OnePompousPenguin

I don't know if this has been brought up in other episodes but could you possibly work on getting the recordings to be louder? I have my phone (Nexus 4 4.3 DogCatcher app) on speaker, full blast, and still need to hold it pretty close to my ear to hear everything. Just a small complaint, and it could just be my particular setup, but it hasn't been an issue with the other idle podcasts. I really love these podcasts though. Do keep them coming :-)

Alright, it's been quite a while since I've been really motivated to play games. Mainly because of college....so much homework....anyway. I've been finding more and more time to get back into the hobby and have played through a few games recently (specifically Dust: An Elysium Tail, The Swapper, Mark of the Ninja, Gunpoint, Darksiders and Dune II: The Battle for Arrakis*). So here's what I need some help with, which game do I play next and why? I really like games that make me think (The Swapper, Gunpoint), but I'm not sure if I'm in the mood for another one of those right now. Here is my list of possibles: Far Cry 2 (Because, you know, I've heard it's alright or something) Braid Antichamber Don't Starve Dustforce Fez FTL Half Life 2 (I know I know) Limbo Machinarium Metro 2033 Sleeping Dogs Superborthers: Sword & Sorcery EP Super Meat Boy The Cave Tomb Raider Torchlight To The Moon Trine XCOM: Enemy Unknown PS3: Kingdom Hearts 1.5 (I've played the original many many times) Finish Bayonetta (I'm something like 3/4 of the way through) Metal Gear Rising Dark Souls (I tried Demon Souls, but didn't get into it, but that might be because I watched my roommate play for ~100 hours before attempting myself) Wii: Xenoblade Chronicles (I'm 100 hours in, and my motivation just fell off and I haven't gotten back to it) So I really like games that challenge me throughout, but not in a frustrating, cheap shot kind of way. I like platformers that get progressively more difficult as the game goes on, puzzle games that require me to sit back and think for minutes at a time and make you feel smart for figuring it out, combat systems that are deep but not overwhelming, witty writing....I just don't like games where I feel like my brain is put on auto-pilot and repeat the same encounters again and again. I think I'm in the mood for something that looks fantastic (which doesn't mean it has to be AAA, just have a unique art style) and has great music at the moment. So, recommendations? * The reason I played Dune II, for those who were cuirous, is I'm trying to get into RTS games, and decided to go about it by playing through the evolution of the genre from the beginning. Command & Conquer is next on my list.

That's good to hear. Maybe I'll be able to overcome a little of the anxiety I'm feeling and just play for fun... one of these days I'll figure that out. If that's what this deep dive leads to then so be it. :-P

Eh, I've got the rest of my life right :-PI love the classics. So much more focus on developing mechanics over visuals. I will definitely check out System Shock before 2. And I've been meaning to get into the Thief games as well, so maybe down the line.

Hmm, that's an interesting tip. I'm so used to line of sight that I didn't really consider it. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to tell whether you are in the shadows or not, correct? That makes things difficult, in a frustrating sort of way.

I will get to Fez, but there is something I can't put my finger on that just does not appeal to me at the moment. Maybe after Deus Ex / October Horror Games Fest. Fair enough, I will probably get to it sooner rather than later, but for now I don't think it's what I'm looking for. Also, I just finished the training mission in Deus Ex....sneaking in this game is not easy to do. Then the, get across the river mission, turned into, swim for your life, really quick. I ended up as just a torso and arm by the end, dragging my pitiful self through the end of the mission. Yep, this is going to go well :-P

Kept up in the sense that I know of each game and it's basic mechanics. Played them... not so much. I tried to play Skyward Sword, but got sick of the motion control pretty quickly. Never really gave the DS games a chance. The last one I actually completed was Twilight Princess. So I should probably avoid trying to compare the two, I merely brought it up as that is always the game people try to relate. I can remember Ocarina of Time having puzzles that actually made you think, with a few that were just road blocks. The bosses were focused on the newest gadget, but they had a bit more challenge to them. Darksiders bosses might as well have been the gadget tutorial.... If that clears anything up.

I just beat the original Darksiders. I thought the game was overall a solid first attempt at mimicing Zelda's dungeon design and God of War like combat, but it ended up falling short. They did a great job of mixing up the game play towards the beginning but ran out of ideas toward the end. The combat had a lot of options, but the enemies could all be beaten by simply focusing on the one strong guy whilst beating back the pawns that spawn along with him. The boss fights left a lot to be desired, basically just a tech demo of the latest gadget you obtained. Don't get me started on the "Temple" puzzles....always incredibly obvious what to do, more of a frustrating road block than a puzzle. Anyone know if Darksiders II fixes some of these issues? Thought provoking puzzles? Enemies that require you to approach with more of a strategy than mash attack, block, repeat? The story was interesting enough to get me through, but I don't know if I could do it again. That and I wish the game were about six hours shorter...but that's mainly because of the issue I mentioned.

You can see the games recommended to me here:New to Strategy Games - Quarter to Three Forums You can also read my review of Dune II there if you are into that sort of thing :-P

That would probably be for the best, but I feel like I've put this much time into it, I best just go all out. I'm thinking about playing System Shock 2 closer to Halloween along with Amnesia: A Dark Descent. I'll consider it, but old graphics don't normally bother me. Maybe a little at first, but after a while I usually get used to them. Also, just in case I forget, thank you all for your recommendations!

I would but I just get so sucked into finishing that damn relationship graph. I'm just not in the mood to run around and talk to virtual people about their piffling lives. Well I think that's the one then, the original Deus Ex.

Hmm, that's interesting. Is it more combat, less jockeying for position than Demons Souls? Or are you better off playing it safe, keeping your distance, and finding your opportunity every now and again to attack?

Am I being a dingbat, I didn't mean to be :-/ Dishonored is on my wishlist for now, but I do have Deus Ex. I was planning on playing the originals first though. Maybe those would be a good choice? Let's say the choice is between Half-Life 2 and Deus Ex (which ever version people see fit). What types of experiences are we talking here? I seem to recall discussion of Deus Ex being a game you can play stealthy/no-kill, which always appeals to me, and Half Life 2 has actiony bits and puzzle-type bits correct? Is Deus Ex also an FPS with Puzzle-type bits?

I'm definitely thinking something with an end, though I've never played a game like Don't Starve before, which is why I purchased it. Yea, I was hoping one of those games might have combat that requires you to think through each encounter and the best way to approach an enemy rather than just mash the buttons, move on. Dark Souls is an option for this kind of thing, but I'm not entirely sure I'm up for the slow speed of the combat (this is an assumption based on my time with Demon's Souls, where every action you take during a fight takes a bit of time to actually pull off. Brilliant in its own right, just a bit too much for me).

Hmm, I thought about those two, but I'm not sure I'm up for another super puzzle heavy game after playing those two. Puzzles are fine, but I think I want to avoid that as the main mechanic.

For some reason I find the concept of introducing oneself to the forum as incredibly strange. Like walking into a room full of people who all know one another, pretending that you too are a part of the group, and everyone just stares at you with the look of, "Who are you and why are you here? Kindly turn around and show yourself the door." Then again, I just assume that's what everyone is thinking when I enter a room, regardless of our previous relationship, so I might not be the best judge. :-P Anyway, hi my name is Penguin and I'm a gamer. There I admitted it. I'm also a computer engineer, but who identifies with their career choice nowadays....