Topic: The Currently Playing Thread / Recently Finished Thread

[MysterD]

You're right about the ammo if you've got the right weapon. The ammo isn't that big of a deal for me, unless I'm using a specific weapon like the L82 Enfield (not sure what it's actually called in STALKER but that's what it looks like).

STALKER is just too open, too much stuff goes on and I get lost too easily. By contrast in Oblivion it's easy to keep your bearings and track down your quests. And Crysis is technically quite linear, but the gameplay is open.

What STALKER could've done is what many RPG's do for quests such as Silverfall, DS2, -- split them up on your Journal/PDA between "Main Quests" and "Optional Quests."

Though, many of the "Optional quests" such as The Finding Strelok Quest-Line, depending on whether you do them or not, do result in what ending you will receive...

ENDING Info SPOILERS

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...and even if you'll find yourself in a big final battle or not.

The game gives me little motivation to go on. I'm following the Strelok mission but they're the ones that are getting really tedious, making run to the side of the world and shit.

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Does it end up with something stupid like I was Strelok all along? I could see something like that working in a more cinematic game but not STALKER.

STALKER Spoilers -- Who Is Strelok?

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Yes, you are Strelok.

Since your mission is to kill Strelok -- and once you find out, there's no longer and quests to go kill him. Nobody knows who Strelok is, but you. But, it would've should've been interesting if there was a quest to say frame someone as Strelok, a "suicide quest" offered b/c you find out you are Strelok so you decide to still go on to kill Strelok (yeah, that'd be funny, but screwed-up!), or some sort of mission where somehow people find out you're Strelok so you have to stop them from killing you.

Right now I'm having a hard time distinguishing if STALKER is more tactical or arcade. It feels like the game is undecided.

Cross of both.

I think it can be quite arcade, when fighting the monsters. Just shoot, shoot, shoot. They pretty much just rush you.

I say this b/c the game is often quite tactical when taking humans on -- and if you ain't tactical, expect to die. And fast. Especially when taking groups on.

EDIT:
Oh, since this is the Currently Playing thread, I'm all over the place with what I've been playing of late on the PC:
--Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles
--GTA: San Andreas
--Sacred: Underworld
--Arcanum
--Timeshift

[MysterD]

Finished Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles, which was pretty good, to say the least.

Currently playing recently, for the most part:
--NFS: Carbon
--GTA: SA

[gpw11]

-Everyday Shooter

-Persona 3.  Almost done here, I think I have about a month left (gametime).  Still pretty awesome, and like I said before I'd like to be able to play through it again now that I understand the Persona and fusing system more, but I don't think I have the energy.  Even this last month is starting to feel a bit like a chore because I want to finish it and move on.

-Just recently got into TF2 again....a bit.

[Quemaqua]

I've been mostly on GTA4.  About 38 hours in now at 46% game progress.

Also playing The World Ends With You which I continue to think is pure awesome.

I kind of crapped out with FFVII on my PSP when GTA4 came along, but I'm right at the very end and the only reason I haven't beaten it is because I want to do a few of the optional end-game things.  I should probably just go beat it instead, but I can't help myself.  Optional content is hard to pass up for me.

Folklore is still great.  Enjoying it thoroughly when I give it the time it deserves.

[Xessive]

Assassin's Creed
Ninja Reflex
Rainbow Six Vegas 2

And I have occasional laps in Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance.

[MysterD]

Star Wars: KOTOR 2 - The Sith Lords (PC)

[Cobra951]

Just to post, and to make it somewhere other than the GTA 4 thread:  GTA 4.  (Surprise.)  I'm a bit burned out on it, but I keep coming back.  There's nothing else waiting that's anywhere as compelling.  I've slowed way down on the missions, and I'm going more for side stuff.  I have the whole map unlocked, and that was my only real urgency with the missions.  I'm sorely tempted to use the points I have left on the XBL account to grab Assault Heroes 2, but that won't happen very soon if it does at all.

[gpw11]

Star Wars: KOTOR 2 - The Sith Lords (PC)

Are you playing the vanilla version or have you used some mods/community patches?

