Another month, another list. I didn't spend as much time in front of
the monitor as I should have; too much time spent outdoors doing
'exercise' and 'enjoying the good weather' and 'spending quality time
with friends and family'. I didn't spend thousands on a new PC to
waste time on nonsense like that! I should be gaming 24/7! But alas,
no, the lure of warm sunlight and tasty food keep pulling me away.
I'll try harder next month.

Game Summaries Where I Respect Your Time
---------------------------------------
* Cyberpunk 2077 (continued)
* Ghost Tokyo (new)

Game Summaries Where I Take Up All Your Time
---------------------------------------
* Cyberpunk 2077 (continued from last month)
I largely stand by my initial impressions from last month's round-up.
The creation of Cyberpunk 2077's world took an impressive amount of
effort, and yet I'm sadly left wanting. The story was engaging, and so
were the characters; there was a lot of polish and content, and the
gameplay - while not groundbreaking - was largely satisfying. I could
have done without the bugs - which got increasingly worse as I neared
the finale - and the climatic mission was a bit of a let down, but
overall, a good game.

But still, I'm disappointed. And I struggle to express why I think the
game didn't live up to its potential.

I've already made a few guesses as to the cause of my unhappiness in
other posts: the mazelike design of the city, some odd decisions in
the gameplay design, the grindy crafting mechanic. But I think the
biggest fault is Night City itself. For all its beauty and for all its
detail, Night City lacks life and character. It doesn't feel like a
place; it feels like a generic sci-fi metropolis. It might as well
have been San Andreas from GTA5 for all the city itself played a role
in the actual game. And I think part of the failure in its design is
how static the city feels. Nothing changes in the city from start to
finish; even if, narratively, I defeat a major power in the city's
politics, you wouldn't be able to tell from how anything in the city
looks or acts.

I suppose, from the perspective of the setting, this is accurate - one
of the themes of the game is how powerless individuals are to effect
any real change - but from a story and gameplay perspective? It's
awful. Nobody - not the gangbangers, not the cops, not the corporates
- reacts differently to the protagonist regardless if you're a level 1
nobody or a level 50 legend. Despite wiping the map clean of every
mission icon, there's not one change to how the map looks; no
destroyed buildings or revitalized neighborhoods in my wake.

This stasis absolutely ruins the appeal of progressing through the
game; why keep chugging along if nothing changes? Even when there
should be changes - like when I helped a politico realize he was
secretly being manipulated by unknown hackers - the plot-lines get
dropped before anything ever resolves.

Too many of the missions themselves are pointless busywork too. Oh,
the main quest and companion side-quests are all well worth it; if
anyone rings you up in the game and asks you to assist in a mission, I
strongly recommend you say yes because that's where all the variety
is. But the various assault hotspots and mercenary gigs you do for the
fixers? You can skip those because they don't do anything except give
you piddling amounts of XP and gold. And that's half the game right
there. Similarly, you can ignore buying all the cars and apartments
because the former all drive the same, and the latter offer you no
benefit. The gear is repetitive and hardly worth chasing after, and
the uninspired AI makes every combat feel very much the same.

I hate bringing up all these faults because the game IS NOT bad. It
kept me occupied for over 100 hours, after all. I've nothing to do
after concluding the main quest because I've done every possible
side-mission. And I quite enjoyed the story (even if it was sometimes
a bit overwrought and ended on something of a let down). But
"Cyberpunk 2077" could have been - it SHOULD have been - one of those
classics we talk about for decades. It's overflowing with talent and
hard work and great ideas. You can see it in every scene, in every
model; there was so much love put into its design. Yet it just doesn't
come close to achieving its potential, and it's heartbreaking.

* Ghostwire: Tokyo (new)
I'm still in the early stages of this one, so I haven't come to a real
conclusion about this game yet. But I'm fairly certain it was a
mistake to play it right after "Cyberpunk 2077"; even though in terms
of gameplay and theme the two games are quite different, the fact that
they both are single-player games that take place in a near-future
open-world means that I was tired of "Ghostwire: Tokyo" even before I
started it.

Which is unfortunate, because "Ghost Tokyo" has some obvious
strengths. It's visuals are quite nice, to start with. It's not quite
as detailed as "Cyberpunk 2077" and the special effects and lighting
aren't nearly as sophisticated... but it's pretty close and the game
is very pretty. But - like "Cyberpunk", its world suffers from a lack
of real interactivity and - thanks to the eponymous ghosts - there's
no wandering AI to add the necessary verisimilitude. There's no real
reason - at least not so far - to hang around in one neighborhood,
other than to maybe scrounge for hidden goodies and supplies. For all
its size, the city serves little purpose beyond being a static
backdrop.

But the game's conceit is interesting; after an apocalyptic
supernatural event, the protagonist survives - thanks to a lucky
possession by a friendly ghost - as the only one left to fight off the
bad-guys. Combat is a mix of spell-slinging, unconvincing melee and at
least one ranged weapon. The monsters are suitably creepy - as only
Japanese monsters can be - although there doesn't seem to be much
variety. But then again, I haven't gotten too far into the game. The
voice-acting is well done too.

But the sheer scale of the world is daunting; not so much because it's
incredibly large (it's not), but because there just doesn't seem all
that much of interest to do. Sure, I can peek into the alleys to find
hidden coins and lost souls to rescue; there's Torri Gates to cleanse
and various side-quests to fulfill. But none of the activities are
very fulfilling and it all seems like so much busy-work. Despite my
usual desire to scour the map of every adventure I'm increasingly
tempted to just speed-run the main quest so I can say I've finished
the game.

