SecretAsianMan

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Posts posted by SecretAsianMan

  1. Posted

    The complaint about lesser weapons poisoning the (weapon) well has been around since the game was in early access.  There have been several calls from the community for a way to lock out certain weapons so they won't drop but I feel like that's a double edged sword (pardon the pun).  If you can lock out all the stuff you don't want, then you can essentially just pick a power build and never deviate from it which defeats a lot of the point.  Personally I'm hoping they continue to weapon balance and make changes as needed.  They've done it with several weapons over the development of the game.  The wrenching whip for example started off really weak but it was modified to attack faster with a critical third hit and became one of my favorite weapons.

     

    I also agree the bosses need a bit of work.  I'm not a huge fan of the small confined area since it's counter to every other part of the game (the exception being Conjunctivius, formerly known as the Watcher aka the big tentacled eyeball).  I also dislike how they completely negate most of the mutations which forces you to change everything just for one fight.  I disagree that their design favors faster, weaker weapons though.  The most effective methods are the tactics, mostly traps or grenades since they can be deployed without having to stop which allows you to spend time dodging since most of the boss difficulty lies in the fact that they never stop attacking.  Of course this means you need to plan ahead and put points into tactics, which can be a (very) effective build but less fun in my opinion.

     

    Also agreed about enemy scaling.  Never a fan.

     

    In other news I beat the Hand of the King last night.  I ended up scaling back to zero boss cells and using some speedrun tactics (double heavy turrets with bonus damage to flaming enemies and a weapon that spreads fire).  It was my first time going back to my early access save.  I had initially started a new one on the recommendation of the developers but after a while the thought of unlocking everything and grinding all those cells again felt too tedious considering I had already done it.  At this point I think I have 2 or 3 things left to unlock and I'll have 100%.

  2. Posted

    2 hours ago, Gormongous said:

     

    The really weird thing about the first season of Steven Universe is that, if you go back and watch it through again once you've gotten to season four or five, there are a lot of surprisingly specific references to later reveals (looking at you, "Keep Beach City Weird"). Rebecca Sugar and her team had it planned out from the start, they just took forever to get there for some reason.

     

    I went looking online for skip guides to the first season, which is harder than you'd think since the fandom is adamant that every piece of content (except for the Uncle Grandpa crossover, of course) is absolutely essential to the experience. This one seems pretty good, if you just stick to the green episodes, although it focuses more on which episodes contribute to the lore than on which episodes contribute to character development. I'm curious to see what SAM's friend says, though.

     

    Yeah Steven U has a ton of little hints sprinkled throughout the show.  A bunch of subtle (and not so subtle) callbacks will be missed by not watching everything but the majority of what makes the show great will still come though.  I'd make the list myself but I'm not nearly as well versed in the show as I am something like Star Trek.

  4. Posted

    While I agree that the bulk of the variety comes from what weapons/skills you find I think in a run based game you'd still want randomization otherwise you could just book it straight to the exit.  Peak play then becomes about memorization rather than knowledge of the game's systems and your skill with them.  Granted you can just ignore enemies and run around looking for the exit if you really want (and that's probably what speedruns of the game will end up being), but I think knowing where everything is ahead of time removes a lot of the spontaneity as well.  I wouldn't discount the impact the combination of weapon, enemy type, and level layout have on encounters.  Most of the time it won't matter but every now and then it does and you're only going to get that with procedural generation.

  5. Posted

    I've been playing DC on and off since it first came to Early Access but I've not tried the final release or the last beta update before that so there's probably some new stuff I haven't seen yet.  I'm tempted to start over fresh but I've already invested so much time unlocking and upgrading that it's probably not worth it.

     

    I might record some updated gameplay if there's any interest in that.  Heck, I may even stream it.  I'll probably crank the difficulty back a bit though.  The last time I played I was using 3 boss cells and I still haven't beaten the final boss yet.

  7. Posted

    The Expanse takes some time to gain traction and the more sci-fi bits are harder to swallow given how grounded the bulk of the show is but I'm a sucker for hardboiled/noir stories.  I still need to finish season 3 but I'm glad it's getting a 4th.

