I like both really. I mean, why limit oneself? End of story. XD
Other forum members: *audiable gasp* "Did he just write a short message?!"
Other forum members: *audiable gasp* "Did he just write a short message?!"
This from the person that recently posted a generally positive review of W3?
Ummmmm ... you do know Geralt uses magic ... right? In the form of his signs and potions.
Personally I tend to stay away from using magic in games if I can help it, at least on "my character". For some reason I have always found mages, wizards, sorceress, and other such kinds of classes to be one of the most boring things to play in a game. I will use it if I have to... but if I do not, then I will not.
No give me a Sword, a Shield, and heavy plate armor any day... or a assault and/or sniper rifle, maybe a pistol of some kind as a backup, and some kind of heavy armor (powered maybe), if it happens to be a modern or sci-fi kind of a game... this is where I thrive, this is what I find to be fun to play.
This is why I would even stay away from playing either a Jedi or a Sith in Star Wars, if given an option to play something else... due to that they are essentially magic users.
With that said... I have no problem what so ever that magic would exist in a world. Seeing them in a movie or tv-series or something can be very cool, and often is... but playing one my self... naaa... not if I can help it. I do of course prefer it if it is part of a medieval (or similar and/or older) period of time. Not to fond of it being part of a "modern day" kind of a world... but am fine with it if it is part of a sci-fi type of game like Shadowrun. I am also fine with including magic users in my team in a game like Dragon Age, Pillars of Eternity, etc... because there I do not have to be the mage... "my character", "the me" in the game, can then be the kind of warrior I want, and he then being supported by other characters with the skills needed to beat the game... including magic.
No give me a Sword, a Shield, and heavy plate armor any day... or a assault and/or sniper rifle, maybe a pistol of some kind as a backup, and some kind of heavy armor (powered maybe), if it happens to be a modern or sci-fi kind of a game... this is where I thrive, this is what I find to be fun to play.
This is why I would even stay away from playing either a Jedi or a Sith in Star Wars, if given an option to play something else... due to that they are essentially magic users.
With that said... I have no problem what so ever that magic would exist in a world. Seeing them in a movie or tv-series or something can be very cool, and often is... but playing one my self... naaa... not if I can help it. I do of course prefer it if it is part of a medieval (or similar and/or older) period of time. Not to fond of it being part of a "modern day" kind of a world... but am fine with it if it is part of a sci-fi type of game like Shadowrun. I am also fine with including magic users in my team in a game like Dragon Age, Pillars of Eternity, etc... because there I do not have to be the mage... "my character", "the me" in the game, can then be the kind of warrior I want, and he then being supported by other characters with the skills needed to beat the game... including magic.
SHHHHHHH!
Also, Wisdom might not be using Signs.
Potions aren't magic, anyway. Combat drugs!
I tend to prefer "rogue" type characters. Which I suppose some might find at odds with my background in law enforcement, but when you get off street patrol and into detective work it's analysis not intimidation/force that matters. I like craft, guile, and "cheating" (i.e. ambush/traps/etc.) over brute force.
That said I'll use magic if it's available, but never rely on it.
I really, really vary. Ambushes rock, but just kicking the door in and doing the whole "Equilibrium" badass thing is a lot of fun.
I think I lean more torwards Sue's method, because never seen = never shot, but I also love me some ACPA-equipped HEavy Weapons rampage.
In general, Deus Ex Sneak/Murder is preferred. Oh, and Fast Talk/Persuade, but my actual PCs rarely keep empathy high enough to be good at that.
Shadowrun I'm more Physical Adept or Combat Mage..although one day I'd LOVE to play a Cyber Zombie.
I think I lean more torwards Sue's method, because never seen = never shot, but I also love me some ACPA-equipped HEavy Weapons rampage.
In general, Deus Ex Sneak/Murder is preferred. Oh, and Fast Talk/Persuade, but my actual PCs rarely keep empathy high enough to be good at that.
Shadowrun I'm more Physical Adept or Combat Mage..although one day I'd LOVE to play a Cyber Zombie.