I resist, so far, telling myself not to give up on the game just yet,
and to fight the ennui caused by 100+ hours of playing "Cyberpunk
2077". I'm not sure it's a winnable battle, though. "Ghostwire: Tokyo"
may be a great game, but at the moment I think I'm just too burned out
by open-world adventuring to find out for myself.

---------------------------------------

So that's it for me. And how about you? Were you wisely ensconced in
front of your computer playing video games, or did summer cruelly draw
you away from what was important? Tell us...

What Have You Been Playing... IN JUNE 2023?

>What Have You Been Playing... IN JUNE 2023?

Nothing! Bathroom renovation, more reading, and outside activities are
my excuse. I did *buy* a few games: Callisto Protocol, CP2077 dlc, other
minor stuff. Hopefully will start System Shock soon.

rms

On Saturday, July 1, 2023 at 6:30:04 AM UTC-7, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> Another month, another list. I didn't spend as much time in front of
> the monitor as I should have; too much time spent outdoors doing
> 'exercise' and 'enjoying the good weather' and 'spending quality time
> with friends and family'. I didn't spend thousands on a new PC to
> waste time on nonsense like that! I should be gaming 24/7! But alas,
> no, the lure of warm sunlight and tasty food keep pulling me away.
> I'll try harder next month.
>
>
> Game Summaries Where I Respect Your Time
> ---------------------------------------
> * Cyberpunk 2077 (continued)
> * Ghost Tokyo (new)
>
>
> Game Summaries Where I Take Up All Your Time
> ---------------------------------------
> * Cyberpunk 2077 (continued from last month)

I've said my piece on this, I'm just looking forward to
the DLC and skill tree rework.

> What Have You Been Playing... IN JUNE 2023?

Elden Ring
Batman - Arkham Knight
Star Wars Rogue Squadron 3D
----
Flippity Fliped:
Infinite Space III: Sea of Stars
Seasons after the Fall
Undertale
Citizen Sleeper
Hell Division

**** Elden Ring - I finally got tired of my level 11 +3/+1 items run beating
my head on Malenia for several hours. I know she's optional, but every
inch gained at this point is exhaustingly won and I hit my threshold for
high difficulty. It also feels as though I'm not getting summoned as
much, or maybe I'm just TOO good at the low level fights and they don't
provide any challenge now when I do. Either way I'm done with ER
until the inevitable DLC.

*** Batman - Arkham Knight (on Amazon Luna) - I went over this in the
free prime game thread where I added the Luna games. Seems like
a great game, but issues streaming and tiresome answer all 100
hidden riddles to get the 'true' ending, along with gameplay choices
I'm not into and I put it down. Another game I *want* to like, but
it's just Meh. The opening scene did give me a nightmare, so that's
impressive. Last game that gave me a nightmare was warframe
several years ago now.

**** Star Wars Rogue Squadron 3d - I had this in one of the SW bundles
I bought as well as free from prime. It's what I'm playing right now.
I love it! Yes the graphics are old, but just good enough to work for
what's really an arcade flight combat game with SW trappigns. Yes the
controls are a bit janky, but they're simple enough and work well enough.
Yes the camera is buggy, but going into F1 (glued to your butt) seems to
work well enough. I gather the camera and controls work much better
on the original N64 release.

The game is really hard. I'm currently stuck on an escort mission
for some stolen bird walkers, where I have to take down 3 at-ats
in quick succession with tow cables while also defending both them
and me against deadshot machine-blaster storm troopers,
speeders, tanks, emplacements, and both regular and interceptor
tie-fighters!

I got a new controller and I'm getting some pretty serious carpal
tunnel like symptoms playing this game and had to put down games
for a bit, it may be the controller just doesn't work for me
ergonomically, which makes me very sad. That's the Gamesir T4 Khalid
with the Hall Effect sticks.

-----

Flippity Flipped:

These next three I bought cheap on the summer sales:

* Infinite Space III: Sea of Stars - I played I think #2 and enjoyed it, but I
couldn't figure out how to actually use my weapons from anything in-game,
I could probably look it up, but couldn't be bothered. I'll give it another go...
maybe.

* Seasons after the Fall - puzzle platformer. Looks great, feels great, I'm
just not into those very often.

* Undertale - I can see it's unusual, but it just wasn't interesting enough,
too much puzzles, and too much random monster attacks.

Both these mentioned in the free games threads where they appear, I won't
repeat:

* Citizen Sleeper
* Hell Division

- Justisaur

Diablo 4 and Conan Exiles, but not much time these days. D4, I already
talkeds about in my earlier thread. Conan Exiles was interesting, but
too grindy for me. I just wanted to fight!

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

> Another month, another list. I didn't spend as much time in front of
> the monitor as I should have; too much time spent outdoors doing
> 'exercise' and 'enjoying the good weather' and 'spending quality time
> with friends and family'. I didn't spend thousands on a new PC to
> waste time on nonsense like that! I should be gaming 24/7! But alas,
> no, the lure of warm sunlight and tasty food keep pulling me away.
> I'll try harder next month.
....
> What Have You Been Playing... IN JUNE 2023?
--
"O land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord." --Jeremiah 22:29. Fell behind from a ~19 hrs. local beach vacation trip with the extended colony, didn't have time 2 hang out with old buds, hurt da old body (flying stingy social insect's stinger & fall), & getting hot. :(
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

On Sat, 1 Jul 2023 10:55:58 -0600, "rms" <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net>
wrote:

>>What Have You Been Playing... IN JUNE 2023?
>
> Nothing! Bathroom renovation, more reading, and outside activities are
>my excuse.