  8. Posted

    On the surface I love the idea of more Picard but I'm worried by the statements that it won't be the same Picard.  It makes sense from a story perspective given how Nemesis ended as well as from an actor perspective as I doubt Patrick Stewart would want to return only to rehash his previous performances.  What worries me is the direction the "change" will take.  It could be great but it could just as easily be a complete disaster.  I'd rather he remain the classic character he is now than some half assed attempt by CBS to justify their streaming service.

  9. Posted

    23 hours ago, Ben X said:

    So come on, SAM, what's your pet peeve?

     

    Spoiler

    The computer vault at the CIA has a very elaborate set of security measures including a laser grid on the air vent, a pressure sensitive floor, temperature sensors, and audio sensors that will all go off at the drop of a hat.  And yet the most basic security measure was not taken, which is to HAVE THE ACTUAL COMPUTER ALARM IF IT'S BEING USED WHILE ALL THE SECURITY IS STILL ON.  They didn't hack or disable any of the systems, they just worked around them by doing a flashy trapeze act.  I was about 13 the first time I saw the movie and that's bugged me ever since.

     

  10. Posted

    6 hours ago, Henke said:

    My ranking:

    4>1>5>2>3

     

     

    I'd reverse 2 and 3 but otherwise agreed.  I don't remember much about 3 apart from not really liking it.  2 I actively dislike.  4 and 5 were much better than I was expecting, 4 in particular.  I really like 1, especially in contrast to the following movies (although 1 also has a HUGE pet peeve moment for me during the infamous computer heist scene).  I like that Ethan just barely manages to come out on top, he's competent but not the super agent he is in the rest of the movies.

  12. Posted

    22 hours ago, Gormongous said:

     

     

      Reveal hidden contents

    I like that Rey's defining factor is not her level of skill but her sense of self and where she comes from, but overall I still find her to be a very boring character when not playing off someone with actual conflict, like Kylo Ren or Finn. Part of the reason that people, especially the toxic fanbabies that have rejected this movie so violently, were so attached to Luke is because he grew so much in the course of three movies. Rey is very static, with other characters having to come in and inform her (and us in the audience) of her own abilities that she just... has. But she's not the Chosen One or anything! Sometimes she feels like an attempt to write a protagonist who experiences no struggle or failure, with plot contrivances like just finding the Millennium Falcon or just having the Jedi texts teleported onto it propelling her along.

     

    This is a complaint that I don't like making because the well's been poisoned, but it just feels weird (albeit correct) to say that Luke is still struggling and failing decades later but Rey just... gets it.

     

     

    Mostly agreed.  Part of the anger toward the characterization of Luke is also his status in the lore and fandom as the literal white savior of the galaxy so naturally making him anything but perfect amounts to heresy.  Except he's not the savior.  His struggle during Empire and Return is a personal one, he doesn't do much on a galactic warfront scale.  All of this other companions are the ones who actually bring the empire down, he's at best a distraction to the Emperor.  I even have issues with the way he takes down the first Death Star.  Besides a lot of design nonsense that bothers me (keeping in mind I haven't seen Rogue One), I have a personal theory that the Force had nothing to do with it.

     

    Also regarding Rey I agree that she's too much of a blank slate.

     

    Spoiler

    Even Kylo says her parents are complete nobodies (if you believe that story).  She feels defined more by what she does than who she is, contrary to almost every other character in the series.

     

  13. Posted

    Luke is kind of a crappy Jedi.  I think he gets way more credit than he deserves.  I feel that Rey has more potential than any Force user seen thus far given all that's she's been able to accomplish with zero training but as @Gormongous said character portrayals have been very inconsistent.

  14. Posted

    6 hours ago, Gormongous said:

     

    I feel like the problem with the new Star Wars movies is overwhelmingly inconsistent characterization. Characters are dumb until they're smart, cautious until they're cocky, and conflicted until they're confident.

