Always meant to pick up Sid Meier’s Beyond Earth, but do I really need yet another game in my back catalog?
Yes, I do!
What other games are we all playing?
- Thread starter Schindler
- Start date
Always meant to pick up Sid Meier’s Beyond Earth, but do I really need yet another game in my back catalog?
Yes, I do!
I'm sad that they didn't do a second expansion for Beyond Earth. The game was flawed but had potential. Really hope they do a follow up game where they fix the issues and continue to support it.
I think Beyond Earth's biggest flaw, was being a game about colonizing alien planets, but ending up playing exclusively against other humans... Well except the space barbarians of the early game. The only actual difference between Beyond Earth and normal Civilization games was the scenery. And even the scenery wasn't that much different.
The original SMAC was like this too. But alien threat was more imminent and the whole thing was better narrated, imo.
X-Plane. Crossing the 'Hump' in an overloaded C-47. Height of mountains 14,000 ft. Height of aircraft, 15,000 ft, so I made it, though at that altitude and weight my rate of climb was marginal.
Other than the poor climb rate, not a difficult trip, even when navigating by old-fashioned map-and-eyeball (GPS would be cheating). Much harder for those who had to do the real thing though:
Free X-Plane C-47 download from here:
https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/forums/topic/130227-aeroworx-douglas-c-47/
Other than the poor climb rate, not a difficult trip, even when navigating by old-fashioned map-and-eyeball (GPS would be cheating). Much harder for those who had to do the real thing though:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hump
Free X-Plane C-47 download from here:
https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/forums/topic/130227-aeroworx-douglas-c-47/
I'm getting back into SWTOR. I've been playing it on and off for about 7 years now (I started about the time it introduced a free-to-play model). It's not yet dead, the devs are still developing content and expansions for it, even if they outsource the work. I am determined to complete all the story quests.
Since the price was right, I decided to finally pick up X-Com 2. I very much enjoyed Xenonauts, X-Com's "spiritual successor," so how hard could it be? 
First "Campaign" was a total-party kill on the first mission. Okay, maybe starting out at "Commander" difficulty was a little bit optimistic...
Second Campaign, at "veteran" difficulty, first three missions: nobody got killed, but almost everyone got injured. After a few more missions, it became clear that I was in a downward spiral that would only end in tears. That, and I should emphasize the stealth abilities of my rangers, rather than the blade abilities. Being able to spot the aliens before they spot you is really useful.
Third Campaign I thought was going well. My chief Specialist, awesomely nick-named "Doctor Feelgood," had gotten lucky with two "increase hack abilities," and also seemed to be the most deadly soldier in my squad. She had just made Captain when I learned a hard lesson about a poor decision I had made a while ago: no matter how cruddy the rewards are, and how awesome the other rewards are, always choose to oppose the UFO Dark Event.
Fourth (and current) Campaign seems to be going well. Just unlocked heavier armor and weapons, as well as Squad Size 6. Unfortunately, I seem to be lagging behind on opposing the Avatar Project. Now that the Avenger finally has extra power to spare, and a fully functioning communications center, maybe I can start playing catch up... before it's too late!
First "Campaign" was a total-party kill on the first mission. Okay, maybe starting out at "Commander" difficulty was a little bit optimistic...
Second Campaign, at "veteran" difficulty, first three missions: nobody got killed, but almost everyone got injured. After a few more missions, it became clear that I was in a downward spiral that would only end in tears. That, and I should emphasize the stealth abilities of my rangers, rather than the blade abilities. Being able to spot the aliens before they spot you is really useful.
Third Campaign I thought was going well. My chief Specialist, awesomely nick-named "Doctor Feelgood," had gotten lucky with two "increase hack abilities," and also seemed to be the most deadly soldier in my squad. She had just made Captain when I learned a hard lesson about a poor decision I had made a while ago: no matter how cruddy the rewards are, and how awesome the other rewards are, always choose to oppose the UFO Dark Event.
Fourth (and current) Campaign seems to be going well. Just unlocked heavier armor and weapons, as well as Squad Size 6. Unfortunately, I seem to be lagging behind on opposing the Avatar Project. Now that the Avenger finally has extra power to spare, and a fully functioning communications center, maybe I can start playing catch up... before it's too late!
Well into AC Odyssey now. It's fairly enjoyable, but lots of small things make it fell less stellar than it possibly might have been. For a start, it's an AC game, so although the ancient setting is great, there's stupid high tech throwbacks thrown in here and there. Find a Stele? Holographic displays popping out of it. Use your pet eagle? When you go back to your character there's a cyberspace-like retexturing of the environment. Then, there's the store which is thrown in your face right from the first main menu. And finally, there's the social media layer: open your map, and by default you'll have markers for screenshots by lordzdank4326 and wuxxxxx14. You can remove them, but they'll be set to appear by default in your next gaming session. It feels a lot like Steep in the end, there's a "loud" feeling to the game that kills a bit the immersion in such a scenic environment. The war setting is a bit weirdly used too: I get that as a mercenary, they don't really want you to pick a side, but with its auto-flip of regions all the time and the need to level up for subsequent areas, you're basically encouraged to indiscriminately attack all camps/forts be they Spartans of Athenians, because there are no consequences to it and you need the xp and unique gear from those locations. Makes you feel a lot more like a silly video game character looking for xp/loot and a lot less like a character living in those times. And finally, in the name of balance-in-a-single-player-game (pet peeve of mine), they decided to not include shields for the player. Like, who would ever want to fight like a hoplite in a game set during the Peloponnesian War eh?
