Jake

Far Cry 2

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Lovely. You seem to be finding it about as joyous as I did.

I was pretty sceptical in Clint Hocking's talk the other day when he was talking about how they failed to build what they wanted and made something better partly by mistake.

He talked about planning and execution phases coupled with the ability to improvise depending on what weapons you had. Initially it was envisioned as planning > execution, with carefully planned and well executed assaults allowing the player to take out lots of bad guys.

What actually happened was that things were found to fuck with the player: he gets shot, ends up in the middle of fires, gets confused, cars break down, etc. Systems like the buddies were built in to enable the player to recover, turning it into a lot of quick plan > execute cycles, so quick that the player effectively has to improvise on the spot.

He also said of this that the player should be nurtured and it has to feel like it's not punishing the player in order to work ¬¬

He talked about loadouts sensibly restricting the player to certain options and combinations, but I found the arbitrariness of what you could and couldn't carry together, coupled with the lack of transparency about it before you dropped diamonds on stuff, infuriating. I started making save games before buying something just because the game wasn't allowing me to tell if it would be a good decision or not.

FC2 just doesn't suit me. I go for sidequests to build up wealth and experience in games, FC2 gives you a pittance for them. I plan carefully before doing anything in a game, FC2 tends to take whatever you planned and throw it out the window. I felt punished for my style of play throughout, yet at the same time insulted by the hand holding. In terms of mechanics, it feels like Stalker turned into something akin to a Disney ride.

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I can't say I'm really enjoying myself very much. Played about 3 hours worth now, and there seems to be little challenge or diversity. Unless you call being swamped by random drive-up baddies while attacking a check point challenging.

I'm also struggling to see any tactical merit in the game so far either. Enemies, whilst momentarily unable to pinpoint you if you're in "deep" cover, seem to work out where you are in a just a few seconds -- whether you continue to fire at them or not. This negates what should be a choice between skirting around the outside of a camp, picking off enemies, or just marching straight down the road guns blazing. I've actually been killed trying to stealthy a lot more than I have just casually running around in full view.

I'm not finding this compelling at all, sorry. I'm also now able to play S.T.A.L.K.E.R. at a very respectable frame rate (at last!) and, in all honesty, while the gunplay isn't as good, the environment and stories are much more appealing.

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OK, so after the problems I had last time I finally got around to starting a new game last night. And this time, things went more smoothly.

I ran into exactly the same problem as I did last time, but solved the missing instruction to trigger meeting my buddy: you must buy a weapon in the gun shop before doing anything else. What I wasn't explicit about when I wrote before was that there were no new guns unlocked in the computer--just the guns I already had on me, plus the model of shotgun many of the NPCs had been toting in-game already.

But you must buy a gun nonetheless--you simply can't progress otherwise. Buy a gun and your buddy - plus a new mission contact - magically warp into the bar over the road and unlock the door for you.

Very considerate of them. :shifty:

I actually had the same issue, now that I'm starting the game. It told me to goto the bar, but I couldn't get into the building. It was a bit broken, like many parts of the game (the AI seriously needs to turn off wallhacks), but I'm really enjoying it so far.

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I hadn't really given Far Cry 2 a chance until I heard about it (over and over again) on the Podcast, but I picked it up a couple weeks ago in good faith and have not been disappointed. I haven't really run into any of the aforementioned issues, I've just been having a hell of a lot of fun. Checkpoints and crazies chasing me were irritating at first until I realized that the "A" button lets you climb in and out of the mounted jeep turrets without having to get out. The feeling of driving at top speed into a checkpoint, quickly crawling up into the turret and mowing down five guys while still rolling along is just awesome.

I love the slow build of guns in the game as well, doing assassinations for the weapons dealer and getting the M-79 a.s.a.p is hella fun. The buddy system seemed pretty forced at first, but when I got ran over by a jeep for the first time only to awake to Warren hauling my ass out of there I had a huge grin the entire time. When I saved my game without realizing that Paul was writhing around in the bushes and I was out of needles I had this heartbreaking moment where I could NOT leave him behind. I actually started a whole new game (I was about 10 hours into my first game) because the

"Oh god mom...I'm sorry"

just hit me right in the gut.

Anyways what I'm trying to say is thanks to the guys for making me aware of the greatness that is Far Cry 2 and I look forward to playing it whenever I turn it off. Also Josip is a kickass dude.

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Just bought this from Gamersgate's massive Ubisoft sale for £15, along with GRAW 2 (which is just less than £4).

Downloading now, can't wait to get stuck into it. If it doesn't live up to expectations I blame the Thumbs podcast team.

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Holy shit, so triple post, but wow, this game is incredible.

Every mechanic has a gameworld representation (or perhaps everything that could be folded into a possible mechanic was) and everything that happens is so tangible. He picks the bullet from his arm, he gets out the map, he jams the gun. Flies buzz around, Zebras and Bison roam the landscape.. It's really, really fucking immersive. On top of that, the shooting is top notch, and the explosions are nice and huge.

There are so many incidental things as well. I'm driving along to my destination, looking at the map, and I lose concentration for a second or two. I look up, and the car is irretrievably teetering on the edge of a bridge having broken through the barrier. It was just one of those "Oh fuck, oh, shit... I suppose that's it, shit" moments that are so rare in games. A really early one came as well when I'd just passed all the introductory stuff and was free to do what I wanted. I bussed up to the top corner of the map and stole a boat. Some guys spotted me from a safe house and began shooting, and I ran my vessel aground. It was a real formative sort of thing, like this is how much the game will kick the living shit out of you.

