Beasteh
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Posts posted by Beasteh
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So would you describe Ratso Fatso as a Nick-name?
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Good timing - I've just finished reading a couple of Miéville's novels. I did read PSS a few years ago, but it put me off reading any of his other works (that and his marxism, although it doesn't really come on strong in his work). Glad I went back.
He's incredibly imaginative when it comes to the worlds he creates. All I've read have excellent worldbuilding. Whereas PSS was a rambling epic, these two are mercifully short, and all the better for it:
The City and the City - loved this one until the end (more on that in a moment). Ever been to another culture where something utterly bizzare is treated as normal? The way the two cities ignore each other is exactly that. It's crazy and yet it makes sense somehow. Nods to police drama tropes were a nice touch. The plot benefits from being a whodunnit that mutates into a conspiracy, but upon reaching its denoument, it fails to satisfy.
SpoilerCorporations did it to steal artifacts. How mundane! It's meant to read like a fake-out, but just feels like the author bottled it at the critical moment.
Embassytown - Miéville does SF, and he does it well! Makes the Ariekei really alien, generally avoiding typical SF tropes (such as "aliens are just like humans with one trait turned up to 11!"). I wish we learned more about their society though. Miéville also chooses to play with language - and this is central to the plot, rather than some kind of nerdery. Plot itself builds to a conclusion, stakes getting ever higher, and then sticks the landing. Probably the best one to read for folks new to Miéville.
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PC release confirmed? So hype.
Why does the box have a red empty space covering half the visible area? Surely they're not going to fill it with logos and "10/10 would buy again" reviews?
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It wouldn't surprise me to find out that PC players are put in a different instance to console players. So no playing together.
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Destiny 2: Now with a PC version?
I was always disappointed Destiny never made it off console (I don't have one, and it's not worth buying one just for one game!) but a PC version of the sequel would be perfect.
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So I wasn't the only one having trouble with the free chests (and the enchanting table, grr).
Also bumped into SgtWhistlebotom while out gathering wood, so far the only human contact I've had! Still, it's been good to walk around and see what people have built - some massive structures in the village, put up impressively quick.
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Wow! Some impressive creations going up in the server!
Haven't played in years. But it seems like my Minecraft account still works - could someone please add Beasteh_uk to the whitelist? Would like to walk around and maybe contribute...
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On 09/02/2017 at 9:00 PM, Badfinger said:Rather than getting yourselves down by thinking you haven't played enough video games to fill a podcast I implore you to let readers play the games and just let your brains fill the gaps, because they do so in a spectacular fashion.
Keep bag blasting forever, it's so good.
On 13/02/2017 at 4:27 PM, noiseredux said:seriously. I'd love a weekly/biweekly/monthly show that's just a Bagblast about games. Meaning, you guys don't have to play games to be prepared. Just let us write in questions/comments about games to give you guys something to talk about. Food for thought? No pressure!
Just wanted to agree with the posts above from Badfinger and noiseredux. These reader mail podcasts are great! There's less pressure for you to play games each week but you still get to talk about them, and we get to enjoy hearing you going off on weird tangents.
On Self-imposed rules: it seems to be almost universal that all Goldeneye 64 matches stipulate NO ODDJOB. I wonder if any other rules have become so widespread?
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That final level was wild, yeah. It's also one of the earliest FPSs I've played that had sections where you have to defend a position using player-placed turrets and walls (HL2 would do the same thing a year later), felt fresh at the time. As did the hub ship, though I found myself longing for more interaction with my crewmates. It wasn't until 2007 (Mass Effect) that my wishes were granted!
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On 25/01/2017 at 11:27 AM, Erkki said:Mouth moods?
It's been, one week since... you posted this question. One Week by Barenaked ladies seems to be the glue that holds this album together. When the Thumbs talked about it on the cast I was expecting more of Smash Mouth. Didn't go away disappointed though - Mouth Moods is grrrrreat!
It's an entertaining set of mashups, done to be funny rather than anything deep. At times I laughed hard at the sheer audacity of the songs he puts together (how does he get away with it! He keeps getting away with it!) like the Wonderwall one, or the One Week/Smooth Criminal mashup, or the suprise samples he just casually throws in. I'm having a great time with it. Anyway, here's wonderwall:
Also, Wow Wow is better than any original Will Smith song. Fact:
P.S. Sleepin' makes me feel good!
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Portal is one of the best tutorials in any game. It only really comes to life at the last test chamber, but from that point the challenge keeps escalating. It's suprising for a short game to feature so many mechanics and have them work so well.
I didn't play Tomb Raider Anniversary when it came out (actually I think I finished it last year), but it's one of the best TR games IMO. Found myself wishing they'd given Tomb Raider 2 the same treatment, but alas. It'll never happen now that Lara is copying notes from Nathan Drake.
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I'm enjoying this nostalgia trip thread!
