That's the thing though, if Square was contracting them to write code, it's not their code, it's Square's
#other-games
tepid wadi
Generally with contracting, the person/group that you contract work from doesn't own the final product, you do. And it's up to you what you want to do with it. Unless Square specifically said "yeah, you can keep the code/assets for this project" (big doubt), Square owns all the code and assets.
If the project/contract was canceled part way through, square still owns that in-progress work unless specified otherwise. And I doubt they'd have sued in that case.
peak marsh
Fair enough I suppose
Meanwhile, for all the internet drama-mongering around it, AC Shadows launched and... was just another mediocre AC game. Not amazing, not massively offensive, not terrible, just another meh game in an increasingly meh series
tepid wadi
I mean, the reason Ubisoft is dying is because they're so risk averse that they keep releasing the same formulaic games over and over
So not really any big surprise there. I've heard that the viking-themed AC game was good, but that may just be because my buddy who played it loves any game that's viking themed 😝
peak marsh
The last one I played that I have any kind of resonating memory of was Black Flag, and that wasn't even because of the core game xD
Like even the "good" early ones kind of lost me because it felt like a series of just following map markers. I didn't really feel invested in anything I was doing outside of the parkour being kind of fun, and it sounds like that's the big takeaway with this one
I'm not a big fan of game design that has me staring at my minimap more than I'm staring at the actual game going on around it
tepid wadi
I mean, for the first couple the parkour and assassin stuff was enough to keep them afloat
They were new and novel at that point
peak marsh
It's kind of frustrating when you sit back and look at it. Ubi has some really solid interesting properties and they just can't seem to do anything worthwhile with them. AC, Prince of Persia (Sands of Time and Lost Crown were pretty great, but that's two in a couple decades), Tomb Raider, Watch Dogs, Far Cry, all the Tom Clancy properties (new Splinter Cell when?), and Rayman
I guess they've had some success with the Star Wars license but I kind of wonder how much of that is them and how much is input from Disney
Prince of Persia is especially irksome for me. Sands of Time is an all-time game for me, and they've consistently made the series worse with every release since then. The exception being when they outsourced it to finally make something interesting with Lost Crown, and they rewarded that studio by closing it down. Which leaves me in a spot where I want to buy and play it but I don't want to reward them for their mismanagement
torpid osprey
need like a snack type of game short good any recommendations ?
peak marsh
That's pretty broad. Genre? Any particular style like fantasy, dark, lighthearted, etc?
peak marsh
Yeah, definitely if you're looking for a quick pick up and play kind of game
Though even that leaves itself open to options. Roguelike top down, first person, rpg, shooter, etc etc
vague galleon
I mean, the reason Ubisoft is dying is because they're so risk averse that they ...
nah, they keep releasing the "same" game but replacing all the good features.
im a big farcry fan but after 4..... :S
timber prism
Meanwhile, for all the internet drama-mongering around it, AC Shadows launched a...
I heard people like it and is one of the better ones comparing it to being around Black Flag level
peak marsh
Oh sure, I just mean for all the pre-release drama farming going on (oh noe the Japanese government is mad at Ubi~) it was just kind of an unremarkable release
timber prism
Good. Games should be measured by quality not controversy imo.
Were you expecting another Hogwarts?
That game sure upset people
peak marsh
I wasn't really expecting much of anything. As I alluded to earlier AC isn't really my thing
timber prism
And it was reflected by post release discussion which i hope never happens again
peak marsh
Wasn't Hogwarts Legacy generally well received?
timber prism
There was def outrage about people supporting it and the IP owner
And yeah it did do really well which upset vocal people even more
But the game itself was very average
That's what I thought you were referring to as unremarkable release bc there isn't similar traction
XD
peak marsh
Nah, I just mean that there were wild predictions ranging from how it would be "a disgraceful mess that will ruin Ubi" to "it will be the best AC game evar and will elevate the series" among all the other conversations about how Ubi screwed up on the historical japanese references (which they objectively did but nobody cares in an AC game)
So like, it wasn't amazing, it wasn't terrible, and it didn't incite riots in Japan. Just an unremarkable release for all the pre-release press it was getting
tepid wadi
Wait you're saying gamers made a huge fuss about something that amounted to nothing? Where have I heard that before...
Oh right, everywhere all the time 😝
peak marsh
Yeah, fair xD
vague galleon
peak marsh
So many squibs ._.
jovial swallow
Something completely different:
I'm looking for people who are interested in playing an AD&D 2nd Edition Campaign on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule.
I'm using Fantasy Grounds as VTT and TS for voice.
Although I'm writing this in english, this will be a german-speaking group.
If anyone's interested, send me a pm.
vague galleon
2Adnd.
thac0
No.
jovial swallow
THACO is so easy. 😉
And a Pen-&-Paper RPG has more to it than fighting. At least if you have a decent GM.
vague galleon
thac0 is Not easy! do not lie to people!
i do like how in 2A classes leveled at different rates.
the short time i played 2A my dm never told us any of the rules.
it was a lot of fun back then despite hin being a bit of a jerk.
jovial swallow
Well, it's easy once you've done it a few times. But that aside, thx to the VTT you don't have to calculate anything anymore.
It's just a subtraction. Subtract what you rolled from your THACO, that's the AC you hit.
tepid wadi
A lot of people's brains just don't work well with that. You need a lower number to hit a higher AC? There are negative AC values? People just didn't like it 😝
I only really have a fond place for it because of the original Baldur's Gate games
vague galleon
ya. its just unnecesary math.
misty arch
about to start
https://www.youtube.com/live/JsFTvIsRYbw?si=dvfkEggV2RQo0_Uz
peak marsh
@vague galleon A squib is what prop guys on film sets etc call those powder 'explosion' things
peak marsh
Reminded me of an old episode of Power Rangers with all the squibs xD
Though I guess that's what they were lampooning, not PR specifically but the whole super sentai style
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1479730/Commandos_Origins/ -Wild we're finally getting a new game in this series in a couple weeks. I hope they do it well, Commandos 1 and 2 were some prime 00s PC gaming
soft cairn
this will be fun 😄 https://youtu.be/ri2W9nn6Wh8
misty arch
and its 4 player co-op
peak marsh
Working on my Fashion Hunter
peak marsh
reminds me of this guy
Actually yeah, similar vibe xD
jovial swallow
ya. its just unnecesary math.
And having tons of feats, flanking, reactions etc. is necessary?
Sorry, but my existing group has fun without all of those "power-gaming" features.
That campaign has been running for 4 years now and the people enjoy it.
Since I have more people interested, I'm starting a 2nd group, but need at least 2 more players.
For me 5 E is the worst that could happen to that game .... and to the Forgotten Realms.
Anyways, if anyone is interested. Send a pm. 😉
vague galleon
And having tons of feats, flanking, reactions etc. is necessary?
Sorry, but my e...
Feats are cool.
jovial swallow
Not needed to have fun, for me that's just "flexing".
vague galleon
I disagree. Greater Cleave kicked ass in 3.0
its all neglible, d20 isnt even half as fun to play as d10.
jovial swallow
I prefer games that concentrate on the roleplaying ... not how many oppenents can be killed with 1 blow.
vague galleon
"concentrate on roleplaying"
so anything that is Not dungeons and dragons. gotcha.
jovial swallow
"concentrate on roleplaying"
so anything that is Not dungeons and dragons. gotch...
AD&D 2nd IS roleplaying.
vague galleon
A system literally built around a wargame to be a dungeon crawler is not the best choice for "role playing".
jovial swallow
Only the later iterations concentrated on other things.
Then you obviously never played with a decent GM.
vague galleon
No. i just know the history and mechanics of dnd.
its literally based off Chainmail. a war game.
jovial swallow
But it evolved into a game for roleplaying ... and with 3rd Ed devolved again.
vague galleon
And i have played other systems that handle non combat mechanics far better.
Id rather play Exalted.
jovial swallow
Like I said, then you never had a decent AD&D GM, for example, the campaign that's running for 4 years now, their last fight is almost a year ago, and we play every 2 weeks.
I'd say that's ALOT of roleplaying. 😉
vague galleon
i mean. i had fun with it in middle school despite not even knowing my attributes or spells.
Anyway, if youre looking for people I could point you towards some better discord options. im in an OSR one.
I sadly, do not speak german.......
tepid wadi
I'm generally of the opinion that the RP potential is more about the group than the system. Since its all made up anyway, choosing to ignore or create new rules is part of the fun and the right group will flourish no matter what
peak marsh
D&D etc is something I've always had a passing interest in but never had the group to jump in with. It seems like a blast and I still have friends who get together around some dice with some beers and I usually observe to one side xD
The closest I get is stuff like Baldurs Gate or the Divinity games
tepid wadi
It's a ton of fun. I haven't played it in person in years, but have a regular group that uses a VTT. One of the cool parts is that the story evolves very clearly based on your actions because the person writing it is generally writing it WHILE you play it.
But also, as an adult it's a lot harder than as a kid, because the scheduling boss is the hardest boss.
peak marsh
Yep, and me being completely unimitated I usually let those guys have their fun and just enjoy the racuous that goes on around it xD They've tried teaching but I feel bad being that guy holding them back from the fun stuff
tepid wadi
Eh, think of it like a board game that you're learning. If people invite you to it, they want you to play so don't feel bad.
It's just a big co-op board game that you make up the rules and scenarios to as you go
peak marsh
I remember one session the GM and one of the guys was getting annoyed, because one guy was playing a full on wilderness ranger/hunter, and another was playing a rogue who had a pet ferret. So while the party was having their first meetings in a bar, the ranger was out and about in the town, used tracking to discover the ferret, and started hunting it because he wanted a snack xD
So while the GM was trying to move the story along, he kept having to do dice rolls for the hunter who was tracking/trying to shoot the ferret, and the guy with the ferret was mad because he was shooting at it xD
Yeah, I get that, but by the same token I accept that I'm a complete noob and enjoy having my drink off to the side and observing xD
tepid wadi
Yeah, that's more of a human problem than anything. Some people like to be trolly like that and it can really ruin a game.
peak marsh
For me and a couple others it was pretty funny, but it took an entire night just for the party to finally get together, and led to an awkward meeting between the hunter and rogue who didn't like each other for the rest of the campaign xD
tepid wadi
Sounds about right. I've had problems like that before where there's a question "why would I keep being around this person I don't like?" and there's just no answer
You kind of have to build your characters under the assumption that you'll actually want to exist together, heh
peak marsh
In that case it was kind of funny because apparently (again, taking all this in secondhand because I'm not a player) the rogue guy was a bit of an edgelord so the guy playing the hunter was just getting under his skin
We were all early 20s at the time, to note
Those guys still play now, 15+ years later, so I can only assume it was in good fun
tepid wadi
Yeah, sometimes its like that
vague galleon
I'm generally of the opinion that the RP potential is more about the group than ...
How dare you say something so true.
frank sonnet
peak marsh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4RitT80MCE - Post review cycle monetization rears it's ugly head again
peak marsh
Classic Ubi, make a $70 single player game with a live service monetization system xD
peak marsh
Finally got around to it
Probably won't play right away because I'm still digging through Wilds but I have it at least xD
I like supporting independent developers, and especially so since they were able to buy their rights back from Take Two
peak marsh
From the video it sounds like waiting until The Breach drops is the way to go anyhow
timber prism
From the video it sounds like waiting until The Breach drops is the way to go an...
