The General Gaming Thread!

[Worira]

I would not particularly want to try to use a halberd in the cramped city streets of Sigil, and it wouldn't be my first choice for individual defense either.

[warty goblin]

I would not particularly want to try to use a halberd in the cramped city streets of Sigil, and it wouldn't be my first choice for individual defense either.

Let me put it this way, in the vast majority of cases I'd rather be using a halberd or other polearm against a sword fighter than vice versa. If the sworsdman has a shield, this alters the equation, but there's a reason shields and halberds don't really have much historical overlap, and that reason is: armor.

[Maxios]

I got DA2 and Alpha Protocol (both on the PS3) today. They're both very good. Alpha Protocolm gameplay wise, reminds me of the video-game adapation of From Russia with Love but with RPG elements.

[Triscuitable]

I got DA2 and Alpha Protocol (both on the PS3) today. They're both very good. Alpha Protocolm gameplay wise, reminds me of the video-game adapation of From Russia with Love but with RPG elements.

DA2? *Google* Oh, the "meh"-iest of all Bioware RPGs. Comparing it to DA:O is like comparing Battlefield 3 to Battlefield: 1942.

[Maxios]

DA2? *Google* Oh, the "meh"-iest of all Bioware RPGs. Comparing it to DA:O is like comparing Battlefield 3 to Battlefield: 1942.

So far, I like it the most out of all the Bioware RPGs I've ever played (except for KoTor or Baldur's Gate).

[warty goblin]

Been playing some Dead Island the last few days, I'm rather liking it. It's really the only game since Dark Messiah that has made first person armed melee genuinely fun. I wish it had some form of blocking, but it gets the carefully aimed attacks to various enemy limbs down nicely.

That said the entire Diablo-esque RPG bit is mostly just annoying and various sorts of pointless. I like RPG systems to have actual depth and gameplay relevance, but getting +5% chance of bleeding with edged weapons is pretty much impossible for me to get excited about. I don't really feel more powerful, and I don't think I'm making any particularly interesting choices. Sure my healthbar gets longer, but the enemies all do more damage, so at best it's a wash for me.

Really, I wish game would stop including these irrelevant and unnecessary leveling up bits. I like me some RPGs, but not every game needs an XP bar.

[Triscuitable]

Apparently, Niko, Roman, Brucie, and Billy West all cameo in The Ballad of Gay Tony. Which is pretty cool. It also shows that TBoGT takes place after GTA4, and during TLaD.

[factotum]

Been playing some Dead Island the last few days, I'm rather liking it. It's really the only game since Dark Messiah that has made first person armed melee genuinely fun.

Just finished the game yesterday, as it happens...liked it a lot myself, apart from the final boss fight, which appeared to have wandered in from a game where they DON'T expect you to get up close and personal with sharp metal things! And I think the RPG-ish stats do make a difference--I was playing with Xian Mei, who specialises in sharp weapons, and I found it became largely pointless using anything else by mid-game (apart from firearms, which are always the best weapons to use against living humans--one headshot and they're dead).

I would rate Dead Island a lot higher than, say, Dead Rising 2, not only because the ratio between enemy numbers and weapon durability is a lot more sensible, but also because there are no time limits...I never did like games that insisted on hurrying me along to the next section.

[Worira]

Dead Island
weapon durability
sensible

Well, those weren't phrases I expected to be seeing used like that.

[factotum]

Well, those weren't phrases I expected to be seeing used like that.

Have you ever played Dead Rising 2? I mean, the weapons in that game are apparently all made of Plasticine...even if you pick up a sword, a weapon which is *designed to kill things*, it'll break after a dozen swings! Plus Dead Island has the advantage that you can SEE how durable a weapon is when you pick it up, and thus immediately decide what's usable and what's vendor trash.

[Morty]

Funnily enough, polearms are rarely prominent in RPGs. The only RPG game I can think of where polearms were a strong weapon choice is Wizardry 8, and I'm not sure if anyone remembers that. I guess it's because where sword is associated with heroes and elite fighters, polearms tend to be associated with rank-and-file soldiery. Shame, really.
As for Alpha Protocol, it was a huge disappointment for me. It was hailed as an espionage game, but the stealth sucked and the lack of saving at will made it all the worse.

[Starsign]

Funnily enough, polearms are rarely prominent in RPGs. The only RPG game I can think of where polearms were a strong weapon choice is Wizardry 8, and I'm not sure if anyone remembers that. I guess it's because where sword is associated with heroes and elite fighters, polearms tend to be associated with rank-and-file soldiery. Shame, really.
As for Alpha Protocol, it was a huge disappointment for me. It was hailed as an espionage game, but the stealth sucked and the lack of saving at will made it all the worse.

I have played Wizardry 8, and yes Polearms are powerful, (so are Valkyries ) now if only I got farther...

For Baldur's Gate II there is typically only one sword I end up using through the game is the Carsomyr, and that is a Paladin-only weapon. (naturally I had Keldorn) The real MVP weapons for me are the Crom Faeyr (a Warhammer) and my character's fists claws as a Greater Werewolf. (Shapeshifter ftw )

...I did miss out on the Flail of Ages when I played.

As for Alpha Protocol, I honestly enjoyed it. The stealth was just fine for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the story and characters. I was hoping that gun customization was more varied though (and that submachine guns were better) and that the levels were less linear.

[warty goblin]

Just finished the game yesterday, as it happens...liked it a lot myself, apart from the final boss fight, which appeared to have wandered in from a game where they DON'T expect you to get up close and personal with sharp metal things! And I think the RPG-ish stats do make a difference--I was playing with Xian Mei, who specialises in sharp weapons, and I found it became largely pointless using anything else by mid-game (apart from firearms, which are always the best weapons to use against living humans--one headshot and they're dead).

I'm playing Xian Mei as well, and I'm absolutely in the all sharps all the time club. I don't feel like the upgrade tree is really enhancing my machette swinging experience however; I'm using them because I know they're better, but the head-severing at level 16 feels pretty much the same as the head-severing experience at level 2. The game tells me I've progressed, I feel static. Same thing with the healthbar, the game says I'm tougher because the line at the top of the screen is longer, but I don't feel tougher, or that the enemies are tougher, or anything. I die in about the same number of hits, they take maybe slightly fewer hits to kill, which could be due to me knowing how best to hew them apart now.

Also the loot is a bit dull. I can exchange my kitchen knife for...a kitchen knife that does 3 more max damage! I do like that different weapons have different (and nicely brutal) attack animations, which have appropriate effects on zombies - cleavers taking off limbs more often, machettes having longer reaches, etc. That's fun and adds some nice tactics, which combined with the weapon degredation adds some cool resource conservation as well.

I would rate Dead Island a lot higher than, say, Dead Rising 2, not only because the ratio between enemy numbers and weapon durability is a lot more sensible, but also because there are no time limits...I never did like games that insisted on hurrying me along to the next section.

I really haven't played enough of Dead Rising 2 to make a qualified judgment, although I do have to say it has a really good opening cutscene. The alienation was palpable, and I'm all about palpitating aliens.

Funnily enough, polearms are rarely prominent in RPGs. The only RPG game I can think of where polearms were a strong weapon choice is Wizardry 8, and I'm not sure if anyone remembers that. I guess it's because where sword is associated with heroes and elite fighters, polearms tend to be associated with rank-and-file soldiery. Shame, really.

Yeah, zero sex appeal. Also they're probably hard to do well anyways. If your game is realtime action, then any reasonable representation of a spear is just unfun to fight against or with, and if you go turnbased, modeling the extra reach well becomes a drag.

As for Alpha Protocol, it was a huge disappointment for me. It was hailed as an espionage game, but the stealth sucked and the lack of saving at will made it all the worse.

I rather liked Alpha Protocol, but I expected the stealth to suck (stealth always sucks in games that aren't 100% about sneaking, and even then stealth sucks 75% of the time). As manifestations of the Mass Effect formula go, I'd rate it pretty much at the top of the list - above Mass Effect certainly.

[factotum]

Also the loot is a bit dull. I can exchange my kitchen knife for...a kitchen knife that does 3 more max damage!

There's actually quite a variety of sharp metal objects that I can think of just off the top of my head: knives (kitchen, home-made, diving, military, double), machetes (home-made, standard, bolo), swords (katana, wakizashi), axes (splitting, fire), plus you can find a thing called a Reaper which is pretty much a miniature bat'leth...I'm probably missing a few as well. Then there's a variety of ways you can modify those weapons to add poison, fire or electrical damage. I think the variety of different weapons is actually pretty good!

[warty goblin]

There's actually quite a variety of sharp metal objects that I can think of just off the top of my head: knives (kitchen, home-made, diving, military, double), machetes (home-made, standard, bolo), swords (katana, wakizashi), axes (splitting, fire), plus you can find a thing called a Reaper which is pretty much a miniature bat'leth...I'm probably missing a few as well. Then there's a variety of ways you can modify those weapons to add poison, fire or electrical damage. I think the variety of different weapons is actually pretty good!

There's a nice variety of types to be sure, and as I said above, I really like that the different types have different effects on your enemies. Once I figured out that cleavers and machetes removed limbs, fighting thugs got so much easier. The actual Diablo-esque randomization however is fairly bleh, albeit in mostly setting appropriate ways. It wouldn't do the atmosphere any favors if I found a Blistering Vampiric Straight Razor after all, but I sort of wonder why they bothered with the randomized attributes. Basically all I do is look at the base damage and level.

[Mx.Silver]

Funnily enough, polearms are rarely prominent in RPGs. The only RPG game I can think of where polearms were a strong weapon choice is Wizardry 8, and I'm not sure if anyone remembers that. I guess it's because where sword is associated with heroes and elite fighters, polearms tend to be associated with rank-and-file soldiery. Shame, really.

Amen to that. Polearms are probably my favourite family of weapons so I've always found their lack of exposure quite disheartening. It also really doesn't help that a number of works seem to think that a glaive is some kind of giant throwing star

Yeah, zero sex appeal.

Halberds maybe, and it's hard to argue a guisarme is particularly nice to look at. Glaives have their moments though, and the partisan can be a very nice looking weapon. Then there's the bardiche, which is basically what happens if you take a great-axe and give it style.

[warty goblin]

Amen to that. Polearms are probably my favourite family of weapons so I've always found their lack of exposure quite disheartening. It also really doesn't help that a number of works seem to think that a glaive is some kind of giant throwing star

And having done a bit of sparring at various points, I can tell you they're quite astonishingly effective. Really until you reach a sword large enough to be used as a polearm, there's not a lot in the way of single weapons that can beat them. Sword and shield counter them well, because the shield allows one to easily close one or two lines and so be able to step closer and take a swing, but sword and empty air? Not hardly.

Halberds maybe, and it's hard to argue a guisarme is particularly nice to look at. Glaives have their moments though, and the partisan can be a very nice looking weapon. Then there's the bardiche, which is basically what happens if you take a great-axe and give it style.

If one's open to things of a more purely ax-like persuasion, I've always found the Dane Axe to have a certain terrifying grace. I'm not sure I'd really qualify them as polearms however, since I tend to think of polearms as modifications of a spear or at least incorporating significant spear-like features, not overgrown axes.

[Cespenar]

Polearms and polearm-fighting can be very aesthetic, even comparable to the swords, in my opinion. They definitely look better than maces or axes.