Another victim of Summer. When will the madness end? How can we sleep
at night knowing so many games are going unplayed? It's
heart-breaking.

;-)

On 7/2/2023 5:59 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Sat, 1 Jul 2023 10:55:58 -0600, "rms" <rsquiresMOO@MOOflashMOO.net>
> wrote:
>
>>> What Have You Been Playing... IN JUNE 2023?
>>
>> Nothing! Bathroom renovation, more reading, and outside activities are
>> my excuse.
>
> Another victim of Summer. When will the madness end? How can we sleep
> at night knowing so many games are going unplayed? It's
> heart-breaking.
>
> ;-)
>
But not CPU breaking. Even computers like a vacation or two!

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

On 7/1/2023 9:29 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
> Game Summaries Where I Respect Your Time
> ---------------------------------------
> * Cyberpunk 2077 (continued)

Already talked about this one, agree with you on all fronts - it's an OK
game that could have been great. Some of the dialogue was super cringe
(like V and Panam, I think their voice actors were pretty awful) but the
whole premise was interesting. Will replay once the new patch arrives,
the DLC will have to wait until it hits bargain bin prices.

> * Ghost Tokyo (new)

This is surprising coming from you, didn't think you'd be interested in
this type of game. And AFAIK the price hasn't been anywhere near your
limit (which is similar to mine) unless it came in a bundle or something :)

I have been on an Ubisoft binge myself, played AC Origins last month and
was amazed by how incredible it looked (artistically speaking) and how
smooth its gameplay was for an Ubi title. But it didn't feel like a AC
game at all, it was a bit like The Witcher 3 in the desert - not that
there's anything wrong with that. It is by far my favorite one from the
so called "Antiquity Pack" which also includes Odyssey (horrible level
gating) and Valhalla (boring, boated and endless).

But I really missed the 'assassin' part and decided to play AC: Unity
next. Again, the game looks incredible even by today's standards - the
environments are very detailed and the streets full of people going
about their lives; mostly rioting, protesting and executing rich folks
since it takes place during the French Revolution.

But the game has one fatal flaw: its controls. I don't think I've ever
been so frustrated in my life with a game's controls (or lack thereof).
Absolutely infuriating, sometimes Arno, the protagonist, would be
hanging from a ledge being shot at and refusing to move no matter what I
tried only to randomly spring to life again and finally pull himself up.
I watched a few YT videos thinking I was missing something but alas,
most people were having the same issues even after all the patches it's
received since its release almost 10 years ago.

I'm now playing Watch Dogs Legion, another Ubi open world that has
received lukewarm reviews for the most part but has been surprisingly
fun so far - I just couldn't resist the US$8.00 price tag. But it's far
too early for me to have an opinion about it since I'm only about 5
hours in.

--
Happy 4th to everyone not pleading the 5th about the 6th!

On Tue, 4 Jul 2023 15:35:34 -0400, Metal Guru <MetalGuru@IsItYou.com>
wrote:
>On 7/1/2023 9:29 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>> * Ghost Tokyo (new)

>This is surprising coming from you, didn't think you'd be interested in
>this type of game. And AFAIK the price hasn't been anywhere near your
>limit (which is similar to mine) unless it came in a bundle or something :)

It was included in HumbleChoice a month or three back. It's definitely
not the sort of game I'd rush out to buy... not because it's not a
game I would enjoy, but because I'm just so tired of overly-large
open-world games.

"Ghost Tokyo" is a weird mixture of gametypes. It's like a cross
between "Alan Wake", "Yakuza", "Cyberpunk 2077", and "Shenmue". The
gameplay is equally mixed. The combat is passable; there's enough
variety in enemies to keep thing interesting, but the powers are all
too similar. Some of the missions are really clever - there's a
mid-game mission where the entire level re-arranges itself around you
(similar to what Remedy did in "Control"), and another in a school
that was genuinely creepy. But too much of the gameplay is scrounging
for lost souls and pointless side-quests. In short amounts, its fun
but extended over thirty of forty hours? It's just too much.

But I love the weird Japanese monstrosities and the characters are
fun, if a bit broad and cartoonish. The world is beautifully detailed
too; its technology may lag a bit behind "Cyberpunk's", but there's a
lot more variety and work put into the individual neighborhoods in
"Ghost Tokyo's" city. It has a lot more character than "Cyberpunk's"
Night City.

>I have been on an Ubisoft binge myself, played AC Origins last month and
>was amazed by how incredible it looked (artistically speaking) and how
>smooth its gameplay was for an Ubi title. But it didn't feel like a AC
>game at all, it was a bit like The Witcher 3 in the desert - not that
>there's anything wrong with that. It is by far my favorite one from the
>so called "Antiquity Pack" which also includes Odyssey (horrible level
>gating) and Valhalla (boring, boated and endless).

I tried "Origins" but didn't get too far; having enemies that were all
but invulnerable to my attacks simply because I wasn't high-enough
level absolutely destroyed the immersiveness of the game. And though
the newer games have been distancing themselves from the original
storyline, they still involve all the most ridiculous aspects of the
"Pieces of Eden" and progenitor nonsense.

Still, I really do mean to give the game another try, because I don't
think I gave it entirely a fair shake the first time I played - and
abandoned - it. At the very least, I want to try the "Discovery Tour"
mode which allows me to visit all the interesting historical sites in
the game, without bothering with the less engaging gameplay.

>I'm now playing Watch Dogs Legion, another Ubi open world that has
>received lukewarm reviews for the most part but has been surprisingly
>fun so far - I just couldn't resist the US$8.00 price tag. But it's far
>too early for me to have an opinion about it since I'm only about 5
>hours in.