I believe the Breach update already happened?
Nvm! April 30th!
Gives me time to finish AC Shadows
Definitely wait for the update to play the game
peak marsh
Yeah, not just for the QoL but they mention that new saves will be required to play everything. Old saves will basically be locked to a "legacy" version of the game without the shiney new stuff
Appreciate the video, BTW
sweet oasis
Quote of the day
** "If money can't buy you happiness you don't have enough money"**
timber prism
Appreciate the video, BTW
Of course! Im so happy you bought it so we can talk about it when you play haha
I really enjoyed my first playthrough
peak marsh
I'm looking forward to it. I've heard a lot of good things and honestly I've been meaning to get it for a while (basically since it came out), I've just always had other things I was playing at the time lol
tepid wadi
Yeah, I loved it as a big souls and ARPG player. This update looks totally awesome.
tepid widget
Greetings Ladies and gents. Does anyone here play Roblox??? I'm not in the wrong server. I'm looking for a friend. I'm not self advertising either. I'd just like to know if anyone would be interested in playing Roblox with me. Plz PM if you're interested. thank you for your time!
tepid wadi
You might have better luck searching out Roblox related servers online and joining them. People tend to be pretty skeptical joining folks from discords that are unrelated to the thing they're talking about.
peak marsh
Yeah, I loved it as a big souls and ARPG player. This update looks totally aweso...
Yeah, it sounds like they've really addressed a lot of community feedback and done a lot both for replayability and QoL. Personally I like that they've added a reforging system and retooled the loot drops to be more relevant to your level, so you aren't constantly finding things you can't use either because it's too weak or too far above your level
Being able to adjust drops by rerolling/removing modifiers is a pretty player friendly choice for an ARPG
That's the other thing that made me finally buy it. With this update it sounds like the right time to jump in
But also, the fact that they went independent (which I enjoy supporting) and the fact that they really seem to be taking feedback to heart
peak marsh
@vague galleon your turn, get No Rest for the Wicked so we can all play in April/May 
@hollow barn You and Sammy too
I guess they're also adding co-op
tepid wadi
That'll be rad
peak marsh
From the sounds of things The Crucible would be great for co-op, assuming you can use your single player character in co-op
Bring your character, team up and see how far you can go/how hard you can make it
vague galleon
40 bucks, mixed reviews, and early access? nah. pass.
peak marsh
It's only mixed because it's been a while since the last update, because the studio's publisher was shut down by Take Two and they had to buy their publishing rights back
Check out some reviews, pretty much everyone is positive about it, people are just complaining through the Steam review score
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dii9dzSdnJ4 - That was Force's launch review, a lot of the stuff he's talking about has been addressed or is going to be addressed in the update coming in April
But generally and overall he was really positive about it
And most of his complaints were around some of the little stuff, like he didn't like some of the inventory management, which is one thing they're addressing in April
Also performance, which has been updated a few times and again will be on the list for April
tepid wadi
Yeah, they had a couple big patches a month or two after release that addressed most of the problems. Gamers are fickle though and tough to get back once you've shown them poor performance, heh
peak marsh
And I mean, it's not unfair for people who decided to drop a negative review considering they went nearly a year without updates or communication, but in this case they had an extremely valid reason both that they weren't releasing anything and that they weren't able to talk about what was going on
tepid wadi
Yeah, that's what I mean though. Gamers don't often care about the validity of the reason
peak marsh
Yeah, that's definitely true
We're a very "show don't tell" kind of people
But also like you said, once gamers have their minds made up about something it's very hard to change that, both in the negative and the positive
Like, whether they have the idea that a game is good or bad, they pretty much stick with that initial assessment unless some major changes happen
vague galleon
I got enough games anyway, and no one will play torchlight with me. XD
peak marsh
Torchlight Infinite or just Torchlight?
I guess they're also due for a big April update
(Infinite I mean)
tepid wadi
Last Epoch update is happening right before TLI update, and that's waaaaay more exciting, for me at least
peak marsh
I guess PoE2 is rumored to be getting one in April also
Good month for ARPG fans
I still haven't invested enough time in Last Epoch. Feels like every time I start getting into it, something else comes along and pulls my attention away
Last time was Enshrouded, and more recently I was playing it just before MH Wilds came out xD
And every time I put it down it's for just long enough to feel like I need to start over to remember everything again xD
Which is kind of unfortunate because its a great game and it works exceptionally with a controller. I just don't have the hours to drop into more than one game at a time these days
tepid wadi
Yeah, there was some minor drama because LE set their season update at April 2, and then a few weeks later POE2 set theirs as April 4. Since that'd basically kill LE's season, they moved their seasons to the 17th
LE is probably my favorite ARPG at this point, I just love the customizability for builds and the crafting so much. I'm interested in the POE2 season, but less so, for sure.
peak marsh
LE definitely seems like it has more options for build customizing. Unfortunate timing on the patches but also probably incidental, and moving theirs two weeks out was probably LEs best option
Thats enough time for players to get into PoE's new season, see everything, and still be able to come back to LEs new season
Personally I like how many options you have for customizing each skill, it feels really in depth and really opens it up to different play styles
tepid wadi
Yeah, I'm sad they had to move it, but also glad it's probably gonna help their business side
This season is supposed to add a lot of new stuff to the endgame, improve crafting options, and stuff like that, so I'm pretty stoked
peak marsh
I mean, being the smaller studio it's probably smarter that they're trying to co-exist with PoE rather than directly competing with it, and a lot of people want to play the seasons on day 1 so it's better that they aren't forcing any tough decisions
Bummer they had to move it but I'm all for multiple good games being able to exist in the same space rather than siphoning players from each other
Doing it this way at least people can play the PoE update, see everything there is to see, and still be able to bounce back and play LE's, then decide which they want to spend further time in, if not both
tepid wadi
Yeah
peak marsh
I've still only scratched the surface, depending on where I'm at with Wilds maybe I'll give the new season a whirl while waiting for the No Rest for the Wicked update
tepid wadi
I can't imagine wilds will hold me for that much longer tbh. Need to wait for a bunch of title updates and expansions
peak marsh
Yeah, MH launches are usually kind of sparse but Wilds feels especially so
I'm guessing that's by design so they can drip feed new monsters every couple months
tepid wadi
Yeah, definitely. I still dunno why they decided as Kutku and Gypceros as HR monsters. They're like... some of the least posssible interesting returning monsters.
peak marsh
IDK, it kind of felt like a throwback, they're bringing back some MHFU monsters, but yeah, I'm not sure how much I'd prefer them over say Tigrex, Nargacuga, and Barioth
Or even other MHFU monsters like Plesioth or Shogun Cenataur
Like, you have a squid and an octopus, why not a crab? xD
Or you have an ice area with caves, why not Khezu?
tepid wadi
I always like Nargacuga, but that's because he usually has my favorite skill set. I'm a big evade distance + evade up enjoyer
peak marsh
Same, but I also like him just in general. There's something cool about the whole panther/dinosaur thing, and the way he jumps around makes the fight hectic and fun
tepid wadi
Yeah, agreed
Somewhat related, I found myself missing tobi kadachi from world
He was a fun early fight
peak marsh
I liked the squirrel xD I though he was a good interesting design
He was another one that was interesting because his movements were sometimes fast and unpredictable. By comparison the lower tier monsters in Wilds are kind of meh
Like, the bullfrog was forgettable, the sand eel thing didn't do much but spit oil, and Doshaguma was kind of interesting just because he has patterns that subvert expectation. Like when he does the paw slam thing, he usually does it twice but when he's enraged he throws in a 3rd one, but not always, so you kind of have to be on your toes
That's more what I like, monsters that occasionally change it up and force you to actively pay attention rather than just rote memorization of when to hang back and when to wail on them
Big part of what I like about Narga
hollow barn
Low Rank Doshaguma honestly felt harder then the High Rank one
peak marsh
I agree but I'm not sure if that's because of a difference between the fights or if it's because I'm better geared by that point
It does kind of feel like LR Dosha bullys you more and spends more time getting in your face
hollow barn
For me it's having proper gear compared to just raw dual blades in LR
peak marsh
Speaking of Doshaguma that brings up a minor bone I have to pick. So when you're out in the world, you can encounter any monster. I find it extremely frustrating and frankly stupid that they're there and I have the option to pick a fight with one, but if your HR isn't high enough yet you don't get "permission from the guild" to fight it
I say Dosha in particular because when I first reached HR I found an Alpha Dosha and picked a fight with it, and I was doing fine and got it to the point it was weak, but because I "wasn't allowed to" yet, eventually he just left the area mid fight
hollow barn
I only had that with the Apexes but then again I played to much pre going up from HR15 that I just skipped to 40
peak marsh
Like, if it's there and I can fight it let me fight it and if I'm not ready yet, it just beats me. What's the good of having an open world if there are going to be such arbitraty restrictions?
hollow barn
I say Dosha in particular because when I first reached HR I found an Alpha Dosha...
Did you fight the alpha or the smaller one? Because for some reason the smaller ones don't have a quest if the alpha is there
hollow barn
Like, if it's there and I can fight it let me fight it and if I'm not ready yet,...
I disliked that in LR a lot
tepid wadi
Yeah, IDK how I feel about it either. It's always interesting to try and take on things that should be out of your reach.
Like let me hunt them, but don't give me quest rewards or something
peak marsh
It was an alpha I came across right after I hit HR, and I wanted it because the Dosha greatsword has punishing draw
hollow barn
Like let me hunt them, but don't give me quest rewards or something
Isn't that how it is? I killed balaharas in LR without the quest because I wasn't that far
peak marsh
Like let me hunt them, but don't give me quest rewards or something
Exactly, or just don't have it appear below a certain hunter rank
tepid wadi
Isn't that how it is? I killed balaharas in LR without the quest because I wasn'...
In HR if you try to fight them, it just gives you a warning that you can't. I dunno if you can actually kill them
But it kept yelling at me so I stopped
peak marsh
Yeah, it will just keep saying "you're not authorized for this hunt yet" and the monster will eventually just leave the area unless you can kill it fast enough
hollow barn
In HR if you try to fight them, it just gives you a warning that you can't. I du...
I never tried it in HR, I just stayed clear of the Apexes while killing the rest
peak marsh
Which again, sure fine, in previous MH games you couldn't take quests above your HR, but if it's going to be open world at least let me try and succeed or fail on my own skill, or just don't have the monster appear. And if there's no quest just dont give me the bonus rewards
But letting me make the attempt then having the monster just disappear in a puff of smoke is just frustrating and annoying
tepid wadi
Yeah, a core memory for me is fighting the Querpecco in MH3 and it summons a Rathian to mess up your day, but I killed the Rathian and skinned it before the quest ended.
