Valorian Endymion

So the new version was released and its only the Restauration of Erathia, that is no other expansions and following what reviews on Steam say, no random map generator. Now I really confused on what exactly Ubisoft was trying to do, they expect to re-release the expansions at later date? why only the vanilla version? why without the map generator? While this make me worried, Heroes VII still going on, having been reading their Q&A and looking the site I have some hopes for this one, but I am bit worried, given how Ubisoft is losing it way.

Never did the took of day due game, simple because I really dislike missing/skipping something, so much that unless I am really sick (in which case, it would be very unlikely for me begin able to do play something) I might force myself do go or do what is, otherwise, I don´t really relax enough to enjoy it.

While I haven´t much problem with the whole collect resources things, I kind wish recipes show exactly what kind of armor it is... because between this and the vague terms the game use "army", "defender", "battle", "vanguard" you kind get a few suits which a slight let down, such Orlesian Mage Army armor (or something like that) which does not look like anything of Orlesian design (at least on Dorian). Never bothered with MP so far.

That is the most accurate description of orlesian design XD there is that npc in Skyhold which I believe might have current winner. Overall hots moments got the large advantage, but there is few cold moments there and there: - One thing I can´t avoid to notice, is how easy sometimes you can finish a quest even before you know what is going on: - Sometimes the game tell you the average level for a area, sometimes not - its a bit annoying, because you have places like Hinterlands, where they expect you to came back later while other areas could be done in a single run. Since is not really clearly how level difference works, because you can defeat enemy higher than you, other times not, you can get struck without know much you need to grind. Some places created some strange lore hype in my mind: I wonder how much Bioware might be struggling itself, since sometimes it appear they wish to do something close to a Visual Novel or story based game, but at the sametimes they want to do a rpg (or fps). It´s a tough spot, the fanbase expect both things, but part of it want both thing at once, while other expect one or another.

I make a effort to balance things, I mean do other stuff too - drawing, study, going to events, ect... Also I never play for every long times in the same session, doing some breaks between (and changing games). The only side effect is that I often don´t finish game quickly, but I really don´t mind that at all, even if most the games I like are really long. The few times I tried to play in a straightfoward way or rushing to finish it or even for longer times, that didn´t work very well.

Talking about OP, I allways watch them no matter what, so much that OP/ED are deal breakers for me if I will keep watching or not. Since we are also talking about JoJo, yes, Blood Stream is simple awesome, but the first OP of Stardust Crusaders (which I restart watching) isn´t bad. I watched first episode of the second season of Aldnoah Zero (warning! spoilers!)...

Same thing here, I only start at later dates for some Achivements in Crusaders Kings II. Even in Hearts of Iron I start at the early date, but mostly because I haven´t really figure everything there, so start at later date I felt a bit overwhelming for me right now.

I watched Sengoku Musou, its pretty much the anime version of Samurai Warriors. I found very nice show, way less over the top that Sengoku Basara, which might be good or bad given your tastes. Note: I do enjoy both of them and I am curious if that might mean a Dynasty Warriors anime in the future. Also I did watch Glass Fleet, but I don´t know if because I am a big fan o Legend of the Galatic Heroes, but I found Glass Fleet not very good, at least the first episode, the battles aren´t very good nor many costumes designs. By the way, if anyone want a really good space opera, please watch Legend of the Galatic Heroes. Another one which I watch I do really recomend is Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, is simple one of the most fun anime I have watched. Since I friend did recommend I watched also Cinderella Girls, know what? so far, a very good slice of life/music anime(but the manager guy look like a weird cross over between Kiritsugiri and Souichirou Kuzuki maybe even Kotomine from Fate Stay Night).