Sad to say, after 5 hours you're pretty much seen all the game has to
offer. Oh sure, you'll open up more of the city, get a few more
hacking 'powers', and discover more of the story... but none of it is
really surprising. The combat isn't going to get any better, the
driving will be the same, the missions repeats of the few you've
already done. It's an average game; not really bad but not
revolutionary - or even evolutionary - either. It probably doesn't
deserve its bad reputation - largely a result of how the trailers
oversold the game's technology - but it's no must-play classic either.

"Watchdogs" - like too many Ubisoft games - are pabulum that you play
to kill time. They're tasy but unfilling treats that help you occupy
your time between better games.

On Sun, 02 Jul 2023 07:41:18 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

>Diablo 4 and Conan Exiles, but not much time these days. D4, I already
>talkeds about in my earlier thread. Conan Exiles was interesting, but
>too grindy for me. I just wanted to fight!
>

*--

I am about ready to quit D4. I had no idea that other players can
join my"single player" game. I saw that for the first time the other
night. I have unchecked all those boxes but doesn't seem to help.

Oh well, $70 down the drain. I did not see that it was a MP/Co-Op
game in the two reviews I read beforehand.

Guess I will retart the original Diablo + Hellfire :-)

-pw

>
>Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Another month, another list. I didn't spend as much time in front of
>> the monitor as I should have; too much time spent outdoors doing
>> 'exercise' and 'enjoying the good weather' and 'spending quality time
>> with friends and family'. I didn't spend thousands on a new PC to
>> waste time on nonsense like that! I should be gaming 24/7! But alas,
>> no, the lure of warm sunlight and tasty food keep pulling me away.
>> I'll try harder next month.
>...
>> What Have You Been Playing... IN JUNE 2023?

I watched some people play WoW classic 'hardcore mode' which enticed me to perhaps check out WoW classic again (I had leveled a character back in '05-'06, tanked 40 man raids, the whole deal- and then again maybe 6 years ago in a private vanilla server)

Hardcore is an interesting community addon project where if you ever died in the game you have to remake a new character.

What instead happened is I decided to give the live retail WoW a swirl and got kind of caught up in it, despite it being almost an unrecognizable game to what it was originally.

Some of the things Blizzard has done to keep the people from leaving are interesting and very anti-what made WoW addictive by nature so long ago. Leveling a character from 60 to 70 takes a matter of a few days and you don't need to traverse more than two zones to do it. Questing and dungeon crawling is just in your face easy. There is no more grind here, at least from a casual standpoint. It still provides a little bit of that action RPG fun. Outside of the dungeons or raids there's very little 'MMO' about it anymore. No elite quests (well there are, but character class seems to just whomp on mobs who are) so you don't really need to party with another player(s) to get things finished. There's a lot of cinematics and a main questline the game would have you follow but I wasn't very interested in any of it. The dragon riding in the new expansion is pretty fun and adds some speed to the game (very different than just having the flying mounts of past expansions)

I don't see myself sticking around long term but it was a nice change of pace of my usual fare of CSGO and PUBG.

On Wed, 05 Jul 2023 21:43:09 -0600, PW
<iamnotusingonewithAgent@notinuse.com> wrote:

>On Sun, 02 Jul 2023 07:41:18 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
>
>>Diablo 4 and Conan Exiles, but not much time these days. D4, I already
>>talkeds about in my earlier thread. Conan Exiles was interesting, but
>>too grindy for me. I just wanted to fight!
>>
>
>*--
>
>I am about ready to quit D4. I had no idea that other players can
>join my"single player" game. I saw that for the first time the other
>night. I have unchecked all those boxes but doesn't seem to help.

Argh. I hate games that do that. Most at least allow you to exclude
visitors, which seems sane given how many creeps and trolls exist on
the usenet (c.f. "The Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory"). Assuming it
is true, that "Diablo 4" /doesn't/ permit this is inexcusable, but -
given its published by Activision-Blizzard - perhaps not that
surprising.

Well, it wasn't like I was going to buy "Diablo 4" anyway, but here's
yet another reason to avoid it. It's not like the writing wasn't on
the wall about the game beforehand anyway...

On Wednesday, July 5, 2023 at 11:14:57 PM UTC-7, Shinnokxz wrote:
> I watched some people play WoW classic 'hardcore mode' which enticed me to perhaps check out WoW classic again (I had leveled a character back in '05-'06, tanked 40 man raids, the whole deal- and then again maybe 6 years ago in a private vanilla server)
>
> Hardcore is an interesting community addon project where if you ever died in the game you have to remake a new character.
>
> What instead happened is I decided to give the live retail WoW a swirl and got kind of caught up in it, despite it being almost an unrecognizable game to what it was originally.
>
> Some of the things Blizzard has done to keep the people from leaving are interesting and very anti-what made WoW addictive by nature so long ago. Leveling a character from 60 to 70 takes a matter of a few days and you don't need to traverse more than two zones to do it. Questing and dungeon crawling is just in your face easy. There is no more grind here, at least from a casual standpoint. It still provides a little bit of that action RPG fun. Outside of the dungeons or raids there's very little 'MMO' about it anymore. No elite quests (well there are, but character class seems to just whomp on mobs who are) so you don't really need to party with another player(s) to get things finished. There's a lot of cinematics and a main questline the game would have you follow but I wasn't very interested in any of it. The dragon riding in the new expansion is pretty fun and adds some speed to the game (very different than just having the flying mounts of past expansions)
>
> I don't see myself sticking around long term but it was a nice change of pace of my usual fare of CSGO and PUBG.