Made me feel like a super badass
peak marsh
Yeah exactly. Like, MH has always been about your skill level determining what you're able to do
This just reminds me of like, Metroid other M where you have your powers but can't use them because daddy didn't give permission xD
I'd much rather the monster just didn't appear until a given hunter rank, especially considering the maps themselves are instanced rather than fully open world
Like, you aren't running into an area with 20-50 other hunters running around, it's just you anyhow
Most of the time. I've occasionally had a random hunter stroll by but for the most part
Having it this way where the monster is there but you aren't "allowed" to hunt it just feels arbitrary and kind of obnoxious
hollow barn
Iirc World let's you hunt a anjanath and even gives you normal rewards even tho it's far above your current HR
tepid wadi
Yeah
I wonder if it was a way to curtail the game being easier than previous installments. I'm 100% sure I could've killed Rey Dau in my first HR armor/weapon set.
hollow barn
Rey Dau is also probably the easiest of the 4 Apexes unless you wail braindead on it
tepid wadi
Yeah, easily
hollow barn
Jin hits extremely hard and Nu Udra just does idk what while Uth Duna isn't as telegraphed as Rey
peak marsh
I wonder if it was a way to curtail the game being easier than previous installm...
Turning off your Felyne goes a long way. Its a completely different experience when the monster is focused on you the entire time and you aren't getting random heals/traps/status clensings
I've been doing that in MH games since 3rd gen after a point. It's nice early on but the Felyne is kind of like training wheels/a substitute for having another player with you
In some ways it's actually more helpful once you have the resources to clense/heal/drop traps yourself. When the monster is purely focused on you it makes positioning a lot easier because it's not suddenly turning around to fight the cat when you want a head break etc
But it also means you can't just wander off any time you want to sharpen or use a potion xD
tepid wadi
Yeah, though that's a lot easier when you can just hop on your bird and move while doing whatever actions you need
peak marsh
True, when the bird doesn't derp around and run you directly into an attack xD
Based on a true story
peak marsh
Ultimately that's all that matters, if you're having fun with the game
I pick at Ubi because I don't like their business practices but ultimately I won't crap on someone else's enjoyment. I'm glad it's hitting the right notes for you ^^
tepid wadi
I've heard that if you're looking for the AC gameplay experience, its really good.
timber prism
Yeah, I personally think its the best one I have played
but I am a huge sucker for Japan
I think it does a lot of fun things like good day/night cycle and seasonal weather rotating
vague galleon
Torchlight Infinite or just Torchlight?
infinite is the worst arpg i ever played. absolute shit.
no. i meant 2. one of the best arpgs i ever played.
i tried last epoch. bought it in the same purchase as enshrouded. its pretty but so basic with awful loot and terrible enemy variety. could not get into it.
its sad when i feel the original diablo is a more solid and enjoyable game in this day in age over a lot of modern arpgs that should be pure improvement.
also tl3 is a game where theres a lot i like about it, but not what matters, the combat.
tepid wadi
TL2 is one of the classic best ARPGs, for sure
timber prism
Grim Dawn is fun if you haven't tried it
tepid wadi
Yeah, I like Grim Dawn, but the combat and visuals are starting to feel their age
I love the class system though
vague galleon
Grim Dawn is a good one but i never played for very long. Soldier class might not have been the best choice for me.
frank sonnet
TL2 is one of the classic best ARPGs, for sure
Have you played titan quest?
tepid wadi
Yep, i actually like it more than grim dawn because I like the theme better
vague galleon
theme better but all i was getting for loot was piddly gray stuff. had to buy nearly all my gear...
so i didnt get far into it.
tranquil cove
bought none of my gear and i have like legendary sets for everything lol
ha to start storing items on multiple characters
tepid wadi
Yeah, I mean TQ is ancient by today's gaming standards. Lots of things have seen improvement since it was a thing
vague galleon
well my only complaint for titan quest was the lack of loot.
i dont know if thats intentional or not.
but when it comes to arpgs the gameplay loop rarely changes much so if the games needs to hook you on the first level
tranquil cove
is it just early areas where the loot is ass?
titan quest is divided into 3 playthroughs
something like normal, rare, legendary playthroughs
you need to beat the game on normal to unlock the next harder playthrough
each unlock grants you more rare/legendary loot drop chance i think
so you basically need to beat the game 3 times, with each character.
and then of course rare items mostly have a chance to drop on boss battles, and the chance increases with specific boss battles.
likewise you can just farm the boss battle over and over again for items.
eventually you have tons of items, but the problem is making sets, since you can get the same item multiple times, but not every item in the set since it's all RNG based, and no exact location to farm sets themselves.
vague galleon
i think i got as far as the military ecampent and then just got bored of the lack of shiny loot.
tranquil cove
yeah titan quest is a grindy game
vague galleon
grim dawn had waaaay better loot drops.
tranquil cove
ill show you my titan quest chars
thats a Legendary character
legendary is unlocked
this is an epic unlocked character
level 43 normal character, somehow higher level? probably because i did the expansions with her.
and then my last character level 32 normal
so yeah lots of items imo
vague galleon
wild.
@tranquil cove
thats a lot of stuff.
maybe i should speed run some levels?
hmmm
tranquil cove
<@947608465818411029>
thats a lot of stuff.
maybe i should speed run some levels...
yeah if you play it consistently, but not trying to grind it out all in 1 day, you'll eventually accumulate a lot... without getting frustrated.
i have 250 hours over a few years
lol
if i really was into the game im sure it would be 1000+ hours
but i'd say it's still a nice game
vague galleon
ya, i got over 400 in TL2
i'd play TL1 more if it had co-op.
TL2 is the only one where I've actually maxed out a character, of nearly any game really.
i maxed out an emmbermage, than an engineer, and I'm over halfway with a berzeker. plus I have a ton of secondary characters in the different classes.
I really need to actually try mods more.
tranquil cove
honestly i don't even like game devs anymore
like they don't talk to players, and they have these round about feedback methods that get flooded with 100,000 posts.
and in the end it seems like they listen to nothing anyway. and just do their own thing half the time for a lot of games.
so much disconnect from reality
skateCPT for example, they should add voice chat, and then the programmers/game designers, themselves, not some PR person, should go in the game while people are skating, and ask them what they think of things, and do live surveys through the in game VC.
they could have all the info they need from just 1 day of talking to people directly playing their game.
if your team has 100 programmers, and you have 100 players, you just got a ton of feedback, if they played their game all day and talked to the players in game rofl.
tepid wadi
Well, part of the problem is that the bigger the company, the more red tape there is. Also the bigger the gaming population, the more possible it is to make some sort of mistake, accidentally promise things, etc.
There's also bad stuff for devs too. Toxic fans asking for things that are unrealistic or things you just can't do, trolls who just want to ruin everyone's day, etc. I've seen a lot of companies pull back from community engagement after devs get doxxed or receive death threats or whatnot.
tranquil cove
well you could remove those people from the open beta
if you're doing an open beta, and its multiplayer, and it was my game company, thats 1 of the things i would do, send people in the server to get feedback and play the game too.
i understand games like enshrouded are single player/coop, so the only place to really engage people in real time is discord mostly.
tepid wadi
Coordinating feedback and getting GOOD feedback, especially from an open beta is an incredibly difficult process. Even with the featureupvote, it's been a struggle for Enshrouded, and the community here is largely excellent. Can't imagine what it'd be like for a game with an ounce of competition or antagonism between players.
tranquil cove
whats good feedback?
you want the gamer to design the game for you?
this sucks = good feedback imo.
it tells you not to go down that path, or that what you implemented has some issue, and then you ask specifically what sucks about it, and they answer in 1 minute, because voice chat is easy like that.
if you get 100 "this sucks" it means it sucks, best feedback ever imo.
plus because you're actually a developer, and involved in a conversation with someone 1 on 1 you can direct the conversation with the right questions to get the feedback that is good or useful.
you can't do that on a forum.
the forum is just 90% complaints, with no solutions. and no programmer/dev or even pr person, ever responds.
also everyone who dislikes something in the game is not flocking to the forums to upvote it or even post on it, or even knows the forum exists... you'll get more real and genuine feedback from talking to players in your multiplayer game, and going to them.
even just talking to someone and they are angry, tells you that something is frustrating them about your game lol it's all good feedback, even that emotion.
fossil mountain
Well generally devs don't interact with community, especially in bigger companies. That is what community managers do. In good companies they interact with community and then bring the ideas to correct person. Also normal devs can't just implement things as they want. Normal there would be lead designer who desides what gets added and devs follow that.
tranquil cove
the question "how are you liking your experience so far? is there anything you don't like? what do you think could be improved/added? and how do you like the in game store?" and then listen to their answers, move on to the next person. just think about the information you could gain doing this for 24 hours in an open beta, during gameplay, in the game sever... and the dev writes down the main points they heard, you cross reference the points from everyone to see which complaints or praises overlap, and you have good feedback.
ive been playing skateCPT for like 6 months, and they sent a survey twice. and survey was stupid each time imo.
peak marsh
well you could remove those people from the open beta
You can remove them from the beta, but not from the online discourse. In some cases exactly that happens but they continue to doxx/be abusive/encourage others to be abusive/try to create a negative image of the devs and the studio
Nothing in online interaction is so cut-and-dry unfortunately
Aside, often it's better for devs in active development to insulate themselves from the community, at least while they're still realizing their vision. Feedback can be a double-edged sword, sometimes it helps improve a product but others it can distract and lead it to being unfocused. That's why a lot of devs don't start taking feedback until reviews start coming in, and they pick and choose where and from whom to take it
Communities want every game to be everything and it's just not realistic. A game can't be Zelda but also Rust but also Grand Theft Auto but also Counter Strike, and communities will ask for essentially that
frank sonnet
imo I've had nothing but good experiences with indy devs
peak marsh
Yeah, but it's different with smaller studios and smaller communities. Take Enshrouded for instance, they can open themselves up more because they aren't getting thousands of requests and demands a day, and there's less of a sense of entitlement than you'd see with a larger AAA or even AA studio
tranquil cove
what the heck this discord update
made the icons on left even tinier, and changed the colour of at message from gold to bronze
it's not gold anymore 😢
peak marsh
Yeah, kinda brown-ish
I haven't seen it yet but I also haven't restarted Discord in a while xD
tranquil cove
same, but PC crashed today
peak marsh
Just did. They made it actually black instead of gray
tranquil cove
what's black, discord?
peak marsh
Yeah
tranquil cove
they have themes now, you can go back to grey, but this was there pre-update anyway
peak marsh
Yeah I just noticed that too
Not sure the server title at the top is necessary when it's at the top of the channel list xD
Went back to the gray, the black was too contrast-y for me
tranquil cove
Communities want every game to be everything and it's just not realistic. A game...
