What video game are you playing?

[ulukinatme]

I downloaded Helldivers for free on PSN the other week. Just played it last night for the first time. Its pretty awesome. I recommend ppl check it out since its free to PSPlus memebers.

I did check this out too. My buddies and I played it for a bit on Monday night, and I do recommend it. I'm only about level 12, but it's been pretty fun. One thing to watch out for: there are a lot of idiots playing this game. When just playing with some random players I had a lot of guys shoot me in the back, or they'll call in an airstrike right on top of your current location, or if you're respawning (They send your character in via rocket) your respawn rocket will kill them because they weren't paying attention. It's kind of funny, but it can be aggravating too. I find that when it's just my buddies and I we have far fewer "accidentals" than when I'm running with randoms. Very fun game though! I love stomping around in the Exo-suits shooting miniguns. Make sure you upgrade the drone right away to level 3! At level 3 the drone will show you were all the samples are on a map, very helpful for getting Research Points and upgrades quickly.

 

[nlroma1o]

I did check this out too. My buddies and I played it for a bit on Monday night, and I do recommend it. I'm only about level 12, but it's been pretty fun. One thing to watch out for: there are a lot of idiots playing this game. When just playing with some random players I had a lot of guys shoot me in the back, or they'll call in an airstrike right on top of your current location, or if you're respawning (They send your character in via rocket) your respawn rocket will kill them because they weren't paying attention. It's kind of funny, but it can be aggravating too. I find that when it's just my buddies and I we have far fewer "accidentals" than when I'm running with randoms. Very fun game though! I love stomping around in the Exo-suits shooting miniguns. Make sure you upgrade the drone right away to level 3! At level 3 the drone will show you were all the samples are on a map, very helpful for getting Research Points and upgrades quickly.

Awesome! Its a pretty fun game right out the gate. I just started playing it last night so Im currently level 3, almost 4. Thanks for the insight. Ive only upgraded my defense turrets so far. I'll make sure to upgrade the drone next.

 

[ulukinatme]

Dunno if I'll be on tonight, but my PSN is the same as my username. Send me a message if I'm on and you want to run some missions.

 

[IrishLion]

Did you ever pick this game up, Lion?

Never picked it up beyond the demo. I wanted to hear more from the developers about the game's support on XB1 before I committed, and never really felt good about dropping a full game's worth of cash on something that is in constant development. I understand why it is the way it is, and I loved the flight mechanics from the demo I played, but I just didn't want to make the investment.

It's a bummer to hear about the interaction issues and how there doesn't seem to be a good way to get noobs off the ground at a reasonable pace. The game has so much potential IMO, but from what you said, it sounds like they probably lose a bunch of people in the first week or so.

 

[IrishLion]

As for what I'm playing now...

I've started to experience some NCAA14 fatigue on the PS3. And I hadn't played Fallout or Battlefront on the XB1 in a few months, and didn't really feel the desire to do so, even when NCAA started to wear on me on the other console.

So, I took a big leap and traded in my XB1 and the games I had for it. I didn't see the point in keeping it, since I never feel a strong desire to fire it up... And even when I could get myself excited to turn it on, the games I had still felt like chores rather than fun. So now I've got a decent chunk of change sitting on a Gamestop card lol.

I'm thinking about using my credit on a new 3DS and loading it up with Nintendo classics (Pokemon, Mario, Fire Emblem, Zelda, etc.) while the Nintendo eStore still supports DS/3DS games. I'll grab a bunch of game cards to keep stockpiled as well, and use it as a casual time-waster.

I DID keep my PS3 though. My desire to play dynasties and individual careers on NCAA14 will return. And, in order to change things up, I've started the Assassin's Creed series from scratch as well. I've got one sector in each of the three cities left before I fight the bossman, and then I'll move on to ACII. I've got the Ezio Trilogy and the Americas Collection on standby for after that, as well as Rogue. I'll be screwed after I finish Rogue, because Unity and Syndicate are only on the new gen, but oh well. (Maybe I'll find a PS4 deal in November, and my desire for new-gen will be back by then and/or the PS4 will have full backwards compatability.)

(I realize the irony that I was complaining on about my XB1 games feeling like chores, only to turn around and play grind-intensive Assassin's Creed.)

