The Video Game Thread: What are you Playing?

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I just found it weird, because they literally declared war 4 or 5 turns after I first encountered them. I had not met any other race at that point (other than Antarans attacking me)

If they're in a cul-de-sac, they could well do it the turn you encounter them. This is particularly true of the more aggressive races (and the Klackons aren't too far down that track).
The option for an alliance wasn't available at the time it happened, so that's why I went on the attack

You have to build up a relationship, so if you're in a hurry...

I keep bombs on some ships to weaken a planet before sending in troop transports (for when I don't have the ability to mind control them, like my Trilarian game). I think that game has been the most fulfilling, outside of not being able to travel to a lot of the map (even though I can see it from having traded or stolen maps from other races)

The missiles can soften a planet up too; they're just not as efficient at it.
 
If they're in a cul-de-sac, they could well do it the turn you encounter them. This is particularly true of the more aggressive races (and the Klackons aren't too far down that track).

I honestly don't know if they were. I wasn't that far into the game when it happened.

You have to build up a relationship, so if you're in a hurry...

I was working on building one. We had just finished cooperative research before that happened. At least now we're on pretty good terms.


The missiles can soften a planet up too; they're just not as efficient at it.

Weird. I've got ships with missiles I've had over an enemy planet, and it didn't let me attack the colony at all
 
I honestly don't know if they were. I wasn't that far into the game when it happened.

Just a thing I've seen.

I was working on building one. We had just finished cooperative research before that happened. At least now we're on pretty good terms.


Yeah, probably just bad timing?

Weird. I've got ships with missiles I've had over an enemy planet, and it didn't let me attack the colony at all

Huh. I do it all the time with destroyers with a missile pack in the early game. Now you're making me wonder if the default destroyer has bombs and I just haven't noticed.
 
Just a thing I've seen.

I don't doubt it. I just remember it happened pretty fast

Yeah, probably just bad timing?

I'm assuming so. I've been at other warp points with a base run by another race, and they didn't attack me


Huh. I do it all the time with destroyers with a missile pack in the early game. Now you're making me wonder if the default destroyer has bombs and I just haven't noticed.

Destroyers have bombs. I remember that as I bombed some pirates with them early in the game.

My trilarian game was a victory for me, as I ended up with tech superiority. I was able to steal a bunch of tech from the Alkari, traded more with the Sakkra, and the Meklar gave me a lot to go to war with the Alkari. I was able to attack them finally. I took one planet, then made peace. The Meklar didn't like that. I then bribed humanity into going to war with them, so now we're at war. They conquered Orion, which I took from them 3 turns later (thanks to finally having a doomstar!). I also have the portal tech to go to Antares. I need to build up my fleet before trying that which I will likely do once I've taught the Meklar a real lesson)
 
Destroyers have bombs. I remember that as I bombed some pirates with them early in the game.

I'm probably projecting from MOO2, where you absolutely could attack planets with just missiles. I just realized that with MOO:CTS I almost never custom build my own ships.
 
I'm probably projecting from MOO2, where you absolutely could attack planets with just missiles. I just realized that with MOO:CTS I almost never custom build my own ships.

One thing I miss from MOO2 is being able to customize scouts and colony ships. I used to love arming colony ships, so sometimes they'd actually survive a scrap with an enemy vessel
 
I bought it during Early Access and returned it. I could be convinced to give it another shot. Lemme hear your pitch.
Hey updating on this to say I found Hades amazing. It's weird at first because it uses the same rogue-like formula as those other but on a action format rather than tactical, so it gives a different vibe. But as soon as it clicks it will eat your soul, because the action is extremely kinetic and fun to play. I think I already prefer it over FTL and Spire, but don't know if it will beat Breach and Darkest Dungeon for me (To cite other indie similar games).

Something interesting it has going is the story. Or stories. With each new attempt you unlock new stuff and reach new heights (to escape hell), and meet new people, and every npc in the game acknowledges and reacts to these new steps and even trigger plot arcs (the Orfeus one is specially moving).

Also, the amount of builds you can create is absurd, so it rewards planning and experimenting until you find one to fit your playstyle.

And last but not least, the presentation is top notch. I can see why the game was praised.

With that said, I'm playing on Switch most of times in portable mode, so it may be different from sitting in a desk to playing PC. Don't know.
 
I liked their previous games (particularly Bastion) but the design and theme left me uninterested but your writeup has changed my mind Silva.
 
I friend got me an early access game (The only way I usually play them) called Roboquest, which is a roguelike where you play a robot protecting a little girl as she explores her world. It's a first person shooter with the usual array of unlocks and abilities, and is very addictive.

