What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

[Leandro]

Contraption Maker - Steam

I've always loved the Incredible Machine games. This was a nice purchase, I'm having fun

[Blinge]

Spoiler

He spills the beans on how he was a member of the followers of the Apocalypse/NCR and he was captured by some tribe who would go on to kill his comrades and how he taught the tribe the art of war and how to make weapons and bombs and how to be ruthless and barbaric, but regardless of all that he was still a vile piece of work that if left alive would endorse more barbaric acts, the scene in nelson with heads on spikes kept coming to my mind every time I initiated dialogue with him so I had to deal with him ;p

Oh fair enough, sounds like you got most of it then!

Spoiler

I did like his spiel about hegelian dialectics, and his explanation of why he chose to imitate the Roman Empire from the history books he'd read. Also another little detail, some of the legion say pronounce words like "ah-way" instead of "ave" or wulpes instead of vulpes. I'm not sure if that's how the latin words were actually pronounced or if the legion just copy Caesar's way of speaking. Because he definitely refers to his henchman as "Wulpes." If my suspicion is true that's a really cool touch.

Good to hear you enjoyed it man.

[Khan]

Btw Blinge not sure if you know there is a New Vegas comic floating about I downloaded it a few years back and saved it on an external hard drive, would make good reading material when on a train/bus supposedly set a week before the events with Benny

[EmperorIng]

People who study Latin are taught to pronounce V's like W's, and pronounce all C's with a hard sound (e.g. Kae-sar).

===

Beat the True Pacifist ending to Undertale. All told it was a very pleasant time. For a short indie RPG it was very charming. I'm not sure if I would like to go down the Genocide route since it seems like a lot of tedium for not much reward. While I wish the game was a little longer, or had more puzzles/areas/enemies (or harder boss fights), I can't get too disappointed at an RPG done in a somewhat novel way by one person.

I'm not totally fond of some of the fourth wall breaking elements (I think they break the suspension of disbelief for an otherwise charming fairy tale), but it's overall pretty good.

Some of the fourth wall breaking and game save-file manipulation and trickery is pretty clever and probably one of the biggest "hooks" the game has going for it. Getting to the final boss of a normal playthrough is worth it to see how much of a cheating bastard he can be.

[Obiwanshinobi]

OK, this is driving me nuts: Somebody (it probably was Obiwanshinobi) recently mentioned a PS2 game, and I haven't been able to find this mentioned anywhere. Any thoughts?

Demon Chaos (a.k.a. Ikusagami)? The Sword of Etheria?

[Ed Oscuro]

Oh yeah, Over Zenith, that was it, thanks!

Can't be worse than Spawn, aka Skidmark In Chains.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Those were the days when it was really real...

[BIL]

Aww sheeit. My cheapass gamepad died! Again! No TV party tonight. :[ Improvise with perennial FPS toybox BDOOM.

Spoiler

^pictured: DOOMguy scores a surprise critical hit on Cyberdemon, causing him to explosively shit out his liver.

[Blinge]

People who study Latin are taught to pronounce V's like W's, and pronounce all C's with a hard sound (e.g. Kae-sar).

Blinge exposed as idiot.
Haha what the hell man i even studied latin for years, and never knew!

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

Playing the Star Wars Battlefront beta. I kind of hate it. I was interested before the beta. Now, I'm not going anywhere near this one.

[Shepardus]

Decided to give Skullgirls a try. I've always liked watching fighting games but never really understood them, so the tutorials are very helpful. However I'm also quickly discovering how utterly terrible I am at this game. I'm over two hours in and only just managed to complete the first four chapters of the tutorials (the non-character specific ones). Can't input combos to save my life... The fact that I'm using a keyboard and not a stick probably isn't helping matters either. As for the specific game itself, I like it so far but don't have much to compare it to, other than random button-mashing in the Touhou fighting games and Blazblue: Calamity Trigger.

[Immryr]

I'm now up to the clock tower in oath in felghana. The platforming here is quite frustrating, it might be the worst part of the game for me. I'm really enjoying the boss fights and general adventuring, other than the platforming the only thing I think could be changed for the better is just how exponentially stronger you get with one or two levels, or getting a new weapon.