 

[ulukinatme]

Never picked it up beyond the demo. I wanted to hear more from the developers about the game's support on XB1 before I committed, and never really felt good about dropping a full game's worth of cash on something that is in constant development. I understand why it is the way it is, and I loved the flight mechanics from the demo I played, but I just didn't want to make the investment.

It's a bummer to hear about the interaction issues and how there doesn't seem to be a good way to get noobs off the ground at a reasonable pace. The game has so much potential IMO, but from what you said, it sounds like they probably lose a bunch of people in the first week or so.

Yeah, they really did an excellent job with the combat and flight model in my opinion. As good as it is, that's why the mission bugs and lack of real player presence in most star systems is depressing. In most MMOs you have various people chatting in zones while they wait for objectives or quest, but you don't really have that in ED. Part of that social interaction is what makes MMOs fun to play, despite the fact they often have lackluster storylines compared to a game with a campaign mode. You'd think with all the waiting you have to do in ED there would be plenty of people chatting, but it's radio silence.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I've got a PS4 and a copy of FO4 incoming for Christmas, so I'd like to run my tentative SPECIAL/ perk build by those of you who have played it already.

Strength - 1. Melee weapons have always struck me as strictly inferior to guns in FO games, and now that the strength requirement to use certain guns has been removed, I see no reason to invest in it. Strong Back would be convenient, but it aint worth 6 SPECIAL points to access. The only perk I might miss is Armorer, but my playstyle is usually sneaky sniper, so I dont plan on needing much damage resistance.

Perception - 4, for Rifleman (5/5) and Locksmith (2/4). Are Master locks rare enough that I can avoid spending that 3rd point for a while? From what I've read, Sniper seems underwhelming; Rank 1 is unnecessary, Rank 2 can be detrimental to landing follow-up shots (just like the chance to Paralyze for Archery was in Skyrim), and Rank 3 is counter-intuitive, since VATS doesn't work well at range.

Endurance - 3. Sounds like Rank 3 of Lifegiver is very helpful, particularly on higher difficulty settings, and I'll likely use Toughness as a filler perk.

Charisma - 1. I plan to carry a set of +CHR gear for speech checks. I know Local Leader is important for settlement building, but I don't plan on doing much of that until later on. Lone Wanderer is the only one I might miss leveling up, as I don't usually use companions.

Intelligence - 4, but I'm the least confident about this one, so feedback would be much appreciated. In previous FO games, INT was by far the most important stat since it governed experience-gain and skill point generation. But Idiot Savant is apparently much more effective at increasing experience gain, so I don't see the need to invest beyond Gun Nut and Hacker. How much of an investment is needed there? Science seems important for those who rely on energy weapons and power armor, but that won't apply to me.

Agility - 7. Gunslinger, Sneak, Mr. Sandman, Action Boy and Ninja look very enticing. Would like to have Gun Fu as well, but it'll have to wait until late game.

Luck - 8, immediately increased to 9 by the "You're Special" book. Idiot Savant, Better Criticals, Critical Banker, Grim Reaper's Sprint and Four Leaf Clover are ridiculous. Easily the strongest perk tree in the game.

Having just completed Act I (Kellogg dead/ Arrival of Prydwyn) with my character at lvl 22, here's my experience so far:

• When I typed the above, I didn't realize that each SPECIAL stat could be raised an extra point by finding its respective bobblehead in-game, so I ended up going with a 1-4-3-3-4-6-7 build instead.
• Have not missed any of the Strength perks thus far.
• Very happy with the decision to go for 4 Perception. Rifleman is excellent (increasing it at every opportunity) and I've only run into 4 Master-level locks thus far, so 2/4 in Locksmith has been perfect.
• I haven't taken any Endurance perks yet, but it should be useful as a perk sink at higher levels when my damage perks are maxed and I look to increase the difficulty setting.
• Even though I bumped my Charisma up to 3 from the 1 I planned for initially, it has been frustrating thus far. In previous games, I made up for having low Charisma simply by having a high Speech skill, but that's not an option anymore. I generally switch into clothes which give me an extra +5 Charisma while in cities and settlements, but even with that boost, I fail the vast majority of speech checks. And making caps is much harder in FO4 than it used to be. If I could do it over again, I'd probably move 3 points from INT into CHR. I use Dogmeat as my primary companion, so I've been very happy with Lone Wanderer.
• Amazingly, I'm even regretting my modest initial investment of 4 points into Intelligence. Having 2/4 in Gun Nut did allow me to trick out my 10mm relatively quickly, but for all my other guns (Overseer's Guardian, Hunting Rifle), I've found the mods I wanted on weapons dropped by enemies long before I could craft them. Makes upgrading your character much more fun as well, since you have to pay closer attention to loot than you otherwise would. Oh, and I still haven't put a single point into Hacker. Locked Terminals are rare, the mini-game is annoyingly tedious, and most of the benefits can be achieved easily through other routes (shooting turrets rather disabling them, picking safes rather than electronically unlocking them, etc.) Fewer points in Intelligence would have also buffed Idiot Savant, which is awesome, but I'll get to that in a second...
• The Agility perks have been OK thus, if not a little underwhelming. No points in Gunslinger (my suppressed 10mm is only used for close-quarters stealth kills) or Commando (don't use automatics). Sneak is great, since I'm pretty much always sneaking. Will pick up Mister Sandman once I find a Combat Rifle or Hunting Rifle with a suppressor on it. Action Boy will be an intermediate perk sink before I resort to Endurance perks, and Ninja is awesome.
• Luck is definitely the strongest perk tree. Idiot Savant is the single best perk in the game (assuming you don't have too many points in INT); it procced as I completed the Silver Shroud quest line, giving me 2,250 xp instead of just 450. Jumped nearly 3 levels on the spot. Better Criticals, Critical Banker, Grim Reaper's Sprint and Four-Leaf Clover are all excellent. I'll probably even max out Bloody Mess before moving onto Endurance Perks.
• McCready's companion perk is hilariously broken. It's supposed to give you a flat +20% accuracy on head shots in VATS, but the boost is much bigger than that, since I now always connect on headshots regardless of distance. If I can target something in VATS and I have AP, it's dying immediately.
• I'll be buying the Season Pass for the upcoming DLC before the price doubles on March 1.

 

[ulukinatme]

Having just completed Act I (Kellogg dead/ Arrival of Prydwyn) with my character at lvl 22, here's my experience so far:

• When I typed the above, I didn't realize that each SPECIAL stat could be raised an extra point by finding its respective bobblehead in-game, so I ended up going with a 1-4-3-3-4-6-7 build instead. You can technically get to 11 if you get to 10 in a stat prior to picking up each Bobblehead. Is it worth it? Not really for most stats imo.
• Have not missed any of the Strength perks thus far. Yeah, it's nice for hauling loot, but certainly not required. It certainly pays off more for Melee builds and probably Heavy Weapon builds.
• Very happy with the decision to go for 4 Perception. Rifleman is excellent (increasing it at every opportunity) and I've only run into 4 Master-level locks thus far, so 2/4 in Locksmith has been perfect. Yeah, you should be fine. The loot found in Master level trunks has been mostly underwhelming so far. Other than the Cyro-gun in Vault 111 (Which isn't even all that great, more situational and fun than anything), loot behind Master locks is all randomized and not guaranteed to be great, much like Skyrim Master lock loot. I think in one entire playthrough that went through every quest I didn't find more than a dozen or so Master locked containers/doors.
• I haven't taken any Endurance perks yet, but it should be useful as a perk sink at higher levels when my damage perks are maxed and I look to increase the difficulty setting.
• Even though I bumped my Charisma up to 3 from the 1 I planned for initially, it has been frustrating thus far. In previous games, I made up for having low Charisma simply by having a high Speech skill, but that's not an option anymore. I generally switch into clothes which give me an extra +5 Charisma while in cities and settlements, but even with that boost, I fail the vast majority of speech checks. And making caps is much harder in FO4 than it used to be. If I could do it over again, I'd probably move 3 points from INT into CHR. Yeah, Speech checks aside (Which can often be altered through clothing as you mentioned, Charisma is a nicer stat to have than in previous games. If you're a Junk hoarder like me, or if you have to hoard weapons and mods because you don't have enough INT to make your own, it can be difficult to make lots of caps. Not just for trading purposes, but for settlements. I think CHR affects how many settlers you can recruit for a given location. I don't think you were getting into settlements yet, so that didn't affect you. Still, I've really liked some of the CHR perks they included in the game. I think a lot of people wrote off Charisma builds without even trying it out, it's a lot of fun.
• Amazingly, I'm even regretting my modest initial investment of 4 points into Intelligence. Having 2/4 in Gun Nut did allow me to trick out my 10mm relatively quickly, but for all my other guns (Overseer's Guardian, Hunting Rifle), I've found the mods I wanted on weapons dropped by enemies long before I could craft them. Makes upgrading your character much more fun as well, since you have to pay closer attention to loot than you otherwise would. Oh, and I still haven't put a single point into Hacker. Locked Terminals are rare, the mini-game is annoyingly tedious, and most of the benefits can be achieved easily through other routes (shooting turrets rather disabling them, picking safes rather than electronically unlocking them, etc.) Fewer points in Intelligence would have also buffed Idiot Savant, which is awesome, but I'll get to that in a second...
  My first character was a straight 1 INT Hulk, and my Charisma character has just about the same INT as yours. I honestly can't tell much of a difference between the two when it comes to Idiot Savant procing, so I wouldn't worry much about it. At the very least, if you really want to exploit the skill for a quest turn in, you can always save right before completion and then continuously reload until Idiot Savant procs. It's cheesy, but I've seen it work.
  When I first started playing I touted Gun Nut quite a bit. On my Charisma build I was finding, like you, that you can do alright just removing existing mods from weapons you find off enemies and reattaching the mods to the weapons you want. I do miss having Gun Nut at times on that character, especially for settlement building, but you can get around it. At times it's definitely more helpful to be able to craft your own mods as some are rarer than others, but you can certainly get by without the skill. It's fun either way though. I find that you're either hunting for junk parts to make your own mods, or you're hunting for existing guns with the mods already crafted. Still...there's some Science related mods that I wish I could have on my Power Armor that I don't get with those characters.
• The Agility perks have been OK thus, if not a little underwhelming. No points in Gunslinger (my suppressed 10mm is only used for close-quarters stealth kills) or Commando (don't use automatics). Sneak is great, since I'm pretty much always sneaking. Will pick up Mister Sandman once I find a Combat Rifle or Hunting Rifle with a suppressor on it. Action Boy will be an intermediate perk sink before I resort to Endurance perks, and Ninja is awesome. There are some Legendary weapon bonuses that give the same perk as Action Boy. The effects stack, as far as I know, but if you find one of those weapons you may be able to hold off on spending points in Action Boy...or maybe bypass it all together. I somewhat regret putting points in it on my first character, it seemed like overkill for most fights.
• Luck is definitely the strongest perk tree. Idiot Savant is the single best perk in the game (assuming you don't have too many points in INT); it procced as I completed the Silver Shroud quest line, giving me 2,250 xp instead of just 450. Jumped nearly 3 levels on the spot. Better Criticals, Critical Banker, Grim Reaper's Sprint and Four-Leaf Clover are all excellent. I'll probably even max out Bloody Mess before moving onto Endurance Perks. Yeah, I really hate to admit it because I always stayed away from Luck in Fallout unless I was playing around with a character type, but they've built up Luck in a ridiculous way in FO:4. It used to be that Luck was only really helpful for a couple extra crit % points, or getting special encounters sooner, or being able to win in gambling. The entire compliment of Luck perks has essentially broken combat when you combine them together now. Couple that with Idiot Savant, which does insane things with quest xp, and it's incredibly lopsided in Luck's favor. I honestly prefer a more balanced set of SPECIAL stats. Luck was always kind of the red headed stepchild, but now it's the big older brother...from a previous marriage.
  BTW, I haven't actually seen Ricochet proc yet, but mostly because everything is dead before my health gets low. I may only have one point in it so far too. Crit builds are just OP.
• McCready's companion perk is hilariously broken. It's supposed to give you a flat +20% accuracy on head shots in VATS, but the boost is much bigger than that, since I now always connect on headshots regardless of distance. If I can target something in VATS and I have AP, it's dying immediately. They fixed it in the recent patch.
• I'll be buying the Season Pass for the upcoming DLC before the price doubles on March 1.

Sounds like you've got a good start, some good story stuff is coming up soon.

 

[IrishLion]

Finished the first Assassin's Creed last night.

It had been a looooooooong time since I'd completed it. I've played it a few times since it came out, but only actually finished it right after it released, so I had forgotten most of the details and story. Plus, I was younger and didn't really care for the background/historical stuff, nor did I pay attention to the "modern day" story and the opportunities you have to find "easter egg" info when you're walking around the Abstergo lab.

Very cool background info on the future of the series is hidden around the lab on computers and via hidden symbols. Some of it I recognized because of what I've heard about the other games. There were even symbols on the walls that connect all the way to ACIV: Black Flag, which surprised me. I'm sure they knew it would be a series of games, but to know the scope and the plot points that far ahead is amazing, considering how important some of those symbols actually are.

For example, a lot of the "modern day" plot in ACIV revolves around Abstergo's technological advances that they are selling to the public for profit. There is some type of communications thing that is referenced heavily in the files and CPU's that you find around the offices in ACIV. This communications device is mentioned in passing in ACI in an email, and it's an email that you can only find if you've beaten the game and fulfilled several other secret objectives during your times in the Abstergo lab when your overseers leave the area.

So it's a tiny Easter Egg, and not really even important to the actual gameplay. It's just an example of Abstergo's reach, adding depth to the fictional world/story that Ubisoft created. This tiny, unimportant detail in one game connects to a game that was created 7 years later. That kind of foresight to tease just a tidbit of background info is amazing.

 

[IrishLion]

Also, the final fight and the true reveal for the Piece of Eden was done extremely well, which is another thing I didn't appreciate back when I first played the game.

You show up to fight the bossman, and he uses the Apple of Eden to replicate himself. Back in the day, it was a difficult fight, because you had to hack-and-slash 8 different guys until you damaged the right one... this time around, having a greater appreciation for the mechanics of the game, I used the "Eagle Vision" and was able to differentiate the real boss from his clones. I focused on him throughout the fight and made what used to be a very difficult fight into an easy one.

And then at the very end, when the Piece of Eden lights up and shows the locations of the other pieces across the globe, I realized that the scope of the series and the future games is even greater than I realized. Very well done.

 

[zelezo vlk]

AC2 and Brotherhood are still some of my favorite video games ever.

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[dublinirish]

Visited San Gimignano, Florence and Monteriggioni, Tuscany in 2013 and when I got back i downloaded AC2 and it was a real joy to run around in those cities/towns in virtual form after seeing them up close. Will always love that game.

 

[IrishLion]

AC2 and Brotherhood are still some of my favorite video games ever.

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Visited San Gimignano, Florence and Monteriggioni, Tuscany in 2013 and when I got back i downloaded AC2 and it was a real joy to run around in those cities/towns in virtual form after seeing them up close. Will always love that game.

I took a "Renaissance Europe" class in college in 2012. I was actually playing ACII for the first time as I was taking the class, so it was really cool to go home and climb the Duomo the night after having learned about it in class.

Our professor told us that the semester before, he had actually brought his personal PS3 to class to show his students a "first-hand" view of Florence and the Duomo, since the game creators did such a good job, but the head of the history department shot it down from future use because "they needed to put the DVD's they purchased to use."

So, rather than seeing the video game in class, my class got to watch a slightly interesting DVD on climbing the stairs inside the cathedral.

 

[zelezo vlk]

I took a "Renaissance Europe" class in college in 2012. I was actually playing ACII for the first time as I was taking the class, so it was really cool to go home and climb the Duomo the night after having learned about it in class.

Our professor told us that the semester before, he had actually brought his personal PS3 to class to show his students a "first-hand" view of Florence and the Duomo, since the game creators did such a good job, but the head of the history department shot it down from future use because "they needed to put the DVD's they purchased to use."

So, rather than seeing the video game in class, my class got to watch a slightly interesting DVD on climbing the stairs inside the cathedral.

I highly recommend climbing to the top though. The stairs are only slightly less scary than scaling the facade. Also it's just great to look out over all the red rooftops.

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[dublinirish]

I took a "Renaissance Europe" class in college in 2012. I was actually playing ACII for the first time as I was taking the class, so it was really cool to go home and climb the Duomo the night after having learned about it in class.

Our professor told us that the semester before, he had actually brought his personal PS3 to class to show his students a "first-hand" view of Florence and the Duomo, since the game creators did such a good job, but the head of the history department shot it down from future use because "they needed to put the DVD's they purchased to use."