It's pretty early, though, and I'm not that far in. But I'm hooked!
 
If anybody likes short games and point and clicks, I'd recommend having a look at "Milkmaid of the Milky Way". A Norwegian peasant woman in the 1920s ends up encountering an alien spaceship. Very short: 2-3 hours. One or two people have mentioned on the forum that they're learning Norwegian, I found it very useful for that (There's English subtitles as well). It's €3 on GOG at the moment.

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I just began playing Dark Souls 1 Remastered on the Nintendo Switch.

Do folks have any good beginner tips?

I'm at the very very start (after escaping the tutorial asylum place) finding myself going back over and over again to fight undead goons to master dodging and parrying (and levelling up). Is that a good thing to do for starters? Or is there a time limit or other finite resource that I'm wasting doing this?
 
I just began playing Dark Souls 1 Remastered on the Nintendo Switch.

Do folks have any good beginner tips?

I'm at the very very start (after escaping the tutorial asylum place) finding myself going back over and over again to fight undead goons to master dodging and parrying (and levelling up). Is that a good thing to do for starters? Or is there a time limit or other finite resource that I'm wasting doing this?
Take it slow. Watch for the cheap tricks (explosions go through solid walls), and remember that there is a singular safe past. There is no time limit.
 
There is no time limit to worry about. The only items you really need to save are Transient Curses for the late game, a major pain in the ass although I found a good workaround during my latest playthrough.

Almost everything else becomes available by the midpoint of the game. In the early game though keep Titanite shards for upgrading your preferred weapon.

In DS 1 start as a magic user with the Master Key. Many call this easy mode but it is your first playthrough so fuck em.

Best approach for a first playthrough is to put your souls into a Int/Dex build and once you've got a good weapon switch to more Str, Vitality and End for a melee build. Keep your armor light so you can fast roll. There are good armors you can pick up early game, especially if you have the Master Key.

Best early game farming spot for souls is
the bridge with the red drake/dragon.
Best spot for farming humanity is
the rats in the depths.
Best place to farm moss vs poison and bleed is
from the tree monsters in Darkroot Garden.

Avoid the Catacombs and New Londo for now, there are valuable items you can deathrun to get in Blightown and the Catacombs early game but not sure you want to go that route for a first playthrough, if you do let me know and I'll give you more tips.

Get a good 100 percent physical shield. Note which shields are good vs. fire, lightning, poison, etc. and outfit the appropriate shield vs. certain bosses and areas. Good shields are the Black Knight Shield (my fav), the Crest Shield (vs. magic), Spider shield (vs. poison) and the Grass Crest Shield (boosts stamina, works when you where it on your back when you doublehand a weapon).

Put souls and upgrade material into your stats, pyromancy and your preferred weapon.

Armor and shields I only upgrade late game so I can more effectively play Fashion Souls.

Pyromancies are awesome, almost everything is vunerable to fire and should be gotten as soon as you can. Also get fire arrows as they will help against slimes and other enemies in the Depths and Blightown.

Don't worry about parrying at this point, not worth the risk. It is only worth doing against powerful enemies with slow swings, I don't bother with it until the Silver Knights in Anor Londo. More of a PvP skill than PvE imo.

Get a bow and arrows, take out as many enemies from a distance with them and magic as you can. Also use your bow to kite enemies to you one at a time. Never fight more than one enemy at a time!

Eventually fairly early on you'll meet a merchant who sells poison arrows. They are your best friend and make a midgame roadblock passable.

There are two-three really good starting weapons, you probably need to die to get them:

1. My favourite, the Black Knight sword you can get by activating the Black Knight in
Undead Burg.
Get him to chase you down a corridor that ends in a drop, block his attacks and he will eventually fall off the cliff giving you the sword. It has dropped for me 3 out of 4 times. Invest in Str so you can wield it and you can upgrade it to +5 early in the game. With it you will be able to one shot most enemies and doublehanding it vs. bosses is also very effective. Black Knight halberd +5 is even better due to reach so kill every Black Knight you encounter with the sword and one of them will drop it. I killed all endgame bosses with that halberd.

2. If you're going with a Faith build (my plan for my next playthrough) go to the
Undead Dragon in the Valley of the Drakes
You will probably die to get the sword of Astoria, a great weapon that you need reasonably low stats to wield but does very good damage. It also takes out reviving Undead which makes the Catacombs way less of a nightmare.

3. There is a Drake sword that many recommend but it is a pain to get, isn't as powerful as the others I've mentioned and doesn't carry into the midgame let alone the endgame.

4. There is Zweihander sword in the cemetary, you will probably die to get it but run in and grab it. Put your souls into Strength and upgrading this sword. It is a solid early game choice but I prefer the weapons I mentioned above.
 
