The General Videogame Thread

[eskiMoe]

Would like some advice regarding what game I should play next. I'm almost done with my replay of TW1 and thought I'd postpone playing through the second game until closer to May when I'm more hyped up for TW3. :3

So I have plenty of backlog but currently Divinity: Original Sin, Dark Souls, Dishonored & AC4: Black Flag interest me somewhat. Any recommendations which one I should play first?

 

[gregski]

After some heavy RPGing of TW1, Dishonored or AC4:Black Flag might be a nice relief. Enjoyed both of them, especially Dishonored for interesting mechanics, the world and artstyle.

 

[shinobi2u]

Hmm...sounds like a big Hollywood summer blockbuster where the story is lackluster but the special effects are top notch

Its funny to me how the word "cinematic" has such strong negative connotations now. I was attracted to the Witcher because of its strong and wonderful cinematic experience :yes

Hahahaha,well, I wouldn't quite put it on Transformers level, but it still a fairly apt analogy there. It does have solid gunplay with interesting weapons and they feel right for the time period and steampunk nature of the game. But then you have things like the Lycan fights where you literally press one button to auto dodge their attacks every single time and they follow predictable patterns. Or they are rock, paper, scissor QTE battles with them that are fun to watch, but that's about it. And then you have middle of the road features like the stealth segments which have pros and cons to them.

I love cinematics, don't mind them in games, though I would almost put the game at least at a 50% cutscenes and 50% gameplay. It is a large portion to the point where it does stand out, but whether that is good, bad, or neutral for a person is entirely up to their tastes.

 

[Blothulfur]

One of my favourite game series Legacy of Kain became a cinematic game over time, but i'd still prefer that it had remained like Blood Omen, a game built upon its gameplay with cinematics as rewards and affirmation rather than replacing gameplay. I want to play not watch, at least not too much. Certainly I don't want cinematics to decide the course of the game against what I have done, such as Letho beating me for no good reason or Jensen in Deus Ex: Human Revolution suddenly acting stupid for the sake of the plot.

 

[eskiMoe]

After some heavy RPGing of TW1, Dishonored or AC4:Black Flag might be a nice relief. Enjoyed both of them, especially Dishonored for interesting mechanics, the world and artstyle.

Actually I kind of feel the same way. Between now and The Witcher 3, and replaying The Witcher 2 before that, Dishonored and Black Flag might be just what I need.

 

[Agent_Bleu]

I don't expect everyone to universally like or dislike the same games or aspects of games. Of course everyone has their own opinions, likes and dislikes. Your opinion about Sui Generis is just as valid as mine or anyone else's; not liking the aesthetics is a legitimate complaint and whether or not that would inhibit your ability to enjoy the game is up to you to decide. What was leaving a bitter taste in my mouth is how it has become acceptable to wrap a turd in a pretty bow and sell it as the newest and greatest thing. I think this is a fairly shallow approach to game design and it reminds me of what Hollywood has done to create the cookie cutter movie mold; all visuals with little substance. I hate to see gaming follow the same downward spiral.

I got the idea about game design students by both firsthand and secondhand experience. Sixteen years ago I was planning on making a career of being a game programmer and while attending college I was repeatedly told to keep innovation to a minimum and to follow the trends that sell well. Innovation and creativity was risky whereas keeping things simple and generic was safe since it was already a proven formula. Borrowing as many ideas as possible from other successful games was highly encouraged and conformity was a necessity in order to appeal to publishers.

A friend of mine went to college several years later to become a game 3D artist/modeler. After graduating he became a security guard because he lost all interest in game design after going through a similar experience as me. This is why I am glad to see Kickstarter and other methods of funding games which were not possible until recently. Removing the publisher from dictating what a game can or cannot be allows much more artistic freedom, innovation and creativity; hopefully this will help to reverse the stagnation gaming has seen during the past decade and a half.

The difficulty is there will never be an absolute consensus on what a turd is or whether given game is one or not. I mean, one can assert all one wants that turds are X and game Y Is a fine example of one. But without a rational foundation, we can't even get that discussion rolling.

Take The Order 1886. You could make a sensible case that underneath the bow lies a faecal lump, or as gaming journalists have put it, it's all show, no substance. Aside from the amusing irony that we now have pretty much every major gaming publication coinciding with the viewpoint of the most virulent adversaries of gaming journalists as a whole, aside from that irony, we also have a considerable number of forum members and Youtube reviewers not only thoroughly enjoying the game but at times raving about it. I'm not talking about people who just got into gaming. I'm talking, for example, about NeoGAFers.