Dam it! You mentioned flying on a dragon, and now I'm interested again.
The cartoonish graphics were a big turn off back near the beginning when
I played though, so probably not. But maybe. Must resist!

- Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

Hi I'm Justisaur and I'm an MMORPGcoholic!
I'm 2 years and 9 months since my last relapse (City of Heroes.)

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:

> What Have You Been Playing... IN JUNE 2023?

I continued my adventures in GTA: San Andreas. In fact, got a little
bored with it since it's a long game and gets a little tedious toward
the end. Drive here, drive there, feels like filler.

And to think the game has a jetpack but it only spawns in one place. And
it's pretty slow too and has super bad controls...

Anyways, I picked it up again last weekend and finally pushed through
the main plot Yesterday. So there're lots of different things to do to
fill that completion percentage but I think I'll leave it be. I did mean
to do the bike school for some simple motorbike fun and even mediocre
success in it gives guaranteed spawn points for a pair of nice bikes.

Taking a break from 'My Time at Sandrock' by playing ...

'My Time at Portia'.

o_O

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

On Friday, July 7, 2023 at 12:29:57 AM UTC-7, Anssi Saari wrote:
> Spalls Hurgenson <spallsh...@gmail.com> writes:
>
> > What Have You Been Playing... IN JUNE 2023?
> I continued my adventures in GTA: San Andreas. In fact, got a little
> bored with it since it's a long game and gets a little tedious toward
> the end. Drive here, drive there, feels like filler.

Agree with that. I loved the gang war, but after that it was Meh at best.

- Justisaur

Justisaur <justisaur@gmail.com> writes:

> On Friday, July 7, 2023 at 12:29:57 AM UTC-7, Anssi Saari wrote:
>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallsh...@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>> > What Have You Been Playing... IN JUNE 2023?
>> I continued my adventures in GTA: San Andreas. In fact, got a little
>> bored with it since it's a long game and gets a little tedious toward
>> the end. Drive here, drive there, feels like filler.
>
> Agree with that. I loved the gang war, but after that it was Meh at best.

Well, even now I liked the variety of missions in the countryside and
later in San Fierro, after the gang war part. The shooting was there but
it was lighter, more "kill these five guys" instead of 50. Or run them
over with a combine harvester.

But then the New Vegas part started to drag on.

On Fri, 7 Jul 2023 15:11:52 -0700 (PDT), Justisaur
<justisaur@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Friday, July 7, 2023 at 12:29:57?AM UTC-7, Anssi Saari wrote:
>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallsh...@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>> > What Have You Been Playing... IN JUNE 2023?
>> I continued my adventures in GTA: San Andreas. In fact, got a little
>> bored with it since it's a long game and gets a little tedious toward
>> the end. Drive here, drive there, feels like filler.
>
>Agree with that. I loved the gang war, but after that it was Meh at best.

GTA:SA had its ups and downs. I loved its three-city world; there was
a real difference between driving around the different towns. The main
protagonist's story was engaging. The core game mechanics were
satisfying. And many of the missions were a lot of fun.

But there was just so much unnecessary chaff - side missions,
pointless story missions, extra game mechanics - that just dragged the
rest of the game down. And a lot of it was of middling or poor quality
to boot. Add into all that the somewhat iffy controls and the - even
for the time - aging visuals, and GTA:SA was possibly the most tedious
of all the "GTA3" games.

I still have fond memories of playing the game - driving down the
freeway with "Freebird" blaring through the speakers, the jetpack
(iffy controls aside, I loved using that thing), finding the hidden
easter egg on top of the Golden Gate bridge analogue, diving off the
Hoover Dam analogue, etc. - but I've never been able to make myself
play it through to completition a second time. It's just... just too
much.

Like rms absolutely nothing so I'll have to talk about TT RPG's instead.

<min-rant started>

We finally managed to start our new game of Call of Cthulhu, with me as
GM, and boy are some players difficult with their ability to actually
turn up. So the first session two no shows (one hadn't even made a
character) and not a word out of either of them or even an apology
afterwards for not attending. So on to next week and I scheduled the
game. The player who didn't even make a character throws their toys out
of the pram as that not the day they want to play. I did kindly explain
they didn't even turn up last time - the result the left in a huff,
which is probably a good thing. The other player who didn't turn up said
they might attend and I did point out they need to say either way, so I
ended up cancelling the session.

Then the story goes on, arrange another session and the player who
didn't turn up says nothing until a roll call on the day we are due to
play, now they say the can't make it as they have something planned for
the weekend. Thinking being nice doesn't work I go with the more blunt
approach of pointing out their record is didn't turn-up, wouldn't commit
to turning up and then didn't say anything until the last moment even
though they knew in advance they weren't going to be available. I was
almost at the stage of saying bugger it but instead decided to go with I
can run with just two players and we all had a lot of fun.

I really don't understand this new breed of online RPGers who seem to
treat it like a single player game and everyone else is there for their
convince.

<mini-rant over>

>Like rms absolutely nothing so I'll have to talk about TT RPG's instead.

But since then I have started both a replay of the original System Shock,
and the remake!!

>I can run with just two players and we all had a lot of fun.

Well it sort of worked out! Did you ever play the CofC pc game? I
haven't played a TT game, but I had the impression it tried to carry the
flavor of TT. Here's my review from back then:

"Approaching this title, it's helpful to temper your expectations: You will
not be acquiring a range of weaponry to mow down waves of cultists and trade
blows with the Elder Gods. You will not be re-enacting an HPL story
beat-by-beat.

