What game are you wasting time on?

[Dedup]

Just finished the NES version of Dragon Warrior IV. It's a solid game and I liked how the party members all got a prologue chapter before meeting the protagonist in the main chapter. What I didn't appreciate was that they take away direct control of everyone but the protagonist in the main chapter. You can use overall strategies to affect party member combat behaviour and the game itself isn't so difficult that I had too many problems progressing, but there were plenty of moments that I wish I had control of my spellcasters.

I've also been playing Dragon's Crown Pro on the PS4 to get my side-scrolling brawler fix.

 

[Jarmaro]

For no clear reason I decided to try Stalker second time, the first was few years ago when I picked up Shadow of Chernobyl. I wasn't impressed, mostly beceause it got very boring toward the end and I've never finished it.
But holy shit, I am having a blast with Call of Pripayat. I am not even sure why it feels so good to play it, it has many flaws, but I can't remember last time when game drew me in so hard. It's been years.
I spent entire last day playing it.

 

[Dux]

Bought Hitman: Absolution a month or so back, for some stupid and insane reason, and I've already uninstalled it. Made it about halfway through until I had admit that I'd fucked up and the shame became too much to bear. Even though I bought it for a paltry sum I still feel hard done by. In short you play as a sensitive Hollywood bald guy on the run from cops and retards, while trying to safeguard some girl you got stuck with after you assassinated your business partner. So much drama it brings a tear to my eye socket. QTE fighting, slow-mo cinematic sequences and small, linear levels, as well as a growing realisation that I might grow up to be a complete nihilist because of shit like this. I tell you, things aren't always easy.

The single most bizarre part of the game is without a doubt the nun hospital. First you go around carrying this girl because there's some bad guys after her and you have to hide her, all the while 47 is whispering very creepily in her ear to reassure her. Yes indeed. Then when she's safe you're faced with a platoon of murdering psychopaths who has massacred every single nun in the place. You're given cues to stealth it out like you'd normally do in a Hitman game. However, the problem with this is that there's no target in this level. There's no objective other than to restore power or some shit and protect the girl. You're walking through corridors with dead nuns everywhere and the only people left are the murdering psychopaths looking for you. Soooo... yeah. Needless to say I killed every last one of them in a blaze of glory. I mean, why wouldn't I? Listen, 47 is a guy that's all about the contract and the money. Try to appeal to his human side and he'll lodge a .45 ACP in your frontal lobe. It's not complicated, really.

At least IO Interactive seems to have realised their mistakes and gone back to basics (sort of).

 

[Azalin]

Finished Blackwell Legacy,it's my first Dave Gilbert game,a nice modern point n click adventure good all around whose main disadvantage is its short length,I mean you can finish this in like 2 hours.Still since I bought the first 4 games for like 2 euros in a sale it was still a great bargain.Recommended

 

[Rahdulan]

Bought Hitman: Absolution a month or so back, for some stupid and insane reason, and I've already uninstalled it. Made it about halfway through until I had admit that I'd fucked up and the shame became too much to bear. Even though I bought it for a paltry sum I still feel hard done by. In short you play as a sensitive Hollywood bald guy on the run from cops and retards, while trying to safeguard some girl you got stuck with after you assassinated your business partner. So much drama it brings a tear to my eye socket. QTE fighting, slow-mo cinematic sequences and small, linear levels, as well as a growing realisation that I might grow up to be a complete nihilist because of shit like this. I tell you, things aren't always easy.

The single most bizarre part of the game is without a doubt the nun hospital. First you go around carrying this girl because there's some bad guys after her and you have to hide her, all the while 47 is whispering very creepily in her ear to reassure her. Yes indeed. Then when she's safe you're faced with a platoon of murdering psychopaths who has massacred every single nun in the place. You're given cues to stealth it out like you'd normally do in a Hitman game. However, the problem with this is that there's no target in this level. There's no objective other than to restore power or some shit and protect the girl. You're walking through corridors with dead nuns everywhere and the only people left are the murdering psychopaths looking for you. Soooo... yeah. Needless to say I killed every last one of them in a blaze of glory. I mean, why wouldn't I? Listen, 47 is a guy that's all about the contract and the money. Try to appeal to his human side and he'll lodge a .45 ACP in your frontal lobe. It's not complicated, really.

At least IO Interactive seems to have realised their mistakes and gone back to basics (sort of).

But, but...

 

[octavius]

Just finished Jagged Alliance 2, using 1.13 Vanilla.
The last part was Throne of Baal level tedious.

JA1 and OpenXcom were both quite a bit more enjoyable.

Took me one and a half months to finish, so it's a very long game; too long when you fight the same tired enemies again and again and again.
There's been unusually fine weather this spring, though, so I've spent much more time outdoors than usual.
Also, 1.13 Vanilla is rather buggy, which didn't help with the enjoyment.
Will hopefully try regular 1.13 eventually.

 

[Gregz]

Diablo II with Median XL mod

 

[octavius]

Next game on my play list is Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor
Should be a welcome change after JA2.

 

[Gregz]

Next game on my play list is Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor
Should be a welcome change after JA2.

You're in for a treat.