Very good episode! My favorite thing about Paradox games is exactly what you guys said, how by not having any winning states, it let you play as you wish but more important, let you lose and continue playing and even recover and this is crucial for the emergent gameplay. Because, in other games with clear winning states, if you suffer any setback you have to restart because it would be very difficult to catch. I had a game as Venice, where in point I suffered a huge defeat to the Otomans, I mean the kind where you give everthing in a peace treat. But I still able to continue, so instead I could focus in something else, like colonization. One thing that I am enjoying (and starting to fear it but in a positive way) is the disaster system introduced in the last patch, because before that, uprisings aren´t really a issue. But now I found out, more than once, that things can scalate very fast. In one game, as Muscovy I had a initial war with Novgorod that cost me too much manpower and that start the trigger for the Peasant Revolt Disaster, begin exhausted form the war, there was this very tense moment, with the revolt power rising while I try using military power to try things at bay, while hoping to recover my manpower, in the end I had even to lose lots of autonomy to keep things in order. In another game, as Timurids, I had a nice start, after I release Persia I did start invading India, but very quickly I found myself in danger not only of Peasant Revolts, but lots of religions ones. I found that I had to be way more careful with my conquests and my loses.

On this subject, this post might help - http://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/post/94582290572/world-building-a-fantasy-world-without-racism

I too once read something in this very lines, I mean, think of your character first and them the other elements. I just wish I could remember where, because there was more about it... Anyway, there is this tumblr which might help you - http://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/

I didn´t play too, but while it had chance or potential, it don´t appear they pull it off

Fun thing that watching the video, is how while in one hand we got better a design modern cities in sandbox games and even give it some atmosphere, we still kind not sure of what exactly do with them. So we try to fill it with activities, which given the nature and theme of games such gta/watchdogs this often don´t work very well, given the poor tought minigames that sometimes show up. Even in Just Cause 2 I found that cities became nothing but annoyance as they serve no other function other to force me going around "Attack on Titan style" with the grappling hook, trying to find water tower to destroy or some hidden stuff, despite the fact that the cities themselves where very detailed.

Good to hear that he will keep the "worth reading" while I didn´t visit or begin a very fan o GB, that was the part which I really liked. Also I too find myself very rarely browse a gaming news site, because I don´t really have any favorite, but I do check around all of them depending of what I am looking for or who is writting (right now I am reading whatever Attila preview there is around). Now in the case of Kotaku I almost never direct visit there due their automatic redirect to the local Kotaku instead of US, so often I just visit there when someone post a link, which as SecretAsianMan said, it when twitter can be useful. Also I too get annoyed by the clickbait headlines that sometimes Kotaku and even Polygon do.

I am trying to remember who or where but, if memory didn´t fail me, did someone asked for a Far Cry with dinossaurs? because you might get one - http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-01-05-ubisoft-polls-public-on-future-far-cry-settings On another note - as old post here I did might suggest I tried to go back a bit to Granado Espada, but oh god, this game is starting to test my patience again - economy appear to be failing apart, finding new gear or gain levels require you to go in raids which you can´t go because you lack both gear and levels loop.Sad thing is for all its issues, it kind unique (there is nothing like it) game that suffer from bad management. They did a Christmas event which was almost a joke, I mean on description mobs would drop a seed which you would use create a Christmas Tree, which can wield a gift with good rewards. Problem is (which they didn´t tell), that seed drop rate was more low that most very rare stuff in the game, even if you let your character in the ingame afk hunting mode (which you might need to spend pet food, for pickup stuff) a whole night you still might not finding anything.

Yeah I too get a bit confused by what I can sell of the valuables or not, I mean a lot of stuff sounded like gifts in Dragon Age Origins that you could give to companions, but now I am selling most stuff. Talking about inventory, I confess I dislike they tied extra inventory space to Inquisition Perks, since you got so few of them (unlikely power which you almost have too much but nothing to spend it). Another petty let down was waste a large amount of gold in a blue print for a armor only to find out it looked exactly the same my character already use. On another new it appear people find a way to make mods to DAI - http://www.pcgamer.com/dragon-age-inquisition-mods-are-actually-a-thing/ - Now is just hope the modder jump in and the whole thing isn´t too hard, because I am curious on what they can pull off.

Yeah, the mechanics behind was a somewhat like a VN. But as I said in general in a VN romance paths lead the narrative in a direction, meaning the romance would follow all the story to the end, while in other games if often just a side quest that start and end before the main one. Aeria romance had the "issue" of her talking over and over and over again about her wings until you either got bored or every answer begin too obvious (and repetitive, one of the last dialogues allow you again to make a mistake, but make no sense at all, since why your character would speak something ironic or hurtful about her wings after all this way? since by all other dialogues where you understand her situation). Viconia romance was good, but "harder" because you had to answer things that normally you won´t answer at all (specially if you are roleplaying) and as you said you have no idea if that was the right choice or not. Jaheria romance was slight strange too me, I did play as a paladin, for me, both her and Khalid would be like second foster parents to my main, not to talk friends (I had Khalid in my party all the game) so it sound weird have a romance with her. The only female possible romance was Anomen... That can work. The difference I felt is having a story which about romances and another is having a story with a very side quest like romance that lead to nothing. Because the worst romance model I seen was the first Fable, where you thown things at people. Now while in a positive way you could marry anyone,that lead to nothing at all. Now to be fair, pointless it kind is one skyrim, the marriage system, still felt as enough to work, I mean, to let player play around with that filling the blanks but still giving a mechanic ingame (and to modders a system might be useful to create something from it). Bioware game have romance as side quest, but still are better that most one around, as is better weaved in the story (so it does not felt as side quest), also DAI features a couple of character, like Scout Harding or Viviane which you can flirt but you can´t romance (to represent, I guess that not everyone can be a romanced). They are trying to please everyone (and mostly important, for the shake of representation), which is great, but requires a much larger cast of characters and a better understanding of fan expecatations, but they appear to be on the right direction. Games like CK2, but mostly other like Fire Emblem use romance system to support their generation narrative, which I really like and hope to see more.

Very true Speaking of Heroes of Might and Magic, which I too one of my favorite game, but let me add one more thing about lack of balance - overall number will al lways win, so much if the enemy manages do get more troops that you, you might well restart the map, because after point, due way damage and unit hp is calculated (unit HP: number of units x unit HP, damage is damage x number of units, so 4 pikeman would have 60 HP; meanwhile they would do between: 3-4 (unit basic damage) x 4 (number of pikeman) of damage modify by difference between attack and defense) you simple have no hope, as there is no way to rout a enemy. This limit situation I remember happening a lot in Heroes 2, due many scenarios begin the kind which you start with a single castle and a hero but you can´t lose both, so you had to be very defensive, if the enemy manages to get more troops is goodbye, which meant you could had restart a map after hours of play. In Heroes 3 I remember happening in the final map of neutral campaign, now on Heroes 6 this happens a lot due bad map design and overuse of script which give ai a free (and huge) armies. On Heroes 5 this didn´t happen very much, not that I remember, maybe because magic was very powerful so you still might have a chance on this situations. Also I am too very optimist about Endless Legend.

On the subject of length on Dragon Age or game length in general - first I think there is(and there should be) space for all kinds of length, which sould be in accord to that how long that game need to be long - not short or longer more - what should be avoided its "time inflation", by which I mean something you could see more in recent ubisoft game where they put millions of activities to do, but most of them are meaningless. DAI isn´t the case, because while there is one or two thing that appear a bit off - like the mini game of constellations - most thing still related to the game. DAI and other games like Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout are meant to be slow pace experiences, if you run them too fast you simple lose too much. Now, I can understand for some people, this slow experience game are bit difficult due real life time limitations. The thing is find your own pace to play it, because for me I played Oblivion from when it was released until Skyrim was released, but a slower pace, enjoying the game and mod as I wanted, I didn´t try do to everything. Something curious thing I noticed, I think might be a issue in the game is that it drop you very soon in Hinterlands and them you can spend too much time there, even before you look for the other characters, not that the place is bad, but if very open (for a DA game) and some people might spend too much time there often hitting some walls (people require a higher level), because from what I heard from one or two people didn´t like the game and some people write about it, they complain about Hinterlands, but some of them soon as they leave the place start enjoying the game a lot more. Because unlike Bethesa game, where activities and places which are spread in a big map, where to find another you need to go somewhere else so you are seeing something new everytime. But since DAI is divided in maps you often stay for longer times in the same exactly place doing both fun stuff and some thing that might not be that fun, like looking for shards. While map design in general is very good, due size limitation terrain formations often appeared to be a bit too "unnatural" or very sudden, but with expection of this and a couple places or activities which the maps trick you that is close but isn´t, I really like exploring around.

