not have advanced sufficiently.



That's the part I never liked about Oblivion. Well, mainly because I didn't level up correctly and found myself unable to complete certain quests. By the time I figured that out I had put too many hours into the game and just stopped playing. Didn't feel like starting over again.
Murph,

Leveling is similar in skyrim to oblivion but there are some key differences. I'm focusing on destruction, conjuration, and one handed fighting. I've been working on alchemy to make money (which also levels you up) but doens't really contribute to your characters "power" . My heavy armor has been increasing as I take hits (generally wear heavy armor, sometime switch over to magic robe stuff).

Those are the main skills I am focusing on but there are other skills that get leveled regardless.
Speech gets leveled up as I sell items, and lockpicking increases as I pick locks. I will probably stop picking locks once I find a spell to open them, but then I will be adding points to alteration in order to pick higher locks.

There is no more acrobatics or athletics skills and longsword, mace, etc. has all been turned into "one handed" (can't remember if that was the case in oblivion but i know in daggerfall there were different skills for each 1 handed weapon type).

You get to assign perks to the various skills. For example, you can assign a perk to destruction that increases the damage from fire spells or you can assign persk that create more one handed damage, use less stamina on power attacks, etc. One perk point is earned for each level up but you can save them and use them on whatever you want.

An example of how the leveling works:
Suppose you leveled up from 9 to 10 through a majority one handed and heavy armor skill level increases. You get to assign one point to either magicka, health, or stamina at each level (no more strength, endurance, agility, speechcraft.)
You now will have 1 perk point that you can assign to whatever you want. Even though the level was acheived from and heavy armor skill increases you could put the perk into destruction if you wanted. an example perk would be the one previously mentioned or something like "apprentice destruction spells cost 25% less magicka". Certain perks are pre-requisites for others and certain perks require a higher level in that particular skill.

Some of the same problems exist if you level a millionn different things but the new system appears to be more balanced. By reducing the total number of skills (removing acrobatics, etc.) and adding the perk system I think the leveling system is greatly improved.


Hope that helps.


Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/16/11 04:22 PM
Originally Posted By: Murph

Does the world difficulty scale equally with your level like Oblivion (meaning there are no high level areas on the map verses low level areas, it just scales everything everywhere to your level.)

I can’t say from experience yet but from what I read yes it is supposed to scale with level mostly. However, some areas are scaled to be inherently harder or easier than others regardless of your level. Also caves and dungeons you enter are not supposed to scale after you’ve entered them once. Once you enter them even if you run away and don’t finish them are supposed to lock in their level based on the level you were when you first entered them. This is based on what I’ve read and haven’t verified it in-game.

Quote:

How do the level and skill advancements work compared to Oblivion. Do you still have to carefully micro-manage your skill advancement and be very careful when you sleep or end up with a high level character with many skills not equal to your level. Given the way the world worked, this made it very easy to end up with a character that got a lot weaker vs. mobs instead of stronger as you level because the world scaled harder but your skills might not have advanced sufficiently.


Leveling is much simpler. You no longer have to micro-manage to ensure “efficient leveling.” Skill increases are still based mostly on use which is what actually tends to define your characters “class” in that you get good at what you do however, here is still training and some skill books. You could still end up with a high level character with little magical ability if you never use magic in-game but again this is going to be based more than anything on your style of play.

About the only micro-managing part of skill increases is what power stone sign you are under at any given time. Rather than picking skills at the beginning that level faster than others you can continuously go back to the power stones and switch between thief, mage, and warrior which allows those associated skills to level 20% faster than the others. So if you want to “game” things a little you can do what I did early on and go exploring under the Warrior sigh to up those combat skill and change to the Thief sign to go into town and sell things and sneak around more to up those thief related skills. Same thing you could go dungeon romping under the mage sign to more quickly boost your magic skills however, sometimes it’ just too much of a pain to go back to the stones and change your sign.

Also, you don’t have to sleep to level up. You can level at any time after you get the signal you’re level increased. I haven’t tried to level during combat but I think you can. Also it’s easier to get perks and choose which ones you want. You get to pick a new perk every time you level, though you can save them and don’t have to choose right away. So no longer to you have to level a skill to 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% to gain bonus in those areas. Note that most advanced perks have prerequisite perks so you can’t just save all your perks and dump them into high level ones later. Also some perks have a minimum skill level requirement also.

Having logged way too many hours leveling in Oblivion this system is vastly superior, easier to use and more fun to play with. A huge improvement IMO.

P.S. Looks like David beat me to it. wink

Froze again now on a loading screen...not impressed.

I have been reading about these same freezing issues on the PS3 board as well.

Bring on Mass Effect 3!
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/16/11 06:34 PM
Thanks for the detailed answers guys! Very much appreciated.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/16/11 07:24 PM
The only thing I'm not looking forward to is reaching the level cap and not being able to get all of the perks. My obsession with an all-powerful character will meet with disappointment.
Are you kidding me? Somehow I missed the guardian stones alltogether. I've being doig side quests and dungeon romps since I started.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/17/11 05:26 AM
Yeah, I haven't been working on the big quests yet. I always like to beef up my character a bit before I start in on those. The guy at work is already the head of the Thieves Guild. Sounds like he got some swanky light armor.

I'm still not terribly far in, myself. I'm playing the PC version. This article collects a lot of criticisms of the interface, but I hadn't gotten to the point of being annoyed with it yet since I'm not too deep. I can see where they're coming from, so I look forward to the mods.
If he is that mad with just the interface I wonder what he will think about the game breaking glitches? I just can't see this game being any fun on a keyboard and mouse, though with the correct hardware should yield some slight graphical improvements over the consoles.

This game needs to get patched first and foremost. Disappointing since there was such a lag period between Oblivion and Skyrim.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/17/11 06:00 AM
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Are you kidding me? Somehow I missed the guardian stones alltogether. I've being doig side quests and dungeon romps since I started.


Did you somehow get separated from the guy that sort of guides you through the “escape” sequence? He lead me right down the trail to them both times I’ve gone through it and even explained what they do.

Thanks for getting the name of them right I forgot it and was too lazy to look it up.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/17/11 06:13 AM
I can see the guys point about “unused” screen space and I agree that selecting items is a little cumbersome but pretty much the same as Fallout 3. However, it looks to me like the developers were trying to take you out of the game as little as possible by leaving you looking at the area you’re in when looking at those menus. Efficiency vs. immersion can be a tough call but I’d say they did get both of them wrong at least some on those screens.

At the risk of jinxing myself I haven’t encountered any major problems that I’m aware of like slowdowns, lockups or crashes. Only minor things like a butterfly sinking into a stone while I was trying to grab it, however the game still let me grab it. My follower got stuck trying to get through doorway and I had to go back and get her. On the first play through of the escape the guy with me wouldn’t leave the room with the mage in it so I finished alone only to have him reappear when I exited.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/17/11 08:44 AM
I haven't encountered any real glitches myself, either. Also, while I'm playing on the PC, I'm using a wired Xbox 360 controller.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/17/11 01:50 PM
So I read the article but what wasn't clear to me was, is it that much better on consoles? I usually prefer to play these types of games on my PC but I could go PS3.
Nope. They are all about the same but have flaws in different areas. Unlike Fallout: Vegas where the PC version was superior. Neither games are fitted for a keyboard and mouse IMO. Vegas was monkey ass. Luckily I had a 360 controller I could use for the PC. Navigating menus was horrible as was the large control scheme. Just didn't fit well.

Apparently on the PS3 version there is game breaking save glitch when the save file exceeds a certain number of MB's. The game basically becomes unplayable with framerate and loading issues.

http://www.lazygamer.net/xbox-360/theres-a-nasty-ps3-skyrim-save-bug/


Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/17/11 02:49 PM
Sigh, Perhaps I shall just wait until things get patched and/or the modders have at the PC version.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/17/11 07:42 PM
True geniuses will wait until the Game of the Year Edition that includes all of the downloadable content at a cheaper price.
I have no idea what happened dean. I got out into the open at about 1:30am after the midnight release and the fell asleep. The next day I just started up and ran north to river wood.

I've yet to figh a dragon on the main quest. I found two dragon shout word things in the dungeons but have no idea how to use them...
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/11 04:51 AM
I fought a dragon on one of the first quests I did. I ended up going to Whiterun to sells stuff since I had run the people in Riverwood out of money and in hopes of finding a house since I couldn’t get a lead on one in Riverwood. I had already done a quest for the trader and his sister in Riverwood which turned out to be a prerequisite for a quest in Whiterun which lead to fighting a dragon with the help of the town guard making it easy once I figured out how to fight it. That lead to an offer to buy a house and also gave me Lydia who follows me around or stays at my house if I tell her to. Since I got the dragon’s soul it gave me use of the one dragon shout I’ve found so far.

There may have been one drawback to fighting the dragon. Before that I never saw one since the opening. Now twice I’ve seen them flying overhead and circling me. I’m not sure if they meant to attack or not since both times Lydia and I hid in the woods until they flew away. It’s nice that she’s a thief, plus that she didn’t start sounding all pissy when we hid from the dragons like she does sometimes when hiding to long from lesser bad guys.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/11 05:08 AM
The guy at work has fought several of the dragons. At first he couldn't figure out why they wouldn't descend, but apparently they only come down to attack when you're in a large enough area of flat ground. According to him. I have only fought the one dragon that gets you Lydia. I haven't seen them flying around in my ordinary travels yet.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/11 05:17 AM
Well that would explain them not attacking us since there was nowhere nearby for them to land.
I'm thinking about breaking down and getting the strategy guide...

Got the guide. Amazing resource. 656 pages. After getting it though I still find it easier occasionally to alt-tab out of the game and google something. smile
yeah, I looked through the guide at gamestop and thought it looked pretty good.
I'm going to have to jump back onto the Main quest. I need a house to store all of my stuff and a new companion to carry. My loot
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/11 04:26 PM
You guys are making me want to jump into this. Then I look realistically at my time and I am only intermediate level on GT5 and am still trying to finish the single player campaign on Portal2. Not to mention the other games I pick at every once in a while (Need for Speed, Pixel Junk Monsters & Shooter, LBP2 etc...) No point in me pretending I can get into a massive game like this.

Carry on and I'll live vicariously through your posts! laugh
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/11 05:19 PM
I’m trying hard not to use guides yet. The only thing I did was to google best characters to start with and but there really want’s much help since the way the game is designed now the initial bonuses don’t amount to much as soon as you start to level up.

My strategy has been too slowly expand out from Riverwood rather than try to cover the whole map. My idea being that they probably designed the game to play progressively out from there. Also I’m not beating my head against anything to complete it. Like when the group of mages kicked my butt several times running I just decided to detour around them.

If I do need to cheat I’ve got my LCD monitor off to the side so I can look things up w/o having to leave the game. The main help that gives me is not being able to spell or even remember how to spell something I see I can read it off the map/game w/o having to jump back-and-forth. But so far I haven’t had to do any cheating. When I played Oblivion for the first time it had already been out for some time so the Wiki had so many hints it made things way to easy, though I don’t mind using it to find things that would otherwise be un-findable like in Oblivion finding “FinGleam” off the coast like I would have just thought to randomly comb the bottom of the ocean to find a great item. Same thing with a ring you find in the back of a waterfall. When there are no hints in-game as how to find something I don’t really see it as cheating to look it up.

One thing I’ve liked so far is the two “puzzles” I ran into in the first dungeon had hints as how to solve them so I didn’t just have to try all the various combinations of settings. I thought that was cool so now I’m always looking for hints if I find a puzzle to solve.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/11 07:40 PM
Anyone ever get digital versions of strategy guides? Seems like they would be easier to navigate than a normal book, but I still have trouble buying digital-only content. I wish all books came with digital copies.
Yeah, a digital copy would be nice.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/19/11 01:00 AM
Don’t pick a fight with a giant!
They looked tough so left them alone!
Originally Posted By: grunt
Don’t pick a fight with a giant!


I had to kill a Giant for a side quest. A dragon came and the Giant and Mammoths annihilated the dragon. I was left to deal with the rest. Killing a Giant by itself is tough enough, but when you have multiple Mammoths charging you as well...damn!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/19/11 05:01 AM
Giants aren't so bad if I'm up somewhere they can't get to and I have a lot of arrows. Ha ha. That doesn't seem to be the way it goes very often, though.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/19/11 10:58 PM
Well, it's starting to kick me out of the game every once in a while now. Just completely closes. Always after a while of playing, so maybe a memory issue of some kind. I'm saving often to hopefully not lose any important progress.

The guy at work told me about the dark elf at Black-Briar Meadery who you can continually persuade to raise your speech skill to 100, and I was too weak to not take advantage. It was a good way to jump some levels. I don't think I've chosen the best perks, though. I should have planned better.

I'm trying to get my blacksmithing and enchanting up. So far my enchanting is still pathetic, more concentration on blacksmith. I want to work up to being able to create and improve the really high-level heavy armor. Slowly but surely. I'm just wondering if it will be a total waste of time if I find unique weapons and armor that are beyond what I can do on my own.
No crashes, freezes, or hang ups so far on the 360. A couple of bad guys spawned in thin air and fell to their death in from of me today though... Thought that was pretty funny
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/19/11 11:37 PM
At the risk of jinxing myself I’ve had no problems so major problems. Just rendering and other odds and ends like my character floating for a while instead of walking. Lydia got smashed by a swinging log and I think know “into” a wall. I turned around when I heard it and all I saw was a big blood splatter against the wall but no Lydia anywhere to be seen. So I just reloaded a recent save.

I’ve saved about a third of my perks waiting to see where to best use them. I spend most of my time sneaking around so many have already gone there. I’m trying now to build up my destruction since to many things in the wild were beating the crap out of me and magic seems to deal out more DPS and once their weak it’s easier to finish them off hand-to-hand.

It sure helps to have Lydia around to keep the bad guys busy. I’ll stay hidden and swing around to the side where I can catch the whole lot of them with a double flame without hitting her. I need to find a healing spell since every time an animal looks at me I get sick. I’ve killed two dragons now with just me and Lydia so I think I’m getting that down pretty good. At least until some boss dragon shows up. I got the final blessing from the Greybeards so I have one full strength shout now. I just keep forgetting to use it.

That must have been hilarious to watch the guys fall out of the sky!
Where did you say you get her? I think I can buy the house in whiterun now, did she come with the house?
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/19/11 11:58 PM
She becomes your Housecarl, after completing the “Dragon Rising” quest given by the Jarl of Whiterun. You also have to have done I think it’s called the “Bleak Falls Barrow” and the “Golden Claw” quests gotten from the shopkeepers in Riverwood. Those two quests actually flow directly from one to the other. Although it hasn’t happened she can die if she’s damaged to much while trying to heal herself so watch out for friendly fire or drawing an area attack against you that she is also in.

She wanted to follow me even before I bought the house in Whiterun so I don’t think buying the house is a prerequisite.

Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/20/11 12:26 AM
I keep dying when encountering too many mages at once, so I need to start taking Lydia around to soak up some damage, I think.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/20/11 12:30 AM
Another note on Lydia, and possibly other followers, is that she will equip at least a new weapon if you have her carry it. I found that out when I unloaded a bunch of heavy stuff on her and next thing I know instead of using a sword and shield she’s wielding a magical two-handed war hammer. I don’t know if she will equip the best weapon in whatever category you limit her to but I assume so since she also started wearing some of the jewelry I had her carry. I also haven’t yet tried to see if I can select what she uses from the items she’s carrying or not. Now I only let her have the magical weapons when I’m expecting a boss fight so she’s not wasting charges on skeletons.

Also make sure not to outrun her. As you level up she has trouble keeping up. She also has the occasional navigation issue. There are a lot of things you can climb or jump off that she can’t.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/20/11 09:27 AM
I haven't used Lydia yet, but I did go through the Companions questline and there's a part where you have no choice but to let someone come along with you. Then there are two of them with you, and I think one of them may have died. I'll have to go back to the headquarters and see if he made it back or not.

I did a lot of grinding and got my blacksmith level up to 100 by making a ton of hide bracers and iron daggers. I need to find a way to make money, though. I keep doing just enough questing to have the money to do this grinding for my skills, but I have no extra cash for buying any of the enchanted stuff I may want to disenchant to gain knowledge. Hopefully there's a fast way to raise my enchanting ability, too. I'm only at 30 now, and if I'm going to make the truly badass weapons and armor, I'm going to need that to reach 100 as well.

My character is at level 35 right now with only one unclaimed perk point. I'm saving my next several perks for enchant, assuming I can get my skill level up to take advantage of it.

But yeah, I'll probably do all of this and then end up finding superior weapons and armor, anyway.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/20/11 12:31 PM
The best way to make money short of finding a glitch is to make potions and sell them. It also raises your alchemy skill and help level you up. I stopped doing things like that though because I was leveling faster than my combat skills could keep me alive, so I’ve been spending more time exploring and just finding things to make it easier to fast travel later on.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/21/11 12:38 AM
Good idea on finding locations. I've done a little of that, but not enough. And you're right about the combat skills not maturing at the same rate being a problem.

I'm not going to like being unable to afford all of the perks. Those types of little bonuses to your skills would happen naturally in Oblivion simply be reaching certain numbers. Now I have to buy them, and with the level cap being 50 with 280 perks to choose from, I can't make the God-like character I could in the last two games. I just hope the level cap is increased a bit in the DLC and I can find enough unique items that approximate the effects of some of the perks. Or I could get a life. Or I could just buy more Axioms!
I've had a few more freezes. A couple when picking stuff up and another on a loading screen. This is the second time on a loading screen. Experienced a battle with slowdowns with the sound cutting in and out really fast. I could watch my receiver kicking in and out rapidly from Dolby Digital to pro-logic. I know when the game entirely freezes is when the receiver kicks out entirely in reading Dolby Digital on the display.

I have to say while a good game, it is to clunky of an experience for me to give it any serious "best game of the year" awards. Actually I am kind of disappointed how buggy it is considering how long Bethesda had to do work on this game.

I wish Mass Effect could create such an open world like this of it size. I love the huge environment and atmosphere Skryim offers. However ME totally owns in overall "tightness" in gameplay. Just a way more polished game. If ME3 can create the depth Skyrim offers, I think it will be one amazing game that will destroy it in every way.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/21/11 07:47 PM
Besides the occasional random booting me out of the game, I'm doing okay. I started to have some extreme slowdown, but I looked up some tweaks for the INI files and it plays fine now. Unfortunately, the random game closing thing still happens after playing for somewhere between 1-2 hours straight. I seem to be saving regularly enough to avoid true pain.

I love the Mass Effect series, but they're not really in the same league with Elder Scrolls for huge, open world. I don't foresee that changing. The bugs are annoying, and in your case, not worth it, but I'm enjoying the scope of the game too much to let it bother me. And man, the dragon battles make me really glad I have EP800s. Fun!
They did do a good job on the soundtrack.
Originally Posted By: grunt
Don’t pick a fight with a giant!


My first encounter with a giant involved one swing...and my death scene was my body flying skywards for a at least five seconds.... never hit the ground!
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/22/11 07:42 PM
Originally Posted By: Spoiler
Originally Posted By: grunt
Don’t pick a fight with a giant!


My first encounter with a giant involved one swing...and my death scene was my body flying skywards for a at least five seconds.... never hit the ground!



Yep that was what happened to me too.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/22/11 07:48 PM
Well, I read a little on the level cap situation. I was going by what my coworker was telling me, but it seems like it doesn't really cap at 50. Sounds like you can keep going to 81 max if you increase every skill to 100. That means 80 perks total. Still not the 280 I want, but 30 more perks than I thought is much better. I can at least finish getting a lot of what I want.
Me three.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/22/11 07:50 PM
And yeah, I lost my giant virginity that way, too.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/22/11 07:51 PM
Oh, yeah, and I had to name my character Robitussin Vermouth. When I finally enchant the Daedric armor I intend on having, it will all be Negative Orange ______. What names did you come up with?
I named my guy Ryder.
I'm gonna let the "Giant Virginity" line go. It's the Holiday Season and all.
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
I named my guy Ryder.


What was his name?

Holidays/schmolidays. I couldn't let that one go.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/23/11 05:16 AM
Originally Posted By: MarkSJohnson
I'm gonna let the "Giant Virginity" line go. It's the Holiday Season and all.


I was thinking "giant virginity" would also be good for a custom set of weapons and armor.
You'd be untouchable with that armor.



And lonely.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/23/11 06:08 AM
Man, I don't even need any fancy armor for that in real life.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/23/11 01:29 PM
Finally picked up the game last night. I didn't get free from work crap to play until 11:00pm. I said to myself, I'll just load it and run around a bit to check out the scenery. At 3:00am, I forced myself to shut it down. Today is going to be a long day.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/23/11 07:39 PM
I was playing it until 2:30, but I don't work until noon.

It's going to be hard not to play it tonight, though. I need to go to sleep so I can run the Turkey Trot 5k with my coworker tomorrow morning. The problem is I'm on the verge of getting my enchanting skill to 100, and my heavy armor is getting up there, too. I really want to get a couple more perks related to those!

But yeah, enjoy the game. Which platform did you get it for?
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/24/11 04:14 PM
PS3. I always play adventure and MMOs on PC so I thought I'd try it out on a console for a change.

Last night I had to chuckle. I tried avoiding the [Level up] message so I could work on my skills more first but when I finally did go there, it graduated me up three levels all at once. Oh well. It will all work out in the end.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/25/11 02:28 AM
There are a lot of characters whose initials are C.V. in this game.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/26/11 04:42 PM
Nooooooooooo!

I should have known cheating on Bejeweled 3 would have consequences. No, I didn't find an easier way to rack up high scores. I've just been playing Skyrim a ton, and now I decided to fire up the old, trustworthy obsession to find my user records are completely gone.
I finally became arch-Mage of the college of winterhold. I'm glad I put of buying a house because I really like the arch-mages quarters! Plus my new arch Mage robes look pimp!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/26/11 04:59 PM
I bought the cheap house in Whiterun first, but now I have the swanky manor in Solitude. Now you're making me want even more real estate.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/26/11 05:01 PM
I finally started enchanting my Daedric weapons and armor after getting my enchanting up to 100. The effects are nice, but not as nice as this person's. I don't think I have the dedication.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/26/11 05:28 PM
Originally Posted By: CV
[...] my user records are completely gone.


Whew: Update moved data folder
Anyone playing Anno 2070 or L.A. Noire? I just got the former, and am going to get the latter as it's received excellent reviews and looks really cool. I'm also going to pick up Skyrim.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/28/11 07:02 PM
I borrowed LA Noir shortly after it came out. I got so busy at work that I gave it back. I think to this day, neither myself or the original owner have yet to break the shrink wrap on it.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/28/11 07:10 PM
Apparently in Skyrim if you steal anything from the cabin of the old lady's who teaches archery (forget her name) she sends hired thugs after you. Over and over and over again.

I tried to go back and reconcile with her as the thugs are half tough and getting rather annoying but she just keeps telling me how lonely she is. I'm afraid the only other solution is to 'remove the person paying the thugs' bills'.
Whenever I wear the archmage robes and the blue mask that increases magicka regen by 100% (forget the name) my head dissapears.


Originally Posted By: Powertothepeople
Anyone playing Anno 2070 or L.A. Noire? I just got the former, and am going to get the latter as it's received excellent reviews and looks really cool. I'm also going to pick up Skyrim.



I thought L.A. Noire was one of the better games to come out this year. Really enjoyed it. If you go back in this thread we talk about that game. Skyrim is a great game but it is unstable right now with bugs (freezing, framerate issues) and tons of glitches. Skyrim for me is the jack of all trades but the master of none but certainly a worthy experience especially if you are into RPG's and into Morrowind and Oblivion.
Originally Posted By: Bethesda


UPDATE 1.2 NOTES (all platforms unless specified)

Improved occasional performance issues resulting from long term play (PlayStation 3)
Fixed issue where textures would not properly upgrade when installed to drive (Xbox 360)
Fixed crash on startup when audio is set to sample rate other than 44100Hz (PC)
Fixed issue where projectiles did not properly fade away
Fixed occasional issue where a guest would arrive to the player's wedding dead
Dragon corpses now clean up properly
Fixed rare issue where dragons would not attack
Fixed rare NPC sleeping animation bug
Fixed rare issue with dead corpses being cleared up prematurely
Skeleton Key will now work properly if player has no lockpicks in their inventory
Fixed rare issue with renaming enchanted weapons and armor
Fixed rare issue with dragons not properly giving souls after death
ESC button can now be used to exit menus (PC)
Fixed occasional mouse sensitivity issues (PC)
General functionality fixes related to remapping buttons and controls (PC)

After releasing the 1.2 update, we will continue to monitor forums, blogs, etc. for issues you are reporting, and we will keep you updated on further updates to improve your gameplay experience.


LOL at the bolded part. Unfortunetly it doesn't look they addressed any of the freezing issues and main quest bugs.
Originally Posted By: Murph
Apparently in Skyrim if you steal anything from the cabin of the old lady's who teaches archery (forget her name) she sends hired thugs after you. Over and over and over again.

I tried to go back and reconcile with her as the thugs are half tough and getting rather annoying but she just keeps telling me how lonely she is. I'm afraid the only other solution is to 'remove the person paying the thugs' bills'.


I'm specializing in archery. The only female who trains archery is Aela. She's a young Companion in Whiterun and trains up to level 75 (expert). Is that who you mean?
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/29/11 05:16 PM
Oops nope. Sorry, looks like I read a FAQ about trainers and got the name wrong. This explains why the old bird north of Riverwood wouldn't teach me archery either. I think she is a witch from the note in her basement. Apparently she is more connected than I thought because...
Click to reveal..
FYI, if you kill her to stop the goons, you get in deeper trouble. I know have the Dark Brotherhood (Assassins guild) after me. heh heh.

World of Goo (Android)
Can Knockdown 2, Paper Toss on iOS (iPad2)
Fruit Ninja, World of Goo, Angry Birds on Android (Samsung Galaxy 10.1)
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/04/11 03:44 AM
Marathon.

And, thanks to CV, Bejeweled 3. Dammit, Charles!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/04/11 03:54 AM
Hey, you can't blame me when it took you this long to get it!
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/04/11 03:58 AM
Oh, I've had it for ages. I just stopped playing awhile back and forgot about it entirely.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/04/11 04:08 AM
Fair enough. I'm a horrible influence. But not like BobKay!
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/04/11 04:11 AM
I'm an exfluence, but usually only when in the bathroom.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/04/11 06:34 AM
Originally Posted By: pmbuko
I'm an exfluence, but usually only when in the bathroom.

Toss some beans on that bacon and you can be a flatulance too.
Playing Defender on Galaxy 10.1 tablet.

Playing Skyrim still. Random freezing has become more prominant the more hours I put into the game. At least I know now when the game seemingly locks up on loading screens, you take out the batteries out of the controller and the game loads back up....oh Bethesda.

