4847 replies to this topic

[kurt91]

Over the last three days, I've been playing Bastion. I've never played it before, and I absolutely loved the story, especially the choice at the very end. I don't want to spoil it, but it's one of those things where you'll turn off the game and just think about it. Honestly, it's amazing. I kind of want to find the people who made the game just to give them a hug and say "Thank You". (Yeah, I get REALLY into storylines and plot.)

 

Next on my Steam library is Bioshock. I've never played it before either, but picked it up on the cheap over the summer. I'm not a big fan of FPS games, but I've always wanted to play that one to see the plot first-hand as well. I've read that you essentially get unlimited lives in that game, and that when you die and come back to the area, the enemies still have the health missing that you took out the previous times around, so maybe I won't have that much of a problem with it. Plus, I have an actual keyboard and mouse now instead of controller or laptop track-pad. That might help, too. They aren't in the most optimal setup, though, with the keyboard in my lap and the mouse on a magazine sitting atop a tote-box on my right. (I don't have a desk.)

[thepsynergist]

Playing a lot of Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for Wii (mouthful of a game name...)  It's one of the best DBZ fighting games out there, in my opinion.  My sister almost died laughing when I beat Cell with Hercule.

[KingPridenia]

Began an Iron Man* account on Old School Runescape. Not sure if I should make a "text LP" thread for it or not; I'm assuming the interest in the subject would be nearly zero. Maybe I'll just post milestones for anyone that does care. In other news before my 20 page rant below, I found a weird glitch in Terraria with the Frost Armor I discovered by accident. I was in the Jungle Temple killing those lizard creatures. I was casting Cursed Flames when somehow, I inflicted Frostburn debuff on them. Turns out if you do damage to an item at the same time you take damage, magic weapons will glitch and cause Frostburn, even though Frost Armor only works for melee and ranged weapons.

 

*

Spoiler

An Iron Man account is a mode you can play where you're not allowed to trade with other players or loot any items they drop or leave behind from monsters they defeat. In addition, you only get items if you do full damage to an enemy. Essentially, you're playing as if you're the only player on the server. There are two quests where exceptions to the no trading rule are made, simply because otherwise, they're impossible to complete otherwise. In addition, a lot of multiplayer mini-games cannot be accessed at all or you have very limited access to them. But that aside, as the game puts it when you try to trade another player, "You stand alone." No more taking the easy way out buying your way to success such that you end up with pro equipment but are a complete noob because you never learned how to master the game. You have to build yourself from the ground up ALL BY YOURSELF.

 

There are actually two tiers of Iron Man for both the main Runescape and the Old School versions of the game. The regular mode for both is the exact same as stated above. However, there is a second mode if you're a true masochist that varies even more between modern and Old School Runescape. Regardless, only the strongest of heart need apply.

 

In the modern version, it's called "Hardcore Ironman". Same rules as above, but if you are unfortunate enough to die, you will not be able to log back into the game (functionally equivalent to being banned only without infractions on your account). However, you can still play Old School Runescape and access the lobby of the main game. If you get far enough along, you can purchase up to two "extra lives". Lose all of your lives, and you're permanently unable to play the main game on that account other than talking in the lobby.

 

In Old School, it's called "Ultimate Ironman". Basically, same limitations as the normal Ironman challenge, but now you're not even allowed to use the bank to store your items. You literally have to carry EVERYTHING on you at all times. Have fun managing your inventory under those restrictions, especially when there are a few quests you're REQUIRED to have nothing equipped and a completely empty inventory! Best to get quests that do that to you over with earlier rather than later. Oh and if you're unfortunate enough to die? You lose EVERYTHING you're carrying instead of keeping three items like normal! Have fun spending hours to get enough money to buy another set of good armor or the patience to farm enemies for said items AGAIN!

 

A few other interesting notes is that in Old School Runescape, you can talk to Adam who is an Iron Man (kind of funny we're both named Adam lol) or Paul who is an Ultimate Iron Man for a free set of Ironman Armor. If you're doing an Ultimate Ironman, Paul gives you an even more badass Ironman Armor. As the name suggests, it's basically a set of iron armor you get for free and can redeem if you lose it. The stats are the same; it's merely cosmetic. You pretty much have to assign your account as an Iron Man during the tutorial (at character creation in the main game), otherwise you'll be considered a regular account. You can downgrade from Ultimate Iron Man down to Iron Man and from that down to regular account if you wish at any time, but the changes are final. In addition, you can make it so you're stuck in Iron Man Mode.

 

One thing is that I'm going to have to be a bit more creative this time around to make money and train skills. Thankfully, I am mostly self-sufficient on my main account and diligent so I have an advantage there. I'm in it for the long haul and made my character so I am never able to quit Iron Man Mode. Wish me luck in my endeavors in a world where I have to get literally EVERYTHING myself.

 

If I could have changed one thing about the main Runescape's Hardcore Ironman, I wouldn't have gone for perma-death. Rather, I would have made it similar to a Roguelike. If you die, your account is wiped completely. All skills are reset to level 1 (level 10 for Constitution) and all items you had stored in your bank or equipped are GONE. So in essence, death wouldn't be a pseudo ban. Rather, it would be as if you made a brand new account instantly. Both are incredibly painful. Then again, Runescape is notorious for being an MMO that hasn't departed from one of the most widely despised tropes in gaming; level grinding. It's not good design, especially when it's pure repetition. Thought the mandatory grinding in Dragon Warrior 1 was bad? Try doing that for a good 1000+ hours.

Edited by RedmageAdam, 31 October 2014 - 11:34 PM.

[SpacemanDan]

So continuing on from last time. I've finished the 2nd Maze in Etrian Odyssey IV and have gotten to the boss room in the 3rd Maze. But I'm having issues with getting down there with a decent amount of TP. When I did get down there one time with an okay amount, I realized I didn't bring any Ice Stakes after finally entering the boss room. Like how are you supposed to get down there with a good amount of Ice Stakes and have TP leftover to actually use? It looks as though I have to destroy the big pile of heat scales there which looks fun with the boss stalking you the whole time.

 

This game seriously needs some better ways to recover TP as well. Grinding for 3 Ginseng per Amrita takes forever and not really worth it.

 

 

Did you find the shortcuts in the 3rd maze? You should be able to very easily get to the boss with most, if not all your TP. You should be able to get a large supply of ice stakes by doing so as well.

[HylianGlaceon]

Did you find the shortcuts in the 3rd maze? You should be able to very easily get to the boss with most, if not all your TP. You should be able to get a large supply of ice stakes by doing so as well.

I'm taking the path on the top right of B1. Problem being the path requires two Ice Stakes to pass as well. Encounters on B3 seem to be very common in that area too. Usually like every 5-7 steps there's an encounter. I don't see any other way to even reach the boss room, especially with what seems to be like 4+ Ice Stakes needed too.

[SpacemanDan]

You shouldn't need any ice stakes. I just did the route I used and didn't need any as well as only hitting one or two encounters. There's a shortcut in a room off the boss room. It shouldn't be hard to get to it - it's on the right of the boss room. If you ever feel you can't make it there, just retreat from the southern door and walk around so the boss goes back to its start point. It's also got a bunch of ice stakes in there. Don't worry about fighting the boss one run - just get the shortcut open, go to town, heal up and enjoy getting to the boss much faster!

[Maleboocado]

I'm still playing Project M a lot.

I'm far from being a high-level player (I'm actually quite mediocre), nor I play with human rivals (sadly), nor I'm reading specific guides, but here are the subtle details why I love Melee-like gameplay/mechanisms and 1vs1, no items, stock matches:
-The slow realization your hands have started thinking by themselves, rather than waiting for your brain to dictate orders.
-Your characters slowly moving a lot better, doing short jumps with fast falling + aerials, and dropping from platforms quite fast, but they still feel too slow, too clunky, not as fluid as you want to, you're too repetitive.
-Doing aerial and special attacks near the ledges of the platforms, so the combination of the game's gravity, the ledge's physics and the character's inertia will make them drop from the platform and cancel the lag. And realize it when you have already started doing it a lot time ago.
-Sweet-spotting all your attacks, and specially your recoveries. And learning how and when to do your recovery so you can minimize the lag/avoid the edgeguarding rival/guarantee your return to the stage.
-Learning and overcoming the character's weaknesses, the hard way.
-Start doing specific combos without learning them from guides.
-To never feel the game is unfair: your death, your fault. To never feel the game has a ceiling: there's always more and more to learn, more and more micro-optimizations to do, more and more playstyles evolving, being created and discarded. Every match is different, the game is its own sequel, its own sucessor.
-To do attacks that does not connect with the rival. Not because you're bad and wrongly calculated the distance, but rather because you want to reduce the rival's range and available options.

Those are the things I'm slowly feeling and learning, it's quite hard to describe with words the satisfaction and fun. These are the thing you cannot simply grasp as well with Brawl-like mechanisms (infinite air dodging, automatic edge grabbing regardless of the character's current animation and action, no conservation of inertia in air), or with crazy 4 (now 8!) players, free for all, items on matches in banned stages, and while I agree that the Smash experience is by no means limited to or "more complete" with a competitive mindset, I'm tired of all the people saying 'it's just a party game, stop playing it the wrong way". Sadly I know a few people like that.