What you will be doing is something more akin to this description of the
CofC table-top RPG: "This game is not like D&D in that you explore ruins and
kills monsters. You can, but Call of Cthulhu is a game of story telling,
narrative, and psychological horror in the face of cosmic terrors beyond the
mind's comprehension." Cyanide Studios made an honest and high-quality
effort to put some of this tabletop flavor into a first-person adventure
game.

Some of these aspects they pulled off wonderfully: The atmosphere draws you
in, and the player feels tension and looming dread as the plot unfolds. The
graphics and sound design are more than serviceable in assisting this
immersion, and while most levels are fairly small, you are treated to a
large deserted victorian mansion & a 19thC hospital, both of which are
visited twice, with plenty of exploration and puzzle opportunities.
Voice-acting is a highlight, and I was very satisfied in this regard.

Where I felt some criticism was justified was a sense that small gaps in
understanding a situation or the consequences of one dialogue choice over
another are not adequately filled in, and these small gaps are quite
frequent in the game. In the table-top analog, I imagine many of these gaps
being filled by discussion with other players, and by forced involvement in
role-playing your character. Here a bit of text or spoken monologue would've
helped bridge these small gaps for me.

There are a few levels where you will die repeatedly -- well-placed
checkpoint saves remove the tedium of travel time to difficult sections --
when being chased by monsters or cultists, before working out what is
required of you, but thinking back on them they seem reasonable and not
frustrating for frustration's sake. In particular is a late-game stealth
section where you are only given a few bullets to fend off attackers, and
have to take it seriously and not just blow through it: Nothing wrong with
that.

A more serious complaint is the -- probably valid -- suspicion that many of
your dialogue choices or skill set settings have no real consequence, beyond
achievement seeking, but that's the reality of a smaller budget and studio.
Here I think adjusting your attitude from looking for a particular outcome
to a more table-top one of *being* your character is appropriate. And in no
way can I fault any of the multiple possible endings, all of which are a
brutal gut-punch, entirely fitting the table-top comment description quoted
earlier. I give a respectful thumbs-up to Call of Cthulhu: It makes me want
to seek out more Lovecraftian titles, and that is a mark of success in a
game!

rms

PW <iamnotusingonewithAgent@notinuse.com> wrote:
>>I am about ready to quit D4. I had no idea that other players can
>>join my"single player" game. I saw that for the first time the other
>>night. I have unchecked all those boxes but doesn't seem to help.

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>Argh. I hate games that do that. Most at least allow you to exclude
>visitors, which seems sane given how many creeps and trolls exist on
>the usenet (c.f. "The Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory"). Assuming it
>is true, that "Diablo 4" /doesn't/ permit this is inexcusable, but -
>given its published by Activision-Blizzard - perhaps not that
>surprising.

It's intentional, Diablo 4 basically works like an MMORPG now.
It's always online and you'll see other players in the shared parts of
the game. Dungeons are private instances though, so you won't see other
players unless they're in the same party as you.

--
l/ // Ross Ridge -- The Great HTMU
[oo][oo] rridge@csclub.uwaterloo.ca
-()-/()/ http://www.csclub.uwaterloo.ca:11068/
db //

On Sun, 9 Jul 2023 11:11:31 +0100, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

>Like rms absolutely nothing so I'll have to talk about TT RPG's instead.
>
><min-rant started>
>
>We finally managed to start our new game of Call of Cthulhu, with me as
>GM, and boy are some players difficult with their ability to actually
>turn up. So the first session two no shows (one hadn't even made a
>character) and not a word out of either of them or even an apology
>afterwards for not attending. So on to next week and I scheduled the
>game. The player who didn't even make a character throws their toys out
>of the pram as that not the day they want to play. I did kindly explain
>they didn't even turn up last time - the result the left in a huff,
>which is probably a good thing. The other player who didn't turn up said
>they might attend and I did point out they need to say either way, so I
>ended up cancelling the session.
>
>Then the story goes on, arrange another session and the player who
>didn't turn up says nothing until a roll call on the day we are due to
>play, now they say the can't make it as they have something planned for
>the weekend. Thinking being nice doesn't work I go with the more blunt
>approach of pointing out their record is didn't turn-up, wouldn't commit
>to turning up and then didn't say anything until the last moment even
>though they knew in advance they weren't going to be available. I was
>almost at the stage of saying bugger it but instead decided to go with I
>can run with just two players and we all had a lot of fun.
>
>I really don't understand this new breed of online RPGers who seem to
>treat it like a single player game and everyone else is there for their
>convince.

Another reason for me to prefer in-person tabletop gaming. While
getting people together is more difficult, it's also harder for people
to no-show if they a) know you as a 'real person' and not just some
face/voice on a screen, and b) recognize that others have made the
effort to appear. After all, if it's all online and you don't show up,
it's not like the others are that inconvenienced, right? They're still
at home and can do something else. But if everyone has to travel to a
common location, that's their time and money you're wasting...

Which isn't to say that in-person games are immune to the problem;
there's always 'that one person' who shows up so late you're never
sure they are coming at all.

<shrug> I just start the game without them. And your PC isn't put in a
magical time-out in these cases either. They're MY PC until you show
up. I won't be reckless with them (and I'll try to be in character
when I have them do stuff), but they get to 'enjoy the fun' with the
rest of the party... with all the consequences that entails. And while
I'll do my best to spare the CHARACTER, all those saved potions and
magic items? Well, let's just say I'm less conservative with those
than the player might be. ;-)

Most players learn after two or three such 'lessons'. Those that don't
usually aren't worth keeping around.