anyway all your points were good above, just wanted to say
peak marsh
Yeah, I see the bronze now xD
But yeah, I don't necessarily fault devs who are more quiet and focused with their development as long as it's clear they're working towards a definite goal
Endnight was like that with The Forest, they were almost completely radio silent but the game was so good and kept making such good additions that I didn't really fault them for it
It was frustrating at times, but they had a clear vision in mind and you could see that in the end result
Except the worm, that was silly and they really need an option to disable it xD
frank sonnet
what the heck this discord update
i hate that they made everything smaller
timber prism
Also the "___ is typing" is smaller
you can change size of all of the UI
so just make it bigger if its too small lmao
i much prefer the smaller UI
I have 21 servers to look at minus all the ones I put in groups so it feels nice not having to scroll them all
peak marsh
It's not like, squinty small but it is noticably smaller
timber prism
yeah, if it wasn't noticeable.. i dont think they would need a change XD
peak marsh
Fair xD
Kinda wish I could move the user list to make it smaller though. I don't even directly use it that much and it's a lot wider than it needs to be for the most part
Except for people with absurdly long names like vano
But I guess I'll just put that on the wish list along with "let me move my taskbar to the right in Windows 11 like a civilized person"
I don't need the taskbar taking up my entire horizontal resolution, why can I only move it to the top or bottm? >.<
timber prism
But I guess I'll just put that on the wish list along with "let me move my taskb...
this bothers me so much
there is a way to mod it to work though or something
peak marsh
I've tried, it's very buggy and doesn't function right
timber prism
BLAST
peak marsh
Best I've come up with is to make it auto hide
timber prism
it actually really irks me lmao
peak marsh
Same. Like, really >.<
timber prism
like why they would get rid of that option
lmao
they did it on purpose to make people mad
peak marsh
Best answer I can come up with. I mean, I can't imagine it was some impossible programming feat
When it's been an option in every single windows since 98
And I mean, vertical resolution is necessary real estate on modern monitors, it's the skinny direction, why do I have to sacrifice it for the task bar when it doesn't even need that much space? >.<
timber prism
im so glad that you understand this lmao
peak marsh
Like, I've got 7 icons pinned on the left side, the clock/settings and a weather widget on the right, and a vast empty expanse in the middle
A cold, empty void
timber prism
haha
peak marsh
Seriously. the middle of the task bar is just an empty vacuum of wasted space
Alright, rant over, but if I was ever going to attend a protest it would be the one in front of Microsoft offices to liberate the taskbar from the horizontal plane
I'd also like to be able to make it thinner like you could in Win10 but that's a whole separate rant
tranquil cove
you can change size of all of the UI
where do you change the size
tranquil cove
Seriously. the middle of the task bar is just an empty vacuum of wasted space
you got a weird taskbar
peak marsh
Weird how?
peak marsh
Oh yeah, I got rid of search and all the default icons because I don't use them
tranquil cove
i pinned a lot of those
peak marsh
On the rare occasion I need search I just go through the start bar
tranquil cove
like i use explorer a lot, calculator sometimes, snipping tool a ton
timber prism
where do you change the size
Settings > Appearance
tranquil cove
i actually did not pin discord
tranquil cove
Settings > Appearance
is it zoom level?
timber prism
UI Density
tranquil cove
yeah none of that is what im looking for
peak marsh
What are you trying to find?
tranquil cove
no i want the channel server icons to be bigger
i dont mind scrolling
so it's the zoom setting
i put things in folders and close the folders if i dont want to scroll
peak marsh
Personally I just like having most of the channel list on one screen
tranquil cove
oh the channel list, yeah the compact setting aesthetically displeases me
peak marsh
Though I guess I could have most of the main active channels visible before
tranquil cove
i mute all servers anyway, and go to them when i want, and check specific channels i want to check.
i usually only converse in 1 channel per server
peak marsh
TBF, I honestly mostly just lurk in here or occasional poke my head out in #the-tavern xD
Aside from one all my other servers are just there for various game news
tranquil cove
i dont even talk in a lot of the game servers i am in
no mans sky rarely,
enshrouded sometimes
no more room in hell semi-rarely
core keeper rarely (though i did talk a lot in the past)
cosmoteer rarely (though i did talk a lot in the past)
that's my discord gaming server use lol
it's like 30% of servers i have added, i should delete the rest.
peak marsh
Is Core Keeper decent? I wishlisted it ages ago but I haven't gotten around to buying it yet xD
tranquil cove
Is Core Keeper decent? I wishlisted it ages ago but I haven't gotten around to b...
its worth the price
i have a lot of personal gripes with the base building and storage system
and an idea that would improve it a ton, but devs never implemented it
vague galleon
ya this. i swear they shrunk it.....
peak marsh
I prefer smaller icons, but I like compact UIs
As long as I can tell what it is I don't need it that big
I just wish you could make the user list as narrow as you can the channel list
tranquil cove
frank sonnet
I’m proud to say I’ve never spent a single cent on a free to play game
peak marsh
All that is true, but just as important as whales are minnows, aka the people who pay a little bit who give the whales someone to be stronger than. There's a lot of behavioral psychology involved in F2P games it's important to be aware of, like the whole making you log in every day to collect rewards thing/battlepass stuff
The main reason they want you logging in every day is to form a habit. I forget who it was but someone I follow on YT put it like this:
Suppose you started playing tennis. You have some sneakers and a basic racquet and you play a couple times a week with some friends. Now lets say you start having fun with it. You start going on your own, playing a couple hours a day after work and sometimes on the weekend. You enjoy it and you start getting good at it. 6 months later, you think about getting some equipment because it's become a big part of your life and your weekly routine. So you spend $300 on some good shoes and a nicer racquet. Where before it would have seemed stupid to spend that kind of money on it, now that it's become such a part of your life, you think, of course I'd want to invest into something that I have so much fun with and do all the time
That's the real reason they want you logging in every day. So you form a habit and the game becomes a part of your life, so you think "eh, I play Marvel Rivals all the time, why wouldn't I want a nice skin and a battlepass upgrade?"
vague galleon
which isnt bad to a point, but its the degree to which it goes.
if i play magic and i spend a bit of monwy foiling out my favorite deck, that might be a bit much, but it could be fine if im not going after the super expensive cards.
if i decide to foil out every single deck i own. that would require an intervention from friends and family.
vague galleon
I prefer smaller icons, but I like compact UIs
i wish they hadnt changed the size of the server icons.
and the lack of a gap between the text and the typing box is bothersome.
peak marsh
Sure, it's not negative but its important to be aware of it, because ideally they want to do it without you noticing, because then you just think its your own idea and you become more susceptible to it. As long as you're aware of the psychological digs going on, you can still make an informed decision. Like, the most important thing for them is that first purchase, that's why there's always some "$1.99 beginner pack - one time only" thing. They need to get you to spend once because thats how you become comfortable with it and far more likely to keep spending
But if you're aware of all that and make deliberate decisions instead of impulse ones, there's nothing wrong with buying a couple MTs if you play the game all the time
vague galleon
ya totally.
100%
i have done the "beginner pack" for arena.
and then never spent another cent. 😛
peak marsh
Or also if you just want to support a game you like. PoE is a great example of a F2P I've spent money on
vague galleon
ya.
peak marsh
I think their game is solid and their monetization is extremely fair and player friendly and I like supporting that, so I've spent on PoE
vague galleon
i dropped 50 bucks on hawken for packs cause thw game was so good.............😭 😭
rip hawken........
peak marsh
Was it shut down?
vague galleon
ya...
bought once or twice and shut down for pc and replaced with a shit game.
i dont know if its still on console or not.
i know savage lands was bought twice. shame that game never went anywhere. the aesthetic was top notch.
peak marsh
Yeah, with more work Savage Lands could have been really good. The concept was solid they just never got it there
vague galleon
ya. it was a very bareboned game....
planet explorers was really good too but never got the polish it deserved.
building was good. it had voxel terrain.
i never got far though due to lack of polish i wanted to wait for them to finish it.
supposedly theyre making a PE2.... :S
peak marsh
Idk that I'd trust that if they effectively abandoned the first one
vague galleon
lol exactly.
theyve made other games since then that seem to have sold well and the first PE was supoosedly finished story wise just highly unpolished.
but ya. im absolutely not holding my breath and im not paying 20 on it like i did last time before they made it free.
tranquil cove
you guys want to see my skate cpt suggestions anyone doing the beta?
timber prism
you guys want to see my skate cpt suggestions anyone doing the beta?
Isn't it under a NDA?
tranquil cove
the suggestion threads?
timber prism
Yeah. I thought game related stuff concerning beta was under NDA
Like there is a special playtesting forum that is private for it
peak marsh
I mean, for a user-involved beta that's probably a non-issue, I'm sure it's more for broader media like YT/Twitter (still not calling it X... HA) etc
Like, the EA gestapo isn't going to crash into the channel or anything xD
tranquil cove
Yeah. I thought game related stuff concerning beta was under NDA
i dont really care about their nda though
ive already posted in game screens here
timber prism
Just kinda weird to be in a game dev discord not caring about NDAs
tranquil cove
what game dev discord? this one?
timber prism
Yeah. Game related discord
tranquil cove
Yeah no I don't care about NDAs, I care about feedback/improving the game. If enshrouded devs have a close beta, and they don't know I place no real value on their NDA, that's their problem. It doesn't mean i'm going to contact gamer magazine and leak screenshots to them. But I will probably take screen, or post my forum topic to get feedback on it. 🤷
they also changed the beta 4 times until now, so if anything was leaked previously, other than showing the graphics, not much would still be relevant.
timber prism
I find that all irrelevant but I'm pretty adamant on trying my best not to break contracts
But if you don't care about NDAs you do you XD
tranquil cove
i didnt break the contract
if they can find me they can ban me
that's part of the contract 😄
but chances are my leaks amount to nothing
I don't see them all over the internet, you didn't even know i leaked screens here.
nobody cares.
timber prism
Gotcha
tepid wadi
Yeah, maybe don't share things like that here. If nothing else, it's particularly bad form.
tepid wadi
Yeah, with more work Savage Lands could have been really good. The concept was s...
True of most indie games, unfortunately.
peak marsh
True of most indie games, unfortunately.
It's the unfortunate downside of the space, for as many gems you get to watch being polished, there are two or three times the number of lumpy rocks xD
tepid wadi
It happens especially a lot with Survival games. They're super easy to get started, especially with UE5, but making them unique and good is muuuuch harder
peak marsh
It happens especially a lot with Survival games. They're super easy to get start...
In my experience Unity was a bigger culprit. There. Were. So. Many. Unity survival games that never reached their potential between 2015 and 2021-ish
tepid wadi
I mean, it's both of them for sure. With Unreal these you can pump out a brand new survival game for probably $2000 just with purchased assets and systems and stuff, which as led to a lot of 'meh' releases in the last couple years.
vague galleon
if they can find me they can ban me
they can also sue you.
you know, I have a few other survival games I barely touch, doubt they're worth loading up but, hmmmm
tranquil cove
they can also sue you.
eh, not likely
A U.S. company can sue someone in Canada, but the process is more complicated. Generally, the company would need to file a lawsuit in Canadian courts, and the Canadian court would assess whether it has jurisdiction over the case. If the case is deemed to involve significant business interests in Canada, the court may proceed with the case. EA would likely involve their legal team and possibly work with Canadian legal counsel to bring a suit, but this process could be expensive and time-consuming for them.
works the same with extradition, just because you're a big multimillion dollar company, or a big powerful country, doesn't mean you can bully other people in other countries. your country will stand up for you, if it's a grey area, and not worth the costs.
and for sure some guy in a house who shared 3 screenshots that barely show much, isn't worth the cost. they can ban, good luck with finding me.
vague galleon
right, not trusting you with any secrets.
tranquil cove
you can trust me with secrets
but my value of a games beta as being top secret is pretty low. lol
this is not a matter of national security rofl
tbh some leaks may even benefit them, i could see pursuing a leak that caused substantial harm... but not sure how a screenshot of a beta can do that or why they even care. the NDA seems more like a propaganda tool to keep hype, and not spoil things for players who want to be in the dark.