So, rather than seeing the video game in class, my class got to watch a slightly interesting DVD on climbing the stairs inside the cathedral.

I would definitely use AC2 as an educational tool, its really cool for showing folks what the city would have looked like in that era.

I would like to go back to Tuscany soooooon, there's a town there called Lucca and it's one of my favourite places in the world. The whole area is amazing though

 

[zelezo vlk]

The Chianti Classico is on point.

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[GowerND11]

Has anyone tried Firewatch? I picked it up on Saturday and am really enjoying it. Interesting first person adventure game.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Has anyone tried Firewatch? I picked it up on Saturday and am really enjoying it. Interesting first person adventure game.

Pretty sure this is the Italy appreciation thread now. You may have to go elsewhere for help.

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[gkIrish]

Has anyone tried Firewatch? I picked it up on Saturday and am really enjoying it. Interesting first person adventure game.

I just read a review and I think this is a game I would really like. There is an option to buy the dynamic theme bundle for an extra 2 bucks. Do you know what the difference is with the normal version? I can't figure it out.

 

[IrishLion]

Pretty sure this is the Italy appreciation thread now. You may have to go elsewhere for help.

Only until I've finished ACII, at which time this will transition to the more-specific Rome appreciation thread, while I'm climbing the Colosseum and exploring subterranean caverns beneath the city in AC Brotherhood.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

For all those who suggested Witcher 3, thanks. I've probably invested somewhere around 15-20 hrs and I'm at level 6.

I'm a loot-er extraordinaire and I've managed to collect a long list of crafting blueprints that I can't use for a long time. I'm taking a break from the main mission so I can complete a number of the low level secondary quests and treasure hunts.

Not understanding the character-development model, I started out just running through the main story and went against the Gryphon before reaching a level 3 or creating grapeshot. That was a huge mistake, it took me close to 30 deaths before I finally did a google search and found it's best to pair your skill level to the quest level or at least be within a level or two.

I'm also playing it on the hardest level because I ain't no b*tch. So now I'm going to knock out as many secondary/tertiary quests as I can to build moar powerz.

This is exactly the type of game I was looking for. Really reminds me of Skyrim but the fighting is far more enjoyable from what I remember in Skyrim. I wish we could do more crafting early on, as I'm itching to create new armor/weapons but I'll be patient.

If anyone has words of wisdom, I'm all ears.

 

[GowerND11]

I just read a review and I think this is a game I would really like. There is an option to buy the dynamic theme bundle for an extra 2 bucks. Do you know what the difference is with the normal version>?

It's not a game I normally go for, but I really loved the concept about being in the middle of nowhere Wyoming piecing together this mystery. Ever since I saw it at E3, I was excited.

I looked into it, from my understanding the Dynamic Theme Bundle is literally a theme for your PS4 homescreen. So you're paying $2 for a wallpaper.

 

[GowerND11]

Firewatch is beautiful - Album on Imgur

 

[gkIrish]

For all those who suggested Witcher 3, thanks. I've probably invested somewhere around 15-20 hrs and I'm at level 6.

I've probably invested 75-80 hours and I'm at level 27. I am a bit^h so I play on normal difficulty. The main reason I did that was because you can meditate and regain your vitality between fights.

I'm a loot-er extraordinaire and I've managed to collect a long list of crafting blueprints that I can't use for a long time. I'm taking a break from the main mission so I can complete a number of the low level secondary quests and treasure hunts.

I just do quests in order of difficulty, regardless of whether it's a main quest, secondary quest, witcher contract, or whatever. The main mission can fly by if you don't do secondary quests in between. And honestly some of the secondary quests are better than the main story.

Not understanding the character-development model, I started out just running through the main story and went against the Gryphon before reaching a level 3 or creating grapeshot. That was a huge mistake, it took me close to 30 deaths before I finally did a google search and found it's best to pair your skill level to the quest level or at least be within a level or two.

See above.

This is exactly the type of game I was looking for. Really reminds me of Skyrim but the fighting is far more enjoyable from what I remember in Skyrim. I wish we could do more crafting early on, as I'm itching to create new armor/weapons but I'll be patient.

If anyone has words of wisdom, I'm all ears.