IGN has had there say with the PS3 version...dang...no sweat the 360 version is just as bad. And like you guys say the more hours you invest, the more problems...in my case more freezing.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1214016p1.html


Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/07/11 03:58 PM
No issues yet. Although my late nights have slowed down considerably so my files are not probably into the danger zone yet.
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
Playing Defender on Galaxy 10.1 tablet.

Playing Skyrim still. Random freezing has become more prominant the more hours I put into the game. At least I know now when the game seemingly locks up on loading screens, you take out the batteries out of the controller and the game


I remember shaving to clear the cache on oblivion (or morrowind) by holding down a button hwile loading the game or something. I wonder if there is a similar remedy for the skyrim problem?
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is a fantastically entertaining game. While the gameplay and graphics are top-notch, I enjoy most the writing and interplay between characters. It makes me laugh out loud.

Also, I've been playing Dark Souls. Just as challenging as Demon's Souls. A great extension of that game with one of the most intriguing uses of online play even while playing solo. There is nothing quite as maddening as having my game invaded by another player who ALWAYS seem to be at a vastly higher level than I am.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/12/11 04:31 AM
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
There is nothing quite as maddening as having my game invaded by another player who ALWAYS seem to be at a vastly higher level than I am.


Sounds like my real life.
It's time to level up, CV.

Grind it out.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/12/11 05:05 AM
Ha ha. You need to go out on a motivational speech tour. And maybe release a dance album.
I think I'll combine both.


First, I need to motivate myself to get off the couch.











Yeah. . . . still sitting here.
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is a fantastically entertaining game. While the gameplay and graphics are top-notch, I enjoy most the writing and interplay between characters. It makes me laugh out loud.

Also, I've been playing Dark Souls. Just as challenging as Demon's Souls. A great extension of that game with one of the most intriguing uses of online play even while playing solo. There is nothing quite as maddening as having my game invaded by another player who ALWAYS seem to be at a vastly higher level than I am.


I liked the uncharted 3 beta a lot but haven't played the actual game. I'll probably pick that one up for the campaign when it is cheaper
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/12/11 05:14 AM
I still haven't played the first two [i]Uncharted]i] games. I suck at being a gamer these days.
CV, I highly recommend picking them up. Very entertaining series. Also, there is some continuity in playing them in order.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/12/11 05:19 AM
One of these days.... I don't think there's any hope of catching up on what I already own. I need to hire a teenager to play my games for me. Babysit my consoles and PC.
Make sure she's hot.


And at least 18.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/22/11 01:23 PM
Finally received access to the latest big MMO, "Star Wars - The Old Republic." I was only able to play long enough to create a character and start the newb story line quests for about 40 minutes or so.

So far nothing groundbreaking over other MMOs except a stronger following along a story line progression than most, but it's definitely a refreshing break from the fantasy genre.

It's still too early for me to comment much but initial findings are that combat seems fluid, it ran nicely at high graphics levels for an opening launch and the opening cut scenes are SPECTACULAR. I created both a Republic and a Sith Character just to watch both game openings. I will likely be playing this game for a while if for no other reason than to watch the storyline progress.

Also, I have to say that on my Sith Inquisitor character that I created, there is something darkly satisfying about engulfing your enemy in bright, flashy force lightning. I can't wait to visit the Gungan home world and wreak some fried, floppy ear havoc.

If anyone else decides to pick it up, join the "Constant" server and look for Wraithlin. I think I'll be sticking to the Dark Side for a while.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/29/11 08:13 PM
I’ve spent some more time playing Skyrim and still loving it. I had my first major glitch when I was casting a fire spell and without releasing the button tried to swing my dagger and the whole console locked up, but luckily that’s all so far.

My Character is up to level 32 and although I didn’t start out with a class in mind I’ve gravitated toward an Assassin. I just like the suspense of sneaking around, however that sometimes means leaving Lydia behind because she makes a bunch of noise and jumps into fights when I don’t want her to. If she is your follower don’t leave her anywhere for to many days even at your house in Whiterun. I got a message that she got tired of waiting and left. When I went to Whiterun I couldn’t find her anywhere including back in Dragonsreach. So I reloaded a safe and went and got her to follow me again. I’m not sure how long it took for her to take off though.

I have another sort of follower, Lucian a ghost, who I can summon once a day. Actually he doesn’t count as a follower but rather as a summoned creature. I’ve only used him once but it was the only thing that got me past 3 ghosts that were kicking my but in the Dark Brotherhood quest that gives you Shadowmare (SP).

I’ve take out quite a few dragons now. I’ve been luck and encountered a lot of them near towns so I just run back and let the town guards/people help kill it. I did take out one solo but it was at night and I was able to stay hidden and kill it with arrows.

I’ve found that if I can’t one shot/hit kill the big bads I end up drinking a lot of healing potions since the light armour isn’t helping much. Not to mention a lot of the nasty stuff can one-hit kill you.

I switched to dual wielding daggers since I’ve found that higher DPS actually works better for me than trying to use a shield to block attacks since my armour sucks.

I’ve been saving up a lot of perks and not spending them until I level up the skills I want to use them on.

I’ve found that Detect Life is an awesome spell which I cast regularly while walking around. Really helps as a stealth character to know where the badies are before stumbling on them. Now I just need to find Detect Dead so I can see those suckers too. It’s also easy to level since I cast it as I walk through town, seems the more it detects the faster it levels.
One thing I really hate is that storage containers don’t separate out the stuff you put in them. The work-around is to buy upgrades and store different things in different containers but that also sort of sucks.
We are still loving skyrim as well. My wife has been playing more than me lately I've spent most of my spare time studying for te PE Exam. I think we are level 33 or so. She loves picking ingredients and making potions, I think our alchemy skill is about 80 now. I've gravitated toward a Mage specializing in destruction, prob about level 85 now. ConJuration is probably near 50. I typically run around with a sword in one hand and a fireball or incinerate spell in the other.
Super Stickman Golf on Android/iOS is a MUST play! Awesome game!

I am also going through Combat Evolved Anniversary edition right now. Man I love this game too. Such an epic game for its time. The Library is my favorite level of any shooter ever made.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/01/12 12:10 AM
I played more Skyrim today and got up to level 40 and maxed out my sneak skill. It does make it a lot easier to sneak up on things now but it’s not complete invisibility.

Something annoying has started happening. Any time I fast travel even on foot Shadowmare follows me. It wasn’t happening before so I’m not sure what changed. It’s annoying because if I’m on the ground sneaking it just stays put and I have to go back and jump on it to ride it somewhere else.

I’m expecting to start getting nasty letters from the HOA in Whiterun. I got sick of all the less valuable crap I had collected especially since the house in Whiterun has limited storage containers. So I took everything I didn’t want, can you say way over-encumbered, waddled out the front door and around the corner and dumped it. Holy garbage heap Batman! There must have been a pile of junk at least 15 feet in diameter and about 3 feet high. When I came back after running around a cave I noticed the stuff is starting to spread out as people walk through it. Pretty soon the craps going to be all over town. wink
Funny about the garbage heap. We will be in the same boat soon as the containers in the arch mage quarters are getting pretty full.

The horse i bought followed me around for a while but must have event got killed or something because now its nowhere to be found.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/01/12 03:05 AM
I'm still doing miscellaneous quests and working on my alchemy skill. I'm almost done with that, and then I'll try to make the most insane enchanted weapons and armor I can.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/17/12 05:27 AM
I’m still playing Skyrim trying to get my fill of it before ME3 comes out. I’m at level 53 so far with Speech, Sneak, and Smithing maxed out.

I’m working on Enchanting and am up to level 87. I’d already be at 100 if I’d have found the best enchantment earlier but I just wasn’t find it so I went with the best I had. So now I just found the best one but ran out of filled soul gems. I’ve found hunting along the shoreline an effective way to fill them since the sea creatures don’t move very fast so if my soul trapping bow doesn’t one-shot them they don’t run away. I especially like the Horksters (sp) because I can put an15 second soul trap into arrow into one and then let Lydia kill it with her bow. I not only get the soul but often some free Daedric arrows she uses recovered from the body. I only had to buy one arrow and give it to her and she has an unlimited supply to shoot.

In buying and selling stuff to find more enchantments I finally found a pair of Ebony boots with silence on them for her so now she doesn’t stomp around alerting everything within a mile. Down side is that now I have to periodically turn around to see if she’s still following me because I can’t hear her stomping around.

I’ve had the game hang up on me four times in the last 2 days of gaming. These are different than the occasional hang-up before which were always preceded by me button mashing and hitting multiple incompatible things. These times its things like going through a door or just standing there.

Some other glitches are double looting a dragon I killed when I had to reload after something killed me. I didn’t get a second soul but when the game reloaded it was re-skinned and lootable though still dead. I also had it start raining mammoths, a very impressive sight. They must have spawned up in the air.

Dragons are really starting to annoy me. They keep popping up more and more often when I really want to be focusing on something else. I more dragon souls in the bank than I know what to do with.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/17/12 01:29 PM
Star Wars The Old Republic, my initial review for those who care.

It's proving to be a very well done MMO. Best of all, despite the mass of converts from WoW, it seems that most of the more experienced players moved over to try it and the more famously annoying & immature WoW crowd must have stayed in WoW for it's new expansion. I've been grouping with people from all over the world and it's been a good experience so far. I don't normally play on PVP servers so I can't comment on that aspect. Maybe that is where they are all hiding.

While game play is solid, well paced and combat mechanics were unusually smooth right from opening day. The real strength of this game is it's unusual adherence to a story line combined with the freedom of an MMO. It's other major strength is the AMAZING level of detail put into it. It definitely lives up to the exceptional levels of detail that the movies are known for. You can spend a lot of time just staring at the surroundings. Especially the architecture of the cities. All the planets and locations are very true to the movie versions.

Even if you were disappointed in some aspects of the movies, if you like the concept of the Star Wars Universe at all, this game does the best job to date of making you feel like you really are living a part of it.

I'm especially enjoying my Sith Inquisitor's storyline (think the Emperor with his political deviousness and flashy lightning.) It's refreshingly fun to actually be rewarded for making the most morally wrong decisions you could possibly make for a change. This includes backstabbing and double crossing the very people who give you the quests in the first place, if you feel it suits your whim or your rise to power.

You are not tied to traditional stereotypes though. You can, if you choose, make evil decisions as a Jedi or play your Sith with a growing tendency towards the Light Side. No matter what class you are, your choices and interactions are tracked and you begin to increasingly flow towards the light or dark side. While this obviously influences the outcomes, there are also weapons and other items in the game that can only be used by people who have slid one way or the other far enough to wield them, such as a lightsaber that could only be wielded by the darkest Sith or a blaster rifle that will only be awarded from an NPC who takes note of say a Bounty Hunter's unusual acts towards the light.

Crafting takes a bit of a different angle. I never found I had the time to spend a lot of time building my gathering and crafting skills in other games. I was pleased to discover that as you gain ship and crew, you can actually task your crew with these tasks. They go off and become unavailable for a while but they eventually come back, hopefully successful with the results of their task in hand. You can even train your crew in less traditional MMO skills, like Diplomacy. Send them off to solve a problem. If successful, they will return with appropriate rewards and the mission may even award additional light or dark side points to you.

They have also included space combat. While the ship serves nicely as your home base and lets you roam the differnt planets at will, you can also engage in space combat missions. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed in this aspect. It is a fun distraction but more in a traditional video game kind of way. Missions are all on rails. In other words, it is not true free flight. You can only maneuver in a virtual tunnel that constantly keeps you moving from point A to point B. You have until you get to point B to finish your mission then it's game over.

I know a true space combat simulator would have almost been like building a whole separate game but I think they really missed out on an opportunity here. Partnering with a company who does flight simulations would have given them a truly complete gaming universe like no other. Right now, it's a fun diversion at best but I personally won't be putting any time into it or wasting any in-game credits towards upgrading my ship.

In short for MMO players who are looking for something new, it is not a radically new formula from the usual MMO mechanics but things like the alternate genre instead of fantasy, the strong story lines that follow your whole career instead of just the first nn levels, and a few of the more original combat mechanics (such as classes who actually take advantage of natural cover) will be refreshing enough to make it worth trying out.


Say high to "Wraithlin" on "The Constant" server if you decide to play.
Andrew, your review of Star Wars reminded me to tell you fellow gamers about RydarGames on YouTube. That link goes to his Star Wars The Old Republic Walkthrough Part 1, but if you check out his channel, you'll see he has numerous walkthroughs including one for Skyrim. I think he's one of the best game resources on YouTube.

I don't only watch his videos - for hours on end eek - to see if I'll like a certain game. I really enjoy just watching him play, as his gameplay and commentary are entertaining.
Speaking of Skyrim, do any of you guys play it on a PC?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/18/12 05:25 AM
Yeah, I'm playing it on PC, though I haven't opened it up lately. I need to do that again since my alchemy is close to maxed.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/18/12 12:59 PM
Thanks Cam,
These types of videos are a great way to check out games before buying. Especially when they also require a monthly subscription. New players just have to bear in mind that he is purposefully taking his time so that he can let you see things and can explain what's happening, otherwise, people new to this type of game might think the game play a bit slow.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/18/12 02:04 PM
Thanks for the great review Murph! One of these days I will have to get into MMOs but there already isn’t enough time in the day . . . .
Originally Posted By: CV
Yeah, I'm playing it on PC, though I haven't opened it up lately. I need to do that again since my alchemy is close to maxed.


Charles, you should check out Skyrim Nexus. There's a litany of addons like maps etc., but there's also files that improve the game's performance (FPS el.al.). The only caveat is that you need a very high end computer.
Playing the mass effect 3 demo. Holy smokes what an ep500 workout!
Is anyone going to buy the PlayStation Vita?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/19/12 05:16 AM
A guy at work is getting one, so I'm waiting to see what he thinks of it.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/19/12 03:17 PM
I’ve played a whole lot of Skyrim in the last few weeks and got my character up to 79th level with everything but Two-Handed and Pickpocket maxed out. I did use a couple of cheats on some skills like speech where there’s a guy you can keep having the same dialogue with over and over, and I beat the crap out of, pin cushioned, and flamed the horse. Otherwise just used various power leveling tricks.

I’ve made some weapons and improved some armour but haven’t done anything close to the optimizing routines out there but still pretty powerful. I Three-shot a dragon with dwarven arrows and beat the big bad dragon the first time with about 5 daedric (sp) arrows.

I’ve managed to put together a nice little “party” with Lydia, the conjured shadow assassin, and whatever conjured creature I want and when outdoors the horse joins in the fray. Even with relatively unenhanced light armour I can now take three hits from a giant before going sub-orbital.

I’m collecting up ingredients for making some smithing and enchanting potions to max out some weapons.

About the most interesting thing I’ve found recently was a huge set of underground ruins that took about a day (real time) to completely explore. There were lots of soul gems to be mined there.

I still have 25 unassigned perks to play with. The big decision I haven’t made is to go up the heavy or light armour side of the smithing tree. I think weapons smithing is going to push me toward the heavy side despite the sneak hit and weight for heavy armour. I should be able to make up for some of the weight by smithing my own weapons with double enchantments so I’m not carrying around 3 bows. Also I found (by reading forums) that Lydia can supposedly carry an unlimited amount if you direct her to pick it up rather than handing it directly to her, though some people have reported glitches when done with large numbers of the same item. However, the reality is that except for the ruin, which was so huge, I haven’t been near my own carrying cap for some time since I don’t really need to pick up much heavy stuff anymore, though lugging around a 20 lb. Elder Scroll is getting annoying.

I’ve only had one major glitch in the last several weeks where the game just froze. Of course it was just after I’d collected a bunch of butterfly wings without saving. Otherwise it’s only been minor glitches like having to fast travel or leave a room to get an NPCs dialogue options to reset or to get the next progression in a quest.

I must resist peeking at Mass Effect 3. wink
It's a slick looking device but I'm not sure if it will take especially with the popularity of tablets and the abundance amount of game development surrounding iOS and Android. It definitely has some big advantages over a portable gaming device like a tablet with the controls.

Playstation Vita developers will have to step up because of the reviews of the launch games I have seen so far on TV, the games are not that great.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/19/12 04:32 PM
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
It definitely has some big advantages over a portable gaming device like a tablet with the controls.


Yeah, the dual analog sticks are the main reason I'd consider it. Of course, if I'm going to be playing games, I'd much rather do it on my main system. I'm never away from home long enough to really feel the need for mobile gaming. I've started taking my Kindle Fire to work, but only to catch up on online stuff during breaks. If I have any time after that, I read on my other Kindle.
Originally Posted By: CV
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
It definitely has some big advantages over a portable gaming device like a tablet with the controls.


Yeah, the dual analog sticks are the main reason I'd consider it. Of course, if I'm going to be playing games, I'd much rather do it on my main system. I'm never away from home long enough to really feel the need for mobile gaming. I've started taking my Kindle Fire to work, but only to catch up on online stuff during breaks. If I have any time after that, I read on my other Kindle.


I am more into the casual aspect of mobile gaming so a tablet really fills that void nicely. It also has unbelievable dev support. The simplistic and intuitive nature of playing games on a tablet I find provides a nice contrast to what I usually play on console and PC.
I spent all weekend beating Mass Effect 2 (played the demo for 3 also). So I'm all ready for March 6th.

Oh, I also have a Vita pre-ordered, so I'll have that to play with for a couple weeks before ME3.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/20/12 04:48 PM
Back when ME2 came out I played though both ME1 and ME2 enough times to get a both a “good” and a “bad” maxed out character to port over to ME3. Now I just hope I can figure out which saves they are. eek
Have you played the "Arrival" DLC for ME2? It came out after ME3 was most of the way through development, and ties 2 to 3. I played the demo for 3 before finishing the last two DLCs of 2, so knowing how 3 starts I can see how what happens at the end of Arrival links to Shepard's initial position.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/20/12 10:28 PM
No I haven’t played the DLC. I’ll check it out. My main interest if the character progression continues through the DLC to ME3 since I really don’t want to start over again right now from ME1 though at some point I probably will since I just love the whole ME universe.
Oh yeah, the DLC integrates right into the main story. There are two that are even intended to be completed after the return from the Omega relay, The Shadow Broker, and Arrival, and definitely choices made in all the DLC will have an affect on ME3.

Have you reached level 30? It took the final mission of Arrival to hit the cap for me.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/21/12 05:34 PM
I hit max level in both games but did it with multiple plays. Only during the last play did I make all the decisions I wanted to carry over which is how I read it works. However, looks like I’ll have to be getting at least the two the bridge the games.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/05/12 04:59 AM
I got to the highest rank in Bejeweled 3 without realizing it. For some reason I thought I was gunning for 137, but it actually stops giving new titles at 131. I'm at 135, but I've been an Elder Bejewelian since 131. I doubt there are many people who are sad enough to get to this rank. Congratulate me.
Um, congratulations on your uber-nerdiness?


Your cape and pocket protector are in the mail.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/06/12 03:40 PM
ME3 . . . called in dead to work.
I've just started playing Minecraft. I thought it was just stupid until I started playing. Now for some reason I am addicted. Just last night I went fishing and then took the fish and tamed a wild ocelot and turned it into a domestic cat that wards off creepers (green baddies that get close to you and then blow themselves up).

It is a completely different change of pace from my usual first person shooter gaming.
Originally Posted By: grunt
ME3 . . . called in dead to work.


So, how is it?
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/06/12 05:43 PM
I don't expect to hear from him again for at least a few days.
I'm looking at my ME3 collectors edition box sitting on my desk next to me here at work. It is making me feel ill. smile
Need a Doctor's note?

I'll provide any Axiomite a get out of work free note for the low low price of $129.95 FREE with your initial consultation at my office at the Hollywood Upstairs Medical College!
Posted By: Bayne Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/06/12 08:29 PM
My lovely wife just picked-up my copy of ME3. Good thing I booked tomorrow off work.
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/06/12 08:38 PM
Just remember in ME3 that the correct answer to "so, looks like we've got some time to kill" is "cool... well, see you later" and not "hold me tight!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aaYjcadKt0

Bren R.
Posted By: Bayne Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/06/12 08:59 PM
No! My eyes. My eyes. Why did you do that to me! smile
Only played ME3 for about 6 hours compared to 150+ hours of Skryim. Mass Effect 3 is such a polished game in comparison IMO. Much better game. I prefer the environments, level of detail in the characters, game play mechanics, controls, combat, the characters themselves and story telling. Has more dynamic range , but Skryim was no slouch and had a good soundtrack as well. So far it seems Skyrim utilized the surrounds more.
Posted By: BrenR Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/06/12 11:36 PM
Originally Posted By: Bayne
No! My eyes. My eyes. Why did you do that to me! smile


I haven't played a console game since... I dunno... Donkey Kong Country 2... but I saw that on Penny Arcade yesterday.

I fear for the future of video games.

Bren R.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/07/12 05:34 AM
Well I’ve been playing ME3 for about 14 hours and so far I have mixed feelings about it.

Pros – Well it’s ME. No stupid “mini-games,” like decrypting locks or computer terminals or endlessly searching for minerals. The searching is still there but now you scan parts of a system (not to bad) to find various goodies. The enemy combat AI seems better as enemies move around laterally more making them harder to hit. Traveling on the Citadel is simple so far as elevators take you pretty much everywhere. Imported character plus squad mates get lots of skill points to spend and you start with good Paragon/Renegade bonuses already (I don’t know yet if the difficulty scales to your level).

Cons – So far when you run around the Citadel none of your shipmates go with you so you don’t hear the banter between them. The overall use of surround sound doesn’t seem to create as much ambiance as in ME and ME2. You still have to run all over the ship to talk with crewmates between mission (I miss the campfire in DA). Had to swap out to disk two for the very first side mission I did and then switch back right after finishing it (not happy about this at all).

Undecided – The Galactic war is an interesting concept but I don’t see it having a very interesting impact.

Different but don’t care – Weapons have upgrades again and the interface is fine but I don’t get any big thrill out of them like sniping at bad guy’s feet in ME with HE rounds and watching them fly into the air.

A better video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe880ShbYQk
It asked for disk 2 right before I was about to go to bed. I also thought this was a bit early on (11hrs in or so) for swapping disks. That was disappointing. I was so tired at that point that I just swapped the disks then went to bed. I think I swapped disks only once or twice in about 70-80hrs of gameplay in ME2.

This is where the advantages of Blu-ray comes in on the PS3 but porting to the cell has bugs/potential crashes compared to the 360 version. PS3 ports of ME2 and ME3 are buggier than the 360. ME3 has been a clean game so far.
Oh and another thing...RANT

It started with thin, cheap game manuals that only gave you reading material like the controls , then "environmentally friendly eek game cases" (Skyrim, ME3) which just means cheap and flimsy.

The new trend in ME3 is no hard copy of the user manual at all. They provide you with it in game. This blows and I hate it.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/07/12 04:30 PM
How much of your ME2 character's abilities made it into ME3. Is there story line effects from the previous game like last time?
You're character's abilities are exactly copied over, with a 5th and 6th option to level them up further. (Once you have access to the medbay, you can also respec.)

From ME1 to 2, there were several dozen story options carried over. From 2 to 3 there are 1500. Sure, they're mostly little things, but basically anything you did in 2 could have some little influence in 3.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/08/12 04:12 AM
Well I managed to log about 12 more hours on ME3 today and feel like it’s picking up a bit more. I think the biggest difference is that this one feels more plot driven whereas the other seemed more character driven. This is more of a minor quibble but I did like the greater character interaction before.

I’ve only had one major glitch so far. During a fight the most of the audio dropped out and all I could hear was the shots coming from one gun. I tried everything I could think of to fix it but finally had to turn the console off and back on again to reset the audio.

I also had a minor glitch were a teammate wouldn’t jump over a wall and follow me but despite this I was still able to direct her to target her powers on enemies in a fight two rooms away. At the end of the fight she suddenly appeared in the room.

I had another problem but can’t call it a glitch. During a cut scene were two big monsters are fighting it out with a lot of midbass flying out of the mains my surge protector tripped. Granted I had the Onkyo, Xbox 360, a fan and 4 computers running off it but that’s the first time it’s ever tripped even though I’ve had all that and the Buttkicker amp going before.

I thought I had another glitch were one of my teammates seemed to randomly spawn a few feet in the air and drop to the ground and start fighting. Then I realized it was the drone they could create with a biotic power but instead of being a floating ball like before it was and exact copy of them.

I’ve had to load and unload disk 2 two more times for a total of 3. Every time was when I was starting a side quest and then again when finishing it.
Since the first disk swap I had on Tuchanka I have been doing just secondary missions and scanning to minimize swapping. Scanning is way too quick this time. They still haven't found a middle ground. My only other complaint is your squadmates are underwhelming compared to ME2.

I agree with you on the surrounds/ambience. It is definitely not as good as ME2. But on one side mission there were canon blasts from a distance coming out of the surrounds which sounded good.
Underwhelming? I just did a mission to save a [redacted] female. I took one squad mate that's been there since the first game, and the DLC character from 3. I was barely able to score any kills myself; these two are too effective.
I started off with a fresh character.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/08/12 03:23 PM
I also imported a maxed out Shepard which makes my Squatmates a two “woman” wrecking crew. Between Liara spamming singularities every 4-5 seconds and the other one a little slower with some sort of fireballs I can sit back and watch them take out about 75% of all baddies w/o hitting a button on normal difficulty. I’m the only shooter so there’s just some stuff I have to take on because their powers are ineffective. If I direct Liara she pretty much dominates the battlefield. Also, so far I think I’ve only had to heal squadmates about 3 times though I’m probably at about 10 times that for myself because of rushing into bad situations. Part of that might be that I maxed out their defensive capabilities sine I used to have to heal them all the time in the previous games.

However, the selection of squatmates seems limited, or I just can’t find the others, and I miss the banter between them which seems almost non-existent this time around.

I agree with you Jay that there have been a few good surround moments now, including some directional cues like where I’m receiving fire from or bad things sneaking up on me but nothing close to the quality of Skyrim, and it still seems something is lacking in the overall presentation compared to the first two.

Well crap, I can’t get out of going into work today for a 1st aid class that pretty much covers the same stuff I’ve been taught for the last 35 years. I might have to punch out early if no one else is.
Liara seems weak to me, but that's because my character is an Adept. I go with two light pistols, so I get a 200% speed boost in my cooldown, and I put a singularity out there, once a couple people get trapped I hit them with a warp, and boom! they explode causing damage to other surrounding foes.

As for squadmate selection, Bioware made the decision to slim it down this game. I think there are six permanent, plus one DLC.