Companies use NDAs to protect their intellectual property, trade secrets, and any new ideas that have not been publicly revealed. For example, if someone releases a screenshot that shows a new feature, character design, or in-game mechanics, it could give competitors an early advantage in copying those ideas. For large game companies, intellectual property is one of their most valuable assets, and they want to control when and how that content is shared with the public.
LOL what! they have no original ideas.
there's nothing unique in skate, and also you can see 80% of skateCPT closed beta in the 3 previous skate games before it.
since they copied a lot from those games
Companies can argue that even if some content gets leaked, the NDA allows them to better control the situation. If a person leaks something, EA can contact them, remind them of the agreement, and potentially remove the content. Without the NDA, they'd have no recourse to try to contain the leak or control its spread. If they were able to trace the leak back to a particular user (or group), the NDA gives them the grounds to try to minimize further leaks by removing that individual from the test program.
yeah like you're releasing your game to potentially 12 year old kids too.
and some of us with 12 year old morality in the case of NDA's 😛
100% there will be leaks no matter what.
i think they are more concerned with youtuber leaks though, me talking to my friends, is low level leak.
timber prism
"Someone is bound to leak it so it might as well be me." ??????????
tranquil cove
"Someone is bound to leak it so it might as well be me." ??????????
no, im saying it's not 100% surefire system, EA already knew there would be leaks, but they went ahead inviting random strangers they never vetted beyond some digital thing you scroll and click agree too. they didn't care, because none of the care or concern was really put into the NDA or who they invited, it was an afterthought for them, and for me.
i am part of the percentage of people they expected and knew would leak.
some might get banned, but most will be ignored. because the leak has zero impact. me showing my friend something from the game, impacts nobody. if a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it but 1 guy, and then he goes on with his life. nobody cares.
its the same like playing skatcpt while 12 members of my family are over for dinner, and their 5 kids. and they all see the game being played on the living room screen.
it's technically leaking the game, to people not in the beta lol
timber prism
Yes. That is also leaking the game
Anyways. Zerax said it best. Bad form. No need to share
tranquil cove
zerax always says it best 😆
they should give zerax the title
"best sayer of things"
tepid wadi
Listen I've gotta put this English degree to use for something 😝
Also, if you like Tower Defense games, Nordhold just released and it's pretty fun
peak marsh
I mean, it's both of them for sure. With Unreal these you can pump out a brand n...
The Day Before comes to mind xD
peak marsh
https://www.theverge.com/news/637307/nintendo-switch-virtual-game-card-lending-system -This is one of the most consumer friendly moves I've seen from a major console company in a while
topaz charm
https://x.com/SimonKaggwaNjal/status/1905214730316234864
Just found that does this guy started to make games lol?
X
soft cairn
good ad 😄
tepid wadi
I dunno why, but that trailer leaves me wanting a new deus ex type game
Like... the older deus ex games, with the hacking and minigames and stuff
misty arch
that would be cool. keeping an eye on this one since its by the former president of rockstar games.
tepid wadi
It does have kind of a Rockstar feel to it
peak marsh
Like... the *older* deus ex games, with the hacking and minigames and stuff
Or even System Shock, though Deus Ex was way more detailed
System Shock 2 was amazing for its time
tepid wadi
Yeah, I'd love to see a system shock 3, or new deus ex. Like a very crunchy, slower paced cyberpunk style game
Games that revolve around stealth like Thief, also
peak marsh
And especially with the kinds of options those games had, because depending on what skills you invested in entire levels could be an entirely different experience
I must have replayed System Shock 2 a dozen times between different builds and playing co-op with different builds
tepid wadi
Yeah
I dunno if you remember Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magic Obscura
I'd love to see a SS/DE/Thief game in that sort of world where it's tech vs magic and you can choose what sort of path to follow and skills to use and stuff
peak marsh
Yeah, and having the ability to choose specialties like stealth, hacking, magic/psychic stuff, firearms, medicine, etc etc
I always liked the idea of a hacker character in a cyberpunk type game that effectively works as a necromancer, only you're overriding enemy androids and making them fight for you
Androids, sentry guns, maybe you can take over security systems and block off doors or use cameras to recon enemy positions, stuff like that
tepid wadi
Yeah, also games where you just... aren't combat capable (or can build yourself that way)
peak marsh
Exactly, where maybe there's the option but in more cases than not, running and gunning isn't your first or best option
Thief was another really great one
tepid wadi
Thief 2 was an absolute king of a game
peak marsh
Or also, a game that's actually like Tenchu: Stealth Assassins. Where it's slower paced, tense and assassination focused and direct combat is actually the worst option you have
IDK why but nothing has really recaptured that feel since then. Aragami came close I guess
But the powers get so good at a point that it doesn't really give you that sense that the odds are actually against you
tepid wadi
I think it's in part due to things wanting to feel bombastic. Like Dishonored tried to capture the same sort of stealth vibe, but you still turn into an uberbadass
That's one of the things about Thief that's really important. Like if guards get you, you can maybe fight one of them. Two of them? Totally out of the question.
peak marsh
Yeah. That sense that if you're going to succeed, it has to be through your own wits and decisions, not because your character is just some unstoppable force of nature
That's kind of an issue with modern stealth games. They may start alright for a level or two but you end up either a complete anime badass, or carrying an arsenal that would make a platoon commander blush
Not saying there shouldn't be progression but it always feels heavily weighted towards making stealth an option rather than a requirement
tepid wadi
Yeah, I can kind of understand why. It's a lot easier to balance things with the understanding that you're an immortal god king rather than the fine edge that it requires to make it so you felt like you barely succeeded (and so it feels GOOD to barely succeed)
peak marsh
That's what I mean, Tenchu at least the first time made every level feel like you barely scraped by and rewarded you for taking your time and really evaluating every situation in a way that when you failed, you knew it was because you made a wrong decision and left you hungry to try again
And it did a really good job of expanding your available tools, but not making anything initially too overpowered or increasing your character strength to a point that you could just brute force your way through
There were a couple overpowered tools but they were really late in the game and required multiple achievements in earlier levels to unlock, so it was more of an earned, optional version of overpowered
Not something you'd encounter in the normal course of playing through your first time
And also there were no direct character strength increases, so no matter what you were always ill-suited to face more than one opponent head-on
And every time you did it was a life-or-death duel
tepid wadi
yeah
I imagine part of the reason for that sort of thing being less common is the desire to appeal to a super broad audience. Wanting that level of struggle is a lot more of a niche thing.
peak marsh
In a broad sense yes, but I feel like if done well, for a large audience it would be a refreshing change of pace. At the time Tenchu did really well
And I mean, in an even more broad sense you can look at something like Monster Hunter, which took 20-something years to refine itself but made struggle and difficulty rewarding and broadly appealing
Or Elden Ring, which reached similar levels of initial success
tepid wadi
Yeah, I wish some of the big AAA companies had the long term investment mindset where they supported smaller projects to try and build new IPs while also taking successes from those small teams and evolving them into long-running franchises.
It seems like such an obvious business move to build awesome games for a niche, then gradually expand it to be mainstream success by improving it over iterations of games.
So many mega games like ER and MH have small roots that were much rougher
peak marsh
I mean, Capcom has 3 wildly successful properties that have done exactly that xD
tepid wadi
Yeah, we just need EA, Activision and Ubisoft to actually value that long-term investment instead of just looking at the next quarter's or next year's profits. It would also have the benefit that with good teams, the turnaround time for those smaller scope AA-size games would be MUCH shorter than the 5+ year development times that we see with AAA games.
Like sure some of the might not hit the mark, but if you can fund 10 of those projects for the cost of 1 AA game, if your people are creative and good enough, you'll probably be able to make 1 or 2 big successes.
(I think about this a lot)
peak marsh
I mean, the problem with those companies is they've put themselves on the shareholder treadmill, they at a point can't afford to take a loss on a release to build towards a sustainable future like Capcom has
tepid wadi
Yeah
peak marsh
I actually read an interesting article recently, talking about how the Japanese AAA industry is thriving while western AAAs are starting to flounder, and it comes back to the fact that they focus on maintaining a positive image in their home country while building their reputation on the quality of the experience their games deliver
tepid wadi
Yeah it's tough because western AAAs have spent a long time competing for "the worst company" title. Even if EA releases 10 years of absolute bangers with no missteps at all, people are still going to shit on them.
peak marsh
Exactly, and it's mostly because western AAAs have focused on the business rather than the product, while at least in Japan, it's the other way around
They have a fundamental mindset that a quality product will rectify the business end and it shows both in their reception and in what stocks are doing lately
Also they have an opposite mindset to western companies regarding people and talent. There layoffs aren't celebrated in the business sector, they're seen as a failing of the management, and they aren't wrong
I'm reminded of Nintendo's CEO, Satoru Iwata, personally taking a pay cut so they didn't have to lay off 10,000 employees. I couldn't even imagine Bobby Kotick doing that
Like, it's kind of that mindset of "well, if you couldn't afford to keep that studio on long term, why did you buy them in the first place?"
"You should be embarassed of your decisions", that sort of mindset
As opposed to "welp, EA bought and closed another studio, just another day at the office I guess"
tepid wadi
Yeah, sad part is you know the people getting laid off arent the reason for a game/studio's failure like... 95% of the time.
peak marsh
I mean, forget failure, sometimes games like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown are wildly successful both critically and commercially but "don't reach sales expectations"
Because they need every game to be able to produce Infinite Growth™
Like, it has nothing to do with what they're actually producing and everything to do with what numbers it makes
Speaking of which, you can hear it in their business plans when they talk about wanting to convert their IPs into "evergreen services" ( 🤮 ) where instead of each one being a "game" (Farcry, Assassin's Creed, etc), they're more of a platform
finite saffron
Yeah, sad part is you know the people getting laid off arent the reason for a ga...
I'd go so far as to say they pretty much never are. Even if devs are "bad", which frankly means something very different than what the average gamer thinks it means, I'd still say that's on the managers of the company for being bad managers. They can replace them with someone better if they really need to. It's not like there's a lack of talent in the industry, the reason layoffs are so common is because managers know devs are easily replaced.
It pretty much always comes down to bad management, mismanaging the project, mismanaging the team, finances, whatever it is. But the people getting laid off are rarely the managers.
peak marsh
I'd go so far as to say they pretty much never are. Even if devs are "bad", whic...
Which is where I cite the Japanese outlook, because over there layoffs are almost universally seen as a failure of the management rather than the way western companies just see it as "the cost of doing business"
finite saffron
Not to sound too bitter, but gamers really do help these companies get away with this behavior. Whenever layoffs happen, simply scroll down to the comments to see people celebrating "bad devs" losing their livelihood.