It's a pity because despite all this, it still is a lovely game. Feels a lot like a Witcher 3 with worse writing but better combat to make up for it, including an entertaining naval combat. Quests/locations are fairly repetitive, but the combat makes up for it, and it makes it a very good pick up game for short-ish sessions. Just can't shake the feeling that it could have been so much more with a slightly different direction.
It's a pity because despite all this, it still is a lovely game. Feels a lot like a Witcher 3 with worse writing but better combat to make up for it, including an entertaining naval combat. Quests/locations are fairly repetitive, but the combat makes up for it, and it makes it a very good pick up game for short-ish sessions. Just can't shake the feeling that it could have been so much more with a slightly different direction.
You get my review of the week award Fishy.
I loved the world they made, if feels like I am there in those times. Until, the gameplay decisions interfere with it. It also annoyed me that special loot didn't feel terribly special after a very short time when Grunt A has levelled up and his rusty sword is now out damaging your family heirloom super sword.
I might go back to it and reinstall one day when I have inclination and time.
I loved the world they made, if feels like I am there in those times. Until, the gameplay decisions interfere with it. It also annoyed me that special loot didn't feel terribly special after a very short time when Grunt A has levelled up and his rusty sword is now out damaging your family heirloom super sword.
I might go back to it and reinstall one day when I have inclination and time.
Yeah, the gear options feel a bit daft with their gamey tiering. I'm fine with changing it and upgrading it as the game goes (and the cosmetic reskinning is great), but I'm not sure those "EPIC" or "LEGENDARY" monikers were really needed for stuff you end up throwing away a couple levels later as it's far cheaper to just use the next one rather than paying over the odds to upgrade the old one to your level.
The world scaling is a bit off too, I feel they could have either picked a smaller region but to a better scale, or at least double checked some of the dialogue. My character telling a NPC "Wow, you're far from Delphi!" when Delphi is just on top of the hill right behind us could easily have been avoided.
But yeah, all the niggles aside, it's pretty entertaining, I'm liking it a lot.
Yep, agree with the "review".
Though I personally wasn't that bothered by the "modern AC stuff" as it has been toned down pretty drastically from previous ACs. And I actually started to enjoy it during the Atlantis DLC, where it kind of makes sense.
Characters are kind of a typical AC - not stellar but definitely interesting.
I have almost 400 hours in the game - One standard playthough, then a NewGame+ with the First Blade DLC and then NewGame++ with everything again and the Atlantis, which I've just finished three days ago.
...and started from scratch once again. This is exactly how I played The Witcher 3, so to me it means it's a similarly good game. With its shortcomings and strong points.
Love it to bits, though.+
Though I personally wasn't that bothered by the "modern AC stuff" as it has been toned down pretty drastically from previous ACs. And I actually started to enjoy it during the Atlantis DLC, where it kind of makes sense.
Characters are kind of a typical AC - not stellar but definitely interesting.
I have almost 400 hours in the game - One standard playthough, then a NewGame+ with the First Blade DLC and then NewGame++ with everything again and the Atlantis, which I've just finished three days ago.
...and started from scratch once again. This is exactly how I played The Witcher 3, so to me it means it's a similarly good game. With its shortcomings and strong points.
Love it to bits, though.+
Nice review of AC Odyssey!
Sounds like they haven't really changed that much from the first game. I really liked Black Flag a lot but at the same time it was just a chore to so the side missions. Sailing was the thing I loved the most.
Currently on my third play through of The witcher 3. My God, it gets better and better each time. And with the latest updates, modding it is far more simpler now.
Sounds like they haven't really changed that much from the first game. I really liked Black Flag a lot but at the same time it was just a chore to so the side missions. Sailing was the thing I loved the most.
Currently on my third play through of The witcher 3. My God, it gets better and better each time. And with the latest updates, modding it is far more simpler now.
My eyes, my eyes, oh sweet baby Jesus, my eyes.
![[VR] Merkir](https://d2aefvhu2f0gi9.cloudfront.net/data/avatars/m/141/141091.jpg?1553527154){kind=avatar}
I was playing bit of Witcher 3 today and while doing some quest for the Bloody Baron I stumbled upon two drunk guards in the basement.
And they went with the very exact same accents as in certain movie:
"-Bring out the gimp
-The gimp sleeping...
- Well, I guess you're just gonna have to go wake him up now, won't you? "
Needles to say I fled in a hurry...
And they went with the very exact same accents as in certain movie:
"-Bring out the gimp
-The gimp sleeping...
- Well, I guess you're just gonna have to go wake him up now, won't you? "
Needles to say I fled in a hurry...