Of course, once the player drops out... the character is mine again.
And once THAT happens, the kid gloves are off. Abandoned characters
don't last long in our campaigns. ;-)

On 7/9/2023 7:32 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Sun, 9 Jul 2023 11:11:31 +0100, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:
>
>> Like rms absolutely nothing so I'll have to talk about TT RPG's instead.
>>
>> <min-rant started>
>>
>> We finally managed to start our new game of Call of Cthulhu, with me as
>> GM, and boy are some players difficult with their ability to actually
>> turn up. So the first session two no shows (one hadn't even made a
>> character) and not a word out of either of them or even an apology
>> afterwards for not attending. So on to next week and I scheduled the
>> game. The player who didn't even make a character throws their toys out
>> of the pram as that not the day they want to play. I did kindly explain
>> they didn't even turn up last time - the result the left in a huff,
>> which is probably a good thing. The other player who didn't turn up said
>> they might attend and I did point out they need to say either way, so I
>> ended up cancelling the session.
>>
>> Then the story goes on, arrange another session and the player who
>> didn't turn up says nothing until a roll call on the day we are due to
>> play, now they say the can't make it as they have something planned for
>> the weekend. Thinking being nice doesn't work I go with the more blunt
>> approach of pointing out their record is didn't turn-up, wouldn't commit
>> to turning up and then didn't say anything until the last moment even
>> though they knew in advance they weren't going to be available. I was
>> almost at the stage of saying bugger it but instead decided to go with I
>> can run with just two players and we all had a lot of fun.
>>
>> I really don't understand this new breed of online RPGers who seem to
>> treat it like a single player game and everyone else is there for their
>> convince.
>
> Another reason for me to prefer in-person tabletop gaming. While
> getting people together is more difficult, it's also harder for people
> to no-show if they a) know you as a 'real person' and not just some
> face/voice on a screen, and b) recognize that others have made the
> effort to appear. After all, if it's all online and you don't show up,
> it's not like the others are that inconvenienced, right? They're still
> at home and can do something else. But if everyone has to travel to a
> common location, that's their time and money you're wasting...
>
> Which isn't to say that in-person games are immune to the problem;
> there's always 'that one person' who shows up so late you're never
> sure they are coming at all.
>
> <shrug> I just start the game without them. And your PC isn't put in a
> magical time-out in these cases either. They're MY PC until you show
> up. I won't be reckless with them (and I'll try to be in character
> when I have them do stuff), but they get to 'enjoy the fun' with the
> rest of the party... with all the consequences that entails. And while
> I'll do my best to spare the CHARACTER, all those saved potions and
> magic items? Well, let's just say I'm less conservative with those
> than the player might be. ;-)
>
> Most players learn after two or three such 'lessons'. Those that don't
> usually aren't worth keeping around.
>
> Of course, once the player drops out... the character is mine again.
> And once THAT happens, the kid gloves are off. Abandoned characters
> don't last long in our campaigns. ;-)
>
You have a Bag Of Holding Infinite Red Shirts for them.

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

On 09/07/2023 14:35, rms wrote:
>   Well it sort of worked out!  Did you ever play the CofC pc game?  I
> haven't played a TT game, but I had the impression it tried to carry the
> flavor of TT.  Here's my review from back then:

I did look at it when it was first released but the reviews seemed mixed
and at the price point I didn't think I could justify it. Now you've
mentioned it, it's reminded me to look at it again as the reviews now
are leaning to positive and more importantly I've seen several players
of TT CoC say they enjoyed it. So I pressed that buy button as it's on
Steam currently for less than £5!

On 09/07/2023 15:32, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Sun, 9 Jul 2023 11:11:31 +0100, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:
>
>> Like rms absolutely nothing so I'll have to talk about TT RPG's instead.
>>
>> <min-rant started>
>>
>> We finally managed to start our new game of Call of Cthulhu, with me as
>> GM, and boy are some players difficult with their ability to actually
>> turn up. So the first session two no shows (one hadn't even made a
>> character) and not a word out of either of them or even an apology
>> afterwards for not attending. So on to next week and I scheduled the
>> game. The player who didn't even make a character throws their toys out
>> of the pram as that not the day they want to play. I did kindly explain
>> they didn't even turn up last time - the result the left in a huff,
>> which is probably a good thing. The other player who didn't turn up said
>> they might attend and I did point out they need to say either way, so I
>> ended up cancelling the session.
>>
>> Then the story goes on, arrange another session and the player who
>> didn't turn up says nothing until a roll call on the day we are due to
>> play, now they say the can't make it as they have something planned for
>> the weekend. Thinking being nice doesn't work I go with the more blunt
>> approach of pointing out their record is didn't turn-up, wouldn't commit
>> to turning up and then didn't say anything until the last moment even
>> though they knew in advance they weren't going to be available. I was
>> almost at the stage of saying bugger it but instead decided to go with I
>> can run with just two players and we all had a lot of fun.
>>
>> I really don't understand this new breed of online RPGers who seem to
>> treat it like a single player game and everyone else is there for their
>> convince.
>
> Another reason for me to prefer in-person tabletop gaming. While
> getting people together is more difficult, it's also harder for people
> to no-show if they a) know you as a 'real person' and not just some
> face/voice on a screen, and b) recognize that others have made the
> effort to appear. After all, if it's all online and you don't show up,
> it's not like the others are that inconvenienced, right? They're still
> at home and can do something else. But if everyone has to travel to a
> common location, that's their time and money you're wasting...
>
> Which isn't to say that in-person games are immune to the problem;
> there's always 'that one person' who shows up so late you're never
> sure they are coming at all.
>
> <shrug> I just start the game without them. And your PC isn't put in a
> magical time-out in these cases either. They're MY PC until you show
> up. I won't be reckless with them (and I'll try to be in character
> when I have them do stuff), but they get to 'enjoy the fun' with the
> rest of the party... with all the consequences that entails. And while
> I'll do my best to spare the CHARACTER, all those saved potions and
> magic items? Well, let's just say I'm less conservative with those
> than the player might be. ;-)
>
> Most players learn after two or three such 'lessons'. Those that don't
> usually aren't worth keeping around.
>
> Of course, once the player drops out... the character is mine again.
> And once THAT happens, the kid gloves are off. Abandoned characters
> don't last long in our campaigns. ;-)
>