Oh, you asked before, yes difficulty does ramp with level, but seems pretty well balanced so far.
Shepard accomplished a lot today. He got some cool armors, purchased a spectre sniper rifle, accumulated 3/4 of the war assets, decked out his aquarium, received the mail slot achievement and is now working on shagging the on-ship news reporter....
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/09/12 12:43 PM
In contrast, in 'Star Wars - The Old Republic', my Sith Inquisitor character just killed his hot master (who turned out to be an old hag anyways) and is now shocking his partner into submission to force him to release her spirit for needed intel, since she possessed my partner's (OK he is really a slave) body upon death. All of this so I can find another ghost to absorb into my own self so I can grow my power in order to destroy yet another level of Sith leadership and claim it as my own.

It's true.... The dark side does have cookies!
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon


As for squadmate selection, Bioware made the decision to slim it down this game. I think there are six permanent, plus one DLC.


I have six. What class is the DLC squadmate?
I took a break from ME3 to play through Journey (I'm a PS+ subscriber so I got it a week early). Wow, one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had. Yes, it is short (took me about 90 minutes from beginning to end), but I loved every minute. There's a trophy for returning to the game after a week off, I don't know if I can wait that long before going back for another play-through.
As soon as I pass the PE exam in buying like 6 video games...
Posted By: cb919 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/10/12 12:40 PM
Chris, nice to see you back again. Thanks for the thoughts on Journey - I think I'll get it when available (I am not a PS+ member).

I've actually started back into GT5 again. My almost 9 y.o. son has recently gotten into it, and it's fun to start teaching him about different cars and driving techniques. He's also getting into the slow grind of winning races to make money so he can buy the cars he really wants. While this can be slow for a video game it's kind of neat to see him committed to this. He even tried a B-Spec race with a level zero driver. He put him in the old Cobra and it was looping on every other turn. So I stepped him through driver motivation, experience, car handling due to front engine rear wheel drive etc... So after losing he put the driver into a moderately powered front wheel drive car and placed in the top 3. It all made me re-appreciate how much detail they put into this game.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/10/12 04:17 PM
I finally found 6 squad members though I still only pick the hotties to “beam” down with me. Hey a renegade Shepard should always have a babe on each arm.

Liara finally dumped me when she found out I’d gotten back with Tali. That didn’t take much, just a conversation about getting back together and bang I get the paramour achievement without even getting a make out scene. I had already had to send the skanky reporter packing and unfortunately the best looking IMO option apparently only plays for the other team. So that makes a total of 4 (Liara, the consort, Jack and Tali) out of a theoretical 6-7 babes missing out on the Yeoman (no Kirk achievement for me), and one or two others here in ME3 depending on whether the skank is considered just a fling or a real LI. I’ve yet to take Tali and Liara on a mission together, not sure if I want to get caught in the crossfire.

I finally had a mission were the banter between my squatmates was well written, too bad they all haven’t been that way.

Right now I’m running around cleaning up as many of the side missions as I can since I’m getting a feeling if I progress the plot to much further I’m going to lose out on them. I know I’ve already blown a few through plot progression or missing a clue to pick something up.

Another thing I forgot to mention that I like about ME3 is the quick save. Although the game auto-saves pretty well I use the quick save button a lot since it doesn’t take you out of gameplay.

Finished ME3 with a renegade Infiltrator. I enjoyed this game a lot. Next run through will be on maxed out difficulty as a paragon Engineer.

I only had two disk swaps the entire game. The first one was from disk one to disk two when landing on Tuchanka and then switching back to disk one at
Click to reveal..
the mission to assault the Illusive Man's base.



Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/12/12 03:21 AM
I think I’m up to the last priority mission. I’ve got 4 side missions that I just can’t clear and some of them still seem to be flagging systems or places on the Citadel for me to visit but can find a thing. I’ve even looked up walkthroughs but can’t find them for these mission yet. I’m guessing something timed out on them so I’m just out of luck. Although I’ve got time to finish tonight I’m going to wait so I can savor the last moments.

AFAIR I’ve had 6 disk swaps in this first run through probably because of the order I did the missions.

I did have trouble on one boss fight where Shepard has to fight alone in a non-standard way. I must have been killed and reloaded 50 times, looked up cheats and finally just had to lower the difficulty to “narrative” to get past it since at that point it was just pissing me off.

So far it’s been excellent. I love how they streamlined the weapons upgrades and scanning for that matter everything about the interface is outstanding. The plot has also been outstanding including things I’ve noticed that carried over from previous games despite not having played them in a while. There have even been some interesting reverences to movies like when Joker mentions that no one will detect them unless someone starts singing the Russian national anthem.
I have a handful of stuck quests too. I'm pretty sure I've got the items from scanning, but no one is there to take them off my hands. I think it is because I triggered the "change" at the Citadel too quickly.

I'm nearing the end now, just had the game lock up on me, so I figured that was a good place to stop for the weekend. (I've had about six previous lockups, almost always on a loading screen. So yeah, the PS3 version is buggier.)
Originally Posted By: grunt
I’ve even looked up walkthroughs but can’t find them for these mission yet.


Dean, I've been watching TheMediaCows ME3 walkthrough played by Dewey. Here's episode 1, but he's currently at 21. I don't know if Dewey is farther than you, so it might not help. I do know he's in the Citadel, as his last two or three episodes are of him walking around in it.
I ran into a few minor framerate issues on my first play through on the 360 but that's about it. Not a single crash. Load times were excellent. Overall a very fluid experience. The only complaint I have about the gameplay is the cover system. Gears of War 3 has perfected it and in comparison a bit clunky.

I miss being able to crouch as well. I loved sniping in the crouch position out of cover in the first one.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/12/12 05:41 PM
I also had occasional framerate issues which were always associated with loading a new area so they never affected combat. I agree that the cover system is still flawed. I lost count of how many times I ran up to a wall for cover and just stood there taking fire. I’m sure that on insane it would mean instant death.

I want to also be clear that the 6 disk swaps are total times I had to get up and walk to the machine not 6 times swapping back and forth.

I agree that the overall experience is very fluid with little taking you out of the game world. Most of my issues with it are really minor quibbles based on the overall excellence which tends to make the minor things stand out.

@ Cam – I haven’t check out that walkthrough and until recently avoided almost all spoilers unless I was just at wits end. I will however take advantage of hints and walkthroughs on subsequent plays to make sure I’m not missing anything interesting.
How many hours for a typical play through on ME3?
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
How many hours for a typical play through on ME3?


I clocked in around 46 hours. Not skipping dialogue, completing all side missions, earning reputation with squad mates whenever I could, completing all planet scanning and maxing out my war assets. The only thing I did not do was increase my Galactic Readiness (which you increase through MP apparently). Mine stayed at 50%.

Your War Assets and Galactic Readiness do have an impact from what I have read after I beat the game.
There's also an iApp that will boost your percentage of readiness. I find that kind of crappy, basically unless you play online or have an iDevice you only get 50% credit for what you do.

I played one online match and my readiness went to 55%, but the next day it was down to 54%. That's even worse, so apparently your online work also decays over time.

Well, at least if you do ALL the side quests, you can still max out your resources, even if only half of them are being counted.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/13/12 07:19 AM
I read that Bioware says you can still get the best ending even without getting your readiness above 50% and you don’t even need to max out your assets though there is a cutoff which they didn’t mention.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/15/12 11:25 PM
I just finished playing ME3 and have to start by saying the ending(s) are horrible. I don’t want to explain how in too much detail so I’ll try to dance around the subject from the most minor to major issues I have.

First there are huge plot holes, no Grand Canyons would more appropriate. There’s no real meaningful revelation as a payoff for the journey. What revelation there is completely illogical (i.e. self-contradictory). None of the endings are all that satisfying emotionally. None of the endings are really any different from each other, you get the same exact cut scenes with 2 very minor (and I mean very minor so you better be paying attention) differences based on a whole 2 of the thousands of decisions you made during gameplay. The whole ending takes you completely out of gameplay and more or less dumps you in an extended cut scene where you get a couple interrupt options and an option to “choose” the ending.

Prior to this the game itself is excellent. In some ways it’s better than its predecessors and in others not as good. On the big plus side the mechanics of the game are greatly improved helping maintain the suspension of disbelief more so than the previous two. OTOH I just didn’t feel this version told as compelling a personal story for the player or NPCs. One thing I can say is that I see no reason to ever play through the very ending again. I think watching it is just a complete waste of time.

Sucks about the ending....
I just cruised through ME3 on insanity as an engineer...wasn't difficult at all.

I just started to replay ME as a Sentinel. I really miss this level of micro-management which is absent in 2 and 3. ME holds up really well to this day.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/20/12 06:58 AM
Was it a new character or an import?

Both the characters I made to import were soldiers the only real difference was one being very paragon and the other not, however with that not making any meaningful difference in the ending I doubt I’ll import my other character and just play again with a new one of a different class and based on what you’re saying an engineer on insanity sounds good.
My insanity run was with an imported character. Combat drone, carnage, turret worked well. On insanity I like to go more heavy on cooldown, radius and shields vs damage with myself and the party when upgrading. I also micro-managed the weight and number of weapons we carried a lot more for cooldown to be more effective. As for weapons I just carried a sniper and smg.

I complemented the engineer with Liara and Garrus.
The majority of the time going through Mast Effect (the first one) and casually playing Angry Birds Space.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/26/12 03:00 PM
I moved back to Skyrim mostly just wandering around and finding places and completing some miscellaneous quests.

I’m really liking the perk that slows time when you aim with your bow. Is makes hitting moving targets much easier and the slow motion effect is pretty cool especially when the arrow hits them. The added bonus is I’ve finally found a use for all the stamina potions I’ve found since I blow through stamina quickly using it.
I'm really enjoying going through the ME series again. I'm on 2 now. Imported my Sentinel and currently doing an insanity run as an adept on 2.
Ughh. First time playing as an adept on 2 and it is my least favorite class on this one. Sentinel was a beast on insane.
Let me guess you don't usually play as wizards in fantasy RPGs? The adept is basically a magic class. On 3, I'd go with one light weight pistol (I'd go weaponless if it was allowed), to get a 200% decrease on recharge time. On 2 it doesn't really matter, I'd usually go with a sniper rifle, so I can keep my distance, but I'd hardly ever fire it.

Adepts hang back, a combination of Singularity, and then hit any affected enemies with Warp, and you can kill pretty easily. But don't get up close, let your squad handle the run and gun stuff.

That's pretty much how wizards play, they're back line support. Lobbing the nukes in from a distance.
I've played as an adept multiple times in ME. I try to hang back with every class on insanity. The is the first time playing as an adept on insane. Adept is one of the weaker classes on the higher difficulty on 2 IMO. Sentinel and infiltrator are my favorite. I really like the sentinel because of the tech armour. It is such a beast. In ME1, I found adept to be one of the best classes. I really liked the engineer in ME3. In ME1 the engineer was nerfed.
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon

Adepts hang back, a combination of Singularity, and then hit any affected enemies with Warp, and you can kill pretty easily. But don't get up close, let your squad handle the run and gun stuff.



This strategy doesn't work as singularity is rendered useless against any enemy with a shield or armour or both. You have to take out their shield and armour before you can use singularity.
That is true, and I guess you see a lot more of those on the higher difficulty. That's basically the only time I shoot, or order my squad mates to use techniques to knock out shields/armor.
Every single enemy has some form of shield, armour, barrier or a combination of all the above. Adept doesn't match up well especially in the early going. Now that I have leveled up a lot especially warp it is more managable but not that fun. The adept is a one trick pony on insane.
Is there any consensus as to whether ME3 is better on 360 or PS3?
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Is there any consensus as to whether ME3 is better on 360 or PS3?


It's a tradeoff between stability vs disk swapping. The game is more stable on the 360 in terms of framerate, freezing issues. The PS3 is on a single Blu-ray disk as opposed to two DVD's on the 360.
I'm sticking with the 360 version as I've played the other two on the Xbox.
I finally got around to beating ME3 today. I was going to put it off until there was more DLC to play, but was getting tired of dodging spoilers. I will say that the newest patch for the PS3 seems to have fixed all the crashing bugs for me. Not one lockup in 14 hours of play.

I took the green ending. I found it to be OK.

I'm really ready for the next Dragon Age, bring it on!
MLB 2K12

The player animations are really bad and I still need to get use to the infield defensive mechanics but the gameplay is surprisingly fun, especially the pitching mechanics.
I haven't found a baseball game I've liked since High Heat Baseball 2004 for the PS2. Despite some flaws, I found the pitching/batting interface to be the most natural feeling of all the others I've tried.
Have you played 2k12? It has it's flaws for sure, but the pitching system is incredibly realistic and satisfying.
Haven't played 2K12. Don't think I've tried that series at all as it generally been a little "arcadey"?

I'll read up on it.

I think i'm just ultra-picky when it comes to baseball games. I should just design my own. . .
Ok, so what is recommended on Ps3 or 360? I'm getting ME3, but need something else. Shooter, RPG, action, sports whatever.

Any thoughts?
Sports games

MLB 12: The Show (PS3 exclusive).
NBA 2K12 (this is the best sports game among critics)
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/14/12 02:39 PM
2K12. The most pointless acronym ever.
Ken, sometimes it's tough to have to type 0.
Originally Posted By: Ken.C
2K12. The most pointless acronym ever.


Not really. It's called branding.
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
Ken, sometimes it's tough to have to type 0.



Yeah, its a pretty long reach!

Is the nba2k12 best on 369 or ps3 or does it matter?
Multi-platform games are usually less glitchy on the 360. There are a few sites that say there are minor graphical improvements on the 360 version. Your controller preference should also factor in.
I got tired of shooting things up for a while and just downloaded a little gem for the PS3 called Journey, beautiful graphics and superb sound track. Nothing like anything I've played before and I'm really enjoying it.
Trying to play forza 3, but my darn American car pack won't download off the second disk. Thy used to be installed but I deleted them a while back for space....
Phew, got the cars to load. Let's see how well I drive after u get a few whiskey's in me!

Trying to decide if I want to get forza 4 but afraid it may just seem like the same game...
I'm liking MLB 2K12 even more now as I progress. It's a challenging game and the gameplay delivers. One of the more underrated sports games I have played considering how bad the industry reviews are.
Can you play as future Hall of Famer Brett Lawrie?
Originally Posted By: medic8r
Can you play as future Hall of Famer Brett Lawrie?


He is an absolute beast in this game. His AI is progressing really fast. Currently leading the league in batting AVG and RBI's. For context I'm 5th in the A.L east and struggling hitting with most (bottom especially) of my lineup.

I actually purchased a discounted pre-order for wait for it...Diablo III! Hard to believe it's no longer vapor ware. Let's hope it doesn't dissapoint...
Originally Posted By: Spoiler

I actually purchased a discounted pre-order for wait for it...Diablo III! Hard to believe it's no longer vapor ware. Let's hope it doesn't dissapoint...



It has to be better than Duke Nukem Forever (oh the irony)...
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/20/12 11:52 AM
I think I'll be trying Diablo III. Yet another game I won't have time to play. I haven't even removed the shrink wrap from Christmas's Batman, Arkham City yet.
I've been playing Arkham City currently. I like it.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/23/12 01:56 AM
For the last couple weekends I haven’t been travelling I’ve been marathon playing Shyrim and finally played through to the end of the main quest line.

I actually hadn’t intended to complete the main quest but once you start a certain quest you are locked in and have to finish the endgame to get out into normal play again, although this isn’t a deal breaker since you can continue playing as if the game never ended. Be prepared for a fight if you’re not high level a powerful since you get ganged up on by some badasses along the way. It wasn’t the best endgame ever but it sure bet the crap out of ME3l’s. Hell farting in the bathtub is more interesting than the ME3 endgame.
Originally Posted By: grunt
Hell farting in the bathtub is more interesting than the ME3 endgame.


*note to self--up intake of chili before bath time.


*oh, and queue up Flight of the Valkyries to make it epic.
I just picked up The Witcher 2 for the 360. Very excited to see it released on console.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/23/12 02:12 AM
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
Originally Posted By: grunt
Hell farting in the bathtub is more interesting than the ME3 endgame.


*note to self--up intake of chili before bath time.


*oh, and queue up Flight of the Valkyries to make it epic.


Would using bubble bath count as DLC?
Dean, that was too funny! laugh
I bought a used copy of Resonance of Fate on 360. It's a pretty neat game so far but I'm only about 3 hours in. Sort of a japanese style RPG, with semi turn based battles with guns. I think the battle system is pretty good, but still getting the hang of it. Overall the game seems pretty enjoyable, and for $17 I can't complain.
David, I gave that game a shot a while back, but could never really get the hang of the battle system. I liked it, but I could never hit that moment where things clicked into place. It wasn't for lack of trying. I restarted on three separate occasions and tried to go slow through the training stuff.
I think I'm getting the hang of it but need to level up a bit as I'm stuck on the boss for the mission where I have to put the flower on the grave on level 6.

I like it, seems to be a change of pace
Really digging the battle system of resonance of fate now (after 5 hours in). The game can still be tough at times but is definitely fun. We'll see if it can keep my attention long enough to finish the game...
I finally beat the boss I was stuck on on resonance of fate. Took a couple days to level up and learn the ins and outs of te battle system, but even then it took me 4 tries to beat him. I am finding this game extremely fun and the battle system rewarding (but tough at times). Anyone who is a fan of the J-RPG style game should definitely give this a try
Diablo III

Max Payne 3

Tomorrow...
So, how is diablo III. I was a huge fan of diablo 1 and 2...
It gets released tomorrow.
I've been thinking about "LA Noire" recently. . . I think because of my love/hate relationship with it.

I loved the concept of solving crimes and trying to read the suspects. The feel of L.A. was great and I loved the integration of the city into the plot.

What I hated was the arc of the narration. . . .what was a moving and involving narrative about Phelps fell apart near the end and the last third or fourth act of the game was clumsy. I'm being vague. . .trying not to spoil it for those that haven't played it yet.

It bothers me because the game really was something different and special. . . but it lost a bit of focus.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/15/12 04:10 PM
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy

It bothers me because the game it was really was something different and special. . . but it lost a bit of focus.


Just like Jon Bon Jovi.
I've opened up my copy of Max Payne 3 and if you have both the PS3 and 360, the 360 version is two disks. Disk one has half the single player and multiplayer and disk two is the rest of the single player.

At Future Shop I got a $20 off coupon (shows up on the receipt for Max Payne 3) for GTA V which is an added bonus which I didn't expect.
Originally Posted By: Murph
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy

It bothers me because the game it was really was something different and special. . . but it lost a bit of focus.


Just like Jon Bon Jovi.


Once the hair was gone, so went the magic.
I'm in the middle of chapter 3 right now and the single player is pretty darn good. When there is a large lag in development in a series they usually are disappointing but not in this case. This game wraps you right in from the beginning.
Rog and I got our copies of Diablo III at midnight and played until 5am. (I'm getting waaay too old for that shit)

So far I'd give it a mixed review. It's not much different than Diablo II as far as game play goes. The story/dialog is a bit weak. The ability to customize your character through skill leveling and stats is very limited.

Hopefully they can improve upon the customizationabilty (is that a word? It should be.) with future updates.

You can play at four different levels. "Normal" should be renamed "easy", as it's the lowest level and is damn easy. It's essentially a tutorial level. After 5 or so hours of play I've only had to drink one healing potion, and even then, I probably could have gotten by without it.

That said, it's still the best button masher I've played since Diablo II.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/16/12 06:25 PM
I picked it up yesterday evening and I agree with you. Although I only played it until about 1:30.

Most of the fun came from the fact that because it's been so long since 1 and 2 have been out ,that there was actually a feeling of nostalgia. You are right though, it is essentially the same game with not a whole lot to distinguish the game play from the previous.

As an MMORPG player, I actually got pissed off when my character was replying to NPCs on it's own. So far, all of the discussions with NPCs have been on rails and you have no say in how you respond or what choice you might make as to how to handle the situation.

Still, I had fun and I will play it more. I'm disaponted because I expected a lot more changes but since I enjoyed #1 and #2 a lot, I can be very happy playing this one if I just consider it a very long overdue expansion pack, instead of a new version.
Originally Posted By: spiffnme


"Normal" should be renamed "easy", as it's the lowest level and is damn easy. It's essentially a tutorial level.



I'm glad you brought this up and this is another thing I like about Max Payne 3 is that it is completely opposite on the difficulty scale and most games in general. I'm going through my first run on "normal" and it plays more like shooters that are on the hard difficulty. There are actually 3 more difficulty levels above normal and I have a feeling its going to be very tough. I love the challenge.
I'm on chapter 8 now. One, if not the best 3rd person shooters of this gen. Although there still is no game that can match Gears of War cover system. This game has been an excellent experience so far. Kudos to Rockstar.

Sooooooo worth a rental for the single player. Buy it if your interested in multiplayer.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/28/12 09:55 AM
I restarted Skyrim as a mage since my 80th level Assassin/Thief/Archer has done all the major quests and is so over the top powerful there just isn’t any challenge. Plus I reached one of my final goals, to get three babes living with me, Lydia as housecarl, Aela as companion and Njada as wife.

First off this mage is kicking butt like the Assassin/Archer never could early on. I picked up the Elf Archer follower in the first town and grabbed the Conjure Flame Atronach spell so I basically can have a 3 person party any time I want. I went through a dungeon that my first character must have died 20+ times in when the bad guys came in waves. This time I didn’t even need to drink a potion, the mage et. al. just slaughtered everyone.

The character is already 9th level and I’m not even “gaming” the skills to run them up faster. One thing that’s helped speed things up is this time around I know about hiring wagons to get to major settlements so I don’t have to walk there the first time like I did the first time around. Also I ran over and got the blessing from the “Lovers Stone” right away so ever skill is leveling faster rather than just the class grouping.

I’ve also killed the first dragon and bought the house in Whiterun and switched over to Lydia as a follower since she pairs better as a tank with the mage than the elf archer did.

So far playing the mage is much more interesting than the archer. I don’t’ thing this is just because it’s new but because there are so many different attack options. I can sneak up and cast “fury” on a group of characters and watch them kill each other. Conjure a flame atronach to tank and blast things for me and if the going gets tough sent Lydia in to cleave heads.

Wow..you're inspiring me for another run myself, after I get my fill of Diablo 3 and Battlefield 3 of course...
Dean, I was going to inquire about your Skyrim gameplay today. You heard my thoughts smile.

I'm currently at level 65 and don't find it a challenge fighting anyone or anything. Yesterday I fought two elder dragons simultaneously, and killed them handily.

I'm at level 100 in heavy armour (it's actually at 125 for some reason), one handed, block, alchemy, smithing, sneak, enchanting and archery. I'm currently putting my effort towards increasing magic (using destruction to attack), pickpocketing and two handed (which was my original attack modus operandi). Also, my heavy dragon armour is rated at 1065 (without the 25% matching set increase perk).

One thing that REALLY sucks is that I can't complete quite a few quests because I ended up picking up some quest items - from exploring and entering caves etc. at random - before actually receiving the quest related to each item. Bethesda needs to fix this IMO.

Outside of the Night Mother, The Companions and The Thieves Guild, I'm having an excruciating time finding quests; especially longer ones.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/28/12 04:02 PM
Hey Cam, if you haven’t already, since you are focusing on magic, you could do the “College of Winerhold” quest line, it lasts a while. It’s also required to gain access to purchasing some master skill spells. So does the “Stormcloaks” quest line, and I assume the “Imperial Legion” one if you go that route instead, however they are often group attacks on strongholds. I haven’t tried the “Bards College” line so I can’t comment on that one.

If you haven’t been there yet there’s a huge ruin called Blackreach found after traversing Alftand which is part of the main quest line and also has at least one extensive side quest. This is pretty much just one extensive dungeon trek but the place is huge and has lots of interesting things to find and look at.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/28/12 04:08 PM
Cam, I don't want to be rude or nosey, but how do you play video games? Do you have voice controls for all of them, or is there something else you use?
Originally Posted By: Ken.C
Cam, I don't want to be rude or nosey, but how do you play video games? Do you have voice controls for all of them, or is there something else you use?


That's not rude or nosey at all, Ken. I'd rather have people know, rather than not. One of the main frustrations for me whilst living with a high level SCI is when people postulate (which stems from being uninformed or ill-informed). I say ask away!

With me being bedridden, it's challenging. I'll take a video of my setup at supper. I think some of you guys will find it quite interesting.
I figured you just yelled at your caretaker: "Move left! Shoot! Watch that guy on the right! Duck! DUCK, GOD**MNIT! Right! RIIIIIIGHT! SHOOOT! GRENADE! SHOOT! SHOOOOOOT!!!!!!".

I was wrong? grin
Originally Posted By: MarkSJohnson
I figured you just yelled at your caretaker: "Move left! Shoot! Watch that guy on the right! Duck! DUCK, GOD**MNIT! Right! RIIIIIIGHT! SHOOOT! GRENADE! SHOOT! SHOOOOOOT!!!!!!".

I was wrong? grin


Well, not entirely, bud. My caregivers, friends and family played through L.A. Noire with me, and I was doing just that smile. They would get a good laugh out of your example because it's very apt!
Originally Posted By: Powertothepeople
Originally Posted By: MarkSJohnson
I figured you just yelled at your caretaker: "Move left! Shoot! Watch that guy on the right! Duck! DUCK, GOD**MNIT! Right! RIIIIIIGHT! SHOOOT! GRENADE! SHOOT! SHOOOOOOT!!!!!!".

I was wrong? grin


Well, not entirely, bud. My caregivers, friends and family played through L.A. Noire with me, and I was doing just that smile. They would get a good laugh out of your example because it's very apt!


Ha ha, Cam, that's how I pictured it, too. laugh
I'm not playing any video games tonight.
Posted By: BobKay Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/29/12 01:42 PM
Lol!!!
Going to hit up some more resonance of fate tonight.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 05/30/12 06:58 AM
I’ve spent two more days playing a pure Mage in Skyrim. So far he’s up to lever 27 and still kicking butt on almost everything encountered. I’ve got the lovers stone blessing so all skills go up at +15%; the Archmages robes; the mask that gives +100% magica regen; and some miscellaneous magic items for other bonuses. I’ve also been upgrading Lydia’s equipment as soon as I get better items.
So far I’ve only completed one quest-line (the college) and done a few quests on the main quest-line so I could get shouts and meet the Greybeards. Otherwise I’m not planning to evens start any of the other faction’s quest-lines soon. After finishing the college quest-line I’ve gone back to mop up the locations I found while trying to get to the quest related ones. This way I’m running through some new dungeons I haven’t seen before.

I set a few ground rules for this play through based on my first one with the stealth archer. First no speed leveling by gaming the system like beating up on Shadowmare or chain casting spells. No wearing armour just for defense though I’m ok with armour to get an enchantment bonus. No gaming the smithing, alchemy or enchanting skills, these seriously break the game making you virtually un-killable. For that matter right now I plan on only using magic items I find or buy. The best part of this so far is I’m enjoying the game much more since I’m playing it and not the system.