For example when I was stuck fighting the ice dragon I had a maxed broad sword and after knocking him down I would do 1, 3, 5, 9, 15 damage to him with successive hits. After giving up and re exploring old areas to find more gold / ore I bought the banded slayer got that to +1 and levelled up once. When I retried the fight I was doing 22 damage on the first hit instead of 1. To me that is just ridiculous. It's the same with damage taken too.

I think this might be the reason no one speed runs this game, to prevent the boss fights being really long and having no room for error you need to be at a certain level and have a certain weapon. Seemingly there isn't any quick way to do this.

[Mischief Maker]

Lichdom: Battlemage

A combination fantasy FPS and diablo loot-collecting game. It's fucking gorgeous, a marriage of great art style (at least for the environments) with the Crytek 3 engine.

Reviews are all over the map on this game, and that's because it's neither a pure FPS nor a pure diablo clone. If you're just going to shoot fireballs without first tagging the enemies with status effects and debuffs, it will take forever to plink enemies to death. Conversely, if you don't have the reflexes to dodge, block, and maneuver your way through a crowd of melee and ranged enemies, you're never going to be able to set up your optimized combination.

The designers definitely shot themselves in the foot with the crafting system, not because it's overly complicated, but because they went and mixed up the vocabulary just for the sake of being different. Here's something you might read from the in-game tutorial using standard language:

Dying enemies drop random gems and you make spells by putting together three types of gems: the spell school gem, a spell-shape gem, and one or more effect gems. Effects include damage, staus effects, or debuffs.

But in Lichdom's language it's:

Dying enemies drop random etherion and you make spells by putting together three types of etherion: sigil, pattern, and one or more augments. Augments include destruction, control, or mastery.

Is it any wonder impatient game reviewers threw up their hands in frustration? The designers later patched in a "smart inventory" that auto-assembles the best spells available, but if you're just playing this game as a pure FPS, you'll find it lacking.

Best described as "more than the sum of its parts." I like it, but I suggest waiting for a sale.

[Blinge]

Can't input combos to save my life... The fact that I'm using a keyboard and not a stick probably isn't helping matters either.

eww, don't you have a pad?

[kaicooper]

now playing MGS Peace Walker on PSP emulator
and MGS3 SUB on PS2 emulator

[Obiwanshinobi]

Can't input combos to save my life... The fact that I'm using a keyboard and not a stick probably isn't helping matters either.

Proper d-pad working on PC (via adapter) is on Sony PSX (so it's digital) controller and Classic Controller Pro (enough buttons to customise controls in something like Super Metroid at that). Bear in mind many PSX and PS2 control devices (also arcade sticks) can be hooked up other consoles too, adapter-way (I for one use mine with some Dreamcast and Wii/GameCube games). All said and done, those things are not the most expensive (or bothersome to keep) accessories around (unlike, say, steering wheels or flight sticks). Just some tidy wee gizmos stored here and there.

On top of that, many (most?) PC keyboards give you ghosting that might plain block off the keys when playing 1vs1 fighting games. There are ghosting-free keyboards on the market, but I wouldn't recommend any for this kind of game anyways.

[Squire Grooktook]

Decided to give Skullgirls a try. I've always liked watching fighting games but never really understood them, so the tutorials are very helpful. However I'm also quickly discovering how utterly terrible I am at this game. I'm over two hours in and only just managed to complete the first four chapters of the tutorials (the non-character specific ones). Can't input combos to save my life... The fact that I'm using a keyboard and not a stick probably isn't helping matters either. As for the specific game itself, I like it so far but don't have much to compare it to, other than random button-mashing in the Touhou fighting games and Blazblue: Calamity Trigger.

Congrats, you've now played one of the 3 greatest fighters of all time! Really, it's one of the only few modern fighters that captures the pitch perfect fundamentals of the old classics IMO.