I think the reason it annoys me is I realise that real-life takes
priority but if you join a group then you have made a level of
commitment and it's just rude not to turn up because you don't really
feel like or you found something better to do. Then again we used to
have a GM that it wasn't uncommon for then to call the game off a few
hours before as they'd done something over the weekend so hadn't done
any prep. And even worse example was someone in the group was travelling
to see friends and arranged to met the GM on the way back which was a
detour of over an hour. We he got there he phoned the GM to see where he
was only to be told that he'd gone down the pub with his mates so maybe
they can met up some other time. I just don't understand that.

On 7/4/2023 5:29 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Tue, 4 Jul 2023 Metal Guru wrote:
>> On 7/1/2023 Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
>>> * Ghost Tokyo (new)
>
>> This is surprising coming from you, didn't think you'd be interested in
>> this type of game. And AFAIK the price hasn't been anywhere near your
>> limit (which is similar to mine) unless it came in a bundle or something :)
>
> It was included in HumbleChoice a month or three back. It's definitely
> not the sort of game I'd rush out to buy... not because it's not a
> game I would enjoy, but because I'm just so tired of overly-large
> open-world games.

Ah, good ol'Humble - that figures :) I hate to admit it but being open
world is a big plus in my book, I really enjoy losing myself in an
alternate universe. That's why I finished Unity despite the hideous
controls, I wanted to parkour around Paris and Versailles in the late
1700's as much as possible and the game was just too beautifully
realized for me to quit. It really boggles my mind how Ubisoft was able
to pull off that kind of graphical density back in 2014.

> "Ghost Tokyo" is a weird mixture of gametypes. It's like a cross
> between "Alan Wake", "Yakuza", "Cyberpunk 2077", and "Shenmue".

Of those I've only played CP2077, got Alan Wake remastered last month
via PS+ but haven't tried it yet. Not sure what happened but I can't
play Japanese games anymore, even though they were my main diet back in
the 90's. Used to read a lot of manga and watch anime as well, these
days you couldn't pay me enough money to do it.

> gameplay is equally mixed. The combat is passable; there's enough
> variety in enemies to keep thing interesting, but the powers are all
> too similar. Some of the missions are really clever - there's a
> mid-game mission where the entire level re-arranges itself around you
> (similar to what Remedy did in "Control"), and another in a school
> that was genuinely creepy. But too much of the gameplay is scrounging
> for lost souls and pointless side-quests. In short amounts, its fun
> but extended over thirty of forty hours? It's just too much.
>
> But I love the weird Japanese monstrosities and the characters are
> fun, if a bit broad and cartoonish. The world is beautifully detailed
> too; its technology may lag a bit behind "Cyberpunk's", but there's a
> lot more variety and work put into the individual neighborhoods in
> "Ghost Tokyo's" city. It has a lot more character than "Cyberpunk's"
> Night City.

That sounds interesting, specially if it's open world - might give it a
shot once the price hits single digits or less ;)

> I tried "Origins" but didn't get too far; having enemies that were all
> but invulnerable to my attacks simply because I wasn't high-enough
> level absolutely destroyed the immersiveness of the game.

I don't remember that happening at all, I just played the game
organically doing the main quest plus a few side ones that looked
interesting and not much else. That's what I meant by level gating
though, and Odyssey was infuriating in that regard - they even had
convenient "XP boosts" that could be purchased with real money. If
Origins had those at some point in the past I wouldn't know but it
certainly doesn't now.

> Still, I really do mean to give the game another try, because I don't
> think I gave it entirely a fair shake the first time I played - and
> abandoned - it. At the very least, I want to try the "Discovery Tour"
> mode which allows me to visit all the interesting historical sites in
> the game, without bothering with the less engaging gameplay.

That tour was a big disappointment, I'd only do that if you truly
dislike the gameplay. It's much more fun to come across the sites as
you're playing the game. There's not much in terms of story and
characters in Origins - it's an Ubisoft title after all - but that's
never kept me from playing a video game before. If I wanted good stories
and characters I'd read a book and/or watch a movie (yeah, I'm one of
those).

>> I'm now playing Watch Dogs Legion, another Ubi open world

> "Watchdogs" - like too many Ubisoft games - are pabulum that you play
> to kill time. They're tasy but unfilling treats that help you occupy
> your time between better games.

Ubisoft truly is the McDonald's of video games - you know exactly what
you're getting, it does the job until your next meal but you'll forget
about it the minute you have that last bite. I must be approaching the
end now and it's still doing a decent job of keeping me somewhat
entertained. Ubi does environments like few developers are able to do
and London is no exception, too bad everything else is so mediocre.

--
The US and Britain are having a competition on who can fuck themselves
up the most. Britain is in the lead, but the US has a Trump card.