I'd reason that it's an RPG more than any other RPG. You pick your dude, you assume his character, and you're thrown out into this massive, realistic world. You play the role of a mercenary trying to kill the Jackal, and the approach with weaponry, vehicles and the character's body contribute to the feeling of a genuine place that actually exists and the player can change. There are no stats and character building - you're the same person the whole time, no magical "levels". I mean this in the pure "Role Playing" sense, rather than the "derivative of D&D" definition of course.

Fuck yeah Far Cry 2.

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I'd reason that it's an RPG more than any other RPG. You pick your dude, you assume his character, and you're thrown out into this massive, realistic world. You play the role of a mercenary trying to kill the Jackal, and the approach with weaponry, vehicles and the character's body contribute to the feeling of a genuine place that actually exists and the player can change. There are no stats and character building - you're the same person the whole time, no magical "levels". I mean this in the pure "Role Playing" sense, rather than the "derivative of D&D" definition of course.

Fuck yeah Far Cry 2.

It's an odd pairing but I kept comparing the rpg element to the Monster Hunter series in that neither games have any character progression (in the strict sense of "leveling") but you're constantly becoming stronger as you come to grips with the game mechanics.

Both games give you a quick tutorial and then throw you into the game world, and it's up to you to learn and adapt to the various obstacles you're presented with. The only thing that improves are the tools you have to protect yourself, and the responsibility lies with the player to seek out and come to grips with their specific uses.

Glad you're digging FC2, I hear the multiplayer is hells of busted but we should give it a go sometime. :tup:

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I see what you mean about organic skill enhancement. Damn, I've got a great recent example of that but I can't remember what it is.

Oh, Braid! It's more about tuning your brain naturally, but yeah. Trials 2 was a similar story.

I'd certainly be up for a game sometime, apparently the map editor is great :clap:

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I'm posting just to list myself among those whom, after hearing the name repeatedly whispered in their ear during sleep, got this game and enjoyed it.

I liked the combat quite a bit, many times I'd make a save in one of the "unh-uh-no-no-not-here combat" zones -- and then play "sniper in the church tower" or some such game with all lingering faction members.

I agree that it's a pretty high-quality game. I was drawn into it immediately, unlike many people whom have said "wait a bit, it'll get you." From spawning in the slaughterhouse to obtaining the first safe house to setting fields on fire for the first time.

And yes, those sunsets are just dandy.

As others have mentioned - the enemy Ai, including their spawn cycles, was something that repeatedly "took me out of the game".

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Finished this on X360 two days ago and the ending is pretty damn intense but I'll say no more.

What I will say is that Ubisoft made some pretty questionable decisions in regards to the latter half of the game that made my time with it a war of attrition between me and the progress destroying bugs.

Anyone playing this on a console, I advise you to have 4 saves on roatation at all time not just because of the (apparently fixed) corrupt save file issue but things like missions not triggering properly, NPCs being displaced and therefore not giving you the option to finish the mission (that happened to me on 3 separate occasions). Another time I was supposed to threaten this DJ Lord Haw Haw and whenever I pressed the Y button to do so it froze the game with only the Xbox Guide button able to get me out of it.

The fact that these were all present and I still enjoyed it. Testament to the game.

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Damn I had no idea that if you used your deteriorated guns for too long they blew up, I had my 3 main weapons all do that during a mission meaning I had to scavenge what I could from grenade kills, meaning I had to take weaker weapons than usual. I just managed to buy the dart rifle and I love it.

Does anyone know if the deterioration mechanic filters in the environment you are in such as in water or dessert?

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Does anyone know if the deterioration mechanic filters in the environment you are in such as in water or dessert?

Those puddings will wreck your rifle completely.

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How did you guys get around in the game?

I mainly used boats, buses and walking. At other times, I'd take the jeeps or the dune buggies off road to avoid patrols.

Driving on the roads is the worst: you've got that engine noise blaring, you don't get to enjoy the scenery, it isn't particularly fun, and you're always getting attacked. With the other modes of transportation, I always feel like I can do something clever or interesting.

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How did you guys get around in the game?

I mainly used boats, buses and walking. At other times, I'd take the jeeps or the dune buggies off road to avoid patrols.

Driving on the roads is the worst: you've got that engine noise blaring, you don't get to enjoy the scenery, it isn't particularly fun, and you're always getting attacked. With the other modes of transportation, I always feel like I can do something clever or interesting.

I have and will continue to swim a lot. Its one of the games that have got the swimming mechanics right.

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I have and will continue to swim a lot. Its one of the games that have got the swimming mechanics right.

Hm, I should try that out. I have an acute aversion to swimming in games, due to being (sort of) traumatised at a (relatively) young age by the (completely not scary) sewer creatures in (Star Wars: ) Dark Forces.

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I'm also struggling to see any tactical merit in the game so far either. Enemies, whilst momentarily unable to pinpoint you if you're in "deep" cover, seem to work out where you are in a just a few seconds -- whether you continue to fire at them or not. This negates what should be a choice between skirting around the outside of a camp, picking off enemies, or just marching straight down the road guns blazing. I've actually been killed trying to stealthy a lot more than I have just casually running around in full view.

You aren't supposed to kill a lot of soldiers as you sneak into the camp, especially if the camp has like 20+ soldiers in it: there's too much risk that a second guard will hear or see something. The reason you skirt around the outside of the camp is to find a path with good cover so no one will notice you. I try to do all my missions stealthily and I often only kill a few guards start to finish.

I actually think the far cry 2 enemies aren't too bad in terms of seeