Gaming General Chat Thread

[Darkobra]

Just defeated Artorias! I decided to try and tank his attacks with Havel's set, as I can deal a lot of damage and the poise will allow me to heal. It took a couple of tries, but it worked.

That name brings back memories. I used a Dex/Katana build. I learned how to dodge him but one hit could RUIN me. I think I even had to find a shield too for those just in case moments.

[Master Gunner]

I believe I went the same route, Phi. Grabbed the biggest greatshield I had as well, and just tanked my way through it.

Trying to play Dex just never works out for me.

[Kapol]

GOG have introduced a system that lets you import Steam games to your GOG library. In a nutshell, you point it to your Steam account, it reads which games you own, and any games it finds that GOG have permission to do so with are added to your GOG library.

It doesn't work for all games yet(They've only got deals working with some game devs/publishers), but I love that GOG are doing this.

That's actually really cool of them. One of my biggest fears is getting locked out of my Steam account for some reason. So having a 'backup' account is a very comforting option. Even if it doesn't include everything.

[SAJewers]

Apparently an HD Remake of Wonderboy III is being announced.

https://twitter.com/frankcifaldi/status/737759110112808960
http://www.thedragonstrap.com/
http://www.smspower.org/forums/16099-OfficialModernRemakeOfWonderBoyTheDragonsTrap

Trailer was just released:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibKf66tVoFw

[Robo4900]

That's actually really cool of them. One of my biggest fears is getting locked out of my Steam account for some reason. So having a 'backup' account is a very comforting option. Even if it doesn't include everything.

Yeah, it is really cool. And although it isn't everything right now, I imagine that in time, there will be very little that isn't transferable.

[Kapol]

I just finished Titan Souls. And I have thoughts on it. As a small note, I got this from Humble Monthly. So it wasn't something I sought out nor paid much for.

Click to Expand

To begin, I really like the graphics of the game. Titan Souls is a very pretty game. The visual design is done fairly well, from the bosses to the world itself. The world feels like it's alive. It feels like more than a way to get some place to place. There are some missteps, such as a 'lost woods' situation, which is a mechanic I really dislike. But overall it was very well done.

The music is solid. I wouldn't say it's anything too special. But it does it's job well enough. It's story is actually the exact opposite. I feel like there's the basis of a really interesting story here. The world itself was vibrant and filled with interesting details. All of which implied there's more going on here. But we really don't learn anything about anyone. One short section has text that gives you some of the details. But overall, I felt like there was something going on that was interesting. It just never felt like letting me know what or why.

The gameplay itself is... well, a bit split. I enjoyed exploring the overworld and just fighting bosses myself. But the slow movement speed really hurt. Rolling is more or less required to actually win. And you'll likely want to hold down run to get around at a snail's pace. The bosses are hit and miss. There are some that felt stupid hard or had really strange solutions. And then there were some that felt interesting and helped develop the world. Either way though, I died a lot.

Which brings me to my big problem. The reason why the game has 'mixed' reactions on Steam recently. It takes way too long to get back into a boss fight. You get spawned at the center of any given area, and you have to walk all the way back to the boss. This wouldn't be a big deal if it happened every so often. But when you die 20 times, the 15 seconds it takes to get back feels really frustrating. Especially since you'll die in a shorter amount of time.

And that's not an exaggeration. I timed it during one of the boss fights. It took an average of 15 seconds for loading and walking. It took 10 seconds to actually fight.

Again, if that was an issue that cropped once and a while, it wouldn't be a big deal. But you have to remember that the core gameplay is facing these bosses. The ones that kill you in a single hit. One misstep or unlucky roll and you're back to the center of the current hub.

I'll also mention that it's short. I think there are about 18 titans to fight. The game took me about 3 hours. At least half of which was just traveling around the overworld. There is a hard mode available if you want to replay it though. It apparently changes the boss fights to be significantly harder. There's also an iron man modifier and a 'no rolling or running' modifier. So if completely mastering a game is up your alley, you'll find a good deal of replayability there.

Personally, I can't say I recommend it though. Especially not at it's normal $15 price tag. I'd say it's worth looking into at the $5-10 range. There's a solid core here. The game just doesn't feel like it reaches it's full potential. I was left frustrated by the end more than anything.