Someone wrote that a pure mage in Skyrim is a glass cannon and it seems so. For the most part I’ve owned every baddy I’ve come up against unless I got caught off guard. Like one a bear mauled me in a split second because even though I could hear it the brush was so thick I couldn’t see it coming. So far three early dungeons that must have taken my archer 20+ reloads each went down with a whimper. However, I’m presently in a dungeon with a bunch of conjurers who all come running to each others aid and start spamming creatures most of which can one-shot me so I’m getting my butt handed to me this time around.

Some new things I’ve learned include the wagons that can fast travel you to other towns without having to find the town first by walking or riding there, which sure saves a lot of time in the early game. I’ve found that I can sometimes conjure a creature on the other side of a door (not sure why it works occasionally) which sort of has the effect of lobbing a grenade in before entering.

On the bad side I’ve already had 4 complete freezes and 1 frame rate issue all requiring restarts. Lydia is a lot easier to kill by accident with a mage since some of the spells have an area effect, or she just runs in front of my shot since I’m usually walking point. Unfortunately there’s just no way I can think of to set a formation so I’ve learned to back-peddle quickly.



Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/01/12 07:31 AM
I played a little more Skyrim last night and got to level 30, also getting by the conjurors in a way I never expected.

After getting my butt handed to me more times than I can count by this group of 4 conjurors I decided to lay back and try to only snipe at them while using healing hands on Lydia to keep her fighting. However, this proved impossible since she kept charging into the fray. Although healing her instead of fighting seemed to reduce the agro coming at me there was still enough that I had to keep retreating to heal. Well on one of those retreats a dead conjurer suddenly flies past me propelled apparently by a large explosion. Next thing I see is Lydia standing at the mouth of the tunnel I’m hiding in duking it out with something in the distance. Next thing I see is another dead conjurer fly past me. When I moved closer to support Lydia with healing I can see that she has picked up a staff from a dead conjurer and is blasting the crap out of the rest of them with an Ice Storms. I’m not sure if it’s ironic, humbling or both to have my AI companion figure out how to beat these guys instead of me. So now I’ve started carrying around this staff to give to Lydia the next time we run into something similar.
Dean, what do you mean by "gaming the smithing, alchemy or enchanting skills"?
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/01/12 03:12 PM
I’m actually referring to two things. The first is just spamming daggers or potions to boost the skill w/o regard to their usefulness except resale value. The other is the stacking of potion/enchantments so that you can eventually create overpowered potions and enchanted items for smithing, enchanting and alchemy which in turn allows way overpowered weapons and armour. You literally end up with armour that makes you invulnerable and weapons that can one-shot kill anything.
I see. All I've done is create my dragon armour and potions while wearing clothes, a ring, a necklace and a circlet with a 25% increase of smithing/alchemy enchantments. Then I create fortify smithing potions to further enhance my armour and weapons. Because I've created so many potions (I probably have 500 in storage, and 200 on me), I'm currently able to create fortify smithing potions with a 66% increase, which continues to increase the more I make.

I'm assuming this is what you're talking about?

I didn't think it was a form of cheating.

Also, I can't block because I can't hit two keys at once or quickly i.e. move and block. The way I increased my block to 100 was by taking repeated blows by crabs, bears and other wildlife whilst I stood still. It was purely for XP points. This is also where my high rated armour comes in handy as it takes every blow.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/01/12 07:34 PM
Quote:

I'm assuming this is what you're talking about?

Yep that’s what I’m talking about.

Quote:

I didn't think it was a form of cheating.

Nor do I which is why I call it “gaming the system” since you are still working within the mechanics allowed by the game, as opposed to using “cheat codes.” That might seem like semantics to some but to me there is a difference. The reason I’m not doing it this time around is that once my first character became so powerful from stacking potions and enchantments it basically broke the gameplay for me because my character became indestructible.

I did the same thing with my first character as you indicate, like taking repeated blows to up my armour or beating the crap out of Shadowmare with weapons and spells since it can’t die, at least at lower levels. Once I had enchanted my “god bow” I did accidentally kill Shadowmare when it walk in front of a shot and was one-shot killed by it.

I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with working within the system to maximize a character, however I’m finding this time around that gameplay is much more enjoyable for me when I’m not spending time just doing repetitive activities to up a skill as fast as possible.
Dean, have you seen this trailer for the Skyrim Dawnguard DLC?
I'd like to hurry up and beat resonance of fate so I can have a good exise to pick up mass effect 3
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/30/12 05:55 AM
Bookworm Adventures Deluxe and Bulletstorm.

I wish Popcap would do facelifts on their earlier games to make them more friendly to full-screen high-definition. Otherwise, I like the game. On the normal Bookworm (free version), not Bookworm Adventures, way back in the day, I had one game last over 10 hours, and I was fast. I'm glad Bookworm Adventures breaks up the gameplay.

Bulletstorm is pretty fun so far, even if it's mostly stuff that's been done. Very pretty, which you'd expect. I'm not a fan of the Games for Windows Live stuff being required. I wish it could simply be Steam, but it really hasn't affected me much. It just feels unnecessary, and it seems like the DLC can only be purchased through GFWL, which of course doesn't go on sale to the same degree as Steam content. I only paid $5 for Bulletstorm, but I'd pay considerably more for the DLC if I wanted it.

After playing a bit, I read a lot of comments about what a bad PC port it is, but I'm really not seeing that. It's gorgeous and plays very smoothly. It probably helps that I'm using the Xbox 360 controller. In any case, I'd say it was definitely worth the $5.
Finally purchased mass effect 3 ($28 used on amazon) and dark souls ($7.99 used on amazon.). I'm looking forward to continuing campaign and online play on ME3 (I rented it a couple of weeks ago). I'm not sure what to spect with dark souls but am assuming I am in for a challenge. I'm playing catch up on several games I wanted to play a while back, but the good news is the games are much cheaper now than at release!
A new edition of Dark Souls is due out soon, it is called the Prepare to Die edition.

So, it should be easy?
Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya.
Originally Posted By: medic8r
Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya.


Yeah, every time I read that title I say it in his accent.
I'm thinking of picking up Sleeping Dogs.
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
I'm thinking of picking up Sleeping Dogs.

You should probably just let them lay.
It is sort of sad when I say this, but I have been almost exclusively plaing Minecraft Factions. Sort of a cross between Minecraft and something like "Civilizations" where you build up your area, defend it, work towards newer tech/items (OK, a higher level sword may not be "tech", but you can actually make things with electrical circuits), and then go and try to take over the world. Our "clan" has been at or near the top of the leaderboard on the server we play on for many weeks and to date only one other group has ever found us, but they were not able to get past our defenses. We aren't totaly ruthless though. We have allies too that we help out. Sure, we are basically funding smaler grunt "factions" to go be annoying to the other big ones, and then bring back intel such as their coordinates so that we can find them and raid them.

For some reason it is a lot of fun. Since each faction's stronghold is designed by them, they are all different and all requiring different ways to break in and raid them. So there is a lot of creative thinking required while in the "hot seat" while attacking. So many other variables and dimensions to the game.

The biggest problem is that it really requires DAILY participation to get/stay ahead. Our faction is decent sized, but not everyone plays every day (I certainly don't) but if we ever went a day with none of us playing, we would see ourselves start failing just due to missing out on even peaceful tasks (mining gold/diamonds for example).
Sounds cool nick. Is that a computer game or console? I saw the regular mine craft in the Xbox 360 arcade store...

I've been getting into mass effect 3 multiplayer. Enjoying unlocking weapons, characters, weapon mods, and equipment. If I didn't have to wake up in 6 hours I'd still be playing...
Sounds cool nick. Is that a computer game or console? I saw the regular mine craft in the Xbox 360 arcade store...

I've been getting into mass effect 3 multiplayer. Enjoying unlocking weapons, characters, weapon mods, and equipment. If I didn't have to wake up in 6 hours I'd still be playing...
I am playing on a PC. I know that it is more flexible with servers and mods that the console versions.
I am getting more and more addicted to Dark Souls. The game is extremely challenging and frustrating at times, but also very rewarding.

The game reminds me more of an "old school" role playing game in the sense that it does not hold your hand through every little mission and objective.

I like that souls must be used to level up, buy equipment, or enhance equipement. This really makes you think through the best strategy for using your aqcuired souls.

Mass effect 3 is great as well, but I have found myself favoring dark souls the last several days.


David, I recently started playing Dark Souls again after stopping in March (I got stuck on a boss fight I couldn't get past). Well, still can't get past them, but I am determined this time. There is a nice prize after the fight which will greatly benefit future exploring.

I agree with you, the game does not hold your hand. As frustrating and demanding as it can be, there is a certain sense of satisfaction in getting past rough areas and or bosses. And it extremely thrilling to open up and explore a new area--and risky too, since you might find yourself in some hot water knowing that if you die you'll have to go right back to that spot to retrieve all your precious souls.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/26/12 03:32 AM
I played a little more Skyrim. I've forgotten a lot of what I was doing, so it's going to take time to get my bearings and figure out what I was wanting to accomplish before I stopped playing. The audio is still a ton of fun: the Shouts, the wind whipping around me on the mountains, the dragons flying overhead and then landing with such satisfying impact.... Yes.

One of these days I should learn how to enjoy multiplayer games again so I can have people over to enjoy my system with me.
I put in skyrim several weeks back and had the same "What the hell was I in the middle of doing" moment. Once I got my bearings, I played for an hour or two and completed a few quests. I haven't plyed it since, but still hope to get back to it someday. I never sunk the time into skyrim like i did dagger fall, morrow wind, or oblivion.


I planned on doing some painting on the exterior of my house this weekend, but some rain ruined my plans so I had to resort to playing mass effect 3...
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 08/27/12 12:56 PM
Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
David, I recently started playing Dark Souls again after stopping in March (I got stuck on a boss fight I couldn't get past). Well, still can't get past them, but I am determined this time. There is a nice prize after the fight which will greatly benefit future exploring.

I agree with you, the game does not hold your hand. As frustrating and demanding as it can be, there is a certain sense of satisfaction in getting past rough areas and or bosses. And it extremely thrilling to open up and explore a new area--and risky too, since you might find yourself in some hot water knowing that if you die you'll have to go right back to that spot to retrieve all your precious souls.


Ahh the good ol' days.
I remember the original Everquest before they turned it into child's play. If you died, you reappeared "naked" (clothed but without all your armor, weapons, gear etc.) at the last place you "bound your soul". If you forgot to do that close to where you were adventuring a the time, it could mean a 10 minute to a 2 hour run across the massive world to retrieve your corpse in order to get your gear back. Sometimes you had to make a frantic run through zones that were way to tough for you, with or without gear, often resulting in yet another corpse that you had to run back to. Things like a locked door meant begging a rogue player to pick the lock to open it for you.

There were alternatives, like buying or begging a teleport from a Druid or Wizard to get you a bit closer or convincing a Necromancer to summon your corpse. If it was down deep in a dungeon, a self retrieval could be impossible, in which case someone powerful enough, or a whole team of players, would have to drag the corpse back up to the entrance so you could retrieve your gear.

It was brutal by today's gaming standards, but somehow I miss the thrills it gave. Death had real penalties and some of our most hysterical gaming nights were ones spent organizing "corpse runs".
Anyone else play Deus Ex: Human Revolution? I've completed it twice (in it's entirety i.e. all side quests etc.), and am 3/4 of the way through my third playthrough. This game really should've been game of the year last year; it's just awesome. Skyrim is a great game. I can play the hell outta it (I've logged 495 hrs on Steam), but Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a mulifaceted game that's truly gripping. I highly suggest you play it if you haven't already.

The soundtrack by Michael McCann is also REALLY good. Here's the main theme.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/17/12 07:54 PM
DE:HR is on my to-buy list. I really loved the original and I know I'll be completely addicted to it (just as I was recently addicted to Assassin's Creed II)

I'm cheap when it comes to computer games, so I'm just waiting for the price to come down. smile
Is anyone waiting for the XCOM-Enemy Unknown due out next month? I have been waiting 19 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Originally Posted By: pmbuko
I'm cheap when it comes to computer games, so I'm just waiting for the price to come down. smile


Here ya go smile. On sale at Amazon for only $13.50. Right now there's 11 left in stock...
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/18/12 11:38 AM
Still getting my MMO fix. Now with Guild Wars II.
It's kind of like the new iPhone. It's new and improved so everyone has to have it but it is nothing that will shake up the MMO market, which seems to seriously need a new innovation.

Still, a fun diversion. I like the combat system. You get different skills by swapping and combining weapon sets so it feels more like your weapon choice matters. I like the cooperative attacks too, although many games have this now. For instance, my mage buddy creates a wall of fire and the enemy can't easily get to us. My ranger fires arrows through the wall of fire and they are lit up as they pass through it, greatly increasing the damage.

Good personal storylines but the cut scenes are an embarrassment. It switches to a static background scene with just two characters on the screen at a time talking. Always only two. If someone else in the area speaks, one character disappears to be replaced by the image of the other. Simply LAZY CODING. Cheapens the game back to 1980 standards.
Yeah, I know it's ancient, but I got LEGO Star Wars for the Wii last week and have been enjoying it with my 7 year old son. Fun stuff, good times.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/18/12 02:06 PM
Originally Posted By: Powertothepeople
Originally Posted By: pmbuko
I'm cheap when it comes to computer games, so I'm just waiting for the price to come down. smile


Here ya go smile. On sale at Amazon for only $13.50. Right now there's 11 left in stock...

Thanks, Cam, but I haven't had dual-boot set up on my Mac for a long time. The Mac version is still stuck at $50. frown
Originally Posted By: Murph
Still getting my MMO fix. Now with Guild Wars II.


Andrew, check this out, it's REALLY cool. It gives you "Weyandt's Revenge Achievement". It blows me away how people find this stuff.

I know at least one other achievement like this. If you want the video, let me know, and I'll search for it on Jesse's channel.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/19/12 12:23 PM
Thanks Cam!
It's the exploration part of these games I really enjoy. Well, that and laughing at how badly me and my buddies can mess up on quests and dungeon runs.

Pretty long video but I'm adventuring in that zone now so I'm definitely going to check it out. I noticed the guy is hopper though. I hate hoppers!!! LOL!
Uncharted 3. Great game so far!
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/09/12 05:19 PM
Actually this is a question about What Video Game Should I Be Playing?

I will likely have the next two weeks off from work so it would be the perfect time to play something new, though I might replay something if I can’t find anything of interest.

Here are the recent games I’ve liked a lot (enough to play more than once) :

Skyrim- vast, non-linear, multi-faceted, graphics, immersive

Mass Effect – storyline, character interaction, graphics, immersive

Dragon Quest – characters, party system

Things I like the most are:
Immersiveness
Escapism like SciFi/Fantasy/non-contemporary
Non-linear gameplay
Interesting NPC interaction
Variety of character choices


Things I don’t like:
The opposite of what’s above (though I can forgive some faults for excellence otherwise)
Twitch fests (can’t stand button mashing)
Complex controls without onscreen menus (I hate having to reference instructions during gameplay)

Any recommendations are welcome even older games.
Originally Posted By: grunt
Actually this is a question about What Video Game Should I Be Playing?

I will likely have the next two weeks off from work so it would be the perfect time to play something new, though I might replay something if I can’t find anything of interest.

Here are the recent games I’ve liked a lot (enough to play more than once) :

Skyrim- vast, non-linear, multi-faceted, graphics, immersive

Mass Effect – storyline, character interaction, graphics, immersive

Dragon Quest – characters, party system

Things I like the most are:
Immersiveness
Escapism like SciFi/Fantasy/non-contemporary
Non-linear gameplay
Interesting NPC interaction
Variety of character choices


Things I don’t like:
The opposite of what’s above (though I can forgive some faults for excellence otherwise)
Twitch fests (can’t stand button mashing)
Complex controls without onscreen menus (I hate having to reference instructions during gameplay)

Any recommendations are welcome even older games.


I'm really, REALLY enjoying Borderlands 2 right now. It also fits the majority of the criteria you are seeking (exception of a really good story). Excellent game.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/09/12 07:02 PM
Quote:

I'm really, REALLY enjoying Borderlands 2 right now. It also fits the majority of the criteria you are seeking (exception of a really good story). Excellent game.


Thanks for the recommendation I’ll check it out.
Hmmm. I've been playing Yahtzee on my iPad. Does that count?
Dean, have you looked at Dishonored? It just came out, but looks to hit upon all your points.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/10/12 12:42 AM
Thanks for the link Sean. I was going to check on it since I’ve been watching Zero Punctuation reviews this afternoon and been getting beaten over the head with an add for it every time I start a video.
Ha ha, just finishing what Zero Punctuation started.


I had seen ads for the game before, but never paid it much attention. I think a commercial came on TV for it the other day and it piqued my interest.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/10/12 04:36 AM
I'll probably end up with both Borderlands 2 and Dishonored, but not until well into the future, after all this basement craziness dies down. By then they'll have Game of the Year editions for cheap, I bet.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/10/12 11:54 AM
Guild Wars 2 is proving to be fun,. Essentially, it's Skyrim with other people playing around you. The world map is theoretically open but realistically, you best not wander into the 'higher level than you' areas too much, unless you do not mind dying. Of course, there is nothing stopping you from wandering around a higher level area of the map to explore. It's dangerous but I like to do that with my Ranger character. It just feels like something he should do. Poor Scritchy, my pet bear. He loyally follows me to his doom way too often.

One should also note that although it's an MMO, there is no monthly fee and it's not like an 'optionally free to play' MMO. You are not penalized or restricted unless you spend real world money by buying items or a "gold subscription". It was designed to run wide open without a monthly fee.

The dynamic world events are cool too as they make the world seem more alive. Last night, the farmland area I was in was suddenly invaded by an army of centaurs. This isn't a normal event on the map but one of the dynamically generated world events that keep things interesting. It was fun to see players band together to drive them off.

I don't PvP much because it tends to get more 'twitchy' in that environment and I'm just not good at that. I did try the world vs world PVP where players don't just run around blatantly killing each other but have to band together into small armies and work tactically to storm or defend keeps & use siege weapons. This was actually pretty fun. I still died a lot but I could see it becoming a fun diversion from the norm.

It pales in ultimate totality to Skyrim, but I actually enjoy the cooperative side of jumping into a fray with another players from all around the world. Being surrounded by human players instead of just AI just makes the world seem all the more real.
I played WoW for almost 5 years. I stopped about 1.5 years ago. Man did I get sucked into that game.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/11/12 12:09 AM
After some research I picked up both Dishonored and Borderlands 2 so thanks for the suggestions guys.

I got Dishonored because I usually gravitate to sneaking play style. Also everyone is saying how immersive it is including the audio cues so it just seemed like a must buy. However, it’s also a very short game at least for now pending the release of DLC so Borderland 2 became the next choice. What sold it for me besides the length of the game were the comments on how good and even funny the writing can be and that it also has very good voice acting. So even though neither game will probably hit all the marks between the two of them I think it will all balance out.

I in processed today and submitted for all my leave so my next day of work wont be until the 29th. Unless I’m selected for a trip on the 26th which isn’t nearly as bad as actually being at the place I work. wink

Thanks for the recommendation of Guild Wars 2 Murph. I’m tempted to consider it but I know my personality and if I like it I’m sure it will lead to an MMO addiction which would make crack and meth pale in comparison.
Originally Posted By: grunt
. . . an MMO addiction which would make crack and meth pale in comparison.


But, at least, you'd still have your teeth.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/11/12 04:23 AM
I've gotten back into Skyrim again. I finally did some insane armor and weapon crafting using the stacking of enchanting and alchemy. I still want to figure out some of my perks before I enchant any of my Daedric super-weapons that I've made.

I got the Hearthfire DLC, and I've already got my home mostly pimped out. There are only a handful of upgrades left. I have to say, it's nice to have basically everything in one place. It sure took a long time to transport all of my stuff from my houses in Whiterun and Solitude. In fact, I still have dragon bones and dragon scales in my Whiterun home to take to Lakeview Manor.

I don't know if I'll do any adopting of children. I haven't really read what advantage, if any, there is to that.

Some of the bugs that are preventing me from finishing certain quests or using certain items are getting annoying. I don't relish the thought of starting a new game at this point, but it could happen.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/11/12 07:57 PM
Well I figure I will give my first impressions of Dishonored since APS (the electric company) just killed my power to replace my meter ungracefully shutting down my A/C, projector, HDTV, receiver, 4 computers and NAS just to name a few that are most sensitive to such things.

On a good note the game Dishonored is excellent so far. It starts out with a short intro to set the stage which like all other cut scenes so far can be skipped, (learn something Skyrim). Part of the intro is a basic tutorial which teaches you the basic mechanics but is also short and sweat and part of the storyline. You learn more about how to do things in the first level some of which is shown to you and other parts left up to you to figure out.

While much is intuitive you have to unlearn some of what other games have taught you. You can’t just hide in a shadow in plain sight like in Skyrim you need cover. Many more things are climbable or walkable than you first realize. A locked door can be bypassed rather than hunting all over for a key. The fastest way between two points is seldom a straight line. Overall I really like the mechanics so far as they give much more control over your character like climbing a chain which you control rather than just being dumped up on the next height. Combat is somewhat self regulated in that ammo is not plentiful.

Although the overall path you must follow is linear how you follow it is not. You can do as much or as little as you want. However, picking up and reading notes gives you clues to things as does eaves dropping on conversations. It’s odd to play a game where half the fun is just sitting quietly. Also normally useless objects like empty bottles provide excellent distractions. A dead body dumped in the right place can lure away a pack of rats blocking your path. The game constantly drops hints about how to use things in the world by allowing you to watch things happen rather than just throwing popups in your face. This game does as much as it can to keep you immersed.

I’ve only played through the first two levels but plan to restart since I’ve caused way more carnage than necessary due to learning what I was doing.
Thanks for the quick review, Dean. From what I read, the game appealed to me in the way that it let the player choose how to play through the game.

Definitely a game I'll pick up.
Thought folks here might be interested. A few weeks ago, I was invited as a Club Nintendo member to the San Francisco Wii U Preview event. TBH, I wasn't really sold on the system but it actually changed my mind. Coming into it, I had low expectations.

****

OK, here goes. Via Club Nintendo, I got on the Wii U Experience invite list. I took my 2 kids and their cousin to demo the system and a bunch of games in San Francisco. Very cool experience.

Entrance
I pre-registered but somehow my confirmation got stuck in a SPAM filter. Finally figured it out though. When we arrived, we all got badges to connect us to some photos they took. They corralled us together before entry, making it more exciting to enter the room.

There were kiosks all over, showing off different games. I'll give impressions from what I can remember and played.

Wii U Sports
They were showing this game with the Wii Fit Board. I wasn't that interested but my nephew pretty much lived at this game station.

NintendoLand
I didn't get to play many of the worlds but I did play the Metroid area with my kids. They used the Wiimotes so I could get some hands on with the Gamepad. I'll give details on that below. Regarding gameplay, it was more fun that I would've thought. I flew the ship while shooting the kids' characters on the ground. You use the 2 sticks to control direction and rising/falling of the ship. You also move the controller around to change view on your screen. My view was completely separate from the kids, like I was playing a completely different game. Definitely a bit disorienting, mostly because it's not what you'd expect from a gaming experience. There's some potential there with the gameplay mechanics.

I also played the Pikmin-oriented game, mostly because I'm a HUGE Pikmin fan and still PISSED nothing ever came on the Wii. There were 5 of us (including the gamepad) and we moved together to break down objects to get to the boss area (I think). This was the first game I played walking in so I didn't get to pay too much attention as I was a little overwhelmed at first by the crowd and watching my kids.

Super Mario Bros U
The first thing I noticed was the graphics. You could tell immediately that it was playing at 1080p. I wouldn't think it would be a big deal but it was. TBH, I might consider a Wii U just to play at this higher res. Granted, the Xbox 360 and PS3 already do this...so it's sad we had to wait this long to enjoy it. The demo guy explained that the 5th player on the Gamepad could create blocks to help the other 4 get to other places on screen. In practice it seemed pretty cool. I was able to pick up the new acorn power up but couldn't get a good hang of it with the little play time I had. Other than VERY VERY good graphics, not much of the gameplay seemed much different that the past few games (including the 3DS). But I suppose it's a formula that works. The interesting feature was that you could still play this game only the Gamepad, thereby allowing everyone else in the room watch TV at the same time. Apparently, many games will have this feature, which seems 'kind' of cool if you have family arguments of who gets to use the TV for their purposes.

Scribblenauts Unlimited
I played this a little. The graphics again were fantastic, granted it's more cartoony so that's not a hard thing to achieve. I love Scribblenauts but I honestly wasn't that grasped by the new gameplay which is more of the exploration type vs the straight out finish a puzzle and then move on. This is one of those games where you can play just on the Gamepad, where the graphics look very good. This was definitely beta s/w because I made it crash and they had to reboot it...

Pikmin 3
Better graphics once again. Took me a while to remember the controls. I watched many play the standard collection mode. They added a new rock Pikmin that are used to break crystal structures. Very much the same gameplay as previous games. When it was my turn, I opted for Boss Battle to try something different. I still like this game and look forward to seeing what other new features are there. The Gamepad is used to scan the entire planet map to plan out your routes, a feature I can see as very helpful in these type of games.

Game & Wario
This was a nice surprise. I've always loved Warioware games on the DS and Wii. This is apparently made up of about 12 minigames, 4 of which were playable. They had a hide a seek game where one player w/ the Gamepad was a 'thief'. The other 4 players would watch the main TV screen where apples where distributed in a crowd. The thief would then steal them and all 4 players would have to guess the identity of the thief. There's a skiing game where you ski on the Gamepad almost like an iPad. Eh. I played arrow shooting where the Gamepad was a crossbow and you used the touchscreen to load the arrow and move it around to aim. That was actually kind of fun.

Rayman Legends
I didn't play as I normally don't like the series. My son didn't like it either.

Batman Arkham
Seemed interesting but I honestly think the PS3 looks better. I didn't play but the player who did was using the Gamepad in some kind of stealthmode where you could xray your surroundings and use the Gamepad to locate things. That seemed like a natural use of the Gamepad.

Just Dance 4
This series is a bit of a favorite in our house. Mostly because it's pretty fun and we work up some good sweat. AND, when you video someone doing it, it's kind of funny taken out of context of the game. With the Gamepad you can add another player who can change the moves in song and also cause a freeze moment. My daughter loved this game.

Singstar
Never played it.

Wonderful 101
OK, definitely my favorite surprise. It has the most plain sign and now I know why. Seems the original name was PS-100 and it just changed. I was intrigued because the graphics were so clean, intense and very much like a well drawn comic book. The game is almost a mash of Pikmin (you have a group of superheroes w/ their own strengths), Infinity Blade (hack/slash gameplay), and Viewtiful Joe (graphics). I mentioned Viewtiful Joe and the demo guy mentioned this was a Platinum Games title, which apparently has the some of the team members from Viewtiful Joe and Okami. You use the Gamepad to control your team and make moves. I was a bit overwhelmed because the game used the touchscreen, both sticks and the L/R shoulder buttons (and there are 2 on each side). You can use the touchscreen to implement moves like Inifinity Blade on an iPad, but you can also use the right stick to do the same. I LOVED this game, this would definitely be a launch title for me.