     

      Reveal hidden contents

    I personally thought that this thing was as hot a pile of refuse as the prequels. Why take the technology of Star Wars, which has always been a stand-in for the magic of the plot, and bolt a Battlestar Galactica-style resource crisis onto it? Even if this is the Empire Strikes Back of the trilogy, it's not remotely plausible that they're just going to run out of fuel and get blown out of the sky, especially not after Ackbar's token death that's an attempt to make up for their unwillingness to give Leia a suitable end (and after the incredible moment when Kylo Ren hesitates on the trigger and then his wingman takes the shot for him, ugh).

     

    On the other hand, I didn't expect to like the training stuff, but I did like maybe eighty percent of what Mark Hamill was doing — the world-weary sage stuff, not the smug saves-the-day act that he warns against and then later does anyway — and I found the scenes between Rey and Kylo to be strangely powerful, especially the telepathic ones, and a great way to enhance the mystique of the Force that's not just old men jabbering at you. Too bad it ends up being Snoke's doing, because the secondary antagonist needs to be built up somehow, and too bad that that and everything wraps up perfunctorily and arbitrarily.

     

    I also felt that the universe in the movie felt incredibly small? People and places didn't get mentioned unless they were going to be (or already were) part of the plot. Big-name actors like Laura Dern and Benicio del Toro get flown in for a few scenes that are usually far out of tone with the rest of the movie. In fact, it really felt like the script was written by someone who loved Star Wars and then heavily revised by someone who had no idea what Star Wars is.

     

    I'd agree with most of that

     

    Spoiler

    Despite all the complaining I do about Kylo Ren, I also liked the parts where he and Rey are linked.  It seems like a plausible "force" thing while also adding some intrigue and a way for two characters to have a connection without being near each other.  Unfortunately the payoff was terrible.

     

    Normally I'd be all about the dumb made up technological quandary the rebellion finds themselves in but in the case of Star Wars I agree it's not a good fit.  Having a device that can track them through hyperspace feels like something better suited to Star Trek than Star Wars.  Sending some of the characters on a side quest to fetch a hacker (really?) feels very out of place in a world where space magic is literal.

     

    While I also liked the characterization of Luke as a failed teacher, I was very dissatisfied with the scenes that followed Rey leaving.  When Luke is training with Yoda and decides to leave to save his friends, Yoda scolds him for not being ready.  Yet when Rey does the exact same thing Yoda tells Luke Rey has what she needs to learn despite having FAR less training than Luke did.  It may have worked out better this time but I don't have the impression that anyone involved knew it would before hand.

     

  15. Posted

    It's not really an SGDQ thing but it is speedrunning related.  ESA2018 (the European version of GDQ) was just held recently and TheMexicanRunner pulled off the first live blindfolded deathless run of the infamous Battletoads turbo tunnels.  As one of the many, many, many people to never get past this level as a kid, it's impressive as heck.

     

     

  16. Posted

    On ‎7‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 1:50 PM, clyde said:

     

      Reveal hidden contents

     


    If word got out that the plan was to cause a distraction while evacuating to a secret rebel base, then spies would inform the First Order. Loose lips sink ships.

     

    Also regarding the death of Snoke, it's not just the flick of the wrist. That entire battle was mental where Kylo Ren was thinking his internal thoughts in a controlled and parallel manner so that Snoke would assume he was getting to a stance necessary to kill Rey. I thought that was super interesting. The idea of managing an escape from such a hyper-surveillance authoritarian was neat imo.

     
     

     

     

     

    Spoiler

    Those are plausible but still a stretch.  Even if you're worried about spies, just tell Poe since he's the one making a fuss.  Clearly no one else was willing to lead a mutiny so if you pacify him the rest will follow.  And if there were a spy I would think sabotage would be a much more effective play here.

     

    As for Kylo being sneaky when killing Snoke, I just don't buy it.  I don't think he's that good.  He's shown virtually no emotional control whatsoever in the series thus far.  Despite the fact that he did it, he was extremely conflicted about killing Han and he didn't even take the shot on Leia.  He rages at Luke in what is clearly meant to be a trick.  I have a hard time believing that guy is able to kill the person who has been manipulating him in such a controlled manner.  And if that was the intent of the scene, it feels very inconsistent which is a problem I often have with Star Wars.