[Trippzen]

I have so many thoughts on Overwatch, I guess I'll start with healing since that's the newest thing I started doing.

I've never liked healing before but Overwatch somehow managed to make healing fun. When I first started playing I was mostly just playing Reaper and Bastion. I quickly branched out to McCree, Pharah, Soldier 76, Mei, Torbjorn, Widowmaker, and Roadhog. Today I started playing Lucio and Mercy as well after a few games with no healers. I often prefer Lucio because he can be offensive while healing, and a fantastic troll on maps with cliffs, but playing as Mercy is a lot of fun, especially with a competent tank.

Several times today I played with a Reinhardt who just went to town on the other team killing 3-4 at a time while I kept him alive. Mercy's ultimate is also perfect for reversing some pretty extreme momentum shifts. Entire team died to an ult from Pharah or Junkrat? Nah, get back up.

I quickly noticed that Overwatch also gives more credit to healers where most games I've played give almost none. Sure I only got PotG when I revived 3-4 people in crucial moments but I was frequently on the cards and getting a lot more votes (often 5+) than I did in any other roles because people actually seem to notice when you're keeping the group alive while they wreck the other team.

(I'm still at my best on Reaper though)

I also want to gush about the variety of competent classes and playstyles and maybe vent about how I don't like Junkrat and the Temple of Anubis map but this post would just go on for days...

[Merrymaker_Mortalis]

Healing in all games is fun when you heal someone who is making a difference.
Otherwise it feels like you're urinating.

[Master Gunner]

I think one of the best things Overwatch did was get rid of the traditional scoreboard in favour of the cards at the end of the game - keeps people focused on the match and objective rather than personal performance (at least...slightly), and lets them promote the support classes more.

[Aeralis]

That... kinda makes me want to check out Overwatch.

So far I've been in two mindsets about the game: "It's overhyped because it's a Blizzard game" and "It's just Team Fortress 2, why don't I just play that instead?"

BUT, my favorite class in TF2 is Medic, and it often does feel a bit underwhelming to play Medic. If you all are saying that Overwatch makes playing support more satisfying, then maybe...

[Master Gunner]

It is a bit overhyped, because Blizzard, but it's still a mechanically solid game.

It's specifically more like Vanilla TF2 (or given the number of characters, TF2 after the first round of alternate weapons for each class). The matchmaking and six-player teams also help offer a more streamlined experience.

So...it's TF2, but with some streamlining and Blizzard's artistic flair. I actually prefer original TF2's more minimilist classes and art design, but it provokes the same feelings and lacks TF2's hat madness.

[Bebop Man]

Today I began playing Ni no Kuni (I've had the game gathering dust on the shelf for 2 or 3 years now). Level-5 and Studio Ghibli are my kind of dream team, and the game is very much their product. Love it.

[SAJewers]

That... kinda makes me want to check out Overwatch.

So far I've been in two mindsets about the game: "It's overhyped because it's a Blizzard game" and "It's just Team Fortress 2, why don't I just play that instead?"

BUT, my favorite class in TF2 is Medic, and it often does feel a bit underwhelming to play Medic. If you all are saying that Overwatch makes playing support more satisfying, then maybe...

So far, I've found playing as support you're a lot more appreciated, as compared to TF2.

[Master Gunner]

It also helps that you have more options for support, and even offensive heroes have abilities best used in a supporting role - so even if you're not playing the medic analogue, there's no excuse for not being aware of and acting in concert with the rest of the team. It also means that a team can be successful without having the Medic analogue (Mercy), so you don't feel forced into that role if you're not feeling it.

[Darkobra]

I started playing a Reinhardt. Such a glass cannon once his shield is destroyed. He can kill so fast if you get close enough. But he can die so fast too. What I've been doing is getting as close to people as I can with my shield, letting them come closer and closer and letting them think they can get behind me. Once they're close enough, I shift attack and kill them.

[Merrymaker_Mortalis]

Galeleo's typing exploration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElwivsXrg04

[Robo4900]

That's actually super-interesting; I can really get behind that.