NeoGAF, the place where gaming debate routinely reaches unparalleled intellectual heights, where wit is often of near Shakespearian calibre, where arguments are subject to the most gruelling scrutiny, where scepticism is generally not frowned upon and PR pulverized, where not many dare to argue from authority or resort to name-calling, where most realize merely asserting things does not prove them, where mods don't use their discretionary powers to leverage and shove their personal opinions down this or that throat, where there's low tolerance for bullshit and assorted logical fallacies, there, in that beacon of critical thinking and free speech, among these seemingly seasoned gamers The Order 1886 has been getting some positive feedback. It's intertwined with candid at times harsh constructive criticism, of course, the hallmark of good faith, and, yes, also the occasional nasty derogatory remark. There you have it.

My humble suggestion to you: if you really want to call attention to Sui Generis, proceed over to NeoGAF. If you're not a member, get an account, start a thread on the game (if none is available; temporal restrictions apply, but thereafter the policy there on thread creation is quite liberal). The Witcher forums are great, but I fear they might be a bit too insular, too specific for your desire to spread the word on Sui Generis to a wider audience.

 

[freakie1one]

The difficulty is there will never be an absolute consensus on what a turd is or whether given game is one or not. I mean one can assert all one wants that turds are X and game Y Is a fine example of one. But without a rational foundation, we can't even get the discussion rolling.

Take The Order 1886. You could make the case that underneath the bow lies a faecal lump, or as gaming journalists have put it, it's all show with little substance. Aside from the irony that we now have pretty much every major gaming publication coinciding with the viewpoint of the most virulent adversaries of gaming journalists as a whole, aside from that irony, we also have a considerable number of gaming forum members and Youtube reviewers not only thoroughly enjoying the game but at times raving about it. I'm not talking about people who just got into gaming. I'm talking, for example, of NeoGAFers.

There, the place where gaming debate routinely reaches unparalleled intellectual heights, where wit is often of near Shakespearian calibre, where arguments are subject to the most gruelling scrutiny, where scepticism is generally not frowned upon, where not many dare to argue from authority or resort to name-calling, where most realize merely asserting things does not prove them, where mods don't use their discretionary powers to leverage and shove their personal opinions down this or that throat, where there's low tolerance for bullshit and assorted logical fallacies, there, in that beacon of critical thinking and free speech, among these seemingly seasoned gamers The Order 1886 has been getting some positive feedback. It's intertwined with candid at times harsh constructive criticism, of course, the hallmark of good faith, and, yes, also the occasional nasty derogatory remark. There you have it.

My humble suggestion to you: if you want to call attention to Sui Generis, for it to reach arguably a wider audience, proceed over to NeoGAF. If you're not a member, get an account, start a thread on the game (if none is available, but the policy there on thread creation is quite liberal). The Witcher forums are great and all, but I think they might be a bit too insular, too specific for your desire to spread the word on Sui Generis to be duly served.

I agree; what one person considers to be a turd another might consider to be a diamond in the rough. Although, generally speaking, most people will agree that over the past two decades game design priority has shifted from improved gameplay mechanics to improved graphics. I'm sure there are those who will argue about this just for the sake of it but I really have no desire to do so.

I am not a member of NeoGAF but I do appreciate the suggestion. Once SG and Exanima are closer to release I'll likely take your advice if I still feel like the game isn't getting the attention it deserves. Exanima is going to be up for early access on Steam soon so we'll see how that goes.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

@Agent Bleu : I'm not participating in NeoGAF, but from my occasional reading, I get an impression that it's a huge mixture of all kind of folks, from knowledgeable to completely clueless. So I wouldn't use it as anything like "NeoGAF opinion" meter thing. But I saw some very interesting discussions there indeed.

 

[Agent_Bleu]

@Agent Bleu : I'm not participating in NeoGAF, but from my occasional reading, I get an impression that it's a huge mixture of all kind of folks, from knowledgeable to completely clueless. So I wouldn't use it as anything like "NeoGAF opinion" meter thing. But I saw some very interesting discussions there indeed.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Good riddance, I, of all people, would never ever make an appeal to something outright mythical and fallacious as a «NeoGAF opinion». There's no such thing. Of course one can detect certain general temporary trends, a seeming majority here and there, a singular eccentric view, etc. But never an official NeoGAF opinion. Indeed, there are individuals that seem to be clueless, but I am glad they feel welcome there. There is room for clueless people. And at the same time I've never witnessed such knowledgeable substantiated tech debate as that which occurs over there. Fascinating.


The point I'm making is the discussion mostly stays rational. It's virile, but rational. Of course you have the occasional dick, no doubt, and I have to say that sometimes that makes for priceless comic relief. But, again, the focus is on a rational consideration of views.