[PyroMenace]

My plate has been full at the moment. Ive been playing bits of Rock Band here and there. Even though Ive already finished with GTA4 Im still coming back to it doing various little things like races, stealing cars for Stevie, police missions, and just fucking around on the attack choppers is really damn fun. Then on the DS I got my hands on Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, which Im liking a whole lot. I almost picked up Conker's Live & Reloaded for the XBox, but that turned out to be a bust as it was the demo disc, but a friend who works at the gamecrazy where I bought the game friend told me he has 2 copies and he'll sell me one for cheaper.

[MysterD]

Are you playing the vanilla version or have you used some mods/community patches?

Last official patch from Obsidian -- Version 1.0B

[gpw11]

KotOR II Restoration Project

I never played past the first hour of the game or so, but always intended to.  I personally figured I'd wait for this.

[MysterD]

Currently playing on the PC:
--Crysis MP
--Overlord
--KOTOR 2

[TheOtherBelmont]

I just finished Silent Hill Origins a couple of days ago so I've been playing Persona 3.  I've also been playing little bits of Echochrome and Everyday Shooter when I'm wanting to play something lighter.

[Xessive]

Ok, I've taken the plunge and uninstalled Oblivion in order to prevent myself from resorting to it so much. Plus it'll give me a chance to miss it. I also reinstalled Gothic 3. The community patch really helps!

I've got this urge to replay some older titles again. I just installed Theme Hospital, but I had to get the XP fix for it. I haven't played this game since the days of DOS (they were actually the days of Win95 but my computer was so fawked at the time I only had DOS up and running).

I'm also playing Crysis on the hardest difficulty. Ironically it's easier to kill soldiers for some reason.

[MysterD]

Ok, I've taken the plunge and uninstalled Oblivion in order to prevent myself from resorting to it so much. Plus it'll give me a chance to miss it. I also reinstalled Gothic 3. The community patch really helps!

Yeah, the patch does help A LOT.
But, the load times are still killer. 

I've got this urge to replay some older titles again. I just installed Theme Hospital, but I had to get the XP fix for it. I haven't played this game since the days of DOS (they were actually the days of Win95 but my computer was so fawked at the time I only had DOS up and running).

Wow, I remember that one. Never played it, though.
Was it any good?

I'm also playing Crysis on the hardest difficulty. Ironically it's easier to kill soldiers for some reason.

Probably b/c you're pretty good at the game?
Hell, I dunno.

EDIT:
Hey, do any of y'all guys that got Crysis think you'll be up for playing some Crysis MP sometime soon?

[MysterD]

Finished SW: KOTOR 2: The Sith Lords, a little bit ago.
Game clock: almost around 42 hours.

[gpw11]

How was the later bit of the game?  Was it noticeably rushed?  That's pretty much what's been keeping me from playing it.

[Xessive]

I've reinstalled Oblivion. Fawk, I'm addicted to it. I keep coming back to it.

I'm anticipating the upcoming Euro release of Mass Effect.

[MysterD]

I've reinstalled Oblivion. Fawk, I'm addicted to it. I keep coming back to it.

I'm anticipating the upcoming Euro release of Mass Effect.

I'd anticipating EA/Bioware removing the DRM protection for MEPC.

[MysterD]

How was the later bit of the game?  Was it noticeably rushed?  That's pretty much what's been keeping me from playing it.

Very much so. Namely, in the storyline.

Like most RPG's, the last say 1/4th of the game is pretty linear -- regardless, there's still decisions to make there that are still very important; which is something Bloodlines did, which is fine.

But, that's not the major problem. The major problem is the story doesn't in the last 1/4th of the game doesn't feel fleshed out. Namely, the important characters -- The Sith Lords. And the last few boss battles seem too similar to each other, despite having tiny little differences in how to defeat them and in how they actually fight you.

SPOILERS
Part 1
Lack of Story & Character Depth to The Sith Lords

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The worst part -- the majority of The Sith Lords (hence the game time) you battle, you will barely know too much of anything about these Sith Lords. Sure, you know a little bit -- but there seems to be like something's definitely missing here when compared to the rest of the game and the rest of the characters, as they're just not fully fleshed out characters, really.