 

[Darth Roxor]

enjoy your mass-mages and stupid map design

protip: get the fly spell as fast as you can

 

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

The original Galactic Civilizations: AI is a bunch of cheating sumbitches that rush all the good planets, and the Minor Civs aren't nerfed. They'll zerg you in a heartbeat.

Early stages of a Half-Orc Monk playthrough in NWN2.

Two Worlds Epic Edition: I miss the early versions of the game where you could freely resurrect whoever you wanted. Had Orcs and people freely living together in a couple 'raided' towns.

 

[octavius]

enjoy your mass-mages and stupid map design

protip: get the fly spell as fast as you can

I've actually played it before, but I don't think I quite finished it. I have some vague memories of flying above a downed space ship and then hearing that sickening sound of a demon casting Dispell on the party. Very annoying.

I took the Light path that time, so I'm taking the Dark path this time.

It's too bad the opening area is such a decline compared to MM6.

 

[Azalin]

Finished Blackwell Unbound ,the second game in the series,it follows the blueprint of the first game with some minor improvements(e.g.you can switch between the two characters) and remains a solid game like the first one.Still a short game that takes two hours or less to finish.Recommended

 

[flyingjohn]

I just played sacred 2 for an hour or two.I have no idea i just played.The devs tried making this game into a mmorpg but gave up and went with the action rpg route with bad mmorpg stuff.

So there are cool downs instead of mana for skills now.Oh and if you use one skill ,it triggers every single skill cool down in your skill bar,brilliant.
They did this because mmorpgs have cool down.Unfortunately diablo games and cool downs don't work together.

There is a huge open world.But is is mostly empty and filled with small 2-3 packs mob which keep re spawning.There are some nice locations,but there doesn't seem to be any secrets or interesting stuff.Major hubs are just a major culmination of quest givers.
They did this because mmoprgs have huge worlds.Unfortunately diablo type games don't work well with open world.

There are small 2-3mobs roaming around who respawn very quickly.The small blobs of mobs are usually close to each other and sometime the ai doesn't even activate while you are killing one mob close to another.Or sometimes they just randomly come out and attack you.
They did this because small mobs which roam are used in mmorpg.Unfortunately diablo like games require a larger amount of mobs.

When you level up you can select stats and special skills.These skill are just passive bonuses to your specialization(like armor,ranged weapons,quicker cool down,etc).
They did this because mmorpgs usually have a little bit more depth then action rpgs.Unfortunately diablo type game shave no depth minus the skills.So you get a little bit more depth which isn't depth but just further limitation(You can't respec and you have a limited number of slots for these skills).

I have to say loot is just boring.Everything seems to be this small boring passive upgrade,even high level stuff i checked at the wiki is just small bonuses.

It doesn't help the camera and ui are just terrible(you will get scenery blocking your views). Btw this is the only inventory system in a arpg where the weapon is not listed.It is on a separate slot close to your health,why?

It really felt like playing a mmorpg with diablo elements,and that is not a good thing.Especially after kingdoms of amalur,which actually had a fun combat system.

 

[Micormic]

I've actually played it before, but I don't think I quite finished it. I have some vague memories of flying above a downed space ship and then hearing that sickening sound of a demon casting Dispell on the party. Very annoying.

I took the Light path that time, so I'm taking the Dark path this time.

It's too bad the opening area is such a decline compared to MM6.

It's not as bad as the starting island of M&M8. At least emerald island is nice and small so it's fast to clear.

too long when you fight the same tired enemies again and again and again.

That part is always what does me in with JA2 aswell. Big fan of the game, but I always end up quitting when i get to the later cities and very rarely finish the game on replays.

 

[Darth Roxor]

MM8 > MM7

 

[RK47]

MM9 < everything else

 

[GrainWetski]

I just played sacred 2 for an hour or two.I have no idea i just played.The devs tried making this game into a mmorpg but gave up and went with the action rpg route with bad mmorpg stuff.

So there are cool downs instead of mana for skills now.Oh and if you use one skill ,it triggers every single skill cool down in your skill bar,brilliant.
They did this because mmorpgs have cool down.Unfortunately diablo games and cool downs don't work together.

There is a huge open world.But is is mostly empty and filled with small 2-3 packs mob which keep re spawning.There are some nice locations,but there doesn't seem to be any secrets or interesting stuff.Major hubs are just a major culmination of quest givers.
They did this because mmoprgs have huge worlds.Unfortunately diablo type games don't work well with open world.

There are small 2-3mobs roaming around who respawn very quickly.The small blobs of mobs are usually close to each other and sometime the ai doesn't even activate while you are killing one mob close to another.Or sometimes they just randomly come out and attack you.
They did this because small mobs which roam are used in mmorpg.Unfortunately diablo like games require a larger amount of mobs.

When you level up you can select stats and special skills.These skill are just passive bonuses to your specialization(like armor,ranged weapons,quicker cool down,etc).
They did this because mmorpgs usually have a little bit more depth then action rpgs.Unfortunately diablo type game shave no depth minus the skills.So you get a little bit more depth which isn't depth but just further limitation(You can't respec and you have a limited number of slots for these skills).

