OT: General Video Game Discussion VII

[gphr513]

Also: My power cord on my Xbone broke this morning because of really poor cable design. MS Customer Service is OK (still under warranty so they're replacing it for free) but it'll probably take two weeks or so for it to get there and back. Meanwhile, if this was Nintendo, the replacement would already be on its way.

What broke on the power cord? Like, one of the places where the the cord connects to the brick?

 

[llamapalooza]

What broke on the power cord? Like, one of the places where the the cord connects to the brick?

The connector that plugs into the system has two round ports, each of which is hollow and has a very small, recessed metal pin centered inside. (Think like an old coax cable.) The pin snapped off when I tried to plug it back in.

 

[gphr513]

The connector that plugs into the system has two round ports, each of which is hollow and has a very small, recessed metal pin centered inside. (Think like an old coax cable.) The pin snapped off when I tried to plug it back in.

That sucks. I'll be careful with mine. Hopefully they get one out to you soon.

 

[BurnsyMN]

I wouldn't say that, but they can be underwhelming at times. I did not enjoy Watchdogs, especially after all the hype it got as potentially being a GTA replacement. Assassin's Creed is pretty good, but there are more underlying issues underneath Ubisoft. Just look at EA, they make a few good games (FIFA especially), but they are rated the worst company in all of North America. Speaking of GTA... remember when Rockstar said heists would be here in 2014?... I'm still waiting!

FIFA should be an automatic win for sports game of the year. It's beautiful and is extremely fun. I don't know all the nuances of soccer so I probably don't notice anything that is buggy or overly unrealistic. They also have 200 plus people on their development team. It is most likely their biggest money maker considering every corner of the world buys it. I wish NHL had the size of their development team. NHL 15 was a disaster and I haven't touched the game since release.

 

[gphr513]

FIFA should be an automatic win for sports game of the year. It's beautiful and is extremely fun. I don't know all the nuances of soccer so I probably don't notice anything that is buggy or overly unrealistic. They also have 200 plus people on their development team. It is most likely their biggest money maker considering every corner of the world buys it. I wish NHL had the size of their development team. NHL 15 was a disaster and I haven't touched the game since release.

I read that the FIFA dev team is 3x as big as NHL's.

 

[llamapalooza]

FIFA should be an automatic win for sports game of the year. It's beautiful and is extremely fun. I don't know all the nuances of soccer so I probably don't notice anything that is buggy or overly unrealistic. They also have 200 plus people on their development team. It is most likely their biggest money maker considering every corner of the world buys it. I wish NHL had the size of their development team. NHL 15 was a disaster and I haven't touched the game since release.

You should give NHL 15 another try. I know it got terrible publicity when it was released, but the actual quality of the gameplay is really, really good. The new physics and engine and everything are easily the best hockey game ever made; it's just the lack of game modes that people are peeved about.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

Do they actually allow you to sim through your non-player shifts on be a pro now? God that game was a pile of crap when it was released. They said they're adding stuff in patches but NHL 15 on release was like an FPS with only team deathmatch and only 2 guns.

 

[llamapalooza]

Do they actually allow you to sim through your non-player shifts on be a pro now? God that game was a pile of crap when it was released. They said they're adding stuff in patches but NHL 15 on release was like an FPS with only team deathmatch and only 2 guns.

I think that's been patched in now, but I'm not sure. I pretty much only play online ranked so your comparison definitely isn't wrong.

 

[elnewby]

My big complaint with NHL 15 is that there is no EASHL. That was a super popular mode, and they just left it out, for no apparent reason. The gameplay is pretty good, although they did get a little dramatic with the jerseys in game.

In my opinion this game is harder than other have been in the past, the AI seems improved.

 

[BurnsyMN]

If you bought Halo MCC digitally, Xbox Support is making an exception to their no refund policy and offering full refunds if you explain to them the situation with the botched launch. Also this morning, one of the 343 community manager is replying to tweets that are asking for a refund on a hard copy telling them to refer to their retailer for a refund. Sounds like this game is one step away from pulling it from the shelves. Such a shame.

 

[tyratoku]

Grabbed Shadow of Mordor for $25 from Best Buy today. KMart is selling it for the same price, I went in and got a price match.

Really want to get Dragon Age. Hopefully Amazon does a lightning deal of some sort.

 

[llamapalooza]

If you bought Halo MCC digitally, Xbox Support is making an exception to their no refund policy and offering full refunds if you explain to them the situation with the botched launch. Also this morning, one of the 343 community manager is replying to tweets that are asking for a refund on a hard copy telling them to refer to their retailer for a refund. Sounds like this game is one step away from pulling it from the shelves. Such a shame.

I had some people over for Smash last night (which, sidebar, is totally ****ing great), and one of them bought an Xbox power cord so we could switched to some Halo after awhile. The new patch actually made a pretty big difference--we were pretty consistently able to get into matches in a reasonable time, and the gameplay was mostly smooth with only the occasional bug (and with the bugs we weren't sure if it was a problem with MCC or just a faithful recreation of the original 2 Halo games ). Maybe it was the booze talking but we were able to have a good time with it--things generally seemed to be running a lot better.