   

SPOILERS
Part 2
About The Last Few Battles

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Now, they are all tough boss battles, but they all are pretty close to the same tactics to win and they all fight the same way pretty much -- it's just they are harder and harder, each time around; such as the battles with Atris, Darth Sion, Darth Nihilus, and....

SPOILERS
Part 3
FINAL BATTLE

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...And even also Part 1 of the (very tough) Final Battle with Kreia aka Darth Traya is the same as the other mentioned above, for the most part.

Part 2 of the battle w/ Darth Traya is quite unique, though. Actually, that part of the battle was pretty damn cool.

[gpw11]

Interesting.  I was just getting back into Final Fantasy Tactics (On ePSXe with a bump map shader that actually worked really well for the game), but my 9600 pro arrived, as did my headset (grrrrr) with Assassin's Creed, so I think I'll get into that.

[Ghandi]

I tried to play Final Fantasy Tactics but it didn't work well on my rig. I've been playing FFIX, which I was kind of addicted to until I got into Guild Wars. I'm going to finish it, but at the moment I need my Guild Wars fix.

[gpw11]

How didn't it work and what emulator are you using?

[Ghandi]

Well, it worked but I could never get it to run smoothly. I'm using epsxe.

[gpw11]

I shall help you in a new thread.  I'd do it in PMs but the information may be useful to others at some point.

[Quemaqua]

Ghandi doesn't have time for Playstation.  He's playing GW, damn it!

[scottws]

Playing Galactic Civilizations 2: Twilight of the Arnor.  Kicking ass in my current game after being humbled... no, demolished... in my previous few games.  I have more population in my civilization than the rest of the races combined and easily swing the United Planets vote in my favor every time.  I also have over a 370 military rating and my economic and research ratings are right around 200.  I do something like 70% of all research occurring in the game.

I'm a powerhouse, which is nice after completely getting my ass handed to me in previous games.  I think my problem was that I didn't understand that you want your production slider at 100% all the time (I think it defaults to 60%), and that you can control your income/expenses via managing the construction of factories and research centers.  If you have too much income, you want to build more factories and or research centers.  Once I understood that, I did a lot better.

[Quemaqua]

Glad to see more people enjoying GalCiv.  Good stuff.

[Xessive]

Well, I finally took the plunge and got a PS3!

I got as a birthday present for my bro, but another driving factor is MGS4. While I haven't picked it up yet, I've been gorging myself on Heavenly Sword! Beautiful. It plays a lot like God of War.

I was kinda torn between the PS3 and the Xbox360 but now that I have PS3 I have no doubt in my mind, no regrets. Sure I'll miss Gears of War 2 (which I'll probably get for PC anyway) but it's small price to pay for such a gorgeous machine.

[MysterD]

PC Games I am currently playing:
--Icewind Dale (Version 1.42, with Heart of Winter and Trails of the Luremaster also installed)
--Sins of a Solar Empire
--Unreal Tournament III

[MysterD]

Just finished today on the PC:
--NFS: Carbon (Single Player portion)

Currently playing on the PC:
--Icewind Dale
--Gears of War
--Diablo II

[Xessive]

Hehe MyD, you always remind me to fill in my current gaming updates

I am currently playing:
Mass Effect (already finished but I having another run through with a different class)
ArchLord (2006 MMORPG that has recently been re-released for free!)
Shaiya (MMORPG)
Shadowgrounds Survivor
Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm
MGS4

I'm kinda torn between ArchLord and Shaiya in terms of which one is the "better" MMORPG. Each one has its pros and cons but for the moment I'm more into ArchLord.

Shaiya is a good looking game though! Probably the best-looking free MMORPG out there.

[Quemaqua]

I'm playing... a lot of Metroid.  Like, a lot a lot.

Currently:

I'm about halfway through my second run of Metroid Zero Mission on hard, a little over halfway done with Metroid Prime 2 (hoping to finish today so I can start on Prime 3 or possibly take a break and try Super Mario Galaxy), enjoying the hell out of Metroid Prime Pinball which is way cooler than I expected it would be, and unlike many, I'm actually enjoying Metroid Prime Hunters despite it being the most inferior game in the series.  Probably just under halfway through that one.