Granted I think a large part of it comes down to ignorance as to how game development at studios even works, but still.
I can't say I can think of any projects that failed because some junior devs weren't good enough, if the project was bottlenecked by them then there were probably much bigger problems playing out behind the scenes lol
peak marsh
Not to sound too bitter, but gamers really do help these companies get away with...
Comments I can overlook, what frustrates me more is how many people decry these things online but don't reflect it in their spending habits. If as many people were responsible consumers as claim to be online EA, Ubi, and Activision would have been defunct years ago
Like, people will rail against predatory monetization and AAA bloat until their fingers fall off, but the sales figures for Assassins's Creed Shadows certainly doesn't reflect that mentality
finite saffron
Aren't people quite happy with that game?
seems like one of the better ubisoft releases in a while
at least in terms of reception
peak marsh
Sure. And I guess it's "okay". Like not amazing but one of the better recent Assassin's Creed games. But 2 months ago people were ready to ostracize Ubi for their closings of studios, and recently they've added (post-review cycle mind you, which is scummy in itself) effectively live service monetization to a $70 single player game
finite saffron
Granted I have never liked AC games so I can only really go off what fans of the series say
peak marsh
If people hate these practices they aren't reflecting it in their spending habits
finite saffron
If people hate these practices they aren't reflecting it in their spending habit...
Yeah people will immediately get short term memory loss about their frustrations with the industry if a game is half-decent
I mean I remember all the rage surrounding acti-blizz right before diablo 4 released, and then it became their best selling game
peak marsh
Yeah people will immediately get short term memory loss about their frustrations...
Which is the most personally frustrating to me. If your convictions don't extend to your wallet these practices will never go away
finite saffron
I think often the people raging do actually reflect that rage in their spending habits, problem is they're generally a vocal minority. There's a big silent majority that will just buy games if they're fun, and pay very little attention to who is making them or what happened behind the scenes.
I know I am a very outspoken critic of the industry and that's why I very rarely buy any AAA titles, but my spending habits don't exactly swing things on their own.
peak marsh
That's fair. I don't remind myself enough that I'm very much in the camp of "games are art" and most people just see them as disposable entertainment, like movies or netflix shows
They just want the next big Marvel blockbuster without any complicated issues involved
finite saffron
Yeah I've accepted that my standards are very different than the average consumer, for both movies and games haha
I get baffled when I see the sales numbers for the next call of duty or marvel movie, when classic media goes completely under most people's radar, but alas
New rain world DLC just released today, I'm excited to check it out tonight. One of the best indie game experiences I've had was powering my way through that game, it's brutally hard though.
peak marsh
I'm pretty stoked for the new V Rising update, it sounds pretty awesome
In general April is going to be a great month
hollow barn
I'm pretty stoked for the new V Rising update, it sounds pretty awesome
I hope we get the new weapons early but I doubt that they put them outside the new biome
peak marsh
I hope we get the new weapons early but I doubt that they put them outside the n...
I was thinking about that today. I'd love to see update weapons introduced earlier, like just so we can have the option to play around with them
Like, I've been away long enough that I'll probably start a new playthrough and I don't want to slog through to the endgame again before I can see the new shiney stuff xD
hollow barn
Same, I want to play around with the twinblade and not run around for 50h with something else to use twinblades for 2 bosses
vague galleon
so this game in on sale from 10$ to 2$ and, okay it's a really basic kid's game but, it's kind of fun.
peak marsh
Same, I want to play around with the twinblade and not run around for 50h with s...
Right? Why do I have to keep running around with the same 1h sword and scythe?
peak marsh
so this game in on sale from 10$ to 2$ and, okay it's a really basic kid's game ...
Lego games are fun, I'm just not into the "Smash Bros" genre
Like, I don't think I've played a Lego game that wasn't quality on some level
It's more like, are you into the grenre/what they're poking fun at
peak marsh
Fair, I never tried Worlds because it didn't sound very appealing
vague galleon
i still need to go back and "100%" city undercover.
it appealed to be and let me down hard.
peak marsh
I never asked for "Rust, but Lego"
vague galleon
tried it again recently, nope.
i like the old lego star wars games but the levels were way too long with no save points to take a break and come back later.
the vehicle levels in the second one (original trilogy) was 10/10
peak marsh
I'm more into the lampooning Lego games. Lego Batman was a great time. Lego Star Wars and Lego Indiana Jones too
vague galleon
i tried playing lego movie game but it did not perform well, i dont know what was going on with it. :S
lego lotr was okay.
peak marsh
I forgot they did LotR xD I need to try that
vague galleon
im not sure how you unlock characters, i kind of trired it again recently and then went meh. but it's not bad.
peak marsh
If you're familiar with what they're making fun of, the "property" Lego games can be pretty great xD
vague galleon
i think adding voices in the newer games was a mistake.
but i think i picked up the skywalker saga on a big sale for my switch awhile ago, never played it.
peak marsh
I need to give newer Star Wars in general a fair chance. I kind of checked out after the disappointment of Phantom Menace/When Clones Attac/Revenge of the Shareholders
vague galleon
ehhhh
7 was fun but could have been soo much better.
8 was bad AND boring
9 was fun but awful
Rogue One is absolutely worth watching.
Han solo had too much backstorry shoved into one film.
i hear andor is amazing, mandalorian is okay, boba fett is bad, and all the other shows are awful.
peak marsh
Yeah, none of them have interested me because they've taken this giant, broad universe full of different cultures and planets and shrunk it down to center around 7 or 8 people
vague galleon
ya, I'd really only suggest you watch Rogue One, Andor, and Mandalorian, if you're tight on time.
peak marsh
Like, I give 0 craps about where Han Solo got his jacket, I don't need all the backstory
vague galleon
how about where his gun came from?!
😩
ya, they just took every random comment about some backstory and shoved it into a single film.
peak marsh
It's just, with this universe that's been created are these the only interesting stories to tell? xD
vague galleon
it could have worked as a trilogy. maybe.
ya, like I said. Rogue One.
also, to be fair, I really liked episode one, it's not a great film but theres a lot I like and darn it, pod racing is cool!
peak marsh
Episode 1 lost me because of how much explaining for previous movies it felt the need to do. Also, Jar Jar
AND THEY MADE HIM A SENATOR >.<
vague galleon
midiclorians....
NEVER EXPLAIN A MYSTERY
but like, the planet of naboo, the tech of the two cultures, the space battles, POD RACING?! the jedi battle at the end! there was some good stuff in there.
peak marsh
Yeah, like we didn't need some pesudo science to explain the force like we're watching Star Trek. The force exists and it's awesome and lets you do cool flips and shit, that's all we need
vague galleon
EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
peak marsh
It's like the entirety of Phantom Menace was made for this guy:
peak marsh
Pretty much. Which I don't necessarily mind, filmmakers have been working in homages forever, but there was no payoff. The result of the pod race was, okay, everything stays exactly the same but Anakins mom who we only saw for a few minutes and never again is okay
Alright, cool I guess
vague galleon
the result of the race was that qui gon didnt need to lightsaber the floating jewish stereotype in half to free anakin.
hot take though, 1-3 should have been 2 and 3.
"he was already an accomplished pilot in the war when I met him."
peak marsh
I mean like, ultimately. Nothing changed, Anakin is still around and annoying and we don't really feel the effect of the result. It's just "okay, the characters are the same as they've been through the whole movie"
vague galleon
just have someone else direct the actors and write the dialogue and it would have been great
ah, ya. you got a point there.
anyway, the only movie worth your time is rogue one, make your own choices with the shows as long as you at least watch andor, but it seems like anything jedi related is A W F U L
peak marsh
I mean, I'd argue none of the movies were necessary because we didn't need the backstory on why a guy named Darth Vader is evil, but here's my pitch: Skip 1, make 2 and 3 one movie, and skip the melodrama at the end of Padame giving birth and the "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
peak marsh
I was in the theatre on release week when Revenge of the Sith came out. The "NOOOOOOOOOO" resulted in a round of laughter in the theater
I was one of them xD
jade sedge
hey every one im having an in game funeral for my pet rat who died yesterday any one who wants to join me in wow ill be in my favorite capital city ironforge on moonguard please if you love animals join me as i walk through ironforge. i will be on my main is a void elf called Voidvoilte. and ill start at ironforge gates. 5pm US central time.
peak marsh
And I mean, I wasn't even there on my own better judgement. I went because a friend talked me into it because even though the first two were so bad, I kind of wanted to see the whole thing through
vague galleon
always good.
peak marsh
hey every one im having an in game funeral for my pet rat who died yesterday any...
Sorry for your loss
jade sedge
thank you for your kind words my friend.
vague galleon
ironforge? moonguard? is this in enshrouded or some other game?
peak marsh
Rats are really cool affectionate pets, I get it
jade sedge
... world of warcraft
peak marsh
xD
jade sedge
its all good lol
vague galleon
i almost miss my draeni paladin, Bluthor.
jade sedge
you can hop on wow and join me.
vague galleon
oh i havent played in like 10 years?
jade sedge
its free up to lvl 20
peak marsh
It sounds like the kind of thing where you don't need levels or gear to participate
jade sedge
exactly
vague galleon
it would involve downloading battle.net and world warcraft though. >_>
jade sedge
im not gonna force you its totaly optional.
peak marsh
Just made me think of Minsc from BG2 xD
(He's a hamster, not a rat, but you get what I'm driving at xD)
(Also that was totally a rap bar xD)
tranquil cove
oh it's Boo
peak marsh
"Oh, Boo, I can never return to Rashemen! I am proven unworthy! I am no man, and you are no hamster... we are lost! Oh the sorrow!"
tranquil cove
maybe the implication is that the hamster was put into the mans body and the man was put into the hamsters body by evil sorcery ?
so when misnc actually speaks, its the hamster speaking, explaining he is not actually a man
and that boo is not actually the hamster
vague galleon
what
misty arch
the Secret Level Pac-Man episode game is coming
https://youtu.be/ROs-PqODrtQ?si=A7Jeeoric8PjWj2Q
peak marsh
peak marsh
It's actually a pretty interesting peek under the hood of how Steam works
vague galleon
Valve being the good guys again somehow.
tranquil cove
whats slop
peak marsh
Basically like, AI generated games and shovelware
Games people slap together in like an hour and try to push out for a quick buck
tranquil cove
Games people slap together in like an hour and try to push out for a quick buck
sorry for late response i was just building a game and uploading it to steam
peak marsh
Nice. Sometime in May MH Wilds gets it's first collab, with an unannounced Capcom property
Id like to see some small collabs like the World MegaMan collab or the one with whatever Japanese clothing company, but also larger ones like the Witcher one
peak marsh
https://80.lv/articles/ncsoft-nexon-netmarble-krafton-battle-over-the-right-to-develop-a-starcraft-game/ -Meamwhile Blizzard itself is making a StarCraft game but it's a shooter, not an RTS -.-
Also lord help us if Netmarble wins
peak marsh
Dont Make Me Go Through That Again!!!!!
