Video Game Chat Thread - Pre-Alpha Experimental Version

Are videogames for children?

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ZMOT said:
get 2033 redux… also makes more sense for the story and how the games progressed over time, you probably want to see where all the original hype came from.
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I'd like to, but its Mac version isn't compiled for 64-bit, so it's unplayable on current versions of macOS, which is a big negative since I don't currently have a gaming PC (or a non-up-to-date Mac).

I remember people having a bit of an issue with exodus, on top of it being an epic store exclusive.
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If it were an Epic exclusive at one time, it's not anymore: https://store.steampowered.com/app/412020/Metro_Exodus/
 
For some reason I played Warsim for hours. If you know the old C64-era text-only turnbased games where you had farmers and fields and soldiers and basically had to decide what to do each turn to make numbers go up (while making enemy numbers go down, if possible) you know this kind of game. Barring some exceptions they were already kinda not the style of the time anymore when I got my first computer in the late 80s and you usually came across them on obscure shareware/public domain floppies, made by some random guy in BASIC or something. "Send $2 to this address if you liked the game!" That kind of deal.

It's not a complicated and in fact repetitive game with a weird amount of lore you wouldn't expect in such a thing but somehow it was.. fun? Do games have to be complicated to be fun? I also like that the author didn't go down the route of "procedually generated, limitless world!" (which usually just means different shades of the same color and a mad libs generator which doesn't make any fucking sense) but there's a lot of handcrafted content in there that was obviously made with some love. A rare pearl. I also really just like text based games.
 
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I just need to rant, Void Bastards is the most infuriating game I've played because I see all the potential that was there by the devs (ex-Irrational Games members) but so many design choices are just straight up BAD.

I'll start off with the good. The weapons are fine, the art style is this nice Comic Book Cel Shading that made it standout at release a few years back. Like most gaming nerds I love Immersive Sims so various level mechanics all strewn about appeal to me.

So why do I hate it? Well for one thing I guess because of that art style the enemies don't have that much character, they just stand around and then explode when you finally kill them. If you're going to make a video game, especially a First Person Shooter you need to animate your enemies. The hapless Zombies and Ghouls in Void Bastards feel like cardboard cutouts, Wolfenstein 3D's Nazi goons had more life to them. Speaking of cardboard the story itself is sadly cardboard thin, basically you control an unlimited number of convicts who are all forced to travel throughout space serving a nefarious evil corporation or some shit. I don't want to spoil but there's no hero's story laying around so ultimately all the work you do for the game is for nothing unless you just really love the basic gameplay loop. And let's talk about that loop:

As noted people who worked for Irrational Games made Void Bastards, so it's not unfair to compare it this game to System Shock 2, one of the most revered games ever produced. SS2 was not a perfect game but all the gameplay systems no matter how rough some were worked together to create an enthralling atmosphere. Every level had details that made it worthwhile to explore (even reading Item Descriptions was fun!), being an RPG when you unlocked a new power or found a new weapon it felt earned like you achieved something. Void Bastards doesn't do this at all, since they decided to do a Rogue-likish game all the ships are just bland not having any storytelling. Weapons and Upgrades unlock in a post level sequence so really the player just collects doodads to advance, whereas in System Shock 2 I get immersed in the world & storytelling so if I repair a shotgun so I can use it it feels like I repaired a shotgun. Also in Void Bastards the game always gives you a full detailed map of each level & there's an Oxygen meter so you can't just take your own time exploring a level nor is their any need to do so.

I just look at Void Bastards and wonder what they hell they were thinking? Because with System Shock 1 & 2 both games are truly greater than the sum of its parts. With Void Bastards I just feel the key design choices don't mesh together at all. There could have been a great game in there but something went wrong.
 
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Cardenio said:
I just need to rant, Void Bastards is the most infuriating game I've played because I see all the potential that was there by the devs (ex-Irrational Games members) but so many design choices are just straight up BAD.

I'll start off with the good. The weapons are fine, the art style is this nice Comic Book Cel Shading that made it standout at release a few years back. Like most gaming nerds I love Immersive Sims so various level mechanics all strewn about appeal to me.

