What other games are we all playing?

[Banger_uk]

DCS fun. Trying, but failing, to get my Hornet carrier landings looking like something other than abject panic.

This is just raw in-cockpit footage of typical noob attempts: an abysmal first circuit which was more or less wrong in every respect, and failed to even touch the deck, followed by something marginally better that actually caught a wire. Not my worst effort either. My previous sortie involved four bolters (hitting the deck but missing a wire) followed by a panicked last attempt as my fuel indication headed rapidly towards zero. If I'd missed that one, I'd have been swimming. If you want to know how to do it properly, there are tutorials available on YouTube. I don't think I'll be uploading one any time soon.

This is the stock Stennis carrier: the Supercarrier DLC is due into early access in the next few days, which will include a better carrier model, deck-dudes as eye candy and to guide you onto the catapult, and other features. It will also have an LSO-bot to scream into my ear, tell me I'm doing it all wrong, and then give me an assessment of my efforts: probably saying that transfers to submarines are available, and if I don't take one, he will.

have a look at this one

he goes throught it in fine detail, and no i not attempt it in my noob state
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t-GGqEj1IY

 

[Old Duck]

Playing the Bejeebers out of Red Dead Redemption 2 what a great story

I heard recently that there's a gaming company that's holding their "COVID work from home" meetings around the campfire in RDO instead of using ZOOM. Now that's a remote meeting I could get into!

 

[Darkfyre99]

Still enjoying the heck out of Empyrion: Galactic Survival. It’s one of those games where you sit down with the intention of doing something real quick, and the next thing you know, it’s an hour later.

 

[Old Duck]

Still enjoying the heck out of Empyrion: Galactic Survival. It’s one of those games where you sit down with the intention of doing something real quick, and the next thing you know, it’s an hour later.

I've been experiencing this in Space Engineers, which I had put aside when I got VR, but recently returned to after even VR could not keep me interested in ED. I get started on a project thinking I'll spend an hour on it, and next thing I know 10 hours have passed! My neck hates me for this. Both these games are true sandboxes. Elite really is not, and I don't understand why people keep pretending it is.

 

[[VR] optimal_909]

I bought too many games recently at a sale, so a bit hopping around these days.
Spent most of time in XCOM2 I initially misjudged.

 

[askavir]

I bought too many games recently at a sale, so a bit hopping around these days.
Spent most of time in XCOM2 I initially misjudged.

XCOM 2 (and 1) is awesome, loved both games and spent a lot of time on each. You can also try the Long War mods, they're some of the finest pieces of modding that were ever made in any game, even the devs themselves were impressed.

I'm hoping for XCOM 3 over the next year. The devs have recently released a cheap "decaf" version of XCOM, Chimera, but it feels more like a mobile phone game than a proper XCOM.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

I bought too many games recently at a sale, so a bit hopping around these days.
Spent most of time in XCOM2 I initially misjudged.

Ye, I was pleasantly surprised too. The timed missions initially put me off. I don't like pushy gameplay. However the campaign can pretty much be played at your very own leisure, unlike XCOM1. That was a big disappointment. The chosen bring a bit of pushy back, but it can be managed a bit. The Ninja chosen can be quite a challenge. I played it first unmodded, got to a bonus mission early I shouldn't have done so early and quit. Then tried Long War. And lately I bought The Chosen DLC and went vanilla again.

 

[[VR] optimal_909]

XCOM 2 (and 1) is awesome, loved both games and spent a lot of time on each. You can also try the Long War mods, they're some of the finest pieces of modding that were ever made in any game, even the devs themselves were impressed.

I'm hoping for XCOM 3 over the next year. The devs have recently released a cheap "decaf" version of XCOM, Chimera, but it feels more like a mobile phone game than a proper XCOM.

I think Long War was part of the second wave in XCOM:EU and EW, at least I remember using it on PS3 back then. Currently forgot about it and using second wave plus only with selected options - plus the original OST which is a masterpiece.
Based on the reviews, I think Chimera is a paid open beta to test new game mechanics before taking direction on XCOM 3.