Wii U Gamepad
I made sure to play a few games that used this. The feel in my hands was pretty good, not too heavy, weighted properly when it was in the horizontal position. Bear in mind there are a few games that have you hold is sideways, like Game & Wario. The screen resolutions looks very nice for some games. However, my biggest gripe on the screen is that it felt cheap to touch. The screen 'gives' a little, much like my old Palm Treo 600. Maybe it's a pre-production unit, who knows. At the end of the day, there's really no reason this damn Gamepad couldn't be an app on an iPad or Galaxy Tab. The buttons and sticks could be saved for a revamped Wavebird controller. Combining a controller with a screen is nice but to me, it's adding cost for a novelty that doesn't yet have a need. Remains to be seen if there's a game that justifies this 'marriage'.

3DS XL
They had a stand with a few out for demo with the New Super Mario Bros 2. I do have to admit that it's a MUCH better experience vs my original 3DS. If mine ever breaks, I'll get this. The only negative is that having the dual analog stick would make it the size of a damn laptop.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/13/12 03:30 PM
@ oldskoolboarder – thanks for the write-up it sounds like it was a lot of fun. I would love to try out some of that stuff but I’ve told myself I’m not buying another console until the next generation of boxes comes out since at least with the Xbox360 their pushing the limits.

And now for something completely different . . . a Dishonored update.

I think I’ve progressed about half way through the game. I’m taking my time but not trying to do everything since I figure I will play more than once. This is actually my 3rd attempt since the first one was more of a learning exercise and the second wasn’t much better. on the 3rd time I made it through the first two areas as “Ghost” (or undetected) but haven’t fared as well since then. The game seems to be designed that if you want to be a Ghost or even have “Clean Hands” (no kills) then almost have to skip some optional areas.

I’ve still managed to keep the carnage, and therefore “Chaos” level low which is supposed to affect gameplay but until I play again with high Chaos I won’t be sure how. I’m not sure but think that as long as you don’t directly kill someone it doesn’t count against you but I’m not positive. I have been operating under that assumption so hacking a turret cleaned out a whole block for me while I hid and watched. I’ve also come back to find rats eating unconscious bodies I’ve hidden and don’t think that it counted against me as kills.

Waiting is very much rewarded in gameplay. On many occasions a group of town watch and thugs will fight among each other either causing a distraction if you just want to sneak by or leaving less for you to deal with if you want them cleared out.

I’m getting better at using some of the powers. Blink is awesome. Not only can you find sneaky ways around things you can drop in behind someone choke them out and pop back out again with them over your shoulder. Hiding bodies (dead or unconscious) is important because if some finds one their and possibly other peoples alert levels go up. This seems to make it more likely that someone will spot you. A specific case I’ve noticed is normally you can run around above people without anyone looking up and noticing but if their alert level is raised they’re very likely to spot you unless you are actually concealed.

So far one of the things I like the most about this game is how simple it is to control your character. There are actually very few things you can do but by chaining these things together you can accomplished very interesting things (seems like using Unix/Linux shell utilities as opposed to some other OS). This puts much of the control into the player’s hands as opposed to the “tool” (read game) and rewards you for thinking outside the box.
Thnks for the wii u update. I went ahead and pre-ordered one today. Never owned a wii so figures its time. I'm More interested in the new xbox or playstation, but I assume we won't we hear much until 2014 about these.

Thinking ill get zombie u and super Mario bros at launch. Prolly get black ops 2 for 360, since I prefer online games on Xbox.
The new Microsoft console is likely to come out sometime in 2013 and take advantage of the holiday season. 2014 and beyond sounds more likely the timeline for the next Playstation console. Sony always stated they wanted a 12 year life cycle but this might have changed since this far into the consoles life cycle the cell architecture has been a disappointment in terms of game development and technical issues in 3rd party ports. I don't believe the Playstation 3 will be able to compete with the new "xbox" architecture and development tools. Sony will be forced to play their hand.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/14/12 09:29 PM
I finally finished playing Dishonored and overall really liked playing it even though it isn’t a party based RPG which is more my preference. I tried to maintain a “low chaos” rating but as the missions went on they got harder to do without some carnage so as some point I just threw in the towel and started going medieval.

In many ways the high chaos play is more fun since it opens up more options and use of toys, however you can still always drop down into stealth mode if needed. Note that once you start upping the chaos staying completely hidden becomes more difficult since the game spawns more baddies. Another nice thing about going high chaos is that you don’t have to worry as much about hiding the people you knock out since you’re looking to take people out anyway.

I found that the physics of grenades is pretty realistic in that in the open then tend to wound and knock people down while in an enclosed area the kill more often, nothing like taking out your target you can’t see by chucking a grenade through a window and blowing the crap out of him and several henchmen so they can’t come after you.

Using the zoom upgrade not only lets you snipe at people from a distance it also “zooms” in on any conversation they’re having, and listening to conversations is often worthwhile for clues.

I found that bullets often go through the first target and hit another behind. I also did that once by accident with a crossbow bolt that when through the head of the guy I was sniping at and killed the guy he was talking with.

One note, if you are the obsessive compulsive type that just has to get certain things done to get a particular achievement good luck because some of these mission will drive you nuts if trying to get the clean hands and especially ghost achievements.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/15/12 08:30 PM
I started playing Borderlands 2 yesterday and so far I’m really liking it. I never played Borderlands so I can’t compare them, but this one seems pretty darn good.

The first thing I like about this is that unlike all the other shooters I’ve played like Gears of War and the Modern Warfare games this one seems more open in that there are a lot of side missions to keep things from feeling to linear. There’s no slowing things down with saving all the time since all saves are automatic respawning you at an earlier location. While this could be annoying the game doesn’t reset so if you fought your way through an area you don’t have to do it again even though you may have to run back/drive back to where you were killed. Also respawning cost you money so there is an incentive not to get killed.

I’m loving the writing and voice acting. Too bad they could get that right with Oblivion and to a lesser extent Skyrim. The near constant banter keeps things interesting, tell some of the backstory, and is often quite funny, a stark contrast to Dishonored which was very gloomy.

From the screen shots I didn’t think I would like the animation since I’ve been getting spoiled on things that try to look “real,” however it turns out It’s actually quite good. It seems to have a very “Heavy Metal” look about it and in some ways also has that sort of feel, though in more of a PG13 way (hell Heavy Metal is probably PG13 these days).

I’ve played for about 8 hours now and so far no crashes, lockups or noticeable glitches. I have a feeling that I’m going to actually enjoy this game more than Dishonored.
Yeah, the game plays really clean. The only thing I experienced is some minor slowdown during some really intense moments with a teammate. I find it to be an impressive game. If you like B2, B1 is a no-brainer. Super cheap to buy these days.

Playing BL2 myself right now. Clean, polished game, love the humor! Lots of references to other games and plenty of Easter eggs. Scooter is one of my favorite characters. I've laughed out loud several times...a fun shooter/RPG style game with plenty of funny moments. Very enjoyable! I'm playing the Zero character at level 27 with about 60 hours and doing every side quest. Fully intend to finish this one.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/20/12 12:47 AM
Still playing Borderlands 2 and still enjoying it just as much as interesting things keep happening. I’ve met my favorite character of the game so far, Tiny Tina, a demolitions expert.

I’ve learned a couple of important lessons. When a voice booms out “this is your last warning” it really is so turn back. Also if something looks like a giant proximity mine it is. wink
Definitely! One of my favorite character introductions of all-time in a video game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbcS9BZJ5Hs
Can anyone recommend any Nintendo exclusive wii games for when I get my wii u? I've never had a wii, so if there is anything I should try let me know. Thinking one of the zelda games maybe?
Finished uncharted 3 tonight. Fun game, on par with the first 2. Back to dark souls or ME3 until I find something else to play. Might have to try borderlands 2 ...
David get Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword they are good wii games, Mario Kart Wii, Super Mario Bros for the Wii are 2 more Nintendo must haves IMO. I also quite like the fishing games they have. These are all for the old Wii, There will be new versions of most of these for the Wii-U in the future, but it seems you ca't go wrong with Zelda over the years.
Here is one for the Canucks!

Preorder of Halo 4 @ futureshop.ca


Preorder comes with the game and exclusive Steelbook and FREE customizable multiplayer Spartan IV Gungnir Armor skin and helmet.

Now there is a code going around that you can enter until OCT 25 during the payment options that will give you $20 off the game! The code is FSHALO4XBOXCREDIT. I can tell you first hand that it works! Hopefully this can be useful to someone before it expires.

IGN released their review of Halo 4 and it is just gushing with praise. Even went on to say it raises the bar for the entire 1st person shooter genre.

Great news for this excellent franchise of games. Even better is looking to the future of 343 industries, Halo and what they will bring to Microsofts(Xbox) next generation console.

http://ca.ign.com/articles/2012/11/01/halo-4-review
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Can anyone recommend any Nintendo exclusive wii games for when I get my wii u? I've never had a wii, so if there is anything I should try let me know. Thinking one of the zelda games maybe?


Depends on the type of games you like, as usual. If you the FPS stuff, save that for your PS3 or Xbox 360. I'd focus on the Mario titles, those play best on Nintendo's gear. I'd go w/ Super Mario, Zelda, PIkmin (if you haven't played it) and definitely Wonderful 101.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/02/12 11:33 AM
Anyone delved into Assisins Creed III yet? Trailers look pretty cool.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/02/12 06:00 PM
I'm really looking forward to playing Assassin's Creed III. I loved the immersive environments and fluid motion in II and everything I've seen of III make me drool.

Problem is, I don't have an XBOX, PS3, Wii U, or a PC, but I could install Windows on my Mac....
I haven't played assassins freed 1 or 2 yet... Thinking I may try the series eventually.
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
I haven't played assassins freed 1 or 2 yet... Thinking I may try the series eventually.


Assassins Creed (the original) is one of the few games in my collection that I didn't even bother playing through to the end. Extremely repetitive gameplay and dialogue. After the 3rd assassination I got so bored with the game. Same routine over and over again. Haven't followed the series since the original so I don't know how it has evolved.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/03/12 05:22 PM
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
IGN released their review of Halo 4 and it is just gushing with praise. Even went on to say it raises the bar for the entire 1st person shooter genre.


Let me know what you think when you get it. Usually, I'd be buying new Halo right out of the gate, but I think I'll put it off for a little while because of my VP180 shenanigans.

I still need to pick up Borderlands 2 and Dishonored at some point, too.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/26/12 01:59 AM
Originally Posted By: CV
I still need to pick up Borderlands 2 and Dishonored at some point, too.


I picked up Borderlands 2 on Steam for $30. I'll get the DLC when it's cheaper, too. Dishonored is currently $30, too, but I think I'll wait on that one.

Borderlands 2 is entertaining so far, but I'm definitely out of practice on first-person shooters. Hopefully I stick with it and improve.

In other news, I got a new high score on Diamond Mine mode in Bejeweled 3. It had been forever.

Mark of the Ninja is pretty good so far. I didn't get the hang of the controls in Shank, so I didn't play very far in that one, but it seems like the studio is improving, as I find this one reasonably intuitive. I don't usually have the patience or the creative thinking to tackle stealth games, but I'm enjoying this one.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/26/12 04:45 AM
Oh, yeah, I also started playing the first episode of The Walking Dead. I really like the look of the game. But of course I'm really tense when playing it. I'm too easily freaked out.
I hear ya on Walking Dead. It took me forever to complete Ep 1 on my iPad. The worst was playing just before bed. I was so amped I couldn't sleep. I also did the Steam deal for 50% and got the whole series. The only negative is that I can't move my save point from iOS to the OSX version.
I've been playing Super mario brothers and nintendo land on my Wii U. Liking the console so far. nitendo land is a blast with a group and still very fun and challenging for solo play as well. I have had a couple of system freezes so far, hopefully they issue a software update to fix the problem. New Super Mario Brothers U is much harder than I anticipated but very fun.

I bought some used (listed as "like new") wii remotes on amazon that turned out to be broken or faulty. Going to pony up the cash and get 4 new wii remotes for 5 player gameplay (including the game pad).

Glad I purchased the console, but ready for some more killer games. Probably will pick up skyward sword for wii soon.
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
I've been playing Super mario brothers and nintendo land on my Wii U. Liking the console so far. nitendo land is a blast with a group and still very fun and challenging for solo play as well. I have had a couple of system freezes so far, hopefully they issue a software update to fix the problem. New Super Mario Brothers U is much harder than I anticipated but very fun.

I bought some used (listed as "like new") wii remotes on amazon that turned out to be broken or faulty. Going to pony up the cash and get 4 new wii remotes for 5 player gameplay (including the game pad).

Glad I purchased the console, but ready for some more killer games. Probably will pick up skyward sword for wii soon.


Are the remotes for the Wii compatible with the Wii U?
Spoiler, yes the Wii remotes work on Wii U.

terzaghi, just be mindful of Amazon Wiimotes. I'm also looking for extra Wiimotes and several comments on Amazon warn of counterfeit Wiimotes. It's not worth saving the money, get the real ones with Plus built in.

I tried to snag the Walmart Deal today for the Wii Play with Motion Plus for $15 but sold out online. Then I went to the local store and they don't honor the online price. frown

Also, I highly recommend signing up for Club Nintendo online. I just used my points today to get a Gold nunchuck a la Zelda.

Take a look at deals for the older Wii games. They're everywhere, especially today.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/27/12 07:43 PM
I finally finished Borderlands 2 Sunday after marathon playing over the weekend. I could have finished much sooner but I was trying to gain more experience and cash which sort of turned out to be a waste of time.

My character was level 35 for the final boss fight and despite internet posts saying how unbeatable it was things really went pretty easy. I did die twice because I got stupid and backed off the walkway I was standing on falling into a lava pit, and then died again because I just tried to run back to the same covered position I was using without timing it for when the “big bad” pauses to do a bit of naval gazing.

I was playing a siren so the skills only came into play for the first half of the boss fight but have proved invaluable for starting out again on True Vaulthunter Mode” which I wish I would have started a week ago. by the end of the first play through almost nothing was giving any meaningful experience. I’d say that level 30-31 is probably the highest I would take a character again as leveling past there is just too time consuming. I finished almost all the side quests except for the ones my character sucks at like the “slaughter” fights where you’re stuck in a room with a bunch of bad guys. My siren need some space to fight well. I also skipped the timed quests where you have to deliver crap all over the map simply because doing them is annoying.

When I play through again with a new character I would also likely skip some other side quest toward the end just because the extra experience isn’t worth it and if you’ve never played before then on the second play through you will have a few quests that are new to you. However, it’s taken me so long to play the first time I don’t remember much about the early quests.

Now the best part, True Vaulthunter Mode. When you replay you go through the same missions but since you already have a handle on the controls and how to play your character it goes really fast. But the best part is you start earning real experience again. I leveled up to 37 (boss fight got me to 36 barely) in the first few missions and am almost to level 38 by the time I got to sanctuary. The other nice thing is that equipment drops are now leveling up again. They seem to be capped at about 31 for the first play through, and it’s a good thing they are going up again because the generic bad guys are like previous Bad A$$es and now you start running into Super Bad A$$es. Thank heavens for Phase Lock until the new higher level weapons have been coming on line.

The new weapons I’m finding are light years ahead of the old ones. The SMG I use has gone from about 250 damage + 200 fire damage/sec to over 1000 damage and 500 fire damage/sec and I still have to shoot the crap out of things to kill them without a Phase Lock.

After finishing this game and starting over I have to say that this is now one of my most favorite games. Considering I’m only on the second part of my first characters play through and there are presently 4 other character each needing different tactics I can see huge replay value here, almost endless if they keep adding DLC.

Not to knock Dishonoured, which is a fine game, IMO it doesn’t even come close to the fun of playing Borderlands 2 so if you have to choose . . .
Anyone playing Far Cry 3? First game I've had a chance to sit down and play for awhile and I am really enjoying it.
Originally Posted By: HomeDad
Anyone playing Far Cry 3? First game I've had a chance to sit down and play for awhile and I am really enjoying it.


I am. I'm pretty far into it and loving it. The world is just stunningly beautiful. My new GTX690 (all settings maxed out) really makes the gameplay more enjoyable. I feel sorry for those that play it on a console.
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/27/12 12:18 AM
I’ve been playing a stupid amount of Borderlands 2 in the last few weeks. I’m starting to have dreams about it like its real.

I got the Maya character up to level 50 pretty quickly on the second play through at which point I started getting bored with here since there weren’t any interesting challenges left. It’s not so much that she’s become godlike but I’ve max out most things except for some of the more esoteric badass challenges. Her phaselock had become something like a small nuclear weapon many things just vaporize and because of the added area effects it works great for crowd control. However, the way I’ve been playing here she is still vulnerable if enemies get close in, but I’ll probably go back, respec her and play a different style.

I think that is one of the things I most like about how this game plays which adds a huge amount of replay-ability on top of the various characters. You get stuck with the skills you’ve been building since for a moderate fee you can respec and use completely different play-styles even as the character is leveling up. So there’s no real way to make a bad leveling mistake since you can try different skills and if they don’t work out change them.

In line with the variability I decided to play Zero next to force myself to start getting use to close in fighting. I have to say that Zero is much more fun to play. He can quite litteraly cut a path through most hordes of enemies but can also snipe effectively. He also plays/levels much faster because with the Maya build I was using (long range specialist) I spent a lot of time waiting for her phaselock to recharge or to get a good head shot with a sniper rifle. I still spend about 25% of the time sniping with Zero but no waiting for skill cooldown since I’ve specked him out for melee combat so you just keep slashing and shooting until it recharges. This speeds up gameplay quite a bit.

Also Zero’s deception skill allows you to run past enemies more easily since if they start tagging you as you’re running by just through out a decoy and you’ve got time to run away and for your shields to start recharging. This is nice because I finally figured out how to level smarter. I was noticing that after awhile experience earned for killing enemies was suddenly dropping to nothing it finally dawned on me that was because I had leveled up so high past that missions specs it dropped from “normal” to “trivial” difficulty. So now I’ve made a point to prioritize missions in order of their level, lowest first. I’ve also found sometimes it’s advantageous to hold off on the mission turn-in since that’s where most of the experience points come from on most missions. That way I can play through more of the missions on normal difficulty gaining full experience for kills while not leveling up to fast. Then once all the missions are complete or I have ended up leveling them to trivial or there just aren’t anymore missions in that chapter I turn all of them in. If missions to become trivial but I still want to do them I just run past the enemies (in some cases they force a fight) to the objective and then just complete the mission.

Another time-saver I’ve found is that you don’t have run all the way back to the beginning of the area to transport out. Just “save and quit” then “continue” and it restarts you at the entrance to the area automatically at which point you can just log into the transporter and go somewhere else. This one can be a big time/headache save especially somewhere like Caustic Caverns.

I’m getting near the end of my playthrough with Zero and he’s up to level 36. I highly recommend if you play Zero to focus on melee or balanced since you almost never die sniping. Also bonuses to melee and especially “fight for life” are a necessity since you will die often but can usually easily get a kill and revive if you’ve set things up right. So bad guys that would take me an hour to wipe out with Maya, usually dying for real several times I can destroy in 10 minutes with Zero while reviving without any real deaths.

If you like first person shooters and/or role-play games any you aren’t playing this then you are wrong so correct yourself . . . now!
I've been playing sonic and Allstate racing transformed on wii u. It is a fun cart style racer. Great game for kids and for family versus modes. Highly recommended, and can be much more challenging than I thought.

Now I do love role playing games and first person shooters so am thinking about trying borderlands 2...
Posted By: grunt Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/27/12 01:17 AM
Originally Posted By: terzaghi


Now I do love role playing games and first person shooters so am thinking about trying borderlands 2...


Flashback to my previous avatar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_tYQRP4QWM
Dean, are you playing on a PC? I'm at level 42, and really want to try some multiplayer.

BTW, I finished Farcry 3 (completing every objective in the handbook i.e. finding every relic and letter etc. etc.) last week. It was an amazing game.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/29/12 05:39 AM
How did you feel after torching all that marijuana?
Originally Posted By: pmbuko
How did you feel after torching all that marijuana?


laugh

Hungry for some brownies smile.

Have you purchased Deus Ex: HR yet?
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/29/12 03:43 PM
Borderlands 2: I was a big BL fan after the first one but the second one took it to a new level. By far the game of the year and one of the best games I've played in recent years. I took a break after beating it and have just now started playing the DLC. BTW this game is totally worth playing on a PC with a Nvidia card for PhysX. I've seen it on a 360 and it looks a million times better on my PC.

PlanetSide 2: Not much else to say other than, PC Gamer Multiplayer Shooter of the Year 2012. I can't stop playing this game it's so amazing. If it wasn't for BL2 existing I'd be saying this was the game of the year and it's only been out for a month (I did play during beta but it's so much better now). If you played the first one I'm sure you'll like this one as it's better in every possible way. I've never witnessed a game that can create battles like this one can. They are giving double XP thru Jan 2nd so it's a great time to start.

My main toon is a Vanu on Helios: INANE
My alt is a NC on Waterson: Br0ckSamps0n
So I was supposed to buy Border Lands 2 from a guy on Craigslist today for $30 but he never called me back frown

I hooked up my modded box in the living room today though.. Thinking about firing up zelda: a link to the past on SNES emulator to finish off my vacation.
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/30/12 05:16 AM
Steam had BL2 for 30 bucks earlier in their holiday sale... sometimes at the end they will offer up the same deals.

Speaking of Steam, is there an Axiom group on there? If not we should make one. You can find me on steam as inane69@gmail.com
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/30/12 06:12 AM
Originally Posted By: Powertothepeople
Have you purchased Deus Ex: HR yet?


Nope. Cheapy McCheapypants is still waiting for the Mac price to come down from $40.
Originally Posted By: pmbuko
Originally Posted By: Powertothepeople
Have you purchased Deus Ex: HR yet?


Nope. Cheapy McCheapypants is still waiting for the Mac price to come down from $40.


Well if you ever do :p, remember to message me before you start because there's an important choice (the developers made a mistake IMO) you have to make shortly after starting. Basically if you don't choose to visit Pritchard first upon returning to Detroit (I could have the wrong city), you miss some storyline.
Originally Posted By: INANE
Speaking of Steam, is there an Axiom group on there? If not we should make one. You can find me on steam as inane69@gmail.com


I'm on Steam. I don't want to post my email on the forum, but if you care to play some multiplayer with me, send me a PM. An Axiom group sounds like a fun idea, Ben.
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/30/12 06:40 PM
Ya I prob shouldn't have posted my address but I can no longer edit my post so oh well.

I took the liberty of creating a group on Steam that everyone here can use. Just shoot me a PM and I'll invite ya.

Axiom Audio Gamers (Steam)
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/31/12 10:10 PM
I went and switched the Steam group to public so anyone should be able to join it. Figured that would just be easier. If we have any problems we could switch back.
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/31/12 10:19 PM
I know some folks were interested in it so I thought I'd pass this along. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is onsale for $5 right now.
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/02/13 06:29 AM
Borderlands 2 is on sale for the next 10 hrs, for 30 bucks
Playing skyward sword now. Fun so far. I don't mind the sub par graphics.
I still haven't finished that one. I thought the graphics in Twilight Princess were far better, but Nintendo stated they wanted more of a cartoon feeling like in the older games for this one.
Yeah, I read there were a lot of differences between the two. I went with skyward sword as I read it had better motion controls, plus I found a used copy for $25 on Craig's list. I'll try twilight princess next.

I'm probably 2 hours into skyward sword now, fun so far.
I think I hit the 16hr mark then last summer hit and I haven't been back into it. The controls for TP are not that bad, perhaps a little less precise. I still just swing wildly with the sword anyway, much like I did with TP.
Anyone on a PC care to help me kill Pete the Invincible in Borderlands 2? There's absolutely no way I can do it myself.

I'm at level 50.
Hitman: Absolution
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
Hitman: Absolution


PC or console?
Don't know if anyone is currently playing Borderlands 2, but I've been playing co-op a lot and having a blast. Here's the first gaming video I've recorded. My pal Mats (that I've befriended from Poland) and I are taking on the raid boss Terramorphous. I very aptly titled the video "Borderlands 2 : My buddy and I vs Terramorphous. Crazy flying gunzerker!". Tooooooo funny!
Be careful. You might be eaten by a Gru.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/08/13 05:34 AM
Originally Posted By: Powertothepeople
Don't know if anyone is currently playing Borderlands 2, but I've been playing co-op a lot and having a blast.


Oh, yeah, sorry I didn't respond to your message on Steam before. I would have been useless in co-op, anyway. I used to be pretty decent at first person shooters, but I just don't play them like I used to, although you would have had a good laugh, I think!
Charles, you would do much better than me. I can't run and shoot at the same time. If I want to shoot anything, I have to remain in one spot and fire, so I obviously take a lot of damage. This isn't the way an FPS is meant to be played smile.
Originally Posted By: Powertothepeople
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
Hitman: Absolution


PC or console?


Console. To my surprise, there is a lot a bit of gameplay involved. I thought this game would be one of those 10 hour deals. Challenging game on the higher difficulty.
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/10/13 07:07 AM
I just can't pry myself away from PlanetSide 2 to play anything else lately
I am about 25 hours into Zelda Skyward Sword on Wii now. I am enjoying it quite a bit, but am ready to finish it up so I can move onto a new game.

I also have been playing quite a bit of the new zombies map from COD Black Ops 2 (Die Rise).

I have Deus Ex for PS3 sitting on my coffee table- it's been there for a week. My buddy loaned it to me and said it is a really good game... hopefully I can beet zelda so can move on to this one.
Wooooooooooohoooooooooooooo! I killed Terramorphous myself!

I'm the boss smile.
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/12/13 04:26 AM
Originally Posted By: Powertothepeople
Wooooooooooohoooooooooooooo! I killed Terramorphous myself!

I'm the boss smile.


Nice! I'm still only lvl 36 myself. Just beat the crater DLC. I assume to get to 50 you need to run thru the game on true hunter mode?
Originally Posted By: INANE
Originally Posted By: Powertothepeople
Wooooooooooohoooooooooooooo! I killed Terramorphous myself!

I'm the boss smile.


Nice! I'm still only lvl 36 myself. Just beat the crater DLC. I assume to get to 50 you need to run thru the game on true hunter mode?


Yeah man. If you've finished the main storyline, I highly suggest you leave the DLC's alone and start TVHM. In TVHM all the enemies are leveled to match you. It's more challenging and you get better loot. I've just started a co-op playthrough as the Mechromancer, and that's how we're doing it.