Anyway fighter skills are like shmup skills. Takes a while to build up, but they transfer between games and even genres (playing lots of Cave shmups helped me get better at fighters lol). The main unique skill to fighters is "reading" ie predicting the opponents next move (also applies to RTS and FPS). Combos you definitely get better at with time. It took me quite a while to go from struggling to chain 3 basic hits in Marvel Vs Capcom to doing this.

Keyboard vs Pad vs Stick: All are completely valid, much like shmups. There are high level players for each control scheme. Many argue that Stick is theoretically the best, but it's a small difference.

Let me know if you wanna play sometime!

[Obiwanshinobi]

I wonder what two high level players who prefer keyboard do when they can only play on one computer (academic question I know; besides - they probably bring their own keyboard each).

[Ed Oscuro]

Is it any wonder impatient game reviewers threw up their hands in frustration? The designers later patched in a "smart inventory" that auto-assembles the best spells available, but if you're just playing this game as a pure FPS, you'll find it lacking.

Best described as "more than the sum of its parts." I like it, but I suggest waiting for a sale.

I bought this a while ago during a sale, and still don't have hardware quite powerful enough to play it right.

I think you're right when you point out that players don't get either a pure Diablo or a pure FPS experience from playing it - the rather extensive and somewhat oddly disengaged feeling of the fighting is what frustrated me. While the Etherion description did add a layer to the understanding needed, I think they also made it clear enough what those categories meant and I certainly didn't have a problem with that. Rather, the problem with the crafting system is that (as usual) most action-oriented players are going to be interested in shooting ahead with the next stage, rather than trying out tons of obscure combinations. Finally, there's a problem which piggybacks off this previous issue: Uniquely resistant enemies, which I feel tend to hold back some Diablo-type games. I still don't quite get the point of having certain enemies only take chip damage from attacks when you don't have the right setup, and while this might not be a huge issue in Lichdom, it always feels like it threatens to be that.

[Shepardus]

Played a bit more Skullgirls today, went through the character tutorials and goofed around a bit in the training room. So far I like Peacock the most (so cute <3) so I'm going to try to focus on learning her in more depth. Eventually I want to understand all the characters decently, of course, but you gotta start somewhere. So does anyone have videos of top players playing Peacock? I found that one of the grand finalists at Evo 2015 used a Peacock + Cerebella team, but I'm wondering if there's more of that.

[Immryr]

I'm now up to the clock tower in oath in felghana. The platforming here is quite frustrating, it might be the worst part of the game for me. I'm really enjoying the boss fights and general adventuring, other than the platforming the only thing I think could be changed for the better is just how exponentially stronger you get with one or two levels, or getting a new weapon.

For example when I was stuck fighting the ice dragon I had a maxed broad sword and after knocking him down I would do 1, 3, 5, 9, 15 damage to him with successive hits. After giving up and re exploring old areas to find more gold / ore I bought the banded slayer got that to +1 and levelled up once. When I retried the fight I was doing 22 damage on the first hit instead of 1. To me that is just ridiculous. It's the same with damage taken too.

I think this might be the reason no one speed runs this game, to prevent the boss fights being really long and having no room for error you need to be at a certain level and have a certain weapon. Seemingly there isn't any quick way to do this.

I take back what I said about the platforming. When I went back to it I used the d pad instead of the psp's analogue nub and it was a lot more straight forward. The fight with Chester after the clock tower is really great too.

[Mischief Maker]

Finally, there's a problem which piggybacks off this previous issue: Uniquely resistant enemies, which I feel tend to hold back some Diablo-type games. I still don't quite get the point of having certain enemies only take chip damage from attacks when you don't have the right setup, and while this might not be a huge issue in Lichdom, it always feels like it threatens to be that.

If you're talking about what I think you are, what you took for element-resistant enemies was actually your default ice and void spells doing no damage.

The game starts you off with nothing but destruction spells for the fire sigil, nothing but control spells for the ice sigil, and nothing but mastery spells for the kinesis sigil. Ice control and void mastery don't do any damage by themselves, they enhance subsequent destruction spells. The designers leave it up to the player to craft a well-rounded variety of spells but don't actually tell you that.

If you craft a destruction ice spell you'll find it does plenty of damage to all types of enemies.