 

[BurnsyMN]

I had some people over for Smash last night (which, sidebar, is totally ****ing great), and one of them bought an Xbox power cord so we could switched to some Halo after awhile. The new patch actually made a pretty big difference--we were pretty consistently able to get into matches in a reasonable time, and the gameplay was mostly smooth with only the occasional bug (and with the bugs we weren't sure if it was a problem with MCC or just a faithful recreation of the original 2 Halo games ). Maybe it was the booze talking but we were able to have a good time with it--things generally seemed to be running a lot better.

I heard Smash is amazing. I don't own anything Nintendo though. Props for them on a successful launch. Nintendo has a horrible reputation among youtubers since they do not allow fair use of their content. They will strike any Nintendo video that is monetized. It's their right but I don't know why they'd pass up free promotion. Notch (creator of Minecraft) is a billionaire because of youtube showcasing Minecraft.

Anyway, back to Halo. I've seen better results lately but not being able to play with a full party and uneven teams kills the fun for me pretty quick. Their next patch is make our break. If it fails, they'll get annihilated in holiday sales and the game will die. I hope it succeeds though. It is very fun when it works.

 

[Avder]

I heard Smash is amazing. I don't own anything Nintendo though. Props for them on a successful launch. Nintendo has a horrible reputation among youtubers since they do not allow fair use of their content. They will strike any Nintendo video that is monetized. It's their right but I don't know why they'd pass up free promotion. Notch (creator of Minecraft) is a billionaire because of youtube showcasing Minecraft.

Anyway, back to Halo. I've seen better results lately but not being able to play with a full party and uneven teams kills the fun for me pretty quick. Their next patch is make our break. If it fails, they'll get annihilated in holiday sales and the game will die. I hope it succeeds though. It is very fun when it works.

For some reason I think they relented and dropped it down to a 50/50 split.

Still a dick move tho.

 

[Puhis]

Well, I was at the iRacing Club Finland meet-up last weekend. A ton of fun, and I decided I simply need to buy the Skip Barber Formula. Haven't regretted a second, it's awesome.

Here's a small sample. I'm still slow due to lack of practice (got the car on Saturday), and the quality is potato, but it gets the point across. A typical "I have no qualifying time" first lap from me.

 

[Avder]

You sure take your virtual racing seriously, Puhis.

Gotta admire a man who is passionate about a hobby.

 

[Swervin81]

I heard Smash is amazing. I don't own anything Nintendo though. Props for them on a successful launch. Nintendo has a horrible reputation among youtubers since they do not allow fair use of their content. They will strike any Nintendo video that is monetized. It's their right but I don't know why they'd pass up free promotion. Notch (creator of Minecraft) is a billionaire because of youtube showcasing Minecraft.

Anyway, back to Halo. I've seen better results lately but not being able to play with a full party and uneven teams kills the fun for me pretty quick. Their next patch is make our break. If it fails, they'll get annihilated in holiday sales and the game will die. I hope it succeeds though. It is very fun when it works.

Damn, didn't know that. I do see a good amount of Youtube partners who mainly do Nintendo game streams and walkthroughs as their go to content. Them again, those same people are probably partnered with organizations that are affiliated with Nintendo. At least that's my guess, since those YTers get to have inside access at conventions like PAX and E3.

I'll give Nintendo lots of credit for that they put everything into their products and it shows. Not just the Smash series, but their main game series (Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc) and other spinoffs as well (like Mario Kart). Hell, despite being born in '95, I grew up playing SNES and N64 games and Nintendo always will have a place in my gaming heart. That being said, I would like to see them go the route of SEGA and try to focus on being a 3rd party game developer. Imagine their awesome games and the hardware capabilities of the Microsoft and Sony systems...

 

[Avder]

Damn, didn't know that. I do see a good amount of Youtube partners who mainly do Nintendo game streams and walkthroughs as their go to content. Them again, those same people are probably partnered with organizations that are affiliated with Nintendo. At least that's my guess, since those YTers get to have inside access at conventions like PAX and E3.

I'll give Nintendo lots of credit for that they put everything into their products and it shows. Not just the Smash series, but their main game series (Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc) and other spinoffs as well (like Mario Kart). Hell, despite being born in '95, I grew up playing SNES and N64 games and Nintendo always will have a place in my gaming heart. That being said, I would like to see them go the route of SEGA and try to focus on being a 3rd party game developer. Imagine their awesome games and the hardware capabilities of the Microsoft and Sony systems...

The thing is tho, their games are awesome and very good looking in spite of their systems being behind MS and Sony's as far as HW capabilities.

That speaks volumes to me. It says that they know how to do more with less, and it also says that they know what matters in games: actual gameplay, with graphics there to augment that, not stand in in place of it like so many big budget games seem to be lately.