You can't craft great armor until you reach probably level 18-20. There are two secondary quests related to helping armorers that have a recommended level around 24. Once you complete those, you can create some badass armor and swords. In the meantime, just keep an eye on your inventory and upgrade to the best weapon and armor you can.

I agree that it's very similar to Skyrim but with better combat. I do prefer Skyrim's archery combat style more though. I rarely use the crossbow in the Witcher.

Here are some general tips that I think will enhance your experience:

1) Instead of fast traveling, try to ride Roach to your next location and knock off all the "question marks" along the way. These get repetitive after a while but it's a good way to boost your experience and also gets you some good loot.

2) Remove subtitles if you haven't already. When I had subtitles I was tempted to skip to the next scene after I read the subtitles. The acting is tremendous across the board and I had a much better experience after I started listening to all the words.

3) Play Gwent. I personally think it's a fun game and there are many side quests and a high-level secondary quest that will require you to have a good deck. The only way to do that is to either buy cards from merchants or beat merchants who will then give you a card.

4) When you are high up on a mountain take some time to look around. The environment is beautiful and I found myself taking screenshots throughout the game.

 

[gkIrish]

It's not a game I normally go for, but I really loved the concept about being in the middle of nowhere Wyoming piecing together this mystery. Ever since I saw it at E3, I was excited.

I looked into it, from my understanding the Dynamic Theme Bundle is literally a theme for your PS4 homescreen. So you're paying $2 for a wallpaper.

Got it, thanks. No need to pay the extra 2 bucks then.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Only until I've finished ACII, at which time this will transition to the more-specific Rome appreciation thread, while I'm climbing the Colosseum and exploring subterranean caverns beneath the city in AC Brotherhood.

I was so happy that they fixed the combat for brotherhood. I unfortunately didn't spend much time in Rome, so I don't have much to say about the sights from personal experience.

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[ulukinatme]

Been playing Dragon Age: Origins the last few days, against the wishes of one Anita Sarkeesian. I have to say I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't try this game out sooner, it's been fantastic. It very much reminds me of the old Knights of the Old Republic games that Bioware did, just with a Medieval Fantasy setting. It's obvious that the engine and layout is very similar, as is the questing and combat style. I picked the game up in a Steam sale for $5, and it was completely worth it after just a few days of playing. I may look into getting the other games now that I know what this franchise is.

In other news, I've just about given up on Elite Dangerous. I spent several nights trying to work through the bugs and horrible quest mechanics, but I found myself increasingly frustrated. There's nothing like spending 30 minutes jumping around solar systems, looking for a target, only to have them not show or find that they far outgun you in every way. For instance, I took a "Mostly Harmless" mission from a station, which is about as easy of a combat mission as you can get. My opponent was an Imperial Cruiser with large hardpoints/guns, while I was mostly outfitted with small hardpoints/guns and one medium. Needless to say, the enemy ship was more like a capital ship and was far too overpowered for the mission level. I was reduced to a puree in space almost instantly. After reading the reviews some more, I can see why the Steam community's reaction to the game has been "Mixed." The devs don't seem to listen to the community's suggestions, and they fail to deliver on things that they've promised the players. One feature that was promised to be part of the original game ended up getting rolled into a Seasonal feature that you have to buy into monthly. I may still keep plugging away at this and see if there's more redeeming qualities, but I'm about ready to uninstall it.

On the other hand, I just saw a game from 2012 that looks incredibly similar, but it has far better reviews and looks much more polished. Has anyone played Evochron Mercenary? It was just suggested to me by Steam, probably because I bought ED. Not only does it appear more polished than ED, but it looks like it has more features included that you have to pay extra for in ED, like the ability to land on planets and gather resources there or maybe do some trading. I've never actually heard of Evochron Mercenary, and I'm a bit surprised because it looks like it's the same kind of hardcore space sim I enjoy. To top it off, the game has gotten a "Very Positive" review from the community as a whole, and the few negative reviews I read were from people that didn't prefer hardcore space/flight sims that require joysticks and lots of button mapping for flight. It looks like the graphics aren't ridiculous or anything. Visuals look very decent for a 3-4 year old game and players say that the game isn't incredibly taxing on your system, which is always good to see. Here's a kicker...the game was made by just one guy! Makes me a little sick to my stomach considering I've been waiting ages for Star Citizen and with a giant multi-million dollar budget it still isn't released. Here are some screenshots, just curious if anyone has played this and what their thoughts are:

Some kind of mech thing I guess you can use planet side

Asteroid Mining

 

[wizards8507]

Been playing Dragon Age: Origins the last few days, against the wishes of one Anita Sarkeesian.