[broken harbour]

Chrono Trigger has been on my "to play" list for 20 years, figured it was time to get around to it.

While I own the PS1 port, I chose to play the SNES version on my everdrive. I always find it amazing how well the developers used the limited technology to present a story, and some of the graphical effects are really cool. The gameplay is, admittedly, quite simple, there are no arcane mechanics or convoluted skill trees or anything (at least so far, 12 hours in.) Storyline, something the game was praised for at the time is.... well it's there, its not that complicated or particularly moving or anything, but what did you expect from a 16 bit RPG? I also appreciate not having to grind at all.

Overall, I can see why it's so well revered, although I do feel like it's a bit of a "had to be there" kind of thing. If you weren't around in 1995, you might not get why its so universally acclaimed.

However, if you're a JRPG noob or just not that into RPG's, it's brevity and accessible nature will likely appeal to you.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Chrono Trigger has been on my "to play" list for 20 years, figured it was time to get around to it.

While I own the PS1 port, I chose to play the SNES version on my everdrive.

Good choice, as the loadings on PSX are a joke.

Overall, I can see why it's so well revered, although I do feel like it's a bit of a "had to be there" kind of thing. If you weren't around in 1995, you might not get why its so universally acclaimed.

I played it in this century (although - admittedly - it was the first jRPG I finished) and found the story quite moving. So it could be about the point in someone's life rather than epoque. Or indeed about the mystery of what a particular person likes in their jRPGs best.* There certainly is a kind of jRPG I always feel relieved when I see another, whether it's new or a fossil, but I wouldn't know how to define it (or maybe I don't wanna define it).

*) In Chrono Trigger's case, I believe the characters' facial expression whenever something goes wrong would be the selling point for some. In my case, I happened to like the original SNES translation. Much like Suikoden II played by me later on (which I didn't even know was translated by the same guy as ChT), it read better than most games in English.

Weird, I recall reading in some interview that someone who translated something else I liked - worked on Suikoden II too, and I assumed ChT was the former (so Ted Woolsey would be the person), but I can't seem to find the source anymore.

[Ed Oscuro]

Finally, there's a problem which piggybacks off this previous issue: Uniquely resistant enemies, which I feel tend to hold back some Diablo-type games. I still don't quite get the point of having certain enemies only take chip damage from attacks when you don't have the right setup, and while this might not be a huge issue in Lichdom, it always feels like it threatens to be that.

If you're talking about what I think you are, what you took for element-resistant enemies was actually your default ice and void spells doing no damage.

It's been a long while since I played, but I think the second part of your answer captures the issue better: It's too easy to create ineffective spells. On the other hand, it's also easy to get too enamored of a spell that works. I still feel that some spells are vastly more effective than others given a certain situation.

But yeah, I wasn't dumb enough to try and use a default void spell to do damage, lol. I definitely knew about combining different spells to increase damage potential - if anything having to set up damage this way makes it feel as if you're yet another step removed from the action. Axe + face is a good enough combo for me, crude as it sounds

[atheistgod1999]

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out

[professor ganson]

Looking quickly, I didn't see anyone mention Disgaea 5. I've got it in hand, but I'm actually still working on playing through Disgaea 4 without grinding. A decent challenge.

[ACSeraph]

Metal Gear Solid V: The Paperwork Pain

Just got to a certain point in the game that requires you to manage and relocate all of your staff that have a particular ability.

That's all well and good, but theres a little flaw with it: There is no way to organize or search through your staff by that ability. Meaning you have to manually check the profile of every soldier in your base. I have 1000 soldiers. I don't think I have ever hated a game designer more than I did last night.

[Some-Mist]

counter-strike:go...

haven't played competitive in awhile, but I hopped in a dozen or so matches the last 2 nights and I'm at gold nova II. we'll see if I can grab an AK soon.

[drunkninja24]

Been playing quite a bit of Undertale the last week

Great game that does a lot of neat little things, along with fun combat (very much like shmup and precision platforming kinda stuffed interspersed with RPG interactions) and an interesting story. Well worth picking up.