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Spear you want a spear. Best weapon in the game. Sure it'll do minimal damage, but if I remember correctly, you can keep your shield up while stabbing.
 
@ Voros Voros Okay you have me sold, I need a new RPG to sink my teeth into. Is DARK SOULS™: REMASTERED another name for DS 1 on Steam?

Yes, make sure to get the Remastered version though as that is the one all the PC mods are made for these days.
 
That’s all great advice but I have no idea what any of that means. I’m very early in the game: skeletons in the nearby graveyard kill me in a few hits. Fuck this game is hard!
 
That’s all great advice but I have no idea what any of that means. I’m very early in the game: skeletons in the nearby graveyard kill me in a few hits. Fuck this game is hard!
Massive damage is not difficulty, just take your time. Kill a skeleton, go back to the campfire until you feel ready to go to the next.
 
Welp it turns out I already own Dark Souls 3, my 2 hour play time attests to the difficulty. Any tips?
 
Massive damage is not difficulty, just take your time. Kill a skeleton, go back to the campfire until you feel ready to go to the next.
Oh it is difficulty because I have to dodge all over the place in a very narrow area full of tombstone obstacles and a cliff edge that I can accidentally fall off and die. Oh and the skeletons are in pairs and flank me. Oh and if I dodge away a little too far 2 more skeletons spawn in. This is right next to the campfire area and they follow me all the way back there if I run away. This game IS brutal and deliberately unfair. Fascinating.

EDIT: I still intend on trying to play it at least halfway through. Real life has enough massive set backs, that I'm sure that my first major loss (ie, losing key equipment or progress) will make me shelve the game for a while.
 
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That’s all great advice but I have no idea what any of that means. I’m very early in the game: skeletons in the nearby graveyard kill me in a few hits. Fuck this game is hard!

Hahah, yeah stay away from the graveyard, it is for lategame even though it is right there! Same with New Londo (the flooded city at the bottom of the stairs under Firelink Shrine).

Just keep pushing into Undead Burg. Don't bother being Human unless you want to summon someone for a boss fight which I very much reccomend for a first playthrough as it is a lot of fun to fight with one or two extra people helping out.

At the beginning put your shield up and circle left or right, wait for them to strike first then counter.

The first two boss fights can be really frustrating, for the first boss find the Gold Pine Resin in the Burg first and apply it to your weapon. Roll under his legs and whale away on his crotch and ass. Good luck!
 
Welp it turns out I already own Dark Souls 3, my 2 hour play time attests to the difficulty. Any tips?

All the Souls games play pretty much the same except they fix some of the more annoying things like how OP backstabs are in PvP from DS1.

My tips above to Necro apply, don't take on mobs, circle, use your shield, kill at a distance whenever you can. Go slow and keep that shield up!
 
EDIT: I still intend on trying to play it at least halfway through. Real life has enough massive set backs, that I'm sure that my first major loss (ie, losing key equipment or progress) will make me shelve the game for a while.

You can't really lose equipment. The first merchant you'll find will have a Repair Box, buy that and you're set for the rest of the game!
 
Brock and Necrozius, if you're really struggling with Souls, reset and create a Pyromancer. It's easy mode.

Just watch out: it won't train you for the more challenging/no bullshit areas and entries (like Tomb of Giants, or Bloodborne and Sekiro).

P.S: by the way, everybody should try Bloodborne and Sekiro. The former is the best lovecraftian mass-media work IMHO, and the later is the apex of the series formula in 3 words: Isshin Sword Saint. Every second in a Souls game is training you to Isshin, even if you don't know it.
 
Currently playing Skyrim for the first time ever, having picked it up for cheap in the most recent Steam sale. I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm playing a Bosmer focusing on archery, stealth, light armor, and occasional one-handed weapons as a backup for my bow. I'm level 17 at the moment, having started the main quest line, but have mostly been doing side quests (going after bounties, recovering items for people, etc).
 
I participated in the Calrissian Cup this weekend: an organised competition around Star Wars: Squadron.

My team came 6th in the first day, the Swiss Play - but today in the Single Elimination playoffs we lost our first game. Ah well! We are pretty proud with how well we played to say we're fairly casual in how we play/get together.
 
I participated in the Calrissian Cup this weekend: an organised competition around Star Wars: Squadron.

My team came 6th in the first day, the Swiss Play - but today in the Single Elimination playoffs we lost our first game. Ah well! We are pretty proud with how well we played to say we're fairly casual in how we play/get together.

How do you like the game? I go back and forth on getting it.
 