I have to say loot is just boring.Everything seems to be this small boring passive upgrade,even high level stuff i checked at the wiki is just small bonuses.

It doesn't help the camera and ui are just terrible(you will get scenery blocking your views). Btw this is the only inventory system in a arpg where the weapon is not listed.It is on a separate slot close to your health,why?

It really felt like playing a mmorpg with diablo elements,and that is not a good thing.Especially after kingdoms of amalur,which actually had a fun combat system.

Shouldn't surprise you that it's like the first game in that regard.

 

[Humppaleka]

Dunno, enjoyed Sacred 2 an unhealthy amount as a teen, haven't tried it after the expansion came out and played that for a bit. Hmm, wonder if I should start up a Sacred --> Sacred 2 playthrough...

 

[flyingjohn]

Dunno, enjoyed Sacred 2 an unhealthy amount as a teen, haven't tried it after the expansion came out and played that for a bit. Hmm, wonder if I should start up a Sacred --> Sacred 2 playthrough...

Just play sacred 2 with the community patch.Trust me,you will need it.

 

[Kabas]

Dunno, enjoyed Sacred 2 an unhealthy amount as a teen

You're not the only one. I remember that i thought that the game looks pretty and that the egyptian robodog was somewhat of a disappointment gameplaywise. Also blind guardian.

Playing Tales of Maj'eyal right now, as a halfling gunslinger(Anti-magic to get one unlock).

Spoiler

The battle to unlock the new krog race is a bit tough if you rely on stuff like nature/acid/mind damage and you don't have a reliable way to deal with the invisible enemies.
All of which is made worse by the fact that you need to beat them under 40 turns or the hostages will become vulnerable.
And that you need to be level twenty to recieve the quest.
Goddamit yeek oozemancer, you had only one job.

What can i say:
-I didn't play as the gunslinger much when the Embers of Rage came out, nor did i fully utilise the tinkers(the ones that give you new abilities) at that time - something which i regret now.
-One of the most useful tinkers on gunslinger is probably the fatal attractor, which allows you to summon a meatshield that aggroes everyone. Enemies love to waste their confusion shout or whatnot on it.
-Another is a saw shell, which gives a simple hard hitting attack against one target - something that gunslinger needs to truly shine. Great when paired with the confusion shot.
-Shoes of moving quickly is one of the most ridiculous items in the game. With these your character crosses 3 tiles each step instead of one. Basically, it's like having a precise 3 range teleport instead of simple movement. Needless to say that it's pretty much impossible to corner my halfling now 'cause this item also gives you an immunity to pinning and i already have most of the needed salves to remove other status effects now.
-Vital Shot prodigy oneshots bosses on normal, nothing to say here.
-Antimagic is useless on the gunslinger, mainly because none of the other skills synergise with it. Inability to wear anything arcane also hurts.
-Cultist of the Enthropy unlock was fun. It teaches you the class main gimmicks in the form of a minigame.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Currently playing: ADOM, Ultimate General: Civil War and Field of Glory II.
Also Kirby's All Stars on that SNES mini.

 

[Azalin]

Finished Blackwell Convergence the third game in the series,like the previous two solid game all around but pretty short.Recommended

 

[Machocruz]

Another Cataclysm DDA run. This is one of my games of forever. It's the peak of survival games to me (never played Unreal World), as well as being among the best roguelikes. I'm doing a minimal hoarding/primitivist run. I will only be collecting the barest things to survive, most of which I can get from the wilderness. No large stash of resources. I'm using a class called Prehistoric Hunter. Pretty self sufficient class to start. Comes with stone spear, atlatl with two javelins, fire drill, stone pot, stone knife, hand axe, waterskin, backpack, and a few warm, fur clothing items. Starts with several useful skills. I will be mostly surviving off the land and roaming. No car building or any kind of advanced crafting.

I turned wander spawns on. Boy, I got wrecked early the first few runs I attempted, before I figured out how the system works. I assumed every Z on the map represented a large horde, so I did my best to avoid going near any Zs on the map. That's not quite the case and it can actually cause you more trouble if you're too avoidant and not cleaning up areas. Sound is the major factor to be conscientious of. I had to turn off static NPCs because I'd always start a game with one near me and they would act a fucking fool, shooting or stabbing everything in sight, being super agg ressive, running after things, and attracting hordes over to my starting area every damn time. And even in the beginning, hordes can spawn higher level zombie types that push your shit in.

But my current run has been going good. Started with a river nearby (endless water supply), forest and swamp (food and crafting mats), and a town conveniently near by but not so close to the starting area to attract zombies while I'm bashing apart benches and lockers in the evac shelter. Most of the hordes are found in and around human habitation, even if it's a mansion or hospital in the middle of nowhere. And not a moose in sight so far...

 

[Ivan]

Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis

I picked the Group playstyle (didn't try the other two paths) and I enjoyed the first third of the game (the ghost puzzle was a particular highlight). I would say the game goes to shit after the Dig Site. At that point I was infuriated by the collectathon of items, the backtracking, the fucking maze, having to make more and beads, the slow fucking crab boat....but that ghost puzzle was really cool!