I love the Witcher forums. As you are probably aware, this is my third account now. Twice I have left these forums, quite determined never to set foot here again. Felt compelled to come back. Swallowed some pride, swallowed some saliva , and here I am. I do like it here. The challenge I sometimes feel I endure around here though is maintaining a rational discussion, fair and in good faith. I can understand people blowing steam over controversial topics dear to them and I'm by no means claiming I'm an absolute role model in that regard. But I do make a genuine effort to address my opponents' arguments, not his age, not his platform of choice, not his IQ, not which industry he works in, if he has more years under his belt as an IT expert than others are of age, whether he is a mod or not, etc.

In that regard, I feel we would benefit from a more decisive presence of the NeoGAF spirit around here.

 

[Sardukhar]

In that regard, I feel we would benefit from a more decisive presence of the NeoGAF spirit around there.

Whereas I fled here -from- the NeoGAF forums and found it a welcome respite from the pages of sometimes-funny, sometimes-ludicrous, occasionally-spiteful rambling. I track Witcher and CP opinions on games and movies now.

If I've observed a "NeoGAF" consensus, it's a self-satisfied awareness, accurate or not, of their perceived effect on the gaming world. Which is sometimes accurate, especially when someone like CBOAT gets a significant detail correct months ahead of official news, it hits the main gaming sites and people raise a ruckus or even change their buying patterns.

You'll also see thread trends, where the majority of posters reflect an opinion and that's "NeoGAF's" opinion. The flip around on Bioshock Infinite was like that, iirc.

GAF didn't really feel much like a community to me - posters seemed too disposable and, well, occasionally quite awful to dissenters. Posts read as a lot less mature than I see here, generally.

Kind of miss the NG OT threads - those were handy.

 

[Dona.794]

Would like some advice regarding what game I should play next. I'm almost done with my replay of TW1 and thought I'd postpone playing through the second game until closer to May when I'm more hyped up for TW3. :3

So I have plenty of backlog but currently Divinity: Original Sin, Dark Souls, Dishonored & AC4: Black Flag interest me somewhat. Any recommendations which one I should play first?

I think Dishonored would be a nice break after a long and heavy game like TW1. DH is short and fast-paced, with beautiful levels and really, really enjoyable gameplay. Blink mechanic <3 It's also very rewarding if you enjoy exploration and learning bits of lore. I think that was my favourite part. As I said, it's a fairly short game, so you can jump into any of the others after you're done with it.

 

[ReptilePZ]

@Dona I have to ask, why did you use a smaller font size?

EDIT: Nvm, now it's normal =\

 

[eskiMoe]

Are the DLCs in Dishonored worth playing through? I have the GOTY version.

 

[TheDeathRun]

Are the DLCs in Dishonored worth playing through? I have the GOTY version.

I personally liked the DLCs. It was nice seeing some of the events from a different perspective; the powers are also slightly different from the base game, but it actually translates to gameplay that's very differently paced (Knife of Dunwall/Brigmore Witches). The levels are incredibly linear though, compared to base game. There's usually only one way to get to your objective in the DLCs, and the last segment of Brigmore Witches almost completely throws stealth out the window (not impossible to stealth, but damn near impossible).

 

[Garrison72]

Dishonored is excellent. Superb level design and atmosphere. You don't have to go strictly stealth either, there's more violent ways to deal with enemies, which I liked. Always going stealth can get a little tiresome.

 

[Arvuti]

I usually like playing non-lethal in stealth games, but dishonored made silently killing everyone just so fun.
This is a pretty good example on all the different ways you can kill in dishonored

 

[Engagerade]

GTA V delayed once again on PC, April 14 is the new release.
This is getting ridiculous -.-
http://kotaku.com/gta-v-delayed-again-on-pc-heists-coming-march-10-1687693533

 

[Arvuti]

GTA V delayed once again on PC, April 14 is the new release.
This is getting ridiculous -.-
http://kotaku.com/gta-v-delayed-again-on-pc-heists-coming-march-10-1687693533

PC master race will be able to play GTA V 20 months after original release date
Jokes aside, by the time this beast is finally out, it better be a rock solid release with the port being great and online services working properly day 1. But frankly nowadays that's much to ask for.

 

[eLeF1]

PC master race will be able to play GTA V 20 months after original release date
Jokes aside, by the time this beast is finally out, it better be a rock solid release with the port being great and online services working properly day 1. But frankly nowadays that's much to ask for.

I pity anyone who pre-ordered the PC version and still thinks that it will actually come out one day. Rockstar is just trolling at this point.

 

[Doctalen]

Warthunder has got a new update. The ground forces portion now has terrain deformation similar to Spintires, Traction and things change depending on the material you are driving on, Driver view for tanks, Binoculars for tank commanders, Cockpits can be opened and closed, some planes have internal lights you can turn on or off for night flying, new vehicles for air and ground, ultra low quality visuals have been more optimized, some other stuff. More graphical effects like contrails and heat distortion