[Master Gunner]

I started playing a Reinhardt. Such a glass cannon once his shield is destroyed. He can kill so fast if you get close enough. But he can die so fast too. What I've been doing is getting as close to people as I can with my shield, letting them come closer and closer and letting them think they can get behind me. Once they're close enough, I shift attack and kill them.

Interestingly he's tied for the second-highest health of the heroes (behind Roadhog at 600) - but having to close to melee does tend to reduce one's survivablity. He's a hero perhaps best played defensively rather than offensively - with well placed strikes to break an opponents charge or counter a tank.

Personally I've found myself liking Mei a lot lately, despite writing her off initially for my playstyle. She does a surprising amount of damage, is an effective counter to several characters, and can operate in a support or defensive role as well as offensively (and blocking people off with the ice wall is just tons of fun).

[Merrymaker_Mortalis]

That's actually super-interesting; I can really get behind that.

The rest of his videos are interesting. I haven't watched all of them because I watch the topics of interest

[Trippzen]

I started playing a Reinhardt. Such a glass cannon once his shield is destroyed. He can kill so fast if you get close enough. But he can die so fast too. What I've been doing is getting as close to people as I can with my shield, letting them come closer and closer and letting them think they can get behind me. Once they're close enough, I shift attack and kill them.

Interestingly he's tied for the second-highest health of the heroes (behind Roadhog at 600) - but having to close to melee does tend to reduce one's survivablity. He's a hero perhaps best played defensively rather than offensively - with well placed strikes to break an opponents charge or counter a tank.

Personally I've found myself liking Mei a lot lately, despite writing her off initially for my playstyle. She does a surprising amount of damage, is an effective counter to several characters, and can operate in a support or defensive role as well as offensively (and blocking people off with the ice wall is just tons of fun).

Mei is also an effective and important counter for Junkrat and a lot of other character's ultimate abilities. His ultimate can cause massive momentum swings but Mei can stop him in his tracks (as can a good Hanzo). Her ultimate is also fantastic for clearing objectives offensively or defensively.

I actually started playing as Junkrat to learn how to work against him when I'm playing other heroes. His normal attack does a ridiculous amount of damage if you can aim it properly.

With this week's brawl being random heroes I've also been learning how to play Zarya, DVa, and Winston . I didn't think I'd like Winston or Zarya but Zarya's shields are really nice and her grenade launcher is incredibly effectively versus squishy offensive heroes. Winston's leap is also surprisingly good for flanking heroes and he pairs really well with Mei to wreak havoc on a group of enemies.

I think the only hero I'm not a fan of is Symmetra because she's really not a healer. She can only shield her allies. Besides that she's kind of a weaker Torbjorn with a useful ultimate.

[Master Gunner]

Two things to note about Zarya's shields - they can block/reset status effects like Mei's primary fire; and standing in the way of Hanzo's ult will instantly max out her charge.

[Merrymaker_Mortalis]

Isy Sutti did a documentry on Chip Tunes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07dlx8y

A respectful documentary about our geeky world.

[Phi]

Killed Seath, Stray Demon, Nito and Manus

edit: and Kalameet!

[Trippzen]

I finally got a chance to play Overwatch with some friends (from WoW). I don't think I've actually played with anyone from LRR yet. I didn't realize how nice it was having real strategy going into a game rather than trying to pick things up on the fly with strangers without communicating. It was really nice getting to play Reinhardt and rip people's faces off with a healer behind me or use Pharah's ult to kill 3-4 people on an objective and know that my team will actually use the opportunity to take the objective. Out of I think 10 matches we won about 8 with 2-3 friends and I; it probably helped that we've raided in WoW for years so we already know how to work together. I also had not realized there was an XP bonus for playing in a group.

Lastly, I got a chance to use the microphone I bought for Overwatch and it seems to work fine and the in-game voice chat works surprisingly well (that was not the case when it was added in WoW). I think I strongly prefer having a desktop mic rather than a headphone microphone. The headphone mic just seems to cause problems and really limits the headphones I can use.

p.s. On a related note I wish my friends list notes worked in-game so I could tell who I'm playing with when I don't remember everyone's Battle.net names.

[Merrymaker_Mortalis]

One of the greatest joys for me in video gaming is playing with people who you love. The greatest is supporting these same people.