Right now my commando (shown in the video) is in TVHM 2.5.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/17/13 09:02 AM
I've been into Skyrim again since the release of the Dragonborn expansion. There's lots of stuff to do once again.
I've finally started playing my copy of Skyrim. Finding I like it MUCH better than Oblivion.
Originally Posted By: CV
I've been into Skyrim again since the release of the Dragonborn expansion. There's lots of stuff to do once again.


Originally Posted By: St_PatGuy
I've finally started playing my copy of Skyrim. Finding I like it MUCH better than Oblivion.


What race are you guys? I'm a level 70 Khajiit.
I'm a Breton, but only level 10 or something. I wanted the built-in magic defense.

Plus, she a girl because she's a lot nicer to watch walking around in the third person view.


Is that creepy?
Soooooooooo, I managed to pull off the seemingly inconceivable in Borderlands 2 a few days ago. I solo spawned Vermivorous the Invincible. It's EXTREMELY rare to see someone spawn him solo legitimately (widely believed to be a 1 in 1200 chance). And yes, It was 100% legit (no Master Gee clitch). It took me 12-15 tries, but 3 1/2 hours later, my labour bared fruit.

Pretty awesome!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/17/13 10:05 PM
Originally Posted By: Powertothepeople
What race are you guys? I'm a level 70 Khajiit.


I'm a Breton for the same reason as Sean, though I stupidly went with a male! I'm level 73, I think, and of course progress to the next level is at a crawl.
With Xbox 360/PS3/Wii coming to an end, what are your favorite games this generation?

10)Borderlands 2
9) Far Cry 3
8) Fallout 3
7) Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
6) GTA: IV
5) L.A Noire
4) Gears of War
3) Mass Effect 2
2) Red Dead Redemption
1) BioShock
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/25/13 03:59 AM
Originally Posted By: Powertothepeople
... my labour bared fruit.

Pretty awesome!

Pretty creepy, a dude giving birth to naked fruit...
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/25/13 04:01 PM
Mmmm. Crotchfruit.
Today I am enjoying Doctor Kong:

Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/28/13 06:51 PM
EXterminate EXTERMINATE!!!!
Finally started Deus ex: human revolution. So far I'm digging it but am only about an hour in. Story seems pretty good so far
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/13/13 03:57 AM
I put the Planetside 2 crack pipe down long enough to do some Civ5 meth again. laugh
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Finally started Deus ex: human revolution. So far I'm digging it but am only about an hour in. Story seems pretty good so far


Should've been game of the year.

Are you going entirely nonlethal, lethal, or a mix of the two, David?

And don't forget about my PM!
Crap... I forgot about your message. What am I supposed to do again to keep from missing the story? I did a little sneaking on the first intro mission, but killed a bunch as well. I envision a combination of lethal and non lethal tactics will be used depending on the mission.
Finally beat deus ex. I enjoyed the game quite a bit. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't played it yet.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/03/13 11:56 AM
Anyone tried Bioshock Infinite yet?
Originally Posted By: Murph
Anyone tried Bioshock Infinite yet?


Yeppers, bud. Great game with a beautiful, expansive world, but I won't play it again any time soon (if ever), and I play everything at least twice if it's really enjoyable. Bioshock just didn't do much for me as far as replay value goes. It's not that difficult, and it's also quite short. I do recommend it. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

YOU NEED TO GET BORDERLANDS 2 SO WE CAN CO-OP!
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Finally beat deus ex. I enjoyed the game quite a bit. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't played it yet.


Ending....?
Originally Posted By: PopeBobAltarBoy
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Finally beat deus ex. I enjoyed the game quite a bit. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't played it yet.


Ending....?



I pressed the middle button
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Originally Posted By: PopeBobAltarBoy
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Finally beat deus ex. I enjoyed the game quite a bit. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't played it yet.


Ending....?



I pressed the middle button


Going to YouTube smile.
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/04/13 03:08 AM
Played a lot of Planetside 2 over the weekend because it was a dooubleXP event so I think I'll be playing some Civ5 tonight. laugh
Originally Posted By: PopeBobAltarBoy
Originally Posted By: Murph
Anyone tried Bioshock Infinite yet?


Yeppers, bud. Great game with a beautiful, expansive world, but I won't play it again any time soon (if ever), and I play everything at least twice if it's really enjoyable. Bioshock just didn't do much for me as far as replay value goes. It's not that difficult, and it's also quite short. I do recommend it. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

YOU NEED TO GET BORDERLANDS 2 SO WE CAN CO-OP!


Are you playing Infinite on Medium or Hard difficulty. Medium definitely plays as the "easy" setting you find on most games. The BioShock series is one of my favorites worlds. Infinite is a good game. Better than BioShock 2 but nothing can compete with the original.

If you are looking to die a lot, try Gears of War: Judgement campaign on Insane difficulty and declassify the mission.
I played it on the medium setting. If I try it again, I'll try it on "hard". The Hangymen will be EXTREMELY difficult for me as I can't move and shoot at the same time, and they're very quick.
I am back into dark souls again. I never did beat it before I moved onto something else. I played a lot this weekend and am now up to soul level 75. I just beat anor londo.

This game is tough!
Still playing dark souls. Up to soul level 107 now! I've been getting after it! Nearing the end of the game now. I've been soul farming and upgrading items, working up my stats, etc. I can do about 1000 damage with my crystal soul spear spell ( using 2 magic boosting items- a ring and a crown).
I love these series of games. Glad you didn't totally give up, David, and have gotten back into playing.

Shoot, for the life of me I can't remember what level I ended up on, but, however high I got it never felt like enough.
Yeah, I'm close to the end now but am enjoying grinding up higher to improve my stats. Probably time to beat it now!
Good luck!
I finally beat dark souls tonight. Thinking about playing through again on new game plus mode with even harder difficulty! I was soul level 118 when i finished.
I'm thinking about trying out monster hunter 3 ultimate on wii u. Has anyone here played the monster hunter series?
I ended up buying monster hunter 3 ultimate for wii u on amazon for $42 (used). I'm just getting into the swing of things. The main point of the game is to kill big monsters, take body parts from them, craft new weapons and armor with said parts, then head out to kill even bigger monsters. There is a lot of item farming, crafting, and ingredient picking too.

I'm about 10 hours in and it seems like the type of game you can play for a long time and still not feel strong enough. Fun so far. 8/10 for me.
Upgrading my rating on monster hunter 3 to 9/10. 58 hours play time and I'm pretty addicted to grinding through battle after battle for the next armor piece or weapon im trying to build. The online play really makes this game a hit.
It was this morning at 3 AM, where I read about http://adarkroom.doublespeakgames.com/ I figured I'd check it out for a half hour or so to see what it's like. At 9:30 AM I had beaten it.

I don't recommend you try it. laugh
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/08/13 01:16 AM
I COULD beat it now, but there's so much ... undiscovered area.
There are some things in the area that makes it easier to beat.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/08/13 11:35 PM
I just beat it. Whew! The thing that got me most often when I was exploring -- after I'd "leveled up" to the max -- was running out of frickin' water. Sheesh.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/09/13 12:14 AM
I run out of food more than I run out of water.
Amateurs.

I probably only died three times from resource exhaustion.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/09/13 04:17 PM
Yeah, but did you explore the entire map?
Yes, I did. Just always made sure I wasn't too far from home, or a place I where I could refill. Of course I spent a good portion of my youth playing games that had very similar rules, and after the first couple failures my second nature kicked in.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 07/15/13 05:05 PM
Anyone tried the indie game "Slender man"? It's based on the meme of the same name and is available free Here.

The concept is simple. Run around a 3-D world and collect 8 pages pinned to random places. Slender Man is hunting you down. The catch is that the more you look at him to see where he is, the faster he catches up to you. You have no weapons, all you can do when you see him is run away and try to resist the temptation to look back to see if it's working.

Mediocre graphics and very-simple gameplay but they have done an awesome job in creating and building tension. It really gets you into it. I've showed it to a few people now, all of whom have nearly jumped out of thier chairs at some point.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/23/13 08:15 PM
Pinball FX 2

I've owned it on the Xbox 360 for quite a while, but I also haven't turned my 360 on in a long time. It was on sale on Steam recently, along with the additional tables, so I purchased it there. I don't think I'll ever get around to buying a real pinball table, so this is a nice substitute. But oh, how frustrating. I remember being pretty decent at most video game pinball titles, including this one, but now that I'm playing it again I feel like I'm not doing nearly as well. I don't like how much my reaction times have slowed.

But besides that, I think they're doing a good job of keeping pinball alive in an affordable form, and I like that it allows them to do things that would be impossible on real tables.

Don't Starve is pretty fun, at least in the little bit that I played, but I've never been the greatest at resource management-type games.

The Bridge is a pretty good puzzle platformer, but I'm already to the point where I'm hitting my head against the wall a lot.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/23/13 09:11 PM
SteamOS

Looking forward to seeing where this goes.
Wife and I logged 20 or so hours into coop diablo 3 on 360 over the last couple of weeks. Pretty fun game, but not sure that I am up to grinding through levels after beating it once
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/27/13 11:59 AM
Wow. I wish my wife liked video games.
The closest thing to Diablo I might experience with Sharon is her chasing me out of the kitchen with a cleaver like "The Butcher" demon.
Ha! Yeah she didn't like it at first but started watching me play and then made her own character and she was hooked. She likes skyrim and zombies mode on call of duty a lot too . Other than that, she likes mario type games.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/29/13 09:10 AM
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Pretty good so far. They knocked it out of the park with the look of the game, and the gameplay itself is a little different. You use both brothers simultaneously to work through the game, one's movement controlled on one thumbstick, the other on the other. It's currently 70% off on Steam ($4.49). I easily recommend it at this price, even though I'm not terribly far into it.
Sounds like a good deal for $5.

Most of my gaming time has been spent playing battlfield 4 on XBONE. The game can be glitchy at times but they have patched most of the major bugs that result in crashing or difficulty finding a game. I've never played battlefield before and have always turned to call of duty for my FPS fix. I find the large maps, game mode variety, vehicles, etc to be much better on BF. Adios COD.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/30/13 02:22 AM
I haven't played a Battlefield game in a while, but I have enjoyed the little bit I played back in the day. I should give the more recent offerings some time.

It's good to hear you're getting use out of the Xbox One.

Have you developed a preference for Xbox One or PS4 as a Blu-ray player, or do you have a standalone player for that?
To be honest I haven't watched enough movies to decide . Been busy due to promotion at work, new baby, etc. so far I'd say my preference is xbox one, mostly because I can give it voice commands to play a disc , switch back to tv when done, pause. etc. I have probably spent 90% of my gaming and movie time on xbox one and 10% on ps4. This is largely due to the fact that I have spent more time with the 2 xbone games i have than the 1 ps4 game I have. Perhaps that will Change when I get a few good ps4 exclusives down the line, or if the ps4 adopts 3d support before xbox.

I still think the PS3 may be the best bluray player and media center out there for the money but maybe that will change too when updates come for the new systems.


I forgot to add I have also been playing super mario 3d world on wii u with my wife. That one is really fun too and has smooth crisp graphics. It's hard to go wrong with nintendo first party offerings. Great fun and challenge so far with 2 player coop
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/30/13 05:50 AM
Oh, yeah, I still need a Wii U, too. I never got a Wii, so I've really been missing the Nintendo first party games.

And congratulations on both the promotion and the baby if I neglected to say it here or on Facebook. The pictures you're posting are very heartwarming. smile
I can't tell any difference in the sound and video quality for the Xbox One and PS4. I haven't checked the load times but they are fast. I don't think there is any difference there either.

That said if I had to make a choice it would be the Xbox One as well. The PS4 controller emits a bright blue light during playback which I find distracting. You can't turn off the light either.

I have found the Xbox One voice commands work extremely well once you get used to all the specific commands and the order you have to say to it. I use them quite a bit.
Yeah, the other thing to add is that my xbox is usually already on (watching tv or something ) when I get ready to watch a movie, so it seems natural just to use it for bluray playback.


Thanks for the congratulations Charles. Yeah, we have become one of THOSE parents that keeps the world up to date on frequent baby activities. What can I say, we are proud parents. smile

I never owned a wii either which was part if my motivation to get the wii u when it was reased. I have played some of the older wii games which are pretty fun.
Been playing Don't Starve, console edition on ps4. It's a fun little game, especy for a free playstation plus download. I recommend trying it out on console or PC.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ngqnayEy_7Y
I have also been playing pinball arcade on PS4. The game is also available on various mobile devices (maybe PC as well?)

The game features re-makes of pinball actual pinball games, many of which I remember seeing in various arcades growing up. If you ever liked pinball you should check it out. The lighting, graphics, and physics are great on PS4 (and not bad on Ipdad)
Posted By: brwsaw Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/11/14 03:49 AM
I'm still suffering with GT4 on the PS2.
I hadn't played it in a year or three and now I've getting about an hour a day playing the licenses to get more courses in the arcade.
PS4 will happen this year, the goal is mid May. Then I'll probably live down stairs.
NFS and Tomb Raider are already haunting my day dreams.
Been enjoying Torchlight II recently. It's kind of what Diablo III should have been.
Is that a PC game spiff? I enjoyed diablo 3 on xbox360 and am looking forward to replaying it on ps4 with the new features when it is released
The first Torchlight was PC and Mac. Here's a FAQ on the second:

Quote:
Which platforms will Torchlight II be released on?

Torchlight II is available now for PC. We also plan to do a Mac port. No console or Linux releases are planned at this time.


Sucks there's no Linux support planned. That means no SteamOS. Though lots of developers are changing their minds now.
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/16/14 01:46 AM
I've been sucked into STO of all things. It's interesting.
Just started playing the titanfall beta in xbox one. So far I'm pretty impressed with the multiplayer. If you have xbox one check it out
Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Just started playing the titanfall beta in xbox one. So far I'm pretty impressed with the multiplayer. If you have xbox one check it out



Is it a free download??
Yes. Beta runs for a few more days only I think
Any Hearthstone players around here?
Posted By: brwsaw Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/13/14 10:25 PM
I'm hoping to get a couple hours into Need or Speed Rivals tonight. That or watch a movie with the kids.
Crazy how little viewing we've done since the room construction began.
I really liked need for speed most wanted but haven't played it in a long time.

Been playing titanfall on xbox one lately. Pretty damn fun.
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/14/14 12:11 PM
Hey Terz,
I've been reading that Titanfall is actually not to bad for people who suck at multi-player FPS, like me. I'm hearing that regularly being able to summon a giant robot to climb into that takes 10 minutes or so to be killed (with a chance to eject and escape in time) gets rid of a lot of the angst of the usual 'spawning only to be insta-killed by the punks who actually excel at these games.' By "excel", I mean "don't suck like me".

I'm not buying an X-Box 1 anyways anytime soon so I'm just curious about your thoughts. I enjoy locally hosted FPS against friends of equal suckage but I have no use for online, multi-player where I see the loading screen longer than I see the game world. Refreshing to see a gaming company do something about that for the non-hardcore folks.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/15/14 06:52 AM
Man, I really want to play Titanfall. But like Murph, I'd rather do local matches of only people I know.
Titanfall is definitely different than most shooters with the inclusion of the titans.. However, you would be surprised how easy it is to be killed in your titan by another titan or even a human. Definitely not as quick as u can die when a human, but not overly strong. Humans can jump on your head and "rodeo" you and kill you fairly easy. You have to jump out of titan and try and kill them, or can get them off your back if you have a special smoke grenade selected .

The game is a fun change of pace from the typical FPS, but wouldn't say it is completely ground breaking as far as graphics go or that it is as good as the hype would lead you to believe. Another thing that sucks is that the multiplayer included AI playerd too that get in he way . You go to kill an AI player only to have a real Player come from the side and kill you... If you could tell easier who was AI versus human you would shoot the human first. I still highly recommend it though.
Hey, anybody else here playing The Simpsons: Tapped Out game? If so, find me at "medic8r" so we can each get more money and donuts. Mmm, donuts.
C'mon already!

Originally Posted By: terzaghi
Titanfall is definitely different than most shooters with the inclusion of the titans.. However, you would be surprised how easy it is to be killed in your titan by another titan or even a human. Definitely not as quick as u can die when a human, but not overly strong. Humans can jump on your head and "rodeo" you and kill you fairly easy. You have to jump out of titan and try and kill them, or can get them off your back if you have a special smoke grenade selected .

The game is a fun change of pace from the typical FPS, but wouldn't say it is completely ground breaking as far as graphics go or that it is as good as the hype would lead you to believe. Another thing that sucks is that the multiplayer included AI playerd too that get in he way . You go to kill an AI player only to have a real Player come from the side and kill you... If you could tell easier who was AI versus human you would shoot the human first. I still highly recommend it though.


Titanfall is a good game. One of the better games out there this gen. I agree with what you said. It doesn't have that "generic" feel to it. Somewhat original but isn't ground breaking. The bar is set pretty low right now. The most recent exclusive inFamous: Second Son was an incredibly stale open world game.

I'm playing Ground Zero right now. Decent but is more like a $10 add-on to the real game. Not worth the asking price even at $35.

I don't think I will be super impressed by a game until MLB: The Show 14 comes out in May.
Anyone else playing The Elder Scrolls Online?
Posted By: Murph Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/10/14 01:48 PM
I thought about it Cam as I used to be a big MMORPG guy. Then I started reading some reviews that all seemed to agree that they pretty much followed the classic MMORPG formula to the letter, offering nothing new in the experience except an Elder Scrolls look to the world. One of my regular MMO buddies played in the beta and said the same.

Let me know what you think though. I'm still tempted and might still be interested if it had more to offer that what I hear so far. I'm sure it's a great game. i just really need something new before I invest in another big time/money sink type game.

I have hopes for "Everquest Next" when it eventually rolls out. Sounds like they are doing some really neat AI stuff. For instance, no longer will you always find mob boss A at sight A. If players kill him a few times there, he will catch on and move to a new location which he may choose to defend entirely differently. Should take a lot of the repetition and the 'everyone knows you use this formula for the win' out of the game.

The ability for players to basically 'minecraft' thier own castles, dungeons, etc and such should also be interesting.

This worked really well in "D&D Online" where many of the player created quests quickly surpassed the built in ones for interesting story-lines, imaginative puzzles, etc. Unfortunately the game engine itself was so old-school, it never made it big as other than the player built stuff, it looked and felt like a step backwards.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/10/14 07:34 PM
I bought Bioshock Infinity last week -- on sale for $7.99! -- and beat it in about four long sessions. smile Fantastic game. I should probably play Bioshock 2 now.
I recently finished Bioshock Infinite and thoroughly enjoyed the story. Peter, you got it for a steal at 7.99!
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/11/14 03:20 AM
Oops, did I say Infinity? Yeah.

I want a metal pinky cap.
Originally Posted By: Da_Gimp_Pimp
Anyone else playing The Elder Scrolls Online?


Maxed out at what resolution, how does she look and play? Is it glitchy at all? Bethesda games usually roll out with a lot of bugs.
Originally Posted By: Murph
I thought about it Cam as I used to be a big MMORPG guy. Then I started reading some reviews that all seemed to agree that they pretty much followed the classic MMORPG formula to the letter, offering nothing new in the experience except an Elder Scrolls look to the world. One of my regular MMO buddies played in the beta and said the same.


Yup, it's just like a Skyrim Star Wars. It's my first MMORPG, so it's new for me. It's quite difficult for me to play because I can't button spam my abilities and move my character simultaneously, thus I'm constantly taking damage and I die alot frown .
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
Originally Posted By: Da_Gimp_Pimp
Anyone else playing The Elder Scrolls Online?


Maxed out at what resolution, how does she look and play? Is it glitchy at all? Bethesda games usually roll out with a lot of bugs.


Everything is maxed out at 1920x1080. It looks phenomenal and plays perfectly. The world is visually stunning.

I haven't noticed any glitches despite many people reporting there are. It HAS crashed on me twice, and I can't add a friend (he can't add me either).
Originally Posted By: Da_Gimp_Pimp
Originally Posted By: Murph
I thought about it Cam as I used to be a big MMORPG guy. Then I started reading some reviews that all seemed to agree that they pretty much followed the classic MMORPG formula to the letter, offering nothing new in the experience except an Elder Scrolls look to the world. One of my regular MMO buddies played in the beta and said the same.


Yup, it's just like a Skyrim Star Wars. It's my first MMORPG, so it's new for me. It's quite difficult for me to play because I can't button spam my abilities and move my character simultaneously, thus I'm constantly taking damage and I die alot frown .
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
Originally Posted By: Da_Gimp_Pimp
Anyone else playing The Elder Scrolls Online?


Maxed out at what resolution, how does she look and play? Is it glitchy at all? Bethesda games usually roll out with a lot of bugs.


Everything is maxed out at 1920x1080. It looks phenomenal and plays perfectly. The world is visually stunning.

I haven't noticed any glitches despite many people reporting there are. It HAS crashed on me twice, and I can't add a friend (he can't add me either).


Very nice! Good to hear about the lack of crashing. Yeah it's nice installing new games now and having the game report back your recommended settings are Ultra High @ 1080p.

Have you ran 3dmark on your PC? Just curious what your bench mark score is. You have a sick rig bro.
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
Very nice! Good to hear about the lack of crashing. Yeah it's nice installing new games now and having the game report back your recommended settings are Ultra High @ 1080p.

Have you ran 3dmark on your PC? Just curious what your bench mark score is. You have a sick rig bro.


I've ran 3dmark and others, but now I use Unique Valley Benchmark instead. It's superior to 3dmark.
Here's my score -
Originally Posted By: Da_Gimp_Pimp
Here's my score -


That looks quite impressive. So your at an avg of 77.3 FPS on their extreme/ultra high setting bench mark. Majority of games you will run at 100 FPS or greater? For example like the game mentioned above, Bioshock Infinite @ 100 FPS your PC would not break a sweat.
Nope. I've completed Bioshock Infinite, and my computer played it flawlessly.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/14/14 01:06 AM
I'm looking forward to Child of Light. The art style looks really cool, but what clinched it is when I saw that Cœur de pirate had done the music for it. Here's The Making of Child of Light - Part 2, in which you can hear a little bit of the music and hear how they approached the soundtrack.

I've already preordered the soundtrack here, and I imagine I'll be buying the game on Steam. Can't wait!
Child of Light is one of the games I plan on getting when I get a PS4 this fall.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/14/14 05:17 AM
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
Child of Light is one of the games I plan on getting when I get a PS4 this fall.


What else is coming out for PS4 that you want? I'll have to take another look at the consoles toward the end of the year, too.
I've played the first two Dragon Ages on the PS3, while the third is coming out for it too, I'd rather play it on the newest generation. So that's the reason I'm buying one this fall, for the release of that title. Nothing else has really grabbed me. I might pick up the PS4 remaster of The Last of Us, after the price drops. I'm guessing the next Uncharted will be for the PS4 also.

I wish the Blu-ray Consortium would finish up the specs the the UHD BD. If they're going to need additional layers, then the PS4 will probably get a multi-layer drive refit. But some members feel that with H.265 more than 50 GB isn't needed. What ever the outcome I just wish it would happen before I buy a new system.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 04/14/14 06:12 AM
Originally Posted By: ClubNeon
I wish the Blu-ray Consortium would finish up the specs the the UHD BD. If they're going to need additional layers, then the PS4 will probably get a multi-layer drive refit. But some members feel that with H.265 more than 50 GB isn't needed. What ever the outcome I just wish it would happen before I buy a new system.


Yeah, it sure would be nice, wouldn't it?
Originally Posted By: Da_Gimp_Pimp
Nope. I've completed Bioshock Infinite, and my computer played it flawlessly.


Next week I hope to do some overclocking on my PC. Now are you running the Basic (free), Advanced or Pro version of Valley Benchmark?
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
Originally Posted By: Da_Gimp_Pimp
Nope. I've completed Bioshock Infinite, and my computer played it flawlessly.


Next week I hope to do some overclocking on my PC. Now are you running the Basic (free), Advanced or Pro version of Valley Benchmark?


Just the basic, bud.

Have fun overclocking! Although an arduous task, the end results are worth it.
Originally Posted By: Da_Gimp_Pimp
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
Originally Posted By: Da_Gimp_Pimp
Nope. I've completed Bioshock Infinite, and my computer played it flawlessly.


Next week I hope to do some overclocking on my PC. Now are you running the Basic (free), Advanced or Pro version of Valley Benchmark?


Just the basic, bud.

Have fun overclocking! Although an arduous task, the end results are worth it.


Thanks bro!
Originally Posted By: Da_Gimp_Pimp
Here's my score -


My baseline was as follows under the Extreme HD preset. eek

FPS: 47
Score: 1967
Min FPS: 24.2
Max FPS 88
You should overclock your GPU. I have no need to with my 690, but I did overclock my previous SLI 460's. It's quite simple.
Been playing mario kart 8 on the wii u the last couple of days. It's a really fun game and quite addicting. Played solo and two player with my wife, haven't tried online yet. It came with a free download for 1 of 4 other wii u games. I chose the zelda wind waker hd , never played it on GameCube. Highly recommend mario kart if you have a wii u and like the other ones. I'll report back later on zelda.
Posted By: brwsaw Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 06/02/14 04:10 AM
We've been taking turns playing Trials Fusion on the PS4 all night.
Still running no subs, 7.0, and everything feels/sounds complete.
Been playing MLB 14: The Show recently which is very good. Currently engaged in Watch Dogs. Game is a trip.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/28/14 07:23 PM
South Park: The Stick of Truth

It was finally low enough in price on Steam for me to take the plunge. Enjoying it so far! They didn't half-ass it at all, definitely authentic South Park.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/10/15 01:51 AM
I wasn't going to get it at launch, but ultimately I couldn't resist. I bought and pre-loaded Fallout 4 on Steam, so I'll be booting it up as soon as it goes live.

I never did put the same hours into Fallout 3 that I've put into the Elder Scrolls games, and I still haven't played New Vegas, but this may be the one that pulls me in. I only have a GTX 460, but hopefully it does decently enough. I want to build a whole new machine next year sometime, after Steam Machines have been out and SteamOS has been filled out and fine-tuned a bit, but I also want to move to UHD and Atmos/DTS: X, so we'll see what I can realistically get going on either front.
Posted By: AAAA Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/10/15 10:16 AM
Let me know how you do please. 460 here too. smile
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/10/15 08:58 PM
I set the graphics to the medium setting, though I'll definitely have to go lower. Not very smooth.
Posted By: AAAA Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/10/15 09:32 PM
No! May be cheaper for me to buy a PS4.

Anyone recommend a new video card to replace a GTX 460.... Like to spend less than $250.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/11/15 12:54 AM
I'm toying with the idea of a new video card, too. I'm thinking I could justify a GTX 950 for my current rig. I'll get something that does more damage with my next build.
Posted By: AAAA Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/11/15 01:04 PM
I might go with an ATI card again. Havent in a while. The Radeon R9 380 is one I'm looking at.

Did some digging at Tom's. They do a monthly break down on graphics cards by price it seems. Can you say obsolescence?!