[TheOtherBelmont]

I'm still playing Persona 3: FES like I was last time I posted. I've got about 75 hours put into it so far and I'm guessing I'm close to being done with the non FES part of the story.  I took a break on Persona 3 last month when Metal Gear Solid 4 came out though.  Haven't been playing much else besides those games though.

[gpw11]

I'm still playing Persona 3: FES like I was last time I posted. I've got about 75 hours put into it so far and I'm guessing I'm close to being done with the non FES part of the story.  I took a break on Persona 3 last month when Metal Gear Solid 4 came out though.  Haven't been playing much else besides those games though.

What month are you in?  How's the Persona fusing aspect treating you?

[TheOtherBelmont]

What month are you in?  How's the Persona fusing aspect treating you?

I'm in early November after I killed the Hanged Man shadow and fought the two Strega guys.  Also, I've pretty much got the hang of all the stuff in the game at this point, I've maxed out several social links and fused some pretty powerful Personas because of it.  I have several Personas that are higher level than me because I've made them after I maxed out a social link, I have a lvl 59 Thor persona and I'm only lvl 54-55 I think.  My compendium is at like 58%.

[Quemaqua]

Julia's still enjoying FES as well.  She bought it and started over, abandoning the progress she made on the original game.  She said she liked it too much to keep playing the stock game when she knew there was a superior version out there, and she learned a lot about fusing the first time she played, so she's playing on a harder difficulty with FES and doing a bit better, though she's dying now and again with bosses.  I think she just played on easy with the original since she'd never really played anything like P3 before, but stepped it up to normal after that.  And FES is supposed to be harder in general, I think, with the end scenario being on hard difficulty regardless of what you play the main campaign at.

She's also going through Okami on PS2.  We thought about picking up the Wii version, but as soon as I heard you have to use motion controls to actually do *normal* attacks and not just the *brush* stuff, I said forget it.  That's just stupid.  It should be button presses for regular attacks, then the wand for drawing stuff.  I don't want to fling the thing around every time I just want to swing my sword.

[Cobra951]

She's also going through Okami on PS2.  We thought about picking up the Wii version, but as soon as I heard you have to use motion controls to actually do *normal* attacks and not just the *brush* stuff, I said forget it.  That's just stupid.  It should be button presses for regular attacks, then the wand for drawing stuff.  I don't want to fling the thing around every time I just want to swing my sword.

They also couldn't duplicate all the needed filters to give the graphics the same textured looks from the original, which is why I decided against it.  I didn't know about the control evils.

[PyroMenace]

Ive heard bad things about the brush controls too, which to me is the only reason id consider checking it out. If it cant pull that off right then its a rather useless port.

[gpw11]

I'm in early November after I killed the Hanged Man shadow and fought the two Strega guys.  Also, I've pretty much got the hang of all the stuff in the game at this point, I've maxed out several social links and fused some pretty powerful Personas because of it.  I have several Personas that are higher level than me because I've made them after I maxed out a social link, I have a lvl 59 Thor persona and I'm only lvl 54-55 I think.  My compendium is at like 58%.

Awesome.  I think my compedium was at like 30% until the last month or so when I really got into the fusing.  Thor is pretty badass as well, one of the first really powerful mother fuckers out there.  As a warning, if you have two of the higher level Persona in the game, you gain access to a fuse spell that basically breaks the game by allowing you to kill pretty much every enemy in one shot at no MP cost because of a standby skill one of them has.  Actually, it's pretty awesome, I don't know why I threw that in as a warning.


As for Okami, yeah.  What I've come to understand by browsing gamefaqs and digg stories on it is that anyone claiming the Wii version is superior in any way is basically a giant fanboy or hasn't played it on PS2.   I haven't tried the new version myself, so  I couldn't really say, but I never had a problem with the PS2 drawing, and although I could see how the remote would be 'better' for it, all the drawing glyphs are so simplistic that it'd almost be overkill in my mind.