Fortunately they did say it wasn't Ghost related
Last September, Schreier revealed that since around 2022, Blizzard has been working on a new StarCraft project, which he described as a "shooter" unrelated to the previously canceled StarCraft: Ghost and StarCraft: Ares – stealth and FPS games, respectively.
Furthermore, it was revealed that Dan Hay, former Executive Director and Producer for Ubisoft's Far Cry 3, 4, 5, 6, Primal, and Blood Dragon, is leading the development of the new StarCraft title. If Asia Today's and Schreier's reports are true, it looks like we'll be seeing more than one brand-new StarCraft game in the coming years, offering a proper revival to a series that hasn't had a new installment since 2010 and is considered by many to be dead.
Also I like "considered by many to be dead". If by many, you mean everyone xD
tepid wadi
The ghosting of Starcraft Ghost was a great tragedy in gaming
peak marsh
Of Starcraft in general. For as big as it was for as long as it was I find it nothing short of amazing that it's been completely ignored since 2010
That's 15 years for those keeping score at home. It's been dead long enough to apply for a drivers license, or at least a learner's permit xD
Heck, I'm pretty sure Starcraft tourneys are still a big deal in Korea
Then again the industry seems to be completely cold on the RTS genre since the mid to late 00s
RIP Westwood/Command & Conquer
In further thought, the only major RTS release I can even think of in the last 10 years is the disaster known as Warcraft 3: Reforged
By that I mean one that wasn't from an indie or AA studio
Well, I take that back, I guess we had Age of Empires IV
vague galleon
Fortunately they did say it wasn't Ghost related
i just meant i was teased with a SC shooter that never happened.
peak marsh
i just meant i was teased with a SC shooter that never happened.
That's what I mean, since it's unrelated hopefully it means it actually happens xD
vague galleon
😭
peak marsh
Then again, Activision. If they don't think it can make all the known money in the universe (also, possibly other parallel universes) they still might pull the rug
And since about 2018 Activision has been a lot more handsy with Blizzard's goings-on. For a while after the buyout they were doing good about hanging back and letting Blizzard be Blizzard, but they've been increasingly leaving their footprint since about then
I'm sure they're the reason for Diablo Immortal being monetized the way it was
inb4 the new Starcraft shooter turns out to be a hero shooter Overwatch clone with massive skin and P2W micros xD
And a multi-tiered battlepass
Buy the ultimate edition for $110 to get exclusive day 1 access to the Zerg Defiler class
misty arch
In further thought, the only major RTS release I can even think of in the last 1...
this one releases on april 24th
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1486920/Tempest_Rising/
peak marsh
this one releases on april 24th
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1486920/Tempe...
I'm less surprised by that and more surprised that 3D Realms hasen't been dissolved somehow yet xD
TBF that looks really good
tepid wadi
Yeah it does look pretty awesome. I'm terrible at RTSs though
I like horde defense games like They Are Billions or Age of Darkness, because they don't require me to have 1000 APM to outwit other players.
vague galleon
WC2 and SC1 were the only ones i ever got into. oh i did beat wc3 too i guess.
i hate the open battle ai in sc though.
peak marsh
I can't recommend the Red Alert series hard enough, especially RA2 and 3 if you get into older RTS. They're both so awesomely over the top and 3 has Tim Curry xD
vague galleon
i tried. xouldnt get into the gameplay
peak marsh
I mean, Tim Curry chewing all of the scenery xD
vague galleon
but yes tin curty is amazing
like . ive played a few. only one i liked was the crafts
peak marsh
Red Alert is far more "arcadey" and less "technical" than other C&C games, it keeps the units and structures fairly minimal and focuses more on fast paced gameplay
Not quite as fast as Starcraft but moreso than say, Age of Empires
vague galleon
i never finished halo wars.
raven hound
I love Lies of P
peak marsh
Cool bro
frank sonnet
slammin
short sail
More than usual I mean
You can trust me.
round beacon
frank sonnet
Sigh, time for 24 hours of not being able to trust headlines
video game journalism?
peak marsh
That. Also in general, but in less important topics like video games you see a lot more of it
But also like, there was an article saying Elon Musk bought Intel which afaik isn't true, it's just a rumored thing, but they were reporting it like it happened
Stuff like that
But also, it could be true too, but we won't know until tomorrow 🤷♂️
I just find it annoying to be jerked around by such things
I don't mind April Fools stuff when it's like, the one Enshrouded posted that's obviously not real and meant as a joke, but I'm not a fan of basically lying then later going "Haha, gotcha!"
tepid wadi
I think there's space for a little more subtle jokes, but yeah, outright lying sucks.
Like POE2 has a big patch on Friday that everyone is waiting for patch notes on. Imagine if they released a joke patch notes today that were just slightly off, but real enough to seem real at first. Then the longer you read them the more outlandish they became.
peak marsh
Yeah, things like that are fine, as long as there's an actual joke to it. Simply saying something like what I mentioned above is obnoxious and lacks creativity and it's most of the April fool's "jokes" I see
Not just because it's obnoxious, but it means for an entire day I basically can't trust what I read because there are so many "jokes" like that
rustic nexus
Duckside is on sale on Steam for $9.74, if you haven't gotten it.😜
peak marsh
Less than 2 hours till the Switch 2 direct 
vague galleon
duckside? the duck survival game?
peak marsh
I haven't even thought about that game since all the streamers made a big thing of it for that weekend lol
untold lynx
I don't mind April Fools stuff when it's like, the one Enshrouded posted that's ...
a lot of people still fell for it, you should see some of our comments on socials 
hollow barn
a lot of people still fell for it, you should see some of our comments on social...
People are really salty for the no pvp it seems
untold lynx
if we had announced Enshrouded Kart they'd be salty because of no mounts
sometimes you can't win 
hollow barn
Or with Enshrouded MMO they would be salty for it not being the actual game
untold lynx
I'm not even sure how we'd simulate an MMO
considering you can already run your 16-player raid in the game
hollow barn
Good thing I don't have to come up with such ideas
peak marsh
a lot of people still fell for it, you should see some of our comments on social...
I figured the Street Fighter 2 music was a dead giveaway too
untold lynx
I mean it was the early 90s so a lot of our players will have missed that altogether
either because "the classics" weren't as widespread as, say, Fortnite, or because they weren't born 
vague galleon
if we had announced Enshrouded Kart they'd be salty because of no mounts
👀
were getting racing carts? can mine be a motorcycle?
reef bobcat
🐊 OMG, its 10$ above my monthly budget, but i'm so excited to play CROC, a platform classic - thank you GOG 🐊
🏍️ ...not to mention this 1 Euro gem !!! replayed MOTO RACER just now and finished #1 🏆 in Championship mode, in 30mins 🤣
round beacon
🐊 OMG, its 10$ above my monthly budget, but i'm so excited to play CROC, a plat...
30 bucks for that old geezer? Dafuq?
Like dont get me wrong it IS a nice game, but dayum...
timber prism
Less than 2 hours till the Switch 2 direct <:fell_hype:1101170989997494303>
$500 for a Nintendo console x.x
vague galleon
if you account for inflation. the original nintendo was 570.
timber prism
Switch was only $300
I can't find the launch bundle price so its like $150 more than launch since standalone Switch 2 is $450
soft cairn
hello community what do u think about soulmask ?
peak marsh
Looking forward to seeing what becomes of it. It seems like it's still early days, hopefully they can flesh it out more and address some of the jank
peak marsh
$500 for a Nintendo console x.x
Yeah, I'm debating if I'll be buying at launch, I'll maybe wait it out in case there are launch issues. But Elden Ring/Duskbloods, FF7 remake, and Street Fighter 6 are pretty hype
No word on Wilds though
peak marsh
Though you can't even really call it $500 because you're also going to need one of those new SD cards. 256gb is better than what the original switch had but still tiny by modern standards
timber prism
I already own all those games for better systems
peak marsh
Oh yeah, new Zelda plus updates to TotK and BotW has me stoked
And Prime 4
Though I'm a bigger fan of 2d Metroid than 3d
peak marsh
Plus Kirby and DK
Though my guess is you're probably closer to the $600-650 range by the time you expand the storage and buy the little stuff like a pro controller, screen protector, etc
timber prism
$80 per game is insane tho
peak marsh
That too. I was kind of hoping Nintendo would continue to toe the line at the lower end of console pricing
timber prism
At least not be the top
peak marsh
Though with the industry pushing towards $100 I guess maybe they are :x
peak marsh
I think it's still too early for publishers to push for $100. That's taking games from the range of an entertainment purchase into the range of a luxury purchase
They want to but with the economy doing what it's doing I can't see people responding well
I mean its not like they can even blame tariffs since a majority of games are sold digitally
Which brings to mind back in the day when they were trying to promote more digital purchases and said "it will make games cheaper since we don't have to manufacture or produce physical media." Interesting how that's turned out xD
timber prism
It did make it cheaper. For them Xd
vague galleon
it never made them cheaper for us lol
timber prism
Lowkey excited to bring Mario Kart World to Bonnaroo
tranquil cove
what was the april fools enshrouded joke
i missed it
this guy has a good laugh
and voice
oh so it was PVP? i mean that's obviously a joke
as illustrated by how they kept damaging the floor and sinking into a hole
lol
soft cairn
yea it look like sword calibur from temu 😄
tranquil cove
and the old gaming sounds
to be fair i liked the womans voice too in that video, she was going for a specific sound and nailed it too.
soft cairn
valheim got some nice april fools videos 😄
misty arch
https://youtu.be/niKHDEKQ7xA?si=DI5Y7owosUOt-aT6
Fromsoftware exclusive that looks a lot like Bloodborne
gaunt nebula
I don't see $100 for standards
With the quality if triple a titles I wouldn't but if its 100 barley would buy if it's 70
peak marsh
Not sure how I feel about Duskbloods being PvPvE. I'll have to see more about it
misty arch
Astroneer sequal coming
https://youtu.be/05Zlm6XTzGg?si=5JcymxJ7MCp8e2do
peak marsh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9t4UA7Py1A - I stand corrected on the co-op, it's not coming directly in this coming update but sometime soon after
misty arch
correct, its the one after this big update
peak marsh
Man, now that I can finally sit down with the info from the direct, Switch 2 is getting way more 3rd party support than Switch did
I mean, makes sense. Switch 2 is following the Switch, while Switch followed the Wii U xD
tepid wadi
https://youtu.be/niKHDEKQ7xA?si=DI5Y7owosUOt-aT6
Fromsoftware exclusive that l...