An underrated and overlooked game from 2007 was Crush. It's a PSP game, which might explain why it never got much attention. The core concept is that you navigate a 3D world by looking at it from side-on or top-down perspectives and "crushing" into 2D. So a platform that is far away in 3D can be brought adjacent by crushing the perspective down to 2D. If you've played Fez, you probably get the idea. If not, here's a short gameplay video:
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Finished ABZU this week.
Comparisons to Journey are inevitable, but I felt that ABZU was aimed more at short play sessions, one chapter at a time (each taking 20 minutes or so). It's a great game to relax to (it even has a "meditate" option) and just casually swim around.
It could have avoided introducing the shark early on - it gave a sense of tension that wasn't really suitable for the tone of the early chapters. You're in no danger, but it was a little jarring. Still, this is a minor criticism, and ABZU was just what I needed after a stressful couple of weeks at work!
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Looks like Nintendo are still holding out on us about their online store. "We have nothing to announce at this time" to all questions about it.
On 18/01/2017 at 10:02 PM, Zeusthecat said:I do wonder if there really is still a market for a Wii-like experience. I definitely don't think there is among so-called hardcore gamers. In fact, Game Informer has one of their little informal surveys up on the main site for Switch games that people are most looking forward to and 1-2 Switch and Arms are right near the bottom.
Nintendo fans are going to buy Switch regardless. I don't think other hardcore gamers are seriously going to look at a Switch, at least not for their main gaming machine. Nintendo's saving grace last gen was a handful of unique titles that you just couldn't experience anywhere else, so folks bought it to supplement their other platform. But as a second console, the launch price is hard to justify. PS4 costs less and has a more conventional selection of "hardcore" titles. Switch will be good if you like JRPGs, though.
11 hours ago, miffy495 said:To be fair, the XBLA release of Perfect Dark way back in 2009 (2010?) had online multiplayer. It's both backwards compatible with the XBone and is in the Rare Replay collection, so it's really not hard to play PD online right this second if you're that hard up for it. I could walk into the next room and start up a multiplayer lobby, should the mood strike me.
I did not know that. I'd written off the XB1, but that's actually pretty good!
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Peggle Extreme! I remember getting hooked on it before buying Peggle Deluxe. Bundling it with The Orange Box was a masterstroke. It's still free on Steam if anyone's curious.
Also they did a WoW version, according to Wikipedia. Two addictive experiences combined in one package!
*hums "Ode to Joy"*
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The more I learn about Switch, the less I'm liking it.
The messaging is all over the place - is it aimed at the casual market or the hardcore? They seem split between the two, stretched a bit thin - 1-2-Switch and Arms for the Wii-like experience, but nothing else. Hardcore types get Zelda and some JRPGs. Both groups get Mario Kart and Mario Odyssey. I think they should have chosen to focus the message on one group. That probably would have meant the more casual players (since most diehards will buy on Day 1 regardless - the Wii proved that).
Then there's all the hardware features that haven't been justified. Why does it need an expensive IR camera in the Joy-Con? What's up with the touchscreen? What's the killer app for all this tech? At the moment it's just adding cost where simplicity is needed. Nintendo haven't told us why we need this stuff.
I'd like it if the big N developed a tool to make it easy for devs to port Android games to Switch. The touchscreen then makes sense. The catalogue of games grows. The casual (and kids, let's not forget the kids) market would have another reason to buy the console.
Then there's the messaging around online. If the online is paid only, there's got be something to pull people in, then keep them hooked. One free game (of Nintendo's choosing) to rent all month seems miserly. A "Netflix" model would work well, as would the proposed online play for old games like Smash Brothers or the other N64 greats (please Nintendo, buy the rights to Goldeneye or Perfect Dark - nostalgia-soaked twenty- and thirty-somethings would sell their souls to play those online). It's still expensive though - you'd have to be really into Splatoon to get your money's worth.
Are we really just waiting for more announcements from Nintendo? There's about 7 weeks to launch, so are they holding out on us? Or is what we know what we're going to get?
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The realest podcast. Life is short, and if you're not having the optimal experience, you're missing out. Choice paralysis is the bane of my free time, and it's not just entertainment that's a problem.
I recently decided I needed a new toaster as my current one is several years old and is beyond ugly now. Its yellowing, brittle plastic clashes with the sleek modern kitchen in my apartment. It had to go. A quick search on Amazon brought up over 1000 results. Choice paralysis started to seep in - did this one have the features I needed? Was it really the best looking one? Could I get a cheaper model? How would I know, I hadn't seen them all! Hours had elapsed and I'm still looking, trying to optimise the toasting experience, I have to find the perfect one. Then when I thought I'd settled on one, I started to read the reviews. Big mistake, guys. For something as cheap and replaceable as a toaster, do not read the reviews.