There's no hard and fast rule for me. Cleverness must rule the day so I really have no archetype.
But in general I play a high damage,highly mobile character with little to no defense.When the strike comes, It has to be over and so it has to be over --- fast! Before the opponent has the time to open up on my avatar.
Oftentimes, it means having some sneak element. Because having no armor means I die a lot otherwise. Not a pure stealth, because I don't have the patience for it.
E.g. In Morrowind I played a guy with a big two handed sword, and 75% invisibility.
But in general I play a high damage,highly mobile character with little to no defense.When the strike comes, It has to be over and so it has to be over --- fast! Before the opponent has the time to open up on my avatar.
Oftentimes, it means having some sneak element. Because having no armor means I die a lot otherwise. Not a pure stealth, because I don't have the patience for it.
E.g. In Morrowind I played a guy with a big two handed sword, and 75% invisibility.
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The problem is the combat system and/or stealth mechanics in most games don't work well with a "sneak & strike" style of gameplay.
Either it's like D&D or Everquest where stealth = invisibility and even if you get a backstab on a fighter type they turn around and pound you into the dirt.
Or the NPC's have super-sight/hearing and eyes in the back of their heads and it's impossible to sneak up on anyone. NPCs really need "cone" type sighting arcs not 360 ones. Yeah, a bit of extra work for the devs but it pays off with better gameplay.
Either it's like D&D or Everquest where stealth = invisibility and even if you get a backstab on a fighter type they turn around and pound you into the dirt.
Or the NPC's have super-sight/hearing and eyes in the back of their heads and it's impossible to sneak up on anyone. NPCs really need "cone" type sighting arcs not 360 ones. Yeah, a bit of extra work for the devs but it pays off with better gameplay.
I so wish they included Gunslinger Adepts as a path for character building in SR Hong Kong... doesn't seem like it as it wasn't one of the stretch goals...
Heh... funny thing is that even though I tend to really like to "cloth" my characters in heavy armour... I still tend to like to sneak around everywhere, with my heavy armour on. XD
I like to sneack around, try to figure out how many opponents there are, where they are, if they have any walking pattern they do, and if so where do they go and do I get some kind of opening to do things due to it, or will I be able to take that guy out without the others noticing. And then based on that I will try to make a rough plan of what I want to do, where to go, who to take out (be it knocking unconscious or killing, depends on the game and if you can knock people unconscious or not), and where exacly to take them out.
Sometimes the plan just ends up being loads of miniplans for each individual opponent, where I take them out one by one at the opertune moments,. But other times it is all one big plan where I will wait for the right moment and then go on a long string of taking the opponents out one by one quietly, without much or any time wasted. Then other times my plans change at some point due to something unforseen, at which point I pull back and reassess the situation, or it turns into a ball to the walls allout brawl and/or gunfight untill the opponents are all dead (or possibly sleeping). Occationally I can tend to be a bit impulsive, and dive right in, but those occations are rare.
I rather spend 10-30+ minuts doing all this... then rush in head first shooting up the place and be done in 3 minuts. The end result is virtually the same, and takes less time if I did it that way... I just can't bring my self to do it the run-and-gun way if I am able to do it the way I like to do it. Essentially I should probably be playing more rogue and/or ranger types of characters... since they tend to be more suited for this kind of a thing... I just like using the kinds of weapons and armour no matter how I tend to play.
In general this is how I do things when I play games by my self though. When I play with others (videogames seldomly or never... with pen and paper rpgs, board games, table top games, that I play with others, is different... there I will have to speed everythig up a little... but I still do for example spend time asking the GM "How many are they? Where are they? Weapons? Things I can use to my advantage?" and a few other things like that... I just don't spend half an hour on it XD ).
In Shadowrun Returns, and the following expansions/updates, you could not really play it this way as easy. There if I saw a fight coming I just tried to make sure my guys where in a somewhat advantagious possition so as to them being in cover or close to cover befor the fights started.