I need dis
But no way am I getting a switch 2 😢
peak marsh
It probably won't stay exclusive long. I have to imagine a lot of people are in a similar camp, where they're not willing to pay $500ish on a Nintendo console
peak marsh
On further inspection, I'm a little annoyed at the lack of a proper D pad on the Switch 2. I mean, I get it, that's part of what the joy cons do, and that's part of why there's a pro controller (heck, my controller doubles as a Switch pro controller complete with gyros xD), but it really does to me make part of the core console a bit unplayable
The D pad thing is why I currently own a Switch Lite and not a full on Switch
Like, it'd be nice if there was an option to pick either a 'standard' joy con or one with a proper D pad
And not that it's a massive issue, but it means that like for example a lot of the retro games now don't really work in handheld mode, which is part of what I like to play, but also for 2d games that support it I prefer the precision of using a D pad over an analog
peak marsh
So yeah, at current Amazon prices, an additional 256 gb micro SD express card (putting your total storage at 512gb) runs ~$60. If you want 512, it's ~$99, and 1 tb is ~$199. So just expanding the storage to something workable is already putting your Switch 2 in the $550 - $650 range, and you don't even have a screen protector, pro controller, extras like a case, or any new games yet (though with that said, backwards compatability is sounding a whole lot better)
At that range you're running into high end handheld PCs like the upcoming Lenovo Xbox thing or the next gen Steam Deck, so it'll be interesting to see what the marketplace winds up looking like in the next few months. If Valve is smart they'll make a major Steam Deck announcement sometime in May
Worth noting because a standard micro SD like the one in your previous Switch won't work, it needs to be a micro SD express (faster, more expensive)
I'm still definitely going to wind up getting one, but I'm also definitely a little cold about buying one at launch all things considered
And like, afaik they've said a lot of previous Switch 1 controllers like the pro controller will be compatible, but won't have features like the back paddle buttons
Not to dump on it in any kind of way, but that's a pretty significant step above what the OG Switch launched at
AFAIK they haven't revealed any detailed hardware specs yet so I'll be curious to see if what's under the hood warrants the price
tepid wadi
It probably won't stay exclusive long. I have to imagine a lot of people are in ...
Tell that to bloodborne 😢 😢
peak marsh
Tell that to bloodborne 😢 😢
RIP, I forgot about Bloodbourne. But to be fair, Sony forgot about it first xD
tepid wadi
Yeah, unfortunately. Still one of my favorite fromsoft games.
peak marsh
It really is a shame that it's been locked away like that for so long
I hear there are a lot of fan projects working on modernizing it
Like for example, there are mods on Nexus to give it a full PC remaster, though it requires the E word
peak marsh
Going back to it, not a fan of Nintendo pushing the envelope on game pricing. I know I said earlier it feels early for $100 games but I just found out that aside from digital Switch games launching at $80, physical copies are going to run $90, at least in the case of Mario Kart
So if Mario Kart can charge $80-90, it's entirely reasonable to expect say, Rockstar charging $100 for GTA 6, or EA charging whatever they want between standard, digital deluxe, premium deluxe, platinum ultra-mega deluxe, etc
On one hand it's kind of hyperbole but on another hand, it's fair to say Nintendo broke the dam on pricing thresholds
tepid wadi
We'll see if that price tag sticks. People were already pissed when they've been charging $70 for games
peak marsh
I mean, the unfortunate part is it's Nintendo doing it, and the Nintendo die-hards will happily pay that price until it becomes normalized on the marketplace and everything on the Nintendo shop is running about that. Then it's only time before that trickles out to the broader market, starting with marquee releases and working backwards from there
So initally things like GTA, FIFA, Madden, COD, etc, then eventually everything else
At least among the triple As there's no way they aren't paying very close attention to what Nintendo is doing
I mean, even if the Switch 2 doesn't sell as well as the first (it won't, because of the price), it's still going to be successful enough, along with things like Mario Kart, that it won't be a failure, and the broader market will just go "welp, this is what we're doing now" in response
Just sucks on the consumer end, because broadly speaking there's really no reason for a digital game to jump $20-30 in price like that
Physical an argument about production and tariffs etc could be made, but digital doesn't have those trappings
And I mean frankly, I could see this being a tipping point for a market collapse, at least partially. Like, not the one thing that does it but you're going to have people needing to make life plans around buying a game now, and thanks to companies like Ubi that game might not just be fully priced but also packed to the gills with time wasting mechanics and live service style monetization even though the game itself is single player
And by industry I specifically mean consoles, because PC doesn't have any of that to worry about for now. Between sales and reasonably priced indie titles PC gaming is only getting more attractive, and the handheld options are only going to catch up
Like I won't exaggerate and say "SWITCH 2 IS KILLING CONSOLES" but I do firmly believe if we get a Playstation 6 launching at $700, which all considered really isn't that far out of the realm, the console market might not look so good in a year or two
vague galleon
i miss gameboys being a thing.
peak marsh
Don't have to. The android handheld market has been getting really good over the years
How about a gameboy that plays up to PS2 and Gamecube? xD
They have others shaped like a Switch, or shaped like a clamshell GBA
Some run as low as $30 or upwards of $200 depending on how much power and features you want. I've been considering one for PC streaming
That one specifically, the Odin 2 mini. Pretty powerful and I love the PSP/Vita look
Just not sure about $339 for something that would ultimately be so specalized
The parts warrent the price, but not what I'd be using it for
frank sonnet
Like I won't exaggerate and say "SWITCH 2 IS KILLING CONSOLES" but I do firmly b...
consoles are obsolete for modern gaming imo . I’ll be surprised if a 11th gen PlayStation and Xbox happens
peak marsh
Microsoft already seems to be backing away from the console market
They're looking to put their exclusives on other stores/hardware, and they have Lenovo making hardware for them in the form of some kind of Xbox handheld
west cliff
Can’t you just play pc game pass on a steam deck?
peak marsh
Or any number of other assorted handhelds. I'm not sure exactly what is going to make the Lenovo one different
But apparently it's going to be an official Xbox thing
west cliff
Wait and see I guess but with the steam deck (only had one for a month) and the switch2 coming out it will have to be something special or cheap af
timber prism
Metroid looking good from what they showcased just now on the stream
Right joycon being a mouse is pretty awesome
timber prism
tepid wadi
More companies have forgotten that the best reason to buy consoles is good games. Nintendo at least looks like it has some bangers
peak marsh
That's the primary thing that has kept them relevant for the last 20ish years, despite being consistently outclassed in hardware performance and 3rd party support
They just have a gauntlet of IPs and titles/assorted spin offs that make the difference
peak marsh
https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/nintendo-switch-2-leveled-up-with-nvidia-ai-powere...
Did they finally release full hardware specs?
timber prism
Did they finally release full hardware specs?
No but now we know it's a Nvidia processor/gpu
Some custom one for the system
soft cairn
https://www.eurogamer.net/nintendo-switch-2-battery-life-revealed
good old times when PSP was doing the job now u want quality but not the lifespawn of battery 😄
peak marsh
I never go outside with my Switch anyhow so I'm never that far from a charger
timber prism
Im just thinking of how im gonna set this up at my music festival so everyone can play lmao
peak marsh
A nice, beefy power bank
tepid wadi
Im just thinking of how im gonna set this up at my music festival so everyone ca...
Portable generator
timber prism
Oh. I'll have a RV with power there but need to figure out like using an extension cord etc depending on weather and using a projector screen or something for the display
peak marsh
Oh. I'll have a RV with power there but need to figure out like using an extensi...
When I say beefy, I mean something like this that holds like, 30,000 mAh or up
72,000:
Or maybe even a solar generator, though solar doesn't charge much compared to what you'd want to have stored, and you mentioned having a nearby RV
timber prism
Or maybe even a solar generator, though solar doesn't charge much compared to wh...
Yeah. I have a 50 amp hookup so I'm good on power
peak marsh
For comparison sake, the Switch 2's full battery capacity is 5220 mAh
timber prism
Power the RV... have AC, Oven, etc.
peak marsh
So something beefy like those would run you around $100-150 depending on what you get and hold upwards of 6 full charges
Then you can figure that against what they say a full charge will last on a Switch 2
And leave some headroom for a projector
They estimate 1 charge is between 2 - 6.5 hours depending on what game you're playing, so probably closer to the 2-3 hour range
So for the sake of easy math you can just figure every 5,000 mAh is about 2 hours of Switch time
peak marsh
Someone I follow on YouTube made an interesting point: The Chat button on the Switch 2 is the first time on a major console we've had a physical button on the face of the controller that requires payment in order to work. Like, without Nintendo Online that button does nothing. That's not a broader commentary or anything, just interesting as a footnote
Though I do find it a little silly, if they're going to make it so integral that it's literally a button on the controller I feel like it should be free as long as you have internet/wifi (since the dock has a LAN port), considering it's basically bootleg Discord
And I'm not saying that from some torch and pitchfork "NINTENDO BAD" standpoint like a lot of people are on, just like, make your social ecosystem accessible to everyone so you give people more reasons to stay on your console, guys. It just feels like a backwards and short-sighted choice
Like, maybe Tom doesn't have Nintendo Online but he hops on because his buddy Jerry is streaming the new Metroid game, and through the course of watching and talking while Jerry is playing, Tim decides to save up and buy it. Like, why wall that off in any way?
peak marsh
I'm not up to date on my Romanian DJs
vague galleon
he's very funny.
frank sonnet
why not just make the switch a stay at home console and make a new gen ds?
tepid wadi
Because the switch is like a DS but better in basically every way?
timber prism
Would be weird to call it a Switch if it doesn't.... switch.
😅
Maybe call it a Stay
frank sonnet
It just seams like the portability and the specs are at odds with each other
peak marsh
It's the aspect of being able to take your console with you. And I mean, when you have a first party library like Nintendo does you don't need to have the most powerful console on the block
Xbox and PS went down the rabbit hole of chasing specs, and we've seen how that works out
At the end of the day, Nintendo ended up with something that's actually unique, while Sony and MS wound up making expensive, less powerful specalized PCs
vague galleon
the SNES was the last proper console they ever made sadly. gimmicks arent always a good thing.
N64, i can give the cartridges a pass but that controller?! No....
GC - tiny disc stupid. cant even play dvds. still my favorite though.
Wii. :S the motion controls were ass, building an entire console around one gimmick was a horrible idea and I NEVER GOT PROJECT HAMMER
tepid wadi
At the end of the day, Nintendo ended up with something that's actually unique, ...
My PS4 is a movie machine, I don't think I've played a game on it in 2-3 years and have zero need to upgrade to a PS5
peak marsh
Outside of people who are really invested in Sony exclusives, I feel like that's true for a lot of people. There's nothing a PlayStation does at this point that can't be done with a PC, especially with them going all digital
Like, I'd argue for the money of a PS5 Pro, you would get better performance and more versatility just getting a good mini PC and using Steam big picture
tepid wadi
Yeah I mean that's why I haven't bought an Xbox in a couple generations. Ever since they annouced that any game on Xbox would also be on PC, there's no reason to get one.
peak marsh
Neat. Like people weren't already upset over Switch 2, now thanks to tariffs US pre orders are delayed indefinitely, and they're saying it could wind up being up to 50% more expensive. That's $749 if you're keeping score at home xD
$499 was already a tough sell, $749 will be a no-go for I think most people
vague galleon
Murica!
peak marsh
They're still keeping the same release date, they just aren't taking pre orders because they don't know what they'll have to charge by then xD
It’s unclear at this stage what the result of Nintendo’s assessment of Trump’s tariffs and “evolving market conditions” will ultimately mean for the launch of Switch 2. But in addition to increased costs, it could also mean a lower allocation of consoles for the U.S., which could make the system harder to find.
So in addition, it'll be a prime target for scalpers. Looks like PC handheld it is xD
tepid wadi
My buddies were just talking about that last night