Edited by Maleboocado, 02 November 2014 - 11:50 AM.

[Dawnlight]

Started to play Knack on PS4 after playing too many shooters on that system. So far, I really don't understand why reviewers spoke so negatively about this game. So far, it brings back a lot of memories of the Crash Bandicoot series for it was produced by the same director. Some have recommended to play this game on Hard mode, and I can say that it was a lot more fun to play on this difficulty. It mimics the core gameplay that made Crash Bandicoot a hit where you have limited health and you go through platforming and dodging enemy attacks.

[Dawnlight]

I'm one trophy away from the Platinum in Danganronpa 2. Need to finish that Island Mode.

[Dawnlight]

I got the Platinum trophy in Danganronpa 2. Though for some reason, it does not get added to my Platinum count on my trophies list. I checked Dan's PSN to see if his Plat got added and it did not as well. I believe the reason is that in Japan, Danganronpa 1 and Danganronpa 2 were on one game and you needed to complete BOTH games to get the Platinum. Looks like Spike Chunsoft forgot to include DR2's platinum when they localized the game.

 

EDIT: I checked my PS3 and looks like that Plat got added to the count.

Edited by Dawnlight, 03 November 2014 - 11:43 PM.

[The Satellite]

Mostly Hyrule Warriors' Adventure Mode lately, on a quest to get each characters' weapons, but today was full of Rebirth. And it is good stuff. I miss the old music and like it way more than the new tracks, and a small handful of the sprites look a little odd compared to their originals, but otherwise, it's better than the original in almost every way.

[Eppy]

I've been working on a game called Great Permutator. It's a Spacechem-like puzzle game with a VERY STEEP difficulty curve. It's one of those games where I will get stumped and go off and play TF2 or Rebirth , then come pack and take another crack at those puzzles.

[Dawnlight]

I finally sold my old Xbox 360 (and several games I did not care for or own on PC, PS3,  or Wii U) that has been collecting dust for several months. I ended up getting the slim Xbox 360 used which is FAR superior over that loud, ugly, old Xbox 360. I went back to playing Child of Eden which was a game that was sitting in my backlog that I really wanted to get back into. I had a really fun time playing this game. It's one of those relaxation games like Flower. Now I can attack my Xbox 360 backlog and finish the games like Infinite Undiscovery, Magnacarta 2, NIER, and Blue Dragon that I never got a chance to play.

 

Also, I'm glad I held off getting Advanced Warfare because I ended up getting it on PS4 at a far cheaper price with my remaining credits. I played a bit of it beforehand and boy this game is a lot better than Destiny IMO. It's like everything Destiny does, Advanced Warfare does better. The multiplayer feels more competitive now that they implemented new mechanics such as double jumping (similar to Metroid Prime's double jumping) and how the multiplayers is more inspired by Black Ops II's multiplayer, which in my opinion is one of the most balanced CoD multiplayers since CoD4. Destiny was the game I regret buying the most this year. And it's hard to believe that even a Call of Duty game can top Destiny. I was also playing Battlefield 4 which I enjoy a lot as well as Wolfenstein: The New Order. Yeah I know, I'm playing too many shooters on PS4. lol

Edited by Dawnlight, 05 November 2014 - 08:45 PM.

[Magi_Hero]

I started playing Golden Sun Dark Dawn this week. I missed out on this sequel to the GBA ones.

[Twilight-Prince]

I did finish playing through Shantae and the Pirate's Curse recently. WayForward just seems to know how to deliver a good game that gets good press and hype. Of course now that I've finished that, I need only to finish the original Shantae from the GBC. Good thing I can play all three current Shantae titles on a 3DS. If you haven't tried this series of games, I suggest you give it a go if you like a platformer with a slight Metroidvania feel. It's better if you play them in chronological order to understand the story, but any of them can be picked up and played easily on their own (though fair forewarning, the original game can be a bit devious early on).

 

Other than that, still playing a bit of Smash 3DS here and there, and as of recent, like many ZC Members I know here (Evan, Moosh, and TS to name some), I've been playing the crap out of Binding of Issac Rebirth. Though I find it hilarious that on the night before this game's release, I finally took down Satan, yet I killed the same boss on Rebirth on it's launch day....funny how that works, huh? Anyways, if you loved the original Issac, I definitely suggest getting this. It's straight up going to have a position for "Indie Game of 2014" right up there with Shovel Knight.