Ye, I was pleasantly surprised too. The timed missions initially put me off. I don't like pushy gameplay. However the campaign can pretty much be played at your very own leisure, unlike XCOM1. That was a big disappointment. The chosen bring a bit of pushy back, but it can be managed a bit. The Ninja chosen can be quite a challenge. I played it first unmodded, got to a bonus mission early I shouldn't have done so early and quit. Then tried Long War. And lately I bought The Chosen DLC and went vanilla again.

I had it refunded after the first mission already yielded am miss on an 80+% melee attack.
I didn't like the direction the lore went initially. Then I tried the vanilla version during the free week, and got hooked.

I think the campaign progresses the very same way as in XCOM Enemy Unknown - it progresses as you complete critical tech researches and missions. So the same strategy works as before: manage the council/avatar progress but level up your squad first and unlock essentials like having six on the squad on each mission. Then all-in on psy soldiers.
I liked the mech troppers in Enemy Within, though those were so OP no wonder they didn't return. Spark is meh, especially for two elerium cores.
Templar was a big surprise, very weak in the beginning, a proper monster when reached colonel.

Yeah, the Assassin was pretty scary at first and I think it was by far the strongest Chosen of all, odd, that it was introduced first. As in usual XCOM fashion, late game is much easier than the beginning.

All-in-all XCOM 2 is a nice sequel, I even like the story. I still have to find out what happened to Dr. Vahlen though.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

I think Long War was part of the second wave in XCOM:EU and EW, at least I remember using it on PS3 back then. Currently forgot about it and using second wave plus only with selected options - plus the original OST which is a masterpiece.
Based on the reviews, I think Chimera is a paid open beta to test new game mechanics before taking direction on XCOM 3.



I had it refunded after the first mission already yielded am miss on an 80+% melee attack.
I didn't like the direction the lore went initially. Then I tried the vanilla version during the free week, and got hooked.

I think the campaign progresses the very same way as in XCOM Enemy Unknown - it progresses as you complete critical tech researches and missions. So the same strategy works as before: manage the council/avatar progress but level up your squad first and unlock essentials like having six on the squad on each mission. Then all-in on psy soldiers.
I liked the mech troppers in Enemy Within, though those were so OP no wonder they didn't return. Spark is meh, especially for two elerium cores.
Templar was a big surprise, very weak in the beginning, a proper monster when reached colonel.

Yeah, the Assassin was pretty scary at first and I think it was by far the strongest Chosen of all, odd, that it was introduced first. As in usual XCOM fashion, late game is much easier than the beginning.

All-in-all XCOM 2 is a nice sequel, I even like the story. I still have to find out what happened to Dr. Vahlen though.

The campaign is just more diverse. You still get to encounter aliens / enemies of the start of the game and it's not just ethereal, airdrop grenade trooper and supermuton spam like in XCOM1.

 

[Han Zulu]

If you're up for a bit different kind'a game, try Scrap Mechanic. It's even more fun playing co-op. Only on Steam though, as far as I know.

Scrap Mechanic: Welcome to the machine-filled creative paradise of Scrap Mechanic, a multiplayer sandbox game with imagination and ingenuity at its core.

<p>Scrap Mechanic is an all-new creative multiplayer sandbox game which drops you right into a world where you quite literally engineer your own adventures! Choose from the 100+ building parts you have at your disposal and create anything from crazy transforming vehicles to a house that moves...

www.scrapmechanic.com

 

[askavir]

The biggest flaw in both XCOM and XCOM 2 IMO, is that progression brings the usual trope of the bullet-sponge enemies. I enjoy the beginning and the middle of the campaigns much more than the end-game, where strategy and tactics and different approaches no longer matter and it all boils down to focusing all firepower on the highest damage-dealing enemy in sight one at a time... The game gets a lot less interesting the more you approach the conclusion.

I would much rather see an end-game that threw larger numbers of enemies, or more intelligent enemies, than bullet sponges.

 

[Heater]

iRacing and DCS

 

[Ozric]

I brought Cloudpunk a couple of weeks back and I've been playing that a bit alongside the latest Buckyball race. It's somewhat linear although some of the missions do have choices that you have to make in them. The story is OK so far, the controls of the hover vehicles are a little cumbersome at times and the fixed camera is a bit frustrating.

But it's engaging enough, I like the look of it and the soundscape is amazing. The music is really good synthwave, but it's more than the music, all of the sounds blend to create a really atmospheric place I can happily just mill around in.

 

[Darkfyre99]

I've been experiencing this in Space Engineers, which I had put aside when I got VR, but recently returned to after even VR could not keep me interested in ED. I get started on a project thinking I'll spend an hour on it, and next thing I know 10 hours have passed!

I don’t have that “problem” these days. Sooner or later, the little ones will start demanding attention.

My neck hates me for this. Both these games are true sandboxes. Elite really is not, and I don't understand why people keep pretending it is.

The definition of “sandbox” is kind of like the definition of “grind.” It’s drifted over the years. The definition I’m most familiar with is a game without a plot to follow or built in victory condition. YMMV

 

[AkenBosch]

Spent these last days divided between Elite, X4, AC: Origins and Project Cars 2, and today I just finished downloading Mechwarrior 5. I have high hopes about this last one. Mainly, that I could be able to spend more time actually playing than grabbing screenshots, as in all the other games mentioned. I totally hate AC photo mode, it makes playing it almost impossible!

Spoiler

 

[Mole HD]

Spent these last days divided between Elite, X4, AC: Origins and Project Cars 2, and today I just finished downloading Mechwarrior 5. I have high hopes about this last one. Mainly, that I could be able to spend more time actually playing than grabbing screenshots, as in all the other games mentioned. I totally hate AC photo mode, it makes playing it almost impossible!

Spoiler

I'll have to go back and have a play in Origins...kinda forgot all about it after Odyssey released. I loved old Egypt.

Spoiler: Just some screenies

 

[Old Duck]

I don’t have that “problem” these days. Sooner or later, the little ones will start demanding attention.

I only have this problem on rainy weekends (though I have missed my bedtime in recent days). No little ones here to worry about

 

[AkenBosch]

I'll have to go back and have a play in Origins...kinda forgot all about it after Odyssey released. I loved old Egypt.

Also grabbed the Odissey Virtual Tour from Uplay while they still gave it out for free...Origin's VT is a fantastic thing, can't wait to try Odissey's...I'm probably more interested in actual history than the games one, and they made a great technical and visual work with those recreation.

 

[Cmdr Mander]

I'll have to go back and have a play in Origins...kinda forgot all about it after Odyssey released. I loved old Egypt.

Bought Origins for the PC in the Steam sale and rage refunded 30 mins after installing.
The control set up was completely borked and wouldn't recognise the mouse and keyboard and was setting my rudder pedals and joystick to the mouse function.
A quick google found it to be a common issue on the PC version and the solution was to unplug all other peripherals and edit an .ini file. At that point I had a paddy like a small child in a supermarket and gave up
Shame as it looks like a really good game otherwise and seems to get well reviewed.

 

[AkenBosch]

First time I launched it I had the hotas, vJoy device and BT Xbox controller all plugged in and active, and the game worked without issues on m+k...it must be one of those things that come down to luck with your setup mostly, but I totally get the frustration.

A bit like me, not being able to play the Halo MCC from the Game Pass anymore because their overwhelmingly crappy app management system (that is, Microsoft Store) isn't able anymore to recognize if I had it installed or not, so it simply decided to show it available for installing, then starting a dummy download ending with a generic error after a few seconds. For ever and ever, even after complete removal of any folder and powershell reinstall and re-registering of the entire store.
At least everything else still works good.