     

  17. Posted

    I'm reminded that I also saw the Last Jedi a couple weeks ago.

    Spoiler

    I wasn't really into it.  I'm ok with plans going awry and bad things happening for the good guys but I felt the story was leading me around a lot without really going anywhere.  The entire thing with Snoke being built up as a new Emperor type only to be killed with a literal flick of a switch was extremely unsatisfying.  Seeing him killed so easily and then watching Kylo and Rey struggle to fight off normal non-Force user guards was very jarring. 

     

    I think my biggest beef was with Poe's little mutiny.  I get his motivations and I did like that it backfired on him and taught him a lesson, but it was a lesson that shouldn't have been learned.  If Laura Dern (don't remember the character's name and I can't be bothered to look it up) would have just told Poe her plan in the first place, the whole thing could have been avoided.  Yes, the lesson he learned later proved useful on the base but that's knowledge you only gain in hindsight.  At the time of Poe's mutiny, there was no reason not to just tell him what was going on.

     

    I have a lot of other little quibbles that I won't get into.  It's such a shame because I like most of the characters (apart from Kylo Ren who I find mostly insufferable).

     

  18. Posted

    I feel like that's taking the race more seriously than it should be.  It's just a silly motivation to give them a goal beyond simply completing the levels.  The real point is to show off the levels and skills of the runners.  The format is just a way for them to have some extra fun.  Is there a better way to do it?  Sure, but they all seemed into it and I still enjoyed watching.  Can't really ask for more than that.

  19. Posted

    I think the Mario Maker race had some pros and cons.  I can understand wanting to have a much better idea of an estimate so imposing hard time limits on each course makes sense.  It also made for a dramatic finish on one course.  On the other hand you lose some of the momentum and excitement that gets built by immediately jumping into the next course and with maps like these it doesn't seem like 5 to 10 seconds of lead time is very significant, especially given the way the race played out.  I think it worked overall though.  I preferred it to one of the previous marathons where the format was "we picked a random level to be the winning one and which ever team beats it wins, j/k there was no winning level".  I'm glad to see them play around with the format at least.

     

    Also yay Henke!

  22. Posted

    20 hours ago, RubixsQube said:

    I was a little annoyed about the 100% Map Completion run because I don't find some of the couch commentators particularly funny, but they think they're very funny, which is always a frustrating aspect of GDQs. There are a few commentators who come back again and again (see: Patty) and like, act like an asshole as a way of Being Funny, and the audience eats it up, but it mostly comes off as shitty. 

     

    Stuff like this is always very disappointing.  I've had to stop watching runs I was interested in because either the runner or the couch is just unbearable.  Although on the flip side I've seen runs that became some of my favorites because of the runner/couch, despite not being interested in the game itself.  I suppose to each his own.

  23. Posted

    I watched a chunk of the Metroid block last night.  The Zero Mission race was pretty good with some unfortunate bits.  One of the runners had to drop out when their console fan died and the unit overheated and shut down.  All the remaining runners finished the race, including getting a trick that if missed would invalidate the entire run.  Another runner took a pretty bold strategy of skipping a health refill during the stealth section.  One hit would have ended the run for him.

     

    The Samus Returns run makes me want to play the game.  I haven't played a Metroid in a long time.  There's one really unfortunate part in the run where he loses several minutes of time trying to get a single OOB clip to work but he perseveres and manages to get it with some audience support.  He even came in under the estimate, though he admits he put a large buffer in the estimate.

     

    I only saw the beginning of the Super Metroid 100% map completion run but I want to go back and finish it because that's such an unusual category that involves really strange routing and movement to fill in every square.

  24. Posted

    Looking over the schedule, here's what stands out to me

     

    Metroid Samus Returns - This is on the 3DS remake so it'll be the first run I've seen of that

     

    Spider-Man & Venom's Maximum Carnage - I really liked this game as a kid and will be interested to see the speed tech

     

    Cuphead - By a really great runner, TheMexicanRunner

     

    Getting Over it with Bennett Foddy - self explanitory

     

    Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 - by my favorite runner PJ

     

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