I don't care what a game looks like as long as it's not visual diarrhea, and the gameplay is exceptional.

 

[Puhis]

You sure take your virtual racing seriously, Puhis.

Gotta admire a man who is passionate about a hobby.

I always tend to be passionate and excited about a new hobby/work/subject... for the first two weeks or so. Then the interest fades off. Only things that have stayed consistent are my love for racing, hockey and team sports. Racing is an individual sport, sure, but I'm part of two teams*, and constantly on Club Finland TS, which is an awesome community.

Speaking of "taking hobbies seriously", I'm a casual compared to some of the Finns. The really fast guys practice A LOT, have top notch equipment and put a lot of effort in their setups. Getting tips, know-how and hands-on driving instructions on certain circuits and cars has been incredibly helpful in my progress. I still drive with really small marginals, and my pace certainly isn't fast, but I'm more and more consistent and make less errors of my own.

With increased speed and confidence comes the increased responsibility, too. Now that I can actually challenge for podiums and wins, I should practice even more to actually do it constantly instead of occasionally. Another thing is improving my racecraft. I pride myself in being an opportunist when it comes to overtaking, but it can lead to some really hairy situations and end the race prematurely. After all, not everyone can drive with minimal room. In fact, Club Finland captain said that's currently my biggest problem. My pace is "good" for someone relatively new to iRacing, and my racecraft (overall racing sense) is "something many would envy", but I also absolutely refuse to take blame unless I've done something blatantly stupid, which rarely happens.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not irresponsible or a wrecker "first or last" -guy, but I love a good race, and trust other drivers - perhaps a bit too much. Usually, the Skip Barber races I've done so far have ended with "That was one of the best races I've ever had, thank you Joonas" or "Woah, what the hell man?"


*GT3 endurance team, Marlboro Motorsport, and Blue Smoke Racing, which is a team I founded originally for Adv. Mazda Cup, but we also run World Sportscar Championship Series as well as Skip Barber and Rookie Mazda

 

[StealthClobber]

Well, I was at the iRacing Club Finland meet-up last weekend. A ton of fun, and I decided I simply need to buy the Skip Barber Formula. Haven't regretted a second, it's awesome.

Here's a small sample. I'm still slow due to lack of practice (got the car on Saturday), and the quality is potato, but it gets the point across. A typical "I have no qualifying time" first lap from me.

-video-

@1:58 Holy **** man, that took some serious balls to go for that pass.

Are you sure your name isn't Valtteri Bottas?

 

[BurnsyMN]

The thing is tho, their games are awesome and very good looking in spite of their systems being behind MS and Sony's as far as HW capabilities.

That speaks volumes to me. It says that they know how to do more with less, and it also says that they know what matters in games: actual gameplay, with graphics there to augment that, not stand in in place of it like so many big budget games seem to be lately.

I don't care what a game looks like as long as it's not visual diarrhea, and the gameplay is exceptional.

Graphics aren't a huge deal to me. Sure it's nice to have amazing visuals but as long as the game doesn't have any game breaking bugs and is fun for me to play, i'm happy.

 

[Puhis]

@1:58 Holy **** man, that took some serious balls to go for that pass.

Are you sure your name isn't Valtteri Bottas?

As I said, I tend to be a bit of an opportunist. I still have no idea why the guy left that much space in the middle, but I'll take it.

And yes, I'm quite sure I'm not Bottas. That dude will be good though, he reminds me so much of young Mika Häkkinen.

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

Grabbed Shadow of Mordor for $25 from Best Buy today. KMart is selling it for the same price, I went in and got a price match.

Really want to get Dragon Age. Hopefully Amazon does a lightning deal of some sort.

Yeah, Dragon Age is incredible. It might be the largest game I've ever seen (so far at least). It combines elements from DA1 and 2, Mass Effect, and Skyrim (honestly tons of Skyrim/Oblivion influences).

Graphics are beautiful, and the characters are interesting (even though there may be a little too many of them in your 'group'). If you play it to its full extent it's probably a 100 hour game. I love it.

 

[Soldier13Fox]

Yeah, Dragon Age is incredible. It might be the largest game I've ever seen (so far at least). It combines elements from DA1 and 2, Mass Effect, and Skyrim (honestly tons of Skyrim/Oblivion influences).

Graphics are beautiful, and the characters are interesting (even though there may be a little too many of them in your 'group'). If you play it to its full extent it's probably a 100 hour game. I love it.

Yes, I can't believe there isn't more talk on the board with this game. Having a ton of fun with this one. 100 hours seems reasonable, I'm not a completionist by any means, don't care about trophies and such, but I find it very difficult to progress the main story very much. There are icons for side quests everywhere! Most of them are fairly interesting too. The codex/lore is awesome. Just a ton of fun.

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

Yeah I have to remind myself to get back to the main story sometimes since I get so sidetracked

They absolutely nailed it this time. Each town/area is unique and extremely vast. Plus it's difficult because they took away healing spells. Makes you utilize strategy a lot more.