One thing about Endless Legend, that somebody already said, but it´s worth repeating again - while we often say "this game have a lot of potential" while not is exactly perfect, but could be on the right track. But Endless Legend is truly this case, because unlikely other cases, not only its works great and have a great vision on it (so good that almost make it for the late mistakes),but the people behind the game can really push the game to its potential. While I am a bit suspicious when developers try too hard to creat unique factions/races, because most of time it fall flat quickly, Endless Legend does pull it off so well that is amazing (and one of my favorite part of the game). Age of Wonders III on the other hand was a great exemple, that how well you could use a classic archetype or troopes - because the more classic or traditional air around the game is one the thing I really like about it. I got to agree with Rowan (I believe) said that Paradox games ruined Civ, I mean diplomacy in Paradox games (and things like casus belli) are the first thing a noticed and miss, along with the ability to play as a small power and remain as one (since there is no over winning states) while playing grand strategy/4x games. One nice surprise for me this year was Valkyria Chronicles, not only I didn´t expect Sega to bring it, but it is a great game.

Remember I said (in the video game deal thread) I was thinking about buying Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes ? even knowing that maybe for now it might won´t work, due video card (my one is GT 430, planning to upgrade in the next months)? Guess what, I did bought and yesterday I tried running, and much to my surprise, it worked, very well. Only had a strange issue with sound, or rather the lack of it, I had to change sound from stereo to surround to work. But still, I played for a short while and game runs fine, haven´t tried change default configurations, yet. How would guess Sega and Kojima would do good pc ports this year XD Or maybe I just misread the minimum requirement (but one site which does test, said it wont work). Later I plan to sit down and play it in more proper fashion (yes I know the game is very short), is fun to think this would be my first metal gear (that I would play, I heard/read about the MG universe).

The thing about Dragon Age is that much of its point and message is very stuble and well sewed on its story, dialogue and settting. Its a very trick to get right, because I believe everyone have already watched at least one PSA which was trying to make a point about something really important, but somewho completly backfired or simple sound ridiculous, maybe a old cartoon where, you even as child, could understand the point, but the writer keeping repeating it until you got tired or stop paying attention or when a character start talking about something important, but due poor writting it sounded like he was out of character and the whole dialogue looked strange or felt like a episode which does not belong to the canon. On the fantasy or sci-fi, why not both? lately I have been diggin even more jrpgs because that. Western rpg still follow a very rigid separation between such elements, made worst by the "let´s make everything over realistic " aka - everything is detailess/colorless/pratical/ect...which half of the time generate boring aesthetics/design/history that often have nothing of realism or history. For a while a couple of companies in the west tried to do the fantasy + sci-fi, mainly New World Computing (Might and Magic, Heroes of Might and Magic) and Sir-Tech (Wizardry), its was a bit crude in execution, lacking the finesse of japanese developers gained over time, but they tried. However, due lots problems, both companies closed and to made worst, their game became criticized by gaming media/fans because they had this fantasy+sci-fi elements. Fun thing, The Witcher works greatly mostly because, while it tread very close to the "over realistic" it still reflect much of historical eastern europe, so if fell both similar and different. One thing is look how outfits in the game are very colored and detailed, which is very correct and creates this contrast between outfits and the miserable situation ingame and in universe around them (Warhammer Fantasy does this too). I found curious is how Dragon Age (and Mass Effect) are bringing back the party based rpgs, which diminished a lot in the west in late years. Also on the romance, I still know what to feel exactly, because to be fair bioware game use is very superficial dating sim mechanics which would work in visual novels (because the focus on narrative, also dating is a lot tied to routes which the story can take, or they develop more complex systems, like the classic Tokimeki Memorial), but does have mixed results outside. In BG2 romances either had answers which are to obvious or to vague, but Mass Effect and Dragon Age got better a bit.

Also talking about good pc ports: Valkyria Chronicles is -25% Not related, but a very good game : Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director´s Cut is at - 80%

I remember hearing about Fighting Fantasy games have been ported to pc but had forget about it. Can´t tell about the pc game, but Forest of Doom was a good book, they are even using the original cover, bring some memories.