[Morty]

Any weapon can be pleasant to use and look at in a game, if done right. I could certainly stand to see some well-decipted polearms in place of the shovel-shaped travesties that usually pass as two-handed axes, for instance.
Now, polearms have something of a problem in that their big disadvantage is their size, making them awkward to carry around. But I've yet to see a game that adresses this issue. Not sure how it would be done, anyway.

[Mx.Silver]

Any weapon can be pleasant to use and look at in a game, if done right. I could certainly stand to see some well-decipted polearms in place of the shovel-shaped travesties that usually pass as two-handed axes, for instance.
Now, polearms have something of a problem in that their big disadvantage is their size, making them awkward to carry around. But I've yet to see a game that adresses this issue. Not sure how it would be done, anyway.

Equipment size is kind of mess in games anyway. When your character can fit six buckets and twelve helmets in his/her pockets without any noticeable difficulty, the fact that the whacking great spear strapped to their back isn't giving them problems fitting through doors barely even registers.

[Triscuitable]

Picked up AC: Revelations. Haven't tried it yet though.

[Volatar]

This is the general gaming thread right?

So, here is a picture of me playing Catan with my sister, dad, and my brother, who at the time of this photo, was 2000 miles away.

Modern technology is awesome.

[Morty]

Equipment size is kind of mess in games anyway. When your character can fit six buckets and twelve helmets in his/her pockets without any noticeable difficulty, the fact that the whacking great spear strapped to their back isn't giving them problems fitting through doors barely even registers.

It is, yeah. The two RPG games where I actually liked the inventory were Witcher 1 and Mass Effect 2. In the former, the protagonist only carries books, components, plot-related items, potions and other small things in his inventory, and weapons and armor are worn on the body, as it were - you only get to carry the armor and weapons you're wearing. Mass Effect 2 disposes of inventory altogether, which is also deliciously refreshing after the mess that ME1 inventory was. Of course, in Witcher 2 they decided to introduce a traditional inventory and a completely unnecessary crafting system, which is apparently obligatory.

[warty goblin]

It is, yeah. The two RPG games where I actually liked the inventory were Witcher 1 and Mass Effect 2. In the former, the protagonist only carries books, components, plot-related items, potions and other small things in his inventory, and weapons and armor are worn on the body, as it were - you only get to carry the armor and weapons you're wearing. Mass Effect 2 disposes of inventory altogether, which is also deliciously refreshing after the mess that ME1 inventory was. Of course, in Witcher 2 they decided to introduce a traditional inventory and a completely unnecessary crafting system, which is apparently obligatory.

That always bugged me about Witcher 2 as well, since the first one so hit the feeling of being a traveling adventurer sort with its inventory. On that note Mount and Blade has a marvelous inventory, although the bit where a dagger taxes your carrying capacity as much as a greatsword is a mite odd.

And I'm going to come right out and say it: crafting in games bores me. Alchemy is generally OK, but I don't get any particular enjoyment out of hoovering up every bit of stray lint so I can turn it into +3 Acid Bracers of the Savannah or somesuch later. Even more annoying is realizing I should really be going through my inventory and upgrading items I don't need before I sell them to make more money, it just adds another layer of tedium.

The one exception to this is crafting in Dark Messiah, because there's only one or two chances to do it throughout the game (which makes it special) and its an actual process that takes place in the gameworld, not a pop-up crafting window.

On a related note, I like looting and getting new items, but I find that doing so constantly makes each individual item count for less, and so be less fun. If I use one weapon for two hours or so and then find a cool new greataxe, that's special. Getting minutely better equipment all the time isn't.

[Starsign]

It is, yeah. The two RPG games where I actually liked the inventory were Witcher 1 and Mass Effect 2. In the former, the protagonist only carries books, components, plot-related items, potions and other small things in his inventory, and weapons and armor are worn on the body, as it were - you only get to carry the armor and weapons you're wearing. Mass Effect 2 disposes of inventory altogether, which is also deliciously refreshing after the mess that ME1 inventory was. Of course, in Witcher 2 they decided to introduce a traditional inventory and a completely unnecessary crafting system, which is apparently obligatory.

I've never played either Witcher games, but in ME2 there honestly WASN'T an inventory system in the first place. Sure items can be chosen on the ship but you have very minimal choices unless you have the DLC (and as amazing as they are, who would go ahead and buy them? ) At least Heavy Weapons are more varied... If Impractical at times (Grenade Launcher though is amazing in Insanity )

[Morty]

That always bugged me about Witcher 2 as well, since the first one so hit the feeling of being a traveling adventurer sort with its inventory. On that note Mount and Blade has a marvelous inventory, although the bit where a dagger taxes your carrying capacity as much as a greatsword is a mite odd.

That was a little weird, yeah. But apart from that, it was good as far as inventory systems go.

And I'm going to come right out and say it: crafting in games bores me. Alchemy is generally OK, but I don't get any particular enjoyment out of hoovering up every bit of stray lint so I can turn it into +3 Acid Bracers of the Savannah or somesuch later. Even more annoying is realizing I should really be going through my inventory and upgrading items I don't need before I sell them to make more money, it just adds another layer of tedium

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who feels that way. Gathering components, trying to figure out what to craft and whether or not it's going to be replaced by a better item soon after - it's all tedious, annoying and pointless.

I've never played either Witcher games, but in ME2 there honestly WASN'T an inventory system in the first place. Sure items can be chosen on the ship but you have very minimal choices unless you have the DLC (and as amazing as they are, who would go ahead and buy them? ) At least Heavy Weapons are more varied... If Impractical at times (Grenade Launcher though is amazing in Insanity )

Well yeah, there wasn't. That was my point. And that was what I liked. Sure, the weapons sould have been more varied, but apart from that it was good.

[Maxios]

A while back, I played a flash game where you had to mine gold. However, as you dug and moved, you would lose fuel and you would have to go back to the surface to refuel. You could use the gold to buy upgrades (larger fuel tank, increased durability, etc).
I've forgotten the name and link this game. Can somone link me to it?

[Worira]

Hmm... Motherload hits all the criteria mentioned.

[warty goblin]

That was a little weird, yeah. But apart from that, it was good as far as inventory systems go.

Indeed, the interaction between personal and party inventory was particularly delightful. Also, so far as I can tell, pretty much entirely unique, which is odd as it makes such complete sense. I suppose it wouldn't integrate very well into most dungeon based RPGs, since instead of being a tactical consideration in the middle of a dynamic battle over open terrain it would just be pointless slog back to the starting point. Inadvertently this raises a point I'll get to in a moment.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who feels that way. Gathering components, trying to figure out what to craft and whether or not it's going to be replaced by a better item soon after - it's all tedious, annoying and pointless.

Worse, I find it usually is done instead of finding really cool weapons and items out in the world. But then I tend to prefer smaller numbers of highly purposed and unique weapons to hordes of virtually identical ones. I really like that moment when you find the big powerful shotgun or sword right before a major encounter and going 'aw yeah.'

Ah yes, my other point. Dungeons; I'm sick of 'em. Isn't fantasy supposed to be about, well, the fantastic? Why does this seemingly almost always translate to walking down a poorly lit ten foot wide corridor, fighting the same mix of giant vermin and always evil yet strangely non-problematic humanoids? Then we get to open the chest, pick up the generic loot, head back to town, sell it all to buy some slightly better equipment and do it again.

Now I've got nothing against this, so far as it goes. Hell, I've had a lot of fun with it, but sometimes...sometimes I can't help but feel there's room for so much more. I want to ride dragons, sail the wine-dark seas, meet strange and interesting creatures and maybe not have to kill them, marry the prince/princess and generally have what 'adventure' used to mean. Somewhere along the line it seems to have degenerated into iterated perfection of improbable violence through constant pillaging.

[Triscuitable]

Well, Jailbreaking my iPod will be an interesting experience.