Entertainment's worse - all you really have to go on are the reviews. But recommendations are subjective, and depend on the opinions, worldview, and background of the reviewer. It's hard to pick up these factors that inform an opinion on a work just from a review/blog/tweet. Sometimes people are going to shove hot garbage at you because they can't see the flaws in it, but thanks to your differing backgound, to you it's obvious. We're also stuck in a stupid culture war where people recommend media based on their politics, where quality of a work is less important than whether it agrees with you.
So What? Well, life is short and media isn't free. All that's happened is that I mistrust recommendations (unless both Tumblr progressives and Reddit alt-righters are loving a work, in which case it's probably good - but reading around costs time!). R&D have mentioned before that it's difficult to give an objective review, and there have been some self-aware reflections on liking trash just because it has themes or characters that appeal to them personally. I appreciate the fact that they're up-front about what they like and why - it does make it easier to grasp whether a work would appeal personally. So maybe that's the answer - curate a list of people you trust to give honest suggestions. Have a "good enough" experience, let go of the notion of a perfect option and just do it.
...but I still haven't bought that fucking toaster.
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An SSD would make such a huge improvement in day-to-day performance, you'd be wise to get one.
It doesn't sound like you are going to overclock (H170 doesn't support anyway), so the "K" edition Intel probably isn't necessary. Might be something to think about if you're looking to save a few bucks.
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17 minutes ago, Mington said:Just read, there's no headphones port
Now that's 'courage'... are they also going to sell us bluetooth headphones for $100?
Voice chat is activated through a smartphone app. What if you don't have one? Or if you bought into the "wrong" smartphone ecosystem?
On top of that, online multiplayer is a subscription service...
It's looking expensive, although I'm not suprised the Joy-Cons cost as much as they do. You have to consider that they're wireless, have accelerometers, NFC, rumble, and some kind of IR gesture control in them. a pair of Joy-Cons is basically 2 wiimotes, and those weren't cheap either. The basic wired controller without the frills seems much more reasonably priced.
Gripes about the price aside, I felt that the lineup was underwhelming. I'm excited about Mario Oddysey but that's not due to hit until the end of the year. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there was no mention of virtual console stuff? Was really hoping for an announcement of a Netflix-style subscription model, but that's probably a bit too forward-looking for Nintendo.
Overall I'm disappointed. The reveal a few months back showed potential, but the reality of it isn't setting my world on fire. Oh well, maybe I'll take a look at it again when Mario is out.
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If you don't mind using the keyboard, there's also the Lego games by Traveller's Tales (Lego Star Wars 2 would be my suggestion, but Lego Indiana Jones was a good one, too) which are a laugh to play co-op and there's basically no penalty for failure, so fun for the ham-fisted too.
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Does this count as vocal? That monastic chant still sends shivers down my spine...
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2007 marks a watershed moment in gaming for me: it was the first time I bought through digital distribution. A mighty need for The Orange Box was enough to ensure a Day 1 purchase - and it being digital meant no waiting for delivery (of course, it took a lot longer than planned to download at 8Mbps, but you live and learn)
After that, it didn't take long to make the transition to digital, with the last physical purchase of mine being Mass Effect 2 in 2010. While I do worry a little about what happens if Steam goes out of business, the convenience of downloads can't be denied. So it's not suprsing that folks made the switch so quickly. Did anyone else have the same experience?
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That Mummy trailer is amazing. Some prankster put together a supercut of Tom Cruise's screaming over other films. It's perfect:
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What's your choice, Gwardinen?
This year, I mostly spent time catching up on my backlog, but I did play more games than for a few years. We've had a number of free weekends throughout the last 12 months, and of course Ubi were giving away old games (good ones!) as part of their 30th anniversary celebration, which hasn't helped my backlog at all, but it does mean I've been able to sample this year's top titles. Some were good (Overwatch, DOOM, BF1) some were flawed (Steep) and some I couldn't get working (Titanfall 2... goddammit EA, get your shit together)
Anyway, here's my 3 based on the few releases from 2016 I played. For a more considered opinion on the indie games I didn't get round to, maybe ask this time next year?
DOOM - such a refreshing take on the FPS. No cowering behind chest-high walls, regain health by punching demons in their faces! Ripping and tearing has never been so fluid - I love it. We'll be talking about this one for years to come, saying "yes, this is how you should do a remake" every time another game falls short.
Overwatch - How does Blizzard manage to get 23 characters so well balanced? The map design is perfect, too - vastly different playstyles are viable in a small space. Fantastic, unbelieveable, amazing.
Grow Up - A tough follow-up to a suprise favourite game, Grow Home. Traversing the world was great fun, the trade-off being a less focussed experience. If Grow Home didn't exist, people would be raving about how good Grow Up is, but alas. Definitely a top pick of 2016 for me.
I also feel bad for December games that get missed off these lists (like 2014's best game, The Talos Principle) so I'm giving a shoutout to Just Cause 3 (2015), which is like a mediterranean holiday, only with less destruction.
The threat of Big Dog
in Idle Banter
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