So why do I hate it? Well for one thing I guess because of that art style the enemies don't have that much character, they just stand around and then explode when you finally kill them. If you're going to make a video game, especially a First Person Shooter you need to animate your enemies. The hapless Zombies and Ghouls in Void Bastards feel like cardboard cutouts, Wolfenstein 3D's Nazi goons had more life to them. Speaking of cardboard the story itself is sadly cardboard thin, basically you control an unlimited number of convicts who are all forced to travel throughout space serving a nefarious evil corporation or some shit. I don't want to spoil but there's no hero's story laying around so ultimately all the work you do for the game is for nothing unless you just really love the basic gameplay loop. And let's talk about that loop:

As noted people who worked for Irrational Games made Void Bastards, so it's not unfair to compare it this game to System Shock 2, one of the most revered games ever produced. SS2 was not a perfect game but all the gameplay systems no matter how rough some were worked together to create an enthralling atmosphere. Every level had details that made it worthwhile to explore (even reading Item Descriptions was fun!), being an RPG when you unlocked a new power or found a new weapon it felt earned like you achieved something. Void Bastards doesn't do this at all, since they decided to do a Rogue-likish game all the ships are just bland not having any storytelling. Weapons and Upgrades unlock in a post level sequence so really the player just collects doodads to advance, whereas in System Shock 2 I get immersed in the world & storytelling so if I repair a shotgun so I can use it it feels like I repaired a shotgun. Also in Void Bastards the game always gives you a full detailed map of each level & there's an Oxygen meter so you can't just take your own time exploring a level nor is their any need to do so.

I just look at Void Bastards and wonder what they hell they were thinking? Because with System Shock 1 & 2 both games are truly greater than the sum of its parts. With Void Bastards I just feel the key design choices don't mesh together at all. There could have been a great game in there but something went wrong.
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As a duderino faggotron who pumped at least 40 hours into the game I'd have to say I don't disagree the game design can be frustrating but I feel your problems with the game is simply that you're disappointed that you didn't get the game you wanted. It just sounds like you don't like rogue-likes and you wanted your pet game devs to make another RPG but shit dude when you think like that of course your gonna be mad as hell, just find a new RPG to play.


Void Bastards isn't System Shock 2, far from it. This game is a run and gun/proximity mine/clusterflack in the most purest and functional of sensibilities. Any RPG elements are for the sake of adding variety to the gameplay and nothing else. For example the randomly generated characters you get whenever you die or start a new run are not detailed in any way except for the character quirks that give special stats and gimmicks during a level. In certain levels you can even change these willy-nilly so they are simply another type of stat that can be manipulated not for the sake of customization, but for aiding you in the running and gunning and proximity mining.

The enemy citizens are also mostly function over form as well. They're all floaty 2D ghosts that are bright, float center in a hallway, and easily recognizable as targets for the player's Nebulizer. Any aesthetic variation or animations are only used to determine the type threat and when it starts to attack you. It probably would've been better if they were 3D models like the SecBots but I guess that was out of the budget or something. I personally prefer the 2d ghosts since it makes the SecBots and Turrets all the more distinct and imposing. The 2D design decision also helps discern between separate enemies whenever I get rushed and swarmed by multiple citizens.

The paper-thin, unsatisfactory story and Samey level design I feel is by design as well. The fetch quests give you an excuse to loot and shoot and your rewards are more tools and upgrades to help loot and shoot better. The levels while minimally characterized, are essentially specially designed obstacle courses for you to master and speedrun thru. That's what the oxygen meter is for, It's meant to push you to play faster and more efficiently thru every level. Would main story be better if it had a more tighter focus and was adjusted to be less of a multi-hour slog? Of course. Would it be better if the game had more specially designed levels instead of the small handful the game has? No doubt about it. But overall as it stands Void Bastards is a perfectly functional, smooth-as-hell, run-and-gun rougelike experience.
 
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I was visiting my parents over the weekend and somehow got on the subject of vidya. My old man has some time off work so I showed him some stuff like Witcher 3 and Metro which he said looked good. He said he'll do some research and get me to help with setting up games for him to play.

Get a call this morning "I found this great looking game called Euro Truck Simulator" :lit: so this is who plays those sim games, fucking boomers.
 
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Stasi said:
I was visiting my parents over the weekend and somehow got on the subject of vidya. My old man has some time off work so I showed him some stuff like Witcher 3 and Metro which he said looked good. He said he'll do some research and get me to help with setting up games for him to play.

Get a call this morning "I found this great looking game called Euro Truck Simulator" :lit: so this is who plays those sim games, fucking boomers.
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I have both American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator2, they have quite a sizeable playerbase on Steam specially ETS2. It's not only boomers who play it, it's basically from 10 to 80 year old and many of them are former or still active truckies.
Also the mod community is absolutely huge including a map mod for the Dalton Highway in 1/1 scale and an Australia map so you can go full roadtrain.
Webaufnahme_2-11-2021_101257_steamcharts.com.jpeg
 
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Pissmaster said:
I just realized

Xbox One didn't have a Platinum Hits line

I think that makes it the sole home console since the 90s to not have one. Like, even the Wii U had Nintendo Selects late in life.
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Interesting observation. I'm not sure if it can be attributed to the lower sales of the console or if Microsoft didn't feel like bothering even with the likes of Call of Duty and even Halo 5.
 
trent said:
She probably realised that the place is unfixable.

Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 both got delayed. It must be an absolute dick-girl circus over there. Activision will just absorb Blizzard in a couple of years to actually get shit done and you'll get shitty yearly versions of all of their franchises.
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or another theory I read is she had to make way for an even woker replacement, either black, troon, or both. you would expect the cis (presumably, but he's not virtue signaling hard just keeping his shit private, so likely), white male to get the boot first. otoh him being a lifelong exec with deep ties to microsoft and the industry probably makes that a bit difficult. not to mention after their "we don't hire whites anymore" stunt he would be able to get a nice settlement out of that, even that white doctor in north carolina got 10 million.
 
It looks like Bro Team got his channel/Google Account hacked. They're using it to scam people for crypto:
https://www.youtube.com/c/BroTeamStreamDump

Pissmaster said:
I just realized

Xbox One didn't have a Platinum Hits line

I think that makes it the sole home console since the 90s to not have one. Like, even the Wii U had Nintendo Selects late in life.
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The PS4 didn't have one either.
 
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trent said:
There was a "PlayStation Hits" thing that permanently reduced the prices of a bunch of mostly first party PS4 stuff.

www.playstation.com

PlayStation Hits | Classic PlayStation games at an affordable price

Enjoy a range of much-loved PlayStation 4 games at an affordable price with PlayStation Hits, available from PlayStation Store and from online retailers now.
www.playstation.com www.playstation.com
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I bought the "Greatest Hits" God of War 2018 at Walmart last year for just $20. The have a red bar on top, making them hard to miss.
 
I bough Little Misfortune since I remeber I liked Fran Bow, played it half an hour and then refunded it. Jesus christ walking sims fucking annhilated the little that was left out of adventure games, now it is just press right arrow key for 2 and a half hours (since we need to pad the game time so it would be non-refundable) and the occasional space bar for doing an action or getting a boring comment. The game itself is just unpleasent as well, too much gross humour and "kids acting inappropriately" jokes.
Read online if there was even a point in the story besides being creepy (in both ways) and for some reason some people think the moral is that people should be able to get an abortion because they aren't ready to be a parent. Like holy shit you spend two hours with a character of a young girl and your conclusion is that she should never have been born because her mother had shitty life decisions.
 
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wtfNeedSignUp said:
I bough Little Misfortune since I remeber I liked Fran Bow, played it half an hour and then refunded it. Jesus christ walking sims fucking annhilated the little that was left out of adventure games, now it is just press right arrow key for 2 and a half hours (since we need to pad the game time so it would be non-refundable) and the occasional space bar for doing an action or getting a boring comment. The game itself is just unpleasent as well, too much gross humour and "kids acting inappropriately" jokes.
Read online if there was even a point in the story besides being creepy (in both ways) and for some reason some people think the moral is that people should be able to get an abortion because they aren't ready to be a parent. Like holy shit you spend two hours with a character of a young girl and your conclusion is that she should never have been born because her mother had shitty life decisions.
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Googled the game and on the picture suggestions there was this.
misfortune_urgh.JPG
I know gussied up CalArts when I see it.
 
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