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-3.html
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/11/15 02:27 PM
Look at techreport.com for better reviews and plots on cards.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/13/15 01:17 AM
I did end up with a GTX 950. Even though Nvidia's website recommends the 970 for Fallout 4, the game automatically chooses Ultra settings with the 950, and so far it's very smooth. At 1920x1080. If you're running a higher resolution, you may still want something more powerful, but I'm happy finding out the 950 was a viable solution for me, considering how much cheaper it is.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/14/15 10:45 AM
Fallout 4 is sucking up my time, for sure. There's a lot I'm fuzzy on how to do, which might be why I'm spending an ungodly amount of time trying to collect materials for building up the settlements and gain experience by crafting. I need to make my character a bit stronger soon, as I'm running into some pretty tough encounters, and I'll admit I've turned the difficulty down a few times when my deaths were going into the double-digits. I can only take so much of that frustration.
Posted By: AAAA Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/14/15 12:36 PM
What processor do you have. I have an i5-760
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/15/15 12:20 AM
Originally Posted By Serenity_Now
What processor do you have. I have an i5-760


Wow, it's been longer than I thought. It was top-of-the-line at the time. Intel Core i7-975.
Posted By: brwsaw Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/16/15 01:23 AM
Kids are trying to play plants vs zombies on PS4 but it requires a subscription...what a croc...
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/16/15 02:14 AM
Originally Posted By CV
Originally Posted By Serenity_Now
What processor do you have. I have an i5-760


Wow, it's been longer than I thought. It was top-of-the-line at the time. Intel Core i7-975.


Loser. I have an i9-11745
Posted By: MMM Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/16/15 02:23 AM
Originally Posted By pmbuko


Wow, it's been longer than I thought. It was top-of-the-line at the time. Intel Core i7-975.


Loser. I have an i9-11745 [/quote]

WOW, such old technology. I have the Intel i-&#8734; 6.66 Penta Hz processor that is so fast, it travels backwards in time so it can finish the processing before it even starts.

But you try and tell the young kids of today, and they won't believe you.
Posted By: pmbuko Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/16/15 05:16 AM
Originally Posted By oakvillematt
WOW, such old technology. I have the Intel i-&#8734; 6.66 Penta Hz processor that is so fast, it travels backwards in time so it can finish the processing before it even starts.

But you try and tell the young kids of today, and they won't believe you.

I just bought my first quantum processor, but until I get the Heisenberg compensation chip, everything's uncertain.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/15 08:38 AM
The radiation storms in Fallout 4 are a great showcase for subwoofers. The audio in general is fun, but you really feel those storms.
I generally don't play too often but thought you guys might like to see what my son paid for with the money from his first job this summer.

i7-4790k
Asus Hero Maximus7
16 Gig ram
GTX 980Ti
Corsair H110 CPU cooler
NZXT H440 case.









Next up is a bigger monitor, looking at 27" 144hz or higher, 1-2 ms GTG & 2-4k resolution
I remember the days of a windowed case to see all of the guts, and blue LED fans, cathode tubes for general case illumination, etc. Later I found that the blue lights, even if you can dim them or turn many of them off, are REALLY bright in a dark room (we had a ton of family over one year, and kids were trying to sleep in my office where the computer was) and the lights kept them awake, plus the blue light was distracting while trying to game in a dark room. I switched to minimum lighting and what I did have was red. Just better. No more windowed case either. All it does is show the dusty components as they age and no longer become something to brag about. It is a nice setup hardware wise though.
Posted By: fredk Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/22/15 04:41 PM
I never understood the appeal of windowed PCs full of leds. Now purple crushed velvet bell bottoms...

While you guys are playing your new fangled Fallout 4, I'm still slowly working my way through Dragon Age 2.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/22/15 05:03 PM
I just started playing Portal 2.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/26/15 06:39 AM
Originally Posted By Ken.C
I just started playing Portal 2.


Always a good time to play Portal 2!

The worst thing about visiting my sister was not playing Fallout 4. I have catching up to do.
Posted By: Ken.C Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/26/15 01:35 PM
I finished playing Portal 2 2 days later. Now I am bereft and portal-less.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/22/18 05:33 AM
I haven't been logging as many hours as I should, but I have to say I haven't been regretting my Nintendo Switch purchase. A couple of weekends ago I had my best friend bring his kids and wife over to play ARMS, since they had a blast the previous time they'd played it, and apparently they'd been mentioning it.

Besides that, I also had the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit sitting around. I'd been saving that for when his kids were over. We assembled the fishing rod, and the little accompanying fishing game works pretty well! His younger son was really getting into it. Hats off to Nintendo on a really well-thought out, engaging product.
Posted By: INANE Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/25/18 12:08 AM
Who's playing Overwatch? laugh
My 13 yo wants to get into Overwatch. He's into Fortnite now.

I'm sticking to iOS games like Simpsons Tapped Out and Clash Royale.
Clash Royale is my crack right now. I just do 2v2 anymore, but that is just because I win probably 95% of the time in 2v2 matches. Still makes it more challenging because you never know what your unknown "teammate" is going to do. I used to get annoyed by teammates quiting because their offensive push failed, but then I just use it as a challenge to see how long I can survive in a 1v2 situation.
Hey Nick,

On the off chance we ever get paired together in 2v2, my handle is Epic Dog Brain.

I hover around 3800 trophies. Current deck is Mega Knight, Lumberjack, Wizard, Guards, Hog Rider, Bats, Zap, and The Log.
I'm currently using what I call a "supporting deck." So many people have decks similar to what you do, so I have found some great combinations to use with those with some more "traditional" cards. Witch, Skeleton Army, Balloon, Fireball, Baby Dragon, Rage, Wizard, Goblin Barrel.

The Goblin Barrel I may switch out, but I use it a lot of time as a quick target to draw out logs, arrows, and fireballs and many times two at the same time, which make the skeletons a lot more effective against some pushes.

I like to time a Balloon, Baby Dragon, Rage push right after the opponents use up some elixir as I can usually give some solid damage. If my teammate throws a Hog Rider, or a splash damage card as well, it will usually take out a tower quickly and then serve some serious damage to the King Tower. If they happen to have a mirror card too, it is game over within seconds.

I have other decks that I play that are more popular right now, but the success that I've had with this deck for the past several months (unchanged) has been undeniable.

1v1 is a different story. LOL

My handle is Nickster
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 09/18/20 12:56 PM
I built a new computer last year, so I've been trying to play more games to justify the expense. There's also the fact that there's been a ton of smoke in the air from the wildfires, so staying indoors is the thing to do. This last week or two I've been putting time into Control and Halo: The Master Chief Collection. I played a fair amount of the Halo games back in the day, so it's nice to play through again, this time with updated graphics (4K FTW). Control looks cool and plays well. Playing both games drives home the fact that I'm out of practice, and I don't want to put the time in to master the controls. Doing the Easy difficulty just to get through them.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/05/20 04:39 AM
Star Wars: Squadrons is pretty fun, but it got off to an annoying start. It didn't like my 4K resolution at first, so I couldn't see the menu at all to do anything. I had to change the resolution to 1920x1080 first, then go in and change settings in the game. Then there was a lot of screen tearing. I wasn't optimistic about V-Sync working after reading that other people weren't having satisfactory results even with it enabled, but thankfully it seemed to fix things for me.

After dealing with that, getting into the game is pretty easy, though I'm already forgetting what buttons do what. I'll have to practice a little more. I'm impressed with the visuals. I haven't done any space combat games in forever, but still, this is as pretty as I've seen, while still giving you nostalgia for the old X-Wing and TIE Fighter games. I'm hoping they put in the work to fix the technical issues people are having. It sounds like the best way to experience it is in VR with HOTAS controls, but it's far from working perfectly for everyone. I'm on the list to get a Valve Index, mainly so I can play Half-Life: Alyx, but that much investment means I need other good games to justify it, so it would be a nice bonus. HOTAS controllers seem to be in short supply during COVID times. But I'm good with waiting for one that's compatible with both PC and the new Xbox Series X.

Since it's a $40 game, they can get away with it not being terribly deep. The story doesn't seem all that engaging, but it's enough to hold it together. I think most people will be wanting it for the multiplayer. I'm not on that list, but I can see some friends really getting into it.
Posted By: brendo Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/05/20 09:31 PM
I gotten into the YAKUZA games at the moment Yakuza0 {zero}. Awesome funny surprising twists all over. With tons of stuff to do?
Got it for 70% off been playing for about a week or two straight.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/15/20 10:19 AM
Originally Posted by brendo
I gotten into the YAKUZA games at the moment Yakuza0 {zero}.

Thanks for the heads-up. Only $5 on Steam made it a no-brainer. I don't know when I'll make time for it, but it sounds well worth trying out.

A couple months back I signed up for the waiting list to get a Valve Index VR kit, which I mentioned in my last post in the thread. Production finally caught up to my place in line, and it arrived today. Holy crap. This is my first foray into VR, so I don't know how far it's come, but now I know what people mean when they say immersion. I'm still adjusting the headset and controllers a bit, but I'm already impressed with the gameplay in Half-Life: Alyx. You don't get smooth movement through the world like in a normal first person game. Instead, you use a thumbstick to designate where your character "jumps" to. That part will take a little getting used to. And I'm glad they give you time to practice basic movements at the top of the game. I'm still getting the hang of using the gravity gloves to pull items toward myself and catch them. I was just starting to feel comfortable with it when I decided to call it a night. Oh, and I was also impressed with the sound out of the headset's speakers, which hover beside your ears. The setup costs a pretty penny, and it requires a computer, but I'm liking where it's headed. They're further along than I thought they'd be.
Posted By: brendo Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/15/20 09:16 PM
Cool sounds like a really neat experience. After a little bit you'll get the controls easier. It always takes a little getting used to.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/16/20 08:29 AM
Originally Posted by CV
I'm still adjusting the headset and controllers a bit, but I'm already impressed with the gameplay in Half-Life: Alyx. You don't get smooth movement through the world like in a normal first person game. Instead, you use a thumbstick to designate where your character "jumps" to.

Ahh, they built three different ways to move through the environment, and I have had it on the default Blink teleport option. I should try the other two to see if I have a preference.

Half-Life: Alyx's movement system was changed because tall testers kept getting stuck (PC Gamer)
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/18/20 10:32 AM
Re: Half-Life: Alyx again. I barely tried the Continuous (normal) movement system. It seemed like a recipe for giving me motion sickness, but I'll still probably try it again on a second play-through, just to see if I adjust to it.

The game is amazing. I'm on Chapter 5 out of 11. I've heard the game takes around 10 hours, but I'm at 7.9 hours already, with over half of the game to go. I think I'm just liking exploring every nook and cranny. And I'm still missing achievements my nephew has earned. I'll have to find what I missed on my next play-through.

I watched a little gameplay footage back when I first added my name to the waiting list for the Valve Index, and while the game engine looks really great in 2D video, it's such a different experience with the 3D VR headset. It feels so real. I almost fell over one time because I thought I could lean on something. Duh. It's pretty cool to peer around corners and aim my gun while enemies aren't noticing me. One of the scariest moments was entering a large, dark room with a corpse at the end of it with a flashlight attached to it. A flashlight you need before entering another even darker area. Usually you can pull items toward yourself from a distance with your gravity gloves, but it was stuck to the corpse enough that you need to go right up to it to grab it. And of course right after you claim it and attach it to the glove on your non-dominant (non-gun-wielding) hand, headcrabs start attacking you in the dark. You have to use the one hand to illuminate your surroundings, and the other to shoot. My blood was pumping. Another part has you facing off against huge, heavily armored soldiers, and the best way to dispatch them is to pick up grenades and activate them, then toss them from a distance. Thankfully there were a ton lying around, because my tosses still aren't the most accurate.

I'm just saying I highly recommend it if you're into PC gaming and want your next jaw-dropping experience. I'll be curious how far they can push the tech with the next iteration. Not that I want to spend more money already. I just wasn't expecting it to be this involving.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/23/20 09:30 AM
I finished Alyx tonight. It's the coolest thing I've played in quite a while. It seems wrong that I don't even get to enjoy it with my Axiom sound system and OLED TV, since audio and visuals are provided by the Index headset, but it was just so well done. Being IN the game world rather than just seeing it on-screen really involves you, and Valve is really good at balancing story, puzzles, and action matched with unparalleled production value. It's a tragedy to me that so many people will never play it because it's VR-only, never mind that the main reason it should be played is because it's the showcase for what can be achieved in VR. I will probably force my friend to borrow the hardware from me and buy the game so I can talk to someone about it.
Posted By: brendo Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/23/20 06:18 PM
Sounds really cool.

Does this version of Half Life still have multiplayer? Is Portal also going VR?
That would probably be a little to much involvement in game. I would die repeatedly on XB1 the couple times I tried online
Still probably a couple years till it becomes more accessible to main stream audiences. Though with all the new consoles coming out this season they may add more VR especially since Sony has it already on PS4.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/24/20 02:42 AM
Originally Posted by brendo
Does this version of Half Life still have multiplayer? Is Portal also going VR?

No multiplayer in this one. I haven't heard any announcements for more VR titles from Valve, but they seem really excited by the prospects, so I imagine they have other stuff in the works.

Sony will continue VR with the PS5. Microsoft hasn't announced anything for Xbox Series X/S, but I think it was code in Microsoft Flight Simulator that made people think they were at least considering it.

It's hard to see it gaining mainstream traction anytime soon, but who know what it will look like in a couple console generations.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/24/20 09:45 AM
Originally Posted by brendo
Is Portal also going VR? That would probably be a little to much involvement in game.

I just listened to two interviews in which they touched on this. They started from a place of wanting to do something with VR to drive further acceptance in the marketplace, and they considered each of their IPs. Portal was looked at, and yeah, they couldn't think of a way to do it that seemed satisfactory, given the type of motion your character is subjected to, which would result in a ton of motion sickness in a VR presentation.
Posted By: brendo Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/24/20 11:41 PM
That was sort of my thoughts on Valve offerings in particular. {Too extreme} Epileptic or vomit trigger to the max. With their big titles.

The flight simulator looks awesome and the real time is amazing, and terrifying to have so much info readily at our disposal. Haven't yet actually purchased the game but have done a fair bit of digging. Think I'll end up with the XB1 version as my PC graphics aren't the greatest. Plus I think the backwards compatibility is going to be really high this time. Most new games are all displaying forward compatibility. With upcoming systems.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/11/20 05:08 AM
I received my Xbox Series X today. Like most online reviews have stated, it seems like nice, solid hardware, but there aren't any titles to really show it off yet. I'm trying out Game Pass Ultimate for $1, which is Microsoft's Netflix for video games. So far I've only tried out 3 games: Tetris Effect: Connected, Gears Tactics, and GoNNER 2. The highlight is Tetris Effect: Connected, even though I'm definitely not as good at Tetris as I used to be. It's a visual feast with HDR. I don't think I'll have the patience to continue with the other two games, but we'll see after I give them a second try tomorrow.
Posted By: Rebulx Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/12/20 04:17 AM
that's pretty cool.. Would you say there is a big difference in graphics and sound?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/12/20 05:47 AM
Originally Posted by Rebulx
that's pretty cool.. Would you say there is a big difference in graphics and sound?

Not in what I've tried, but it's also been a long time since I played the Xbox One X. I passed it on to someone else a while ago, and I hadn't touched it very much since I bought it. For quite a while I was only playing on my PC with some Nintendo Switch peppered in. People keep talking about how fast games load up on the Xbox Series X and and PS5, and I'm sure compared to the previous generation they do, but I'm used to my PC, and I have my games on an SSD, which is pretty snappy. I have a decent video card, too, so I'm already used to this level of graphics. I think the bulk of the new horsepower is going toward 4K at 60 FPS, sometimes 120 FPS. I don't think there has been a big leap in the general look of games, but we'll see how it looks in a year. Oh, HDR for everything is a nice bonus.

Audio was already pretty great, so I'm sure I'd be hard-pressed to detail any differences.

As far as media playback, it's a good all-around streamer, and it can play Blu-rays and UHD Blu-rays, but it still seems like my standalone player looks better, and for streaming I still like the picture coming out of the Apple TV 4K better than everything else I've tried. The good thing about the Series X is that it has apps for almost every streaming service I use, except for Viki. Apple TV 4K still doesn't have Netflix, which is crazy. For Netflix, I prefer the quality through the Windows 10 app on my PC to the Series X. The interface is just a little clunky. I like how Netflix works on the web better, but then you're limited to 720p, I believe. It seems impossible to have one device that checks all of the boxes.

You didn't ask for all of that. I'm just sharing my further impressions while I'm here. Really, there's no strong reason to get the Series X at this point, unless you skipped the previous generation and are ready to take advantage of 4K. But it needs games to come out. It's very light on offerings at the moment that are built specifically for Series X/S. Game Pass Ultimate is great if you're on a budget and are mainly interested in catching up on titles you missed. It's hard to beat that value. It's just that nothing is screaming next-gen right now. Maybe that will change when Cyberpunk 2077 comes out next month, but I'll be playing that on my PC, not the Series X.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/12/20 06:22 AM
Even if you don't care about video game consoles, this teardown video of the Series X hardware is pretty cool:

I Took Apart The Xbox Series X And...

They've come a long way in engineering a console.
Posted By: Mojo Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/12/20 09:25 PM
THAT is a gorgeous piece of hardware engineering.
Posted By: brendo Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/13/20 05:28 PM
Did you see the first day Xbox smoking vids. They had to release a statement saying do not blow your vapes into the bottom of the consoles!!!
Posted By: Rebulx Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/14/20 03:45 AM
Thats so funny bendo. I remember just blowing in the NES cartridges to get them to stop freezing...man I miss legend of Zelda!

great video! that things is built to absorb some heat!!!
Posted By: Kodiak Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/14/20 05:55 AM
Legend of Zelda. Best game ever.

I bought a gameboy advance like 15 years ago just so I could replay legend of Zelda on it.

Truly a classic.

Yeah, blowing on the cartridge to keep it from frame freezing. It was part of the experience.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/15/20 02:11 AM
And in case you were curious, the same guy posted his PS5 teardown:

I Took Apart The PS5...And It Surprised Me
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/18/20 12:12 PM
I'm trying to get a lot out of the $1 first month price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, so I downloaded The Outer Worlds and Gears 5. The Outer Worlds has potential for me since it's a single-player open world RPG with a ton of character and equipment upgrades. On the other hand, trying to put in the hours in less than a month might stress me out. Ha ha. Gears 5 has satisfying action gameplay that's easy to get into, but I'm not very determined anymore with action games, so I doubt I'll get far. After I played them for a little bit, I took advantage of the Series X's backwards compatibility and fired up Burnout: Revenge and Crackdown, two of my favorite Xbox 360 games. They loaded up nice and fast and seemed to work just fine. They're games well worth revisiting. Crackdown's sequels didn't get any love, unfortunately. It was too bad they couldn't seem to recapture what made the original so fun. As for Burnout, I don't know why that franchise went away. It would be nice if they would revive it. One of the game modes is intentionally crashing and causing as much of a pile-up as possible, with your score being how much money's worth of damage you can do. Who doesn't love that?
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/26/20 10:47 AM
BRAG ALERT. I've been playing a lot of Bejeweled 3 again just to have something to do while listening to music. Diamond Mine is my game mode of choice. It was always the most fun for me. Back when I was first playing it, I topped out at a score of 12 million, which I thought was fantastic, since it was higher than anyone else I knew, and you only have to get 750k to earn the Platinum badge for that mode. Then I stopped playing, and my sister really picked it up... and she started decimating my score, ending up with 104 million in one game. I figured she was too fast at this point, so I wasn't motivated to get back into the game on a competitive level. When I did start playing again, it really was just to occupy my hands while enjoying music, but then I started to beat my previous score by a little bit. I got 15 million a couple of times, then 23 million a couple of times, but between those and since then I've had long stretches of just a couple million in a game.

There haven't been any updates to the game in forever, so I don't know why the current game I'm playing is different, but I'm currently at 107 million, and I have 38 minutes on the clock. For those unfamiliar, you start out with 90 seconds on the clock, and you earn more time by digging down to lower levels through the gem matching. You earn 30 seconds if you clear to the necessary depth, or 90 seconds if you clear the entire screen. As you may guess, getting the 90 second bonuses are harder to achieve, so you basically want to clear each level within 30 seconds to keep beating the clock. I doubt I've ever had more than 15 minutes on the clock, and that probably would have only been once, if I ever got that high. I know I've been over 10, but I can't say for sure what my previous record for peak time was. In this game, again I don't know why, but I'm still trending up in my time. I still have the stretches where I lose around 5 minutes, but then I build it back up again. At my peak, I've hit 39 minutes, so my current 38 is close to my new record.

The top player on Xbox Live's leaderboard for the Xbox 360 version is sitting at well over 100 million. I want to say 137 million, or maybe 173 million? I'm too lazy to look again at the moment. That's a more impressive feat, I think, if they were indeed using a normal controller and hadn't figured out a way to use a mouse with it. People on console controllers are always going to be at a disadvantage with speed on games like this. I'm not really sure what the worldwide high score on the PC is, but I thought I had found a video on YouTube at one point that was into the 300 million range. I can't find it now. So it's my goal to at least get that high. Right now I can't see not continuing indefinitely, which is most likely jinxing me. It's going to take a lot more hours of playing, but hey, there's always plenty of music to listen to.

The only bad thing is how your hand feels like garbage when putting in multiple hours in a session. The big reason my sister stopped playing is because she pretty much injured her hand from playing too much.
Posted By: brendo Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/28/20 05:12 PM
Cool Glad you managed to snag one of the new consoles.
Supposedly thousands have been gotten by scalpers. One I saw said 3500 of the PS5s were gotten by a group in the U.K. Whom turned around and said they are like a Robinhood group protecting them selves from despair, and not having a workless {COVID}Christmas. By preventing normal people getting an affordable unit?

Saw on Linus that the XBOX is also going to be available through a subscription addon to the the Game Pass Ultimate Like most ISP providers with Laptops. Maybe the only way for some non Bots to get one before they become accessible to the masses.

Haven't played any Bejeweled type in forever keep up the crazy scores.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/28/20 08:59 PM
The scalpers and bots are a real nightmare to have combined with the preference for online sales due to the pandemic. I lucked out getting the Xbox Series X on the first preorder day. At first I was trying Best Buy and Gamestop with no luck before having the bright idea of hopping over to Microsoft's site. At least I could start the ordering process there, as opposed to getting nowhere on the other sites. There were a lot of timed-out attempts before the order finally went through. I never even tried with the PS5 after missing their initial preorder. I also tried to get an RTX 3080 video card when they went up for sale, but no such luck because of the limited supply+bot combo. I'm kind of glad it didn't work out, since I'll probably want a 3080 Ti when those come out.

The only positive spin I can give for the people who haven't been able to snag a new console is there will be more games to play when supply finally catches up to demand. While there are a ton of games in the store, thanks to how backwards-compatible the Xbox Series is, only a small percentage are optimized for the Series X/S. People who are behind a couple of generations could get a lot out of it, but for me, most stuff on Xbox I would want to play I already have on Steam, so it will come down to exclusives.

As far as Bejeweled 3, I bragged too soon. I'm up to 132 million and 62 minutes on the clock. I never thought I'd see over an hour on the clock. I seriously don't know what changed in my playing to enable this. I don't want to question it too much and change my luck.
Just messed with an Xbox series X on a Denon 3700 to a 4K display for a install. What a pain to get it working.

Finally got 4K signal to pass but no hdr support. Have to do some digging and go back. Pain!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/28/20 09:39 PM
Originally Posted by TrevorM
Finally got 4K signal to pass but no hdr support. Have to do some digging and go back. Pain!

I haven't had a problem getting HDR, but I won't get 120 Hz until I upgrade my receiver. I'll keep putting that off until more HDMI issues are sorted. Then it will just be my TV holding me back if I want to use Variable Refresh Rate. My next display upgrade is years off, I imagine, but I'm hoping to one day have an 8K laser projector and acoustically transparent screen so I can finally have the screen size I want as well as be able to have an LFR Active center behind it. Not that I'm currently missing my center channel. It's just one of those why-wouldn't-I-do-that upgrades.
Your future plans sound amazing. Do eeeeeet! laugh. Not sure about long cables that will carry 8K at 120hz though. Likely display port? You are looking at over the 40gb/s threshold for sure. Double?

That link Vincent at hdtv test posted is pretty handy. The advanced tab is awesome.

https://www.extron.com/product/videotools.aspx
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/29/20 02:43 PM
I doubt I would do 120 Hz at 8K from any source for the foreseeable future. I'm sure I would just let the projector upconvert a 4K signal to its native 8K.

Still, long cables can be an issue. Hopefully there will be a decent active cable solution if passive doesn't want to work.
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/29/20 06:44 PM
Games ... one of my kids keeps trying to rope me into his video games ... he likes playing me because he can whoop my ass.

I gave up on most video games as I'm likely to get hooked and the way my mind works ... Once I get interested in something I have trouble letting go to do other things which need to get done. I've learned my lesson a few times over and just ended up having to go cold turkey to join the real world again. Games are designed to be addictive. In the past I've worked with people who came to work because it was the only way to support their world of warcraft character or other such habit. Also intense games effects my mood and ability to interact with others. It takes a few hours for me to detox (My kids are the same way).

Now, that said, I do occasionally play a video game with my kids but prefer more old fashion board games as there's a more even playing field there. The game I enjoy the most and is quite productive is called the stock market ... been playing that one for over 40 years.
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/29/20 07:03 PM
Originally Posted by CV
I'm hoping to one day have an 8K laser

Think 8K is more a marketing thing then anything most will needed ...
For people with excellent eye sight 4K is good at a viewing distances > 10' on 150" screen.
Most will sit further away, have smaller screens, or in my case poorer eyesight smile

But perhaps, I'm being naive since I've never experienced 8K.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/29/20 08:39 PM
Originally Posted by rrlev
Think 8K is more a marketing thing then anything most will needed ...
For people with excellent eye sight 4K is good at a viewing distances > 10' on 150" screen.
Most will sit further away, have smaller screens, or in my case poorer eyesight smile

Oh, I'm not saying 8K because I think it's necessary. I just think by the time I am ready buy a projector, that will be what's available. 4K seems like plenty for me. Even sitting pretty close to my 65" TV, it can be hard to tell the difference between 1080P and 4K.

I think hardware that can push 8K resolutions might be better suited to VR, which would fill more of your field of view.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/29/20 08:45 PM
Originally Posted by rrlev
Games ... one of my kids keeps trying to rope me into his video games ... he likes playing me because he can whoop my ass.

I gave up on most video games as I'm likely to get hooked and the way my mind works ...

Thankfully, I don't have the attention span I used to have. It's only certain games that fight for a significant chunk of my time. While I spend hours playing Bejeweled, I consider that more therapeutic music time than game playing time. Ha ha. Besides that, the only ones I usually put the time in on are the big Bethesda single-player RPGs, and those come out years apart.

I'm not so great at playing multiplayer games anymore. I used to enjoy the occasional LAN party and could hold my own against everyone I knew in Halo, but then my nephew became a teenager and could jump around killing me with headshots without breaking a sweat. Single-player games for me!
With a PJ 1080p vs 4K uhd is readily spotted.

1080 looks great, but 4K uhd just destroys it once you get over 100”
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/01/20 02:31 AM
4k is a must on bigger screens. Especially if you like to be in the action.

I was just pointing out that things get a bit over the top with 8k ...
You need to sit very close to a 8k screen to get any benefit ... try this ... if you have a 55" screen sit 3' away from it, a 65" then 4' away , 75" then 5' away ... now move closer so you can benefit from the 8k resolution. Do you start to feel uncomfortable?
Interesting. Can you share your source for the ratios?

I want to check into this for sure.
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/02/20 08:40 AM
I’m just going by any distance to screen size chart. I did quote the last post from memory but the numbers are close enough for the exercise. You can get more exacting distances off the chart below or read a full discussion on it In the link ... Rtings did one of the better discussion on why and when tv resolution becomes visible.

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/by-size/size-to-distance-relationship

[Linked Image from i.rtings.com]
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/02/20 07:34 PM
I should also point out that different people feel comfortable at different distances from the screen. I like to sit in the 1st 20% of the seating in a movie theater while my wife wants to be in the middle. Hence I want the couch at 6-8' from a 77" screen while my wife wants it at 12. At around 3.5 to 4' from the screen I start to want something more resolution/processing wise. ... I'll have to experiment sitting at 4' or closer sometime just to know for sure if it's too close.
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/02/20 08:42 PM
Rereading that last statement I should add a bit of detail ... I need to get to about 3 1/2 feet to see the pixels on a 77" screen and then only on white static objects. Even at 2' the resolution does not bother me. It's more that compression starts to become visible (at least for prime video) and you start to notice artifacts. Make sure you're viewing a 4k source ... all bets are off if you're upscaling (I can see upscaling artifacts at 6' ... perhaps more).
Thanks for the article. Interesting read although very dated now.

My takeaway is not that higher resolutions are moot, rather larger screen sizes at close viewing distances are encouraged. They even link up what to buy with links at the top of the page disguised as a education tool. Lol.

In practice, I install PJ screen combos between a ratio of 1.1x-1.3x diagonal. Depends on room. You simply cannot plan seating for a group of viewers closer than 10’ and expect a comfortable experience from an integration standpoint. (Ive seen ot done on AVS, but those installs dont make sense for many reasons.) This yields a very comfortable screen size and also nearly optimal stereo placement for L/R channels flanking the screen. This puts my installs on the fringe of “barely noticable” in some cases.

I can tell you this simply is not accurate for more than one reason. For one, users do not view test patterns or static charts. We do for setup and calibrating, but after that not. Also, 4k content is mastered to a different color and brightness scale than 1080 rec. 709. Instant tell. Also, sitting at distances they recommend will cause severe eye fatigue in darkened rooms unless the screen brightness is reduced..... This reduces perceived contrast and also defeats the purpose of UHD grading.

I put very little stock in these kinds of articles. In my latest effort with a 110” screen, 4k is noticably better than 1080 from 20’ away at the pingpong table. smile Many variables in play other than angular density of pixels. It is foolish to plan a setup around maximum perceived quality..... I would have to install a puke pail at each end of the couch for viewers. laugh
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/03/20 06:01 PM
The article still applies even though it was written mid '17 (the only difference being that larger screens are more available and affordable now). You're right on all the above and I think that the article is attempting to keep things simple. Sound wise your also right in the zone.

The 1.1x-1.3x is perfect for movies at 4k and covers the the non-4k upscale problems. Personally I'd be willing to sit at 6' from a 77" screen (0.93x) if 4k content was more available and my wife would let me. As far as eye strain I'd have to try it. Anyway, I had a hard enough time convincing my wife on getting a screen bigger then a 55". To her the 77" is huge. To me it's ok, an 85" would have been better and if I weren't afraid of people touching the screen a 100" UST would have been the best I could have placed there. I'll do better in the HT if I ever get to it.

The original point was that 8K in a theater is probably a waste of bandwidth. I believe everything you stated agrees with that point. Also I agree with CV's point ... when going VR, 8K will probably be a winner as you want to cover your peripheral vision to be fully immersed. I think VR screens would need to be specialized for that purpose ... i.e. extremely curved and that they will mostly be worn.
I dont even know how an 8K display would factor in price wise for quite a while. Add lasers and I think its 2025 at least before mortals could afford one.

You could be right on the bandwidth issue too.

I cant believe you dont get pukey at that distance. Impressive. My first frankenstein setup was a 85” screen we sat 75” from. Crammed to say the least. I remember having to look at the floor periodically to stop motion sickness playing driving games. Lol.

You have strong sea legs I bet. smile
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/04/20 01:28 AM
Sitting up close does not work for sports or games. Or anything which has you concentrating on both ends of the screen at once. At 1.1x-1.3x you're as close as you'd want to get for the majority of the people.

I'm expecting laser projectors to be crossing over the affordability/mainstream line in next year or two. As for 8k it makes sense to me as a film and editing standard with 4k being used for distribution. 8K is needed because you loose resolution every time you do any digital manipulation.

That said I'm sure people will want it ... obviously it's true with audio. I personally can't tell the difference between CD quality and anything better ...
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/04/20 05:29 PM
Originally Posted by TrevorM
I would have to install a puke pail at each end of the couch for viewers. laugh
What do the guys sitting in the middle of the couch do?? Unless you need that distance ... talk about artifacts smile
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/04/20 05:45 PM
Originally Posted by TrevorM
I cant believe you dont get pukey at that distance. Impressive. My first frankenstein setup was a 85” screen we sat 75” from. Crammed to say the least. I remember having to look at the floor periodically to stop motion sickness playing driving games. Lol.

You have strong sea legs I bet. smile
I haven't tried sitting closer the 1x for long periods of time ... so I may not be immune.

Playing video games that close would definitely do it ... my thought on this is with a flat screen your not fully immersed and your brain can't handle having such a large moving center image while the edges remain fixed. Plus the fact that your brain knows the image is flat ...


... wow ... keep having new thoughts on this resulting in too many posts in a row ...
In a perfect world your front wall is blacked out around the projection screen. With the lights out you are indeed fully immersed in the picture. If you have to turn your head to see the screen its too beeeeeeg.

Kinda wondering if you have met a proper setup yet. Not at all saying you dont have valid points. But in a proper setup the what ifs and doubts are gone. With newer 4K laser setups the screen does not seem flat, or like a screen at all. More a window. Cant wait till your room is done. By all means I can help you if you want. Setup is pretty crucial, and online tips and guides are pretty superficial. (He said online. Lol.) Give me a sketch with accurate dimensions and I will give you renders and floorplan. whistle

To bring it back to gaming.

From the hunter: call of the wild during gameplay so a little wonky

[Linked Image from imgpile.com]
[Linked Image from imgpile.com]
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/05/20 06:28 AM
Thanks for the offer Trevor ... once I get the sound figured out in the HT, I might PM you and get your thoughts ... At the moment the HT is on hold because I’m trying to do too many things at once. It’s one of the reasons I updated the family room system ...

Our family room now has a very nice 5.1 system with a top rate 77” screen (to get us though Covid). My wife is working on finding a sectional which hopefully, if I get any say, will be no more then 8 to 10’ (1.3x and 1.6x) from the screen.
Are you already completely roughed in and walls closed?
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/05/20 05:43 PM
Sort of. The wall design I went with for isolation was clips and resilient channel. Over that 5/8 strandboard and a 2 layer 5/8 dry wall/green glue sandwich. I stopped the contractor from finishing it after the strand board was put up because it was not being done right. So ... I figure before taking down the standboard I should use the opportunity to test out the sound layout. That way I can tweak/change any wiring/layout issues.
Nice! Well, here if you want help. smile
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/10/20 07:34 AM
Cyberpunk 2077 came out today on Steam, so I put a few hours in getting my character off the ground. Since I have a last-gen GPU (RTX 2060 Super), I'm only running at 1080P, and ray tracing not enabled. It still looks gorgeous. At first I was playing without HDR since I didn't have it turned on in Windows. It looked very good, but after realizing it wasn't on and switching it over, the difference was staggering. It really makes the environments pop a lot more, and a cyberpunk city is the perfect showcase for HDR. Even without ray traced reflections, as well as a lot of other graphical elements turned down or off, and merely running at 1080P, I'm impressed with the detail in the graphics. As smooth as it's running, I'll probably experiment with some higher settings, but I have no illusions about being able to run it at 4K. If I want to run it with maxed out settings at 4K, I may be waiting a GPU generation or two. At least I'm deeply satisfied with how it looks already, so I don't feel that pressure to upgrade yet.

The game itself seems to have a lot of potential, and I'm taking my time with it. I don't have a good handle on how to spend my attribute and perk points yet, so I'm letting those accumulate as I level up. It will also take a while to have meaningful cash to spend for the fun upgrades. I've been saving often after hearing of how glitchy the version was that was sent out for reviews, but so far I haven't encountered any noticeable glitches with the final release. The one thing that's getting under my skin a little is how much I'm being pushed along the main narrative so far, and how many cutscenes that entails. I look forward to experiencing the more open world aspect after I take care of more of the initial basic story.

If you have the hardware to run it, it's certainly worth looking into.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/15/20 04:39 PM
Pumping a lot of hours into Cyberpunk 2077. Bejeweled 3 is feeling neglected. There has been the occasional glitchy behavior, but it's still not the nightmare some people are having. I'm sure it helps that my hardware is fairly new. I am actually running it at 4K with DLSS, but of course ray tracing is off. Even at 1080P I can't have ray tracing on and have acceptable frame rates. The game looks amazing even without ray tracing. On one hand, it's nice that years down the road people will be able to get more out of the engine, but on the other hand, I want to run it at its prettiest RIGHT NOW.

They did a really good job making it feel like a real city with tons of life in it. Sure, most of the interaction with random NPCs is hollow, but you have enough with the characters that relate to your quests. You can tell they spent 7 years making it. It's a huge world, and there are so many changes of scenery. I don't know how many cities they pulled from for inspiration, but the LA vibe came across strong when I first started. One time I was a passenger in a car, and we drove by what looked like the Shake Shack I went to with my friend I went to visit in California, and then I saw the sign, "BD Shack." Speaking of being a passenger in a car, you can skip ahead in those drives if you want, but I never do because I like just looking at all of the scenery as you go along. It's a very satisfying level of detail.

The game is a love letter to video games. The developers obviously love the Bethesda games, and Grand Theft Auto, and one of the missions had an aspect that was a major shout-out to Portal. I mentioned Crackdown recently, and a good part of the action feels like it was drawing directly from that, since you're able to engage gangs on the streets, and as you accumulate your cybernetic implants, the trajectory toward superhuman feels similar. It's just taking place in a much richer world. It's like they took everything they loved about all of the games they play and put it into a glorious neon + Mad Max stew.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/07/21 04:06 AM
I'm up to over 520 million in Diamond Mine on Bejeweled 3, and over 3 hours on the clock. I'm just putting in a little time every day to keep it going and to not get slow at the game. My sister hates me.

I've also been playing a bit of Pinball FX3. I've always been a sucker for pinball, but I hadn't put in a lot of time on the new version. So far I'm just trying a lot of different tables, but I'm not mastering any of them.

My best friend also bought me Beat Saber for my birthday, which is a VR rhythm game. It might just be that I'm out of shape, but it feels like as good of a workout as Dance Dance Revolution gave me back in the day, though with more of a workout for your arms. I'm embarrassed how much it's making me sweat. I'll also never be coordinated enough to get to Expert level. I'll stick with Normal and still fail out of certain songs. I'd say it's my second favorite VR game after Half-Life: Alyx so far.

One issue that has come up on my PC is that occasionally performance will drop to a crawl and I'll miss a lot of frames. It doesn't matter what game it is. It can be as simple as Bejeweled 3 or as demanding as Cyberpunk 2077. It's the most frustrating in Beat Saber where timing matters so much. I'll try performing a clean installation of video drivers and go from there. Not sure what changed when it started happening.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/07/21 06:05 AM
Originally Posted by CV
One issue that has come up on my PC is that occasionally performance will drop to a crawl and I'll miss a lot of frames. It doesn't matter what game it is. It can be as simple as Bejeweled 3 or as demanding as Cyberpunk 2077. It's the most frustrating in Beat Saber where timing matters so much. I'll try performing a clean installation of video drivers and go from there. Not sure what changed when it started happening.

Yay, the clean installation seems to have solved it. I love when the first thing you try works.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/18/21 09:16 AM
I was really impressed with the design of the spaces in Cyberpunk 2077, but I know nothing about architecture, so it was nice to see an actual architect review this aspect of the game and confirm that it's not all an illusion of understanding.

An Architect Reviews: Cyberpunk 2077's Night City
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/18/21 09:56 AM

What's funny is the super-rich person's apartment he points out that you can see out of your character's crappy apartment is one you apparently end up with after one of the possible game endings. I just happened to watch a video for how to get to the "secret mansion" after the architect's video. While I've gotten to three or maybe four of the possible endings, I haven't yet gotten to that one. Nice, cruel placement of that swanky apartment, CD Projekt Red.
Posted By: bman84 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/20/21 01:28 PM
Playing Half Life: Alyx on a Reverb G2, and whoa!!! VR is definitely the future.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/20/21 03:04 PM
Originally Posted by bman84
Playing Half Life: Alyx on a Reverb G2, and whoa!!! VR is definitely the future.

Right? I had no interest in VR until that game came out, and none of the video clips I'd watched prepared me for how intense having the headset on would be.

I was just telling one of my friends I hadn't seen in a while about it. She said she only tried VR once because she was pressured into it. It was just some version of Tetris, but she REALLY didn't like being cut off from her actual surroundings. It made her very nervous, even though she knew she was among friends. I told her how great Alyx is, but that she would hate it with how real it feels and how scary the many dark portions are. I loved the game, but it freaked me out.
Posted By: bman84 Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 01/21/21 01:55 PM
Originally Posted by CV
Originally Posted by bman84
Playing Half Life: Alyx on a Reverb G2, and whoa!!! VR is definitely the future.

Right? I had no interest in VR until that game came out, and none of the video clips I'd watched prepared me for how intense having the headset on would be.

I was just telling one of my friends I hadn't seen in a while about it. She said she only tried VR once because she was pressured into it. It was just some version of Tetris, but she REALLY didn't like being cut off from her actual surroundings. It made her very nervous, even though she knew she was among friends. I told her how great Alyx is, but that she would hate it with how real it feels and how scary the many dark portions are. I loved the game, but it freaked me out.

The feeling of being present in the game world is unreal. I particularly love that each enemy engagement is unique, and the sense of accomplishment that comes from popping out from cover and landing a few quick headshots. The exiliration that comes from pulling off a perfect reload, seconds before a zombie rips your face off...oh man.

Next up in VR is Microsoft Flight Simulator. I haven't set foot in a real cockpit in over a decade, but I'm hoping this comes close to capturing the feeling.
Went old school here.
Playing Axis and Allies, old board game but video game version through TripleA.
https://triplea-game.org/

Since covid was underway, i got reconnected with some friends who had been playing it on and off for years. Now we get together with a vidchat on MS Teams, have some drinks, play some rounds. Unlike FPS games, you can have your hands free far more often for grabbing that drink!
Or watching the hockey game in the background during someone else's turn.

It's old school but mixed with modern connectivity and a great way to bring back a classic board game and bring buddies together at the virtual table. People have designed all sorts of new maps for it to keep it interesting and the computer AI is pretty decent to put up a good fight.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 02/12/21 01:11 AM
I snagged a handful of VR games since Steam is having another sale. Boneworks, Pavlov VR, Pistol Whip, Moss, and The Room VR: A Dark Matter. So far I've just dipped my toe into each one.

Pistol Whip is like a cross between Superhot and Beat Saber. I died quickly even though I was on Easy, so that may be a challenge.

Pavlov VR and Boneworks seem like they could be fun, but I got motion sickness fairly quickly on both due to the continuous motion style of movement. I much prefer the teleport-style option of Half-Life: Alyx. Otherwise, the weapon mechanics in Pavlov VR seems pretty refined. Weapons in Boneworks come across as more kludgy, but I think the appeal of that one is supposed to be the physics-based play. I hadn't gotten far enough into it to appreciate it before the motion sickness kicked in.

Moss could be the easiest for me to play. You get to guide the main character through a progression of screens like an adventure game. Puzzles to solve, cool environments, and no motion sickness.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter is the one I spent the least time in, so I don't have much to say yet.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/07/21 03:24 PM
[Linked Image from i.ibb.co]

I did it. I'm a billionaire.
Posted By: Mojo Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/07/21 07:15 PM
Now you can buy the 50000 subs Harman waxes poetic about.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/07/21 07:22 PM
Originally Posted by Mojo
Now you can buy the 50000 subs Harman waxes poetic about.

Mind if I keep them at your place?
Posted By: Mojo Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/07/21 09:20 PM
Damn, Charles. I can't stop laughing. laugh
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/12/21 05:58 PM
Yes, Bethesda suckered me into another edition of Skyrim. I only have one more Steam achievement to get, so I've been meaning to get back to it. It's one that will basically require me to start over, so a new edition with extra content helps me justify the slog. I actually like the tedious leveling up of skills, so I'm not genuinely complaining. Who knows when the next Elder Scrolls game will actually arrive, so I may as well get one more playthrough of this one.
Posted By: Burefo Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/23/21 10:24 AM
Finally I am going to have quite evening in my Berlin property today. It's means that it's a Cyberpunk 2077 time, love this game. Always very dynamic
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 11/24/21 08:43 PM
Originally Posted by Burefo
Finally I am going to have quite evening in my Berlin property today. It's means that it's a Cyberpunk 2077 time, love this game. Always very dynamic

I enjoyed my time with Cyberpunk 2077, despite all of the hate. Are you playing on PC? That's what I played on, which is probably why I can be positive. I will probably play through again after they release some DLC.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/05/21 02:46 PM
I finally did it, 10 years later.

[Linked Image from i.ibb.co]
That is ridiculous!! Holy cow.
There was a brief promo at gamestop where trading in a ps4 pro was given full value against a new ps5 bundle. $450 trade in credit!! Gamestop had to shut it down due to high demand a day and a half early. Think it lasted like 6 hours!

Fingers crossed I get one!!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/05/21 05:47 PM
Oh wow, good luck. That's a crazy deal.
Couldnt believe it! Had to.
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/05/21 08:19 PM
How do you guys find the time to game … I have all I can do between work, family (mainly keeping out of myself out of hot water), finances, and a social life …
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/05/21 09:45 PM
No family certainly helps. If only I could retire, too.
My gaming hours vary greatly. Some weeks maybe an hour or two, other weeks i could put in 5-10.
Seasonal changes as well (hockey season vs. summer).
As kids get older, family life slows a great deal. A person can be as busy as they want to be.
My bros are in Calgary. I meet them online to play. Its a blast!
Posted By: rrlev Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/07/21 12:14 AM
What games do you play with them ... my bother lives in Switzerland could be interesting to it.
Up until recently Hunter:call of the wild. Looking forward to Gran Tourismo 7.

Hunter:Call of the wild is incredible in general. With coop play it is pretty epic. We each have theaters with projectors so its pretty great!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/08/21 08:51 PM
Halo Infinite is finally out, so I played just a tiny bit of the campaign. It looks really nice in 4K, and the gameplay feels natural. Already loving using the Grapple Shot to pull myself to an enemy and melee their face, though I'm not hitting my mark and timing it perfectly yet. I will have to spend more time with it another day. Not that I have any desire to get good enough to compete online. I had fun with the original Halo at LAN parties with friends back in the day, but I'm more of a solo player these days, and I don't really enjoy the combo of strangers+having my ass handed to me.

I'm playing on PC, though I do have the Xbox Series X and want to pick up a copy for that to see how it compares.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/11/21 10:19 PM
Originally Posted by CV
I'm playing on PC, though I do have the Xbox Series X and want to pick up a copy for that to see how it compares.

I'm happy to say the Series X compares favorably to my PC with RTX 2060 Super. I'd say it looks just as good and is just a bit smoother. Not that the Xbox version is perfect. It still has some issues with in-engine cutscenes. I have it running on Quality mode, so I'm not sure how much Performance improves things. I'm only basing this on the Tutorial, though, since the Campaign is still downloading.
Running all this through your HT room, big screen, full surround, 4k?

I'll have to check and see when i may next be in the WA area.
smile
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/14/21 04:24 PM
Originally Posted by chesseroo
Running all this through your HT room, big screen, full surround, 4k?

I'll have to check and see when i may next be in the WA area.
smile

Yup on gaming in my home theater. And I'm not sure this is the part of Washington people would normally visit, but you'd be welcome. You saying that is making me slightly self-conscious of my setup, since I haven't spent a lot of energy getting it all dialed in. I keep thinking I'll do it after I replace my receiver and can finally use the in-ceiling M3s I bought for Atmos.
Originally Posted by CV
Originally Posted by chesseroo
Running all this through your HT room, big screen, full surround, 4k?

I'll have to check and see when i may next be in the WA area.
smile

Yup on gaming in my home theater. And I'm not sure this is the part of Washington people would normally visit, but you'd be welcome. You saying that is making me slightly self-conscious of my setup, since I haven't spent a lot of energy getting it all dialed in. I keep thinking I'll do it after I replace my receiver and can finally use the in-ceiling M3s I bought for Atmos.

Self conscious? nah
I don't know anyone who has an Atmos setup so i've been keen on wanting to hear a good one; at least i didn't know anyone with an Atmos setup until yesterday.
A new fellow in town, he's a producer, has a 100" screen and a 5.4.2 Atmos setup. I'm dying to get over to his place to check it out. I have yet to have a conversation with him more in depth about it so i don't know anything about the gear he is running.
He did comment that the two ceiling surrounds were the game changers.

Hoping not to be tempted here considering how much we just dropped to change things around the past few months.
[Linked Image from tenor.com]
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/19/21 09:32 PM
Originally Posted by chesseroo
I don't know anyone who has an Atmos setup so i've been keen on wanting to hear a good one; at least i didn't know anyone with an Atmos setup until yesterday.
A new fellow in town, he's a producer, has a 100" screen and a 5.4.2 Atmos setup. I'm dying to get over to his place to check it out. I have yet to have a conversation with him more in depth about it so i don't know anything about the gear he is running.
He did comment that the two ceiling surrounds were the game changers.

You'll have to let us know what you think if you get that invite to his place. I don't personally know anyone with an HT that isn't an HTiB. While I love my Axiom setup, I haven't really compared it to the systems of people who are spending that kind of money on other brands.

I'm not sure how good mine will be when I finally have the Atmos going, since my ceiling is so low, but I decided I'd go for it anyway. My only problem is I keep finding other things to spend money on. I decided I want laser eye surgery. Even though I can cover a lot of it with my health incentive money, I'll be out around $1k, maybe a little more if I want to keep more of that money for later. I also need to fall in love with cooking for myself so I don't spend so much on dining out.... Let's pretend I'm seriously considering that.

Halo Infinite has been a lot of fun, though I did switch my difficulty to Easy for my first playthrough. Finished the main campaign, and now I'm just trying to collect as many achievements as I can. I would never have the dedication to get them all, but at least I'm ahead of my nephew for now. I may even try multiplayer at some point for a couple more achievements. So far I just did one match against bots to get a feel for what it would be like. I can see how fun it would be in the old LAN party situation I loved the original for. I still can't see putting time into playing against strangers.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 12/20/21 02:31 PM
In other news, the score of my Diamond Mine game of Bejeweled 3 now has a negative sign in front of it, so my playing is now making it go back to 0 from its current -2.139 billion. It was at -2.144 billion when I first noticed it was showing up as negative. I guess I broke it. I'll have to find a new game to play while listening to podcasts.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/06/22 08:51 AM
I never played any of the other Souls games, so that could be part of the problem, but I'm not seeing why Elden Ring has been so highly praised. To be fair, I'm barely into it. But the big reason is I'm not finding the gameplay fun. Granted, I'm not able to throw myself against a wall like I would when I was younger. Perhaps with time the mechanics will feel less clunky. I expected it to be hard, but I was hoping the general movement and combat would be intuitive and satisfying, and the path to upgrades and enhancements would keep me moving forward. So far it hasn't clicked.
Grand Tourismo 7.

Wow! Just Wow!
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 03/11/22 07:26 PM
I assume on the PS5? I think at this point I'll wait until they release an updated version of the PS5. Two people at work just got PS5s, so it seems like it's getting easier to get them, but I'm not in a rush. I'm curious to see how good the PS VR 2 is, want to compare Half-Life: Alyx to my PC experience. I really hope it allows a lot more people to play it.
Maybe the next version wont be so hot. I had to put extra fans in the AV cabinet to keep it reasonable. I still leave the door open out of paranoia when playing. Heat the room with it.
Posted By: CV Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/10/22 05:05 PM
It's so lame, but I started another game of Skyrim even though I've already gotten all of the achievements. On Steam. Now I'm playing it on my Xbox Series X. I wanted to see how it compared to the PC version, and I have to say, it looks and plays great.

I'm planning on building a new computer next year. GPUs have gotten out of hand, but at some point I want a new one so I can play more games with ray tracing on. I'm going to build my new system around when Starfield comes out, since I'll want it to look its best. I'm hoping more games are using DirectStorage by then too. I'll do another playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077 as well when I have the better hardware if the DLC is also out by then. I'm a sucker for the big single-player open worlds.
Posted By: MMM Re: What video games are you playing tonight? - 10/11/22 02:19 AM
ive been stuck on playing Minecraft. I thought i had it all figured out when I played bedrock edition, so Microsoft goes and gives me a free access to the java edition this summer. Crap did I not realize how much of this game i was missing out on. and the graphics on java with the plugins just blows my mind. Got to love the Nvidea RTX3000 series cards with ray tracing.
Tecmo Bowl on Mame.
I can relate to getting stuck on one game for hours on end, especially with something as endlessly entertaining as Minecraft. It's great to hear that you're enjoying the Java edition with all the added graphics and plugins. The Nvidea RTX3000 series cards with ray tracing take things to the next level!
As for me, I've been getting into some first-person shooters lately. I've been playing a lot of Call of Duty and Overwatch. There's something really satisfying about taking down enemies in a virtual world, you know? Also, I love playing games from https://joywallet.com/article/blackout-bingo-review/ because they allow winning some money online.
Your gaming night sounds awesome. I remember diving into Bionic Commando, too – those swinging mechanics were a blast. Congrats on conquering World 6 and snagging that super claw! Also, if you decide to diversify the games, try to play solitare for money. I love doing it, as it is not only for pleasure but also for extra cash. It's a real win-win.
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