I'm curious too. I was a big fan of X-wing/Tie-fighter back in the day.
 
Since I updated it and bought the add on, playing some Insterstellar Space: Genesis. Not the most original 4X ever, but brings just enough to the plate to be kind of good comfort food.
 
How do you like the game? I go back and forth on getting it.
I'm curious too. I was a big fan of X-wing/Tie-fighter back in the day.
I have 200 hours in it, and even bought a joystick to play with - safe to say I personally enjoy it.

However, I'm also quite into the competitive scene - a pseudo MOBA with quite a skill ceiling. For more casual fans the story itself is fairly good (bit heavy on the trope-y plucky rebels vs hardy imperials) but it's nothing that will blow your socks off, and online can be rough if you aren't interested in the competitive aspect.

I thought for $40 it was a steal for my own preferences so if you can get it on sale (and I imagine it will be on sale a lot as they are going to cut support eventually, it's a one and done title) It's highly worth it!
 
How do you like the game? I go back and forth on getting it.
I've only had time to dabble with it, but I like it a lot. It's much better with a flight stick and throttle. The controls are very customizable, with the ability to add more complexity to power management than the game gives you by default. I have a Valve Index, and that is just amazing. Sitting in a X-Wing, and being able to freely turn around to look at the R2 unit behind me is genuinely thrilling. It's interesting comparing the wide-open view in an X-Wing with the TIE Fighter, where you just have a round window on the front.

I haven't played enough to know if the game has legs, but I am sure it will justify purchasing it.
 
I am looking for an MMO to play with the Mrs and lure some friends in. Mrs is most important part of the equation so it has to have lots of cute stuff like pets cooking recipes costumes and housing. I am wondering if she will like Final Fantasy 14 but it's really old. Any suggestions?

I remember playing Age of Conan a long time ago, it was really quirky and buggy.
 
I am looking for an MMO to play with the Mrs and lure some friends in. Mrs is most important part of the equation so it has to have lots of cute stuff like pets cooking recipes costumes and housing. I am wondering if she will like Final Fantasy 14 but it's really old. Any suggestions?

I remember playing Age of Conan a long time ago, it was really quirky and buggy.
Age of CONAN was one of my favourites, but going back to it there are so many aspects that feel buggy and clunky. Which is a shame, I really enjoyed playing in Tortage and Cimmeria. The art direction was superb as well, I did check it out again in late 2019, but unfortunately it felt quite cumbersome to play.

My friends and I still occasionally alternate between SWTOR and LOTRO - these MMOs are a bit dated here and there, but they are now free and have stood the test of time, so it may be worth checking out :thumbsup:
 
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I am looking for an MMO to play with the Mrs and lure some friends in. Mrs is most important part of the equation so it has to have lots of cute stuff like pets cooking recipes costumes and housing. I am wondering if she will like Final Fantasy 14 but it's really old. Any suggestions?

I remember playing Age of Conan a long time ago, it was really quirky and buggy.
World of Warcraft
Since I updated it and bought the add on, playing some Insterstellar Space: Genesis. Not the most original 4X ever, but brings just enough to the plate to be kind of good comfort food.
This looks interesting. What do you like about it? Have you played Endless Space 2?
 
World of Warcraft

This looks interesting. What do you like about it? Have you played Endless Space 2?

ES1, but not ES2; I have it but I've not been able to get up the energy. I have mixed feelings about the card-based combat.

Its mostly that the way exploration and exploitation is handled makes it a much more ongoing and engaging thing that the kind of one-and-done you get in a lot of them. Its also nice in that its possible to win without being a heavy-duty combatant (though you still want enough forces to discourage--adventurism--on others parts).
 
I am looking for an MMO to play with the Mrs and lure some friends in. Mrs is most important part of the equation so it has to have lots of cute stuff like pets cooking recipes costumes and housing. I am wondering if she will like Final Fantasy 14 but it's really old. Any suggestions?

I remember playing Age of Conan a long time ago, it was really quirky and buggy.

Animal Crossing seems like the obvious choice there although of course you'll need a Switch.



Finally got around to playing my Steam copy of Gris and it isn't just a beautiful Mobieus-like light platfomer but a very well made but accessible puzzle game.

 
So I bought FF XIV. What a clusterfuck. Setting up a new account is ridiculous. I tried it through the launcher and it crashed as soon as I entered the authentication code. I can't do it through the launcher any more because the Steam Overlay pops up to block it and can't be removed or worked around. So I go to their website to setup an account and get the message "An e-mail has already been sent to this e-mail address. If you would like to send another e-mail, please wait at least 24 hours before trying again."

Good thing for Square Enix they have a no refunds policy.
 
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