I like to sneack around, try to figure out how many opponents there are, where they are, if they have any walking pattern they do, and if so where do they go and do I get some kind of opening to do things due to it, or will I be able to take that guy out without the others noticing. And then based on that I will try to make a rough plan of what I want to do, where to go, who to take out (be it knocking unconscious or killing, depends on the game and if you can knock people unconscious or not), and where exacly to take them out.
Sometimes the plan just ends up being loads of miniplans for each individual opponent, where I take them out one by one at the opertune moments,. But other times it is all one big plan where I will wait for the right moment and then go on a long string of taking the opponents out one by one quietly, without much or any time wasted. Then other times my plans change at some point due to something unforseen, at which point I pull back and reassess the situation, or it turns into a ball to the walls allout brawl and/or gunfight untill the opponents are all dead (or possibly sleeping). Occationally I can tend to be a bit impulsive, and dive right in, but those occations are rare.
I rather spend 10-30+ minuts doing all this... then rush in head first shooting up the place and be done in 3 minuts. The end result is virtually the same, and takes less time if I did it that way... I just can't bring my self to do it the run-and-gun way if I am able to do it the way I like to do it. Essentially I should probably be playing more rogue and/or ranger types of characters... since they tend to be more suited for this kind of a thing... I just like using the kinds of weapons and armour no matter how I tend to play.
In general this is how I do things when I play games by my self though. When I play with others (videogames seldomly or never... with pen and paper rpgs, board games, table top games, that I play with others, is different... there I will have to speed everythig up a little... but I still do for example spend time asking the GM "How many are they? Where are they? Weapons? Things I can use to my advantage?" and a few other things like that... I just don't spend half an hour on it XD ).
In Shadowrun Returns, and the following expansions/updates, you could not really play it this way as easy. There if I saw a fight coming I just tried to make sure my guys where in a somewhat advantagious possition so as to them being in cover or close to cover befor the fights started.
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I played a rogue in Everquest. They had "issues" for the first 18 months or so of the game but I created myself a niche that suited what they were capable of quite well (IMHO).
In EQ stealth = Invisibility, dependent on your level in the skill vs the level of the MOB. So I spent hours just watching the roaming/pathing and respawn timing of the MOBs in various locations and got to know the reaction radius of various types of MOBs. So when I went into with a party I could pretty reliably pull no more then 2-3 at a time and knew where all the "special" MOBs spawned and how frequently they respawned (EQ was well known for it's alternate name - EverCamp).
Patience, observation, and a good memory/notes can be a major virtue in some games.
For those of you familiar with EQ my crowning achievement was pulling the Plane of Hate solo (no monk). About 90% of the raid said it wasn't possible ... I proved them wrong.
In EQ stealth = Invisibility, dependent on your level in the skill vs the level of the MOB. So I spent hours just watching the roaming/pathing and respawn timing of the MOBs in various locations and got to know the reaction radius of various types of MOBs. So when I went into with a party I could pretty reliably pull no more then 2-3 at a time and knew where all the "special" MOBs spawned and how frequently they respawned (EQ was well known for it's alternate name - EverCamp).
Patience, observation, and a good memory/notes can be a major virtue in some games.
For those of you familiar with EQ my crowning achievement was pulling the Plane of Hate solo (no monk). About 90% of the raid said it wasn't possible ... I proved them wrong.
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i found this quote from William Gibson, author of Neuromancer, about the Shadowrun RPG
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Sadly his valoration of Cyberpunk 2020 wasn't much nicer. Something about geeks wanting to be cool or something like that. Who reads cyberpunk anyways? I wouldn't say it's the grabbag definition of geek that includes being manchildren with... a certain physique, a certain set of interests, or that quote oaths while doing certain gestures or stances... but still, some kind of geeks to go insulting them, your own audience like that.
I used to be kind of hard on Shadowrun, but that to me had to do with being tired of RPGs having to shove fantasy into every mix because RPGs. Now I think they mixed it in an interesting way, even if I still prefer a purer RPG simulation fo the cyberpunk tropes without anything alien to it. I mean, at least we have pure Cyberpunk RPGs, are there even pure Steampunk or Dieselpunk rpgs or games that don't involve anything supernatural?