I had never heard of her, so I googled her. She might be my new least favorite person.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

I've probably invested 75-80 hours and I'm at level 27. I am a bit^h so I play on normal difficulty. The main reason I did that was because you can meditate and regain your vitality between fights.



I just do quests in order of difficulty, regardless of whether it's a main quest, secondary quest, witcher contract, or whatever. The main mission can fly by if you don't do secondary quests in between. And honestly some of the secondary quests are better than the main story.



See above.



You can't craft great armor until you reach probably level 18-20. There are two secondary quests related to helping armorers that have a recommended level around 24. Once you complete those, you can create some badass armor and swords. In the meantime, just keep an eye on your inventory and upgrade to the best weapon and armor you can.

I agree that it's very similar to Skyrim but with better combat. I do prefer Skyrim's archery combat style more though. I rarely use the crossbow in the Witcher.

Here are some general tips that I think will enhance your experience:

1) Instead of fast traveling, try to ride Roach to your next location and knock off all the "question marks" along the way. These get repetitive after a while but it's a good way to boost your experience and also gets you some good loot.

2) Remove subtitles if you haven't already. When I had subtitles I was tempted to skip to the next scene after I read the subtitles. The acting is tremendous across the board and I had a much better experience after I started listening to all the words.

3) Play Gwent. I personally think it's a fun game and there are many side quests and a high-level secondary quest that will require you to have a good deck. The only way to do that is to either buy cards from merchants or beat merchants who will then give you a card.

4) When you are high up on a mountain take some time to look around. The environment is beautiful and I found myself taking screenshots throughout the game.

Thaks GK, I've enjoyed playing Gwent thus far. I try to play a game (or two) with every merchant or blacksmith with whom I interact.

Further, since I'm still in the early stages I do manually move between point A & B but I usually run instead of using my trusty stead. I'm still poor enough that all of the random flora I pick along my destination helps me regenerate depleted funds. I've made a slight transition to shooting wildlife and looting the pelts/meat.

Since I can't meditate and regenerate my vitality, I go through a great deal of food items.

Removing the subtitles is a great idea. I began listening to the dialogue and then became impatient and started x'ing my way through. I'll turn subtitles off and enjoy the story that's been painstakingly crafted for us.

I also read someone suggested turning off map markers that haven't been discovered (removes the question marks) for a more organic discovery experience. I'm tempted to do that for a spell until I've made it through a hundred plus hours of play and then turn it back on to complete any final raids/missions.

I treat these games differently than most. I usually blaze through but this game is more about totality of completion. I want to find, use, destroy and complete as much of the game as I can.

I don't think I've opened up the whole map yet and I'm already overwhelmed by the sheer size.

 

[gkIrish]

Thaks GK, I've enjoyed playing Gwent thus far. I try to play a game (or two) with every merchant or blacksmith with whom I interact.

Further, since I'm still in the early stages I do manually move between point A & B but I usually run instead of using my trusty stead. I'm still poor enough that all of the random flora I pick along my destination helps me regenerate depleted funds. I've made a slight transition to shooting wildlife and looting the pelts/meat.

Since I can't meditate and regenerate my vitality, I go through a great deal of food items.

Removing the subtitles is a great idea. I began listening to the dialogue and then became impatient and started x'ing my way through. I'll turn subtitles off and enjoy the story that's been painstakingly crafted for us.

I also read someone suggested turning off map markers that haven't been discovered (removes the question marks) for a more organic discovery experience. I'm tempted to do that for a spell until I've made it through a hundred plus hours of play and then turn it back on to complete any final raids/missions.

I treat these games differently than most. I usually blaze through but this game is more about totality of completion. I want to find, use, destroy and complete as much of the game as I can.

I don't think I've opened up the whole map yet and I'm already overwhelmed by the sheer size.

I didn't know you can remove the question marks. I wish I did that earlier on. You probably have not been to Novigrad or Skellige yet. Some of the best quests come from those places.