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Shadowrun Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut

Ninjerk

Arcane
Joined
Jul 10, 2013
Messages
14,323
You can tell any of the companions you want to keep things professional, and they'll shut up about their sob stories.

I did it with Blitz. Mined all the other stories though.
Does that just opt you out of the content or is there some benefit to telling them to keep it professional?
 

tuluse

Arcane
Joined
Jul 20, 2008
Messages
11,400
Serpent in the Staglands Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Does that just opt you out of the content or is there some benefit to telling them to keep it professional?
In non-DC it was just an opt out with Blitz. I haven't played DC yet to know if they modified that.
 

Doctor Sbaitso

SO, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS.
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Codex 2013 Codex 2014 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Grab the Codex by the pussy Serpent in the Staglands
Admiral jimbob FYI in DC you get to select which skills your party members upgrade. You also get to see progression of particular lines of skill such as medic versus weapons specializations or focus in particular schools of magic for example.
 

Admiral jimbob

gay as all hell
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truck stops and toilet stalls
Wasteland 2
Admiral jimbob FYI in DC you get to select which skills your party members upgrade. You also get to see progression of particular lines of skill such as medic versus weapons specializations or focus in particular schools of magic for example.
Unless I completely missed the option (entirely possible), you select specific upgrades for them, like choosing whether to give Glory a new gun or an upgraded medikit, but that's all.
 

Stompa

Arcane
Joined
Dec 3, 2013
Messages
531
One problem I had - I'm new to Shadowrun, so I don't know if my build was just inefficient, but I was playing as a ranged/melee Street Samurai without too many other skills (body, some biotech and charisma for dialogue checks), and I had to give up putting karma into melee about halfway through, as it was the only way I was going to get level 7 in pistol for chain shot. I don't know if that's normal or if Dragonfall is just a bit stingy on the karma front, but I've seen people say DMS gave out more, and coming back from - say - Blitz's mission with no monetary reward for a measly 2 karma definitely stung a bit.

Low payouts on companion missions are due to the fact they were added only in Director's Cut, base Dragonfall wasn't balanced for them and HBS probably didn't want to break player's progression.
 

SCO

Arcane
In My Safe Space
Joined
Feb 3, 2009
Messages
16,320
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
The horrors are part of the 'evil' ending, which i naturally took. Best ending IMO fuck them all.

The sob stories directly lead to the extra companion missions in the directors cut, except the shaman which already has it in the main quest.


Thoughts about the game:
it was still buggy, for instance getting stuck in cyberspace with the turn of a character not in cyberspace or being unable to do any actions before clicking on the big HUD button and then doing 1 (until map change). Or the way some conversations spontaneously reset after map change without it seeming like they should. Or that one email that wasn't in the inbox although it said i had new 1 email, 'conversation' options with info objects that disappear forever so if you don't memorize the info you're out of luck (this was in the Aztechnology mission i think) etc.

Inventory mechanics that gets shittier the more you understand them. I don't so much mind no item transferring, but not being able to select out of combat party members to pick up world objects is a abomination (there is a workaround using a cyberspace access point with turns turn based mode on without combat until you chose a decker or press end, need enough AP obviously). Maybe i missed some option to enable TB mode out of combat, would be too good for kiting though so maybe it's for the best. But there is no reason not to be able to select a party leader, even if only to pick up stuff - let conversations be pc only.

Frustrating lack of alternate quest solutions at times. Like for example the cult of apex in the APEX rising hub, i didn't want to help them in the hope it would degrade the cult attack forces on the basement. Nope, railroaded.

The game just went 'lol you're so experienced now all party members get +1 AP' near the ending wutz, i suppose 'balancing problems' from crybaby playtesters.

I like and it makes sense that i can have multiple drones and that i can get a gun even though i had all my weapon slots filled by drones before the mission (found this in the ending). But i wish it was part of the normal pre-mission interface, maybe at the cost you can't carry the drone|gun home after being destroyed (after all you don't carry your drone). I wish i could buy multiples of the same drone.

Game should have had perma-death of party members and ironman mode. I was only pressed a couple of times and was entirely my fault. So when i got to the Aztech briefing i got 'you can't have a emergency evac in this mission so if they die there they're gone' wut? Maybe there is permadeath only on that and the end missions?
 
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Doctor Sbaitso

SO, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS.
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Codex 2013 Codex 2014 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Grab the Codex by the pussy Serpent in the Staglands
Admiral jimbob FYI in DC you get to select which skills your party members upgrade. You also get to see progression of particular lines of skill such as medic versus weapons specializations or focus in particular schools of magic for example.
Unless I completely missed the option (entirely possible), you select specific upgrades for them, like choosing whether to give Glory a new gun or an upgraded medikit, but that's all.

Ye for glory you decide on better kit but I believe that is because she relies on kit. The shaman for example you pick between earth or fire affinity for example so I think it's a mixed bag.
 

SCO

Arcane
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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Oh and another thing that annoys is the stealth mechanics, or the lack of them - except a half-assed effort in the Aztechnology run, the only time with patrols that actually move.
There is a mod called a stitch in time that introduces them - using cover as a mechanic for stealth - along with at will TB mode (which has a 'problem' that it never ends as long as there are hostiles in the map durrr). Without using TB mode a stealth system would be hard to use for casuals (especially considering team size and delayed following), and if you go alone invariably you'll get hit with massive battle in ur face, so that's no good either.

It's a great pity because stealth is just obvious for shadowrunning, like for example in geneforge 5 you could infiltrate the factions bases by weaving between the RT patrols (like in this game, no TB switch). And it was great fun.
The game even has a sound awareness system and a 'silence' spell to make no sound (i don't think it's spellcasting denial), so they were obviously thinking of it. Cut kickstarter tier?
 
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Jason Liang

Arcane
Joined
Oct 26, 2014
Messages
8,336
Location
Crait
I would have liked to see a darker story for Harrow's cult. Having dealt with many real life cults directly (the Moonies, Jesus Morning Star, and indirectly Jehovah's Witnesses, and of course I've read about the Manson family and the Branch Davidians), cults are nasty real life abominations and its retarded that Dragonfall deals with it with kiddie gloves on.

Also, it seems to be a theme in these Shadowrun games. DMS had the Universal Brotherhood, and Dragonfall also had the Humanis compound.
 

tuluse

Arcane
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Messages
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Serpent in the Staglands Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Oh and another thing that annoys is the stealth mechanics, or the lack of them - except a half-assed effort in the Aztechnology run, the only time with patrols that actually move.
There is a mod called a stitch in time that introduces them - using cover as a mechanic for stealth - along with at will TB mode (which has a 'problem' that it never ends as long as there are hostiles in the map durrr). Without using TB mode a stealth system would be hard to use for casuals (especially considering team size and delayed following), and if you go alone invariably you'll get hit with massive battle in ur face, so that's no good either.

It's a great pity because stealth is just obvious for shadowrunning, like for example in geneforge 5 you could infiltrate the factions bases by weaving between the RT patrols (like in this game, no TB switch). And it was great fun.
The game even has a sound awareness system and a 'silence' spell to make no sound (i don't think it's spellcasting denial), so they were obviously thinking of it. Cut kickstarter tier?
They had an early prototype they showed with stealth and this complex friend/foe system. It was all dropped though.
 

Ellef

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PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015
Finally got around to finishing this game. Surprisingly lengthy compared to DMS, but still too easy on very hard, didn't even get close to a TPK.

Companion interactions a step above from biowarean say-nice-things-to-get-laid, overall solid (though I fucked up with Dietrich and forgot to take him on the mission where he rescues his nephew; hated my guts from then on).

Battles are pretty standard and uninventive until the last third of the game, where there's some decent set pieces, particularly ones where you're in the matrix, activating consoles and protecting areas at the same time.

I was a mage aka buff bot, because aim is absolutely critical on any attackers on very hard. aim + haste IV = auto win every encounter. Combat is at least a standard above Wasteland 2 braindead tier.

8/10 for what it is; RPG with a limited scope. It doesn't give a whole lot of reactivity, but then it doesn't break either.
 

Jick Magger

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PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Bubbles In Memoria
I beat the Director's Cut a week ago, and I'm annoyed that the quality of Shadowrun Returns put me off playing this for so long. This feels like an actual RPG, with a great story, great characters, great quests and writing and C&C, whereas SR was just a stripped down slog that felt more like a messily stitched together series of sidequests than a proper RPG.

Guess my main complaint is also leveled towards Decking, in that there really isn't much point in investing in it too heavily. There is precisely one skill check in the entire game which requires you to have 8 levels in decking, and that's to open a crate (which is also unlockable with a key), you can cruise through the rest of the game with seven levels in it at most. The final decking kit also probably isn't worth your money because there are precisely two Matrix levels left in the game after that point, both of which are perfectly doable without it. I just wound up putting all my other skills in drone control/combat and charisma for speech checks.
 
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Messages
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RPG Wokedex Strap Yourselves In
Decking is also problematic because it's not very fun. You have to slog through not that interesting combat to open doors or some shit. Besides getting additional info to sell there is not much point. I mean instead of investing in decking skills or taking a decker on the job you can just invest in combat skills or take a more combat oriented character. They will be more useful in combat than whatever advantage the decker would have given you without wasting the time to go through it. The only good reasons to use decking is helping Blitz with his GF and freeing Apex.
 

Damned Registrations

Furry Weeaboo Nazi Nihilist
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Feb 24, 2007
Messages
14,980
Incidentally, decking or not throughout the game probably accounts for at least a couple hours of gameplay difference. Would explain some people's 'How did you spend X hours beating the game?' disbelief.
 

Karwelas

Dwarf Taffer
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Codex Year of the Donut I helped put crap in Monomyth
Spigotte review. Good shit.

I agree with you review, my bear It was fucking good RPG, much better then Shadowrun: Returns. Characters actually were fun, they don't force you to do their quests and was very good writen.

Writing wasn't the best but it still was superior. I actually was involved into talking with people inside Kruzenbar..Kraz... You know. Our characters home. It was big part of fun from it.

By the way, to convince big bad you need to watch all DVDs with Winters, talk with that elf chick in the magic shop and get academic etuiqette (and probably some biotech to read panels about Panacea). You should also tell him about his brother.
 

ricolikesrice

Arcane
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
1,231
DMS was a big disappointment to me which is why it took me so long to give Dragonfall a chance....

...so i m finally playing this, right now somewhere in the middle i guess, and enjoy it quite a bit despite the main weakness of DMS still being there - noteably game balance / combat. its a freaking shame they didnt stick closer ( no 1:1 translation of course) to PnP :|

i m still butthurt that cyberware feels so pointless in this game and that spells are soo poorly balanced ( half of them utterly pointless for their AP cost & effect, others completely overpowered must-haves ) etc. etc. .... but at the end of the day its a really pleasant to the eye game with some nice writing (nothing spectacular but not cringeworthy like most cRpgs) , cool ideas and "the sum of its parts" charm.

and after wasteland 2 s god awful combat & character system .... the one in shadowrun is suddenly a lot more tolerable. :lol:

anyhow, backed Hong Kong and hope the met stretchgoals for magic/cyberware & matrix also mean some much need rebalancing in these areas - then we might come pretty close to a really damn fucking great game. (although my real shadowrun dream game would be a Jagged Alliance-like Shadowrun .... )
 

udm

Arcane
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Aug 14, 2008
Messages
2,752
Make the Codex Great Again!
Does cover affect chance-to-hit? I thought it did in SRR, but reading this post, it looks like it only affects critical chance and 0.5x damage probability in Dragonfall.
 

Bradylama

Arcane
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Jul 24, 2006
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Oklahomo
Just completed the campaign and it was a very enjoyable 38 hours. It really feels like the shops fill up with the highest quality merchandise far too soon. Still, this is a real proof of concept and I'm excited to see what will be done with Hong Kong. Just wish that there were some way to make stealth work.
 

Gozma

Arcane
Joined
Aug 1, 2012
Messages
2,951
Played it.

I got a lot of quibbles (hard mode is incredibly annoying because you get docked enough accuracy to constantly be in this horrible 60-70% CTH range where you can't plan out a turn at all, the AI automatically using grenades if you have two characters next to one another and never using them if you don't, the areas where you get stuck in a lot of fights that don't drop you out of combat mode between setpieces are way too aggravating to imagine a replay) but it finished strong. I'd play one of these a year forever.

Edit - Another huge irritation: 45 degree/diagonal flanking. why. Long War could not have made me internalize 90 degree flanking any harder

It's also cool that Shadowrun has outlasted cyberpunk more or less and now the Tolkien stuff actually kinda spruces up the cliches.

Idle thought while I was playing: Did the real Tolkien exist in the Shadowrun universe? They must have brought it up in a splatbook or something. Do you get a pass on racism if blacks didn't exist when you said bad things about them? Or is it like, "A racist society (also the rulebook) forced these Tolkienian race roles on us! 'Dwarf' is a social construct!"
 
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Joined
Dec 19, 2012
Messages
1,633
I'm way late to the party on this game. Never played any of the Shadowrun games before... I'm finding it phenomenal. I can't argue with the Codex gripes in the thread, of course, but I blew through DMS and got pretty far in Dragonfall before realizing I didn't have the Director's Cut installed.

I've got to say... the keybindings in the Director's Cut are kind of garbage. They made the UI look more PC-friendly, but I find it a lot clunkier to use than in vanilla. I thought using the number keys to switch attack-types and the F key to toggle different weapons was pretty elegant once you got used to it. Now... the number keys are all used for selecting weapons and you have to click every skill? Bah.

I really hope Hong Kong just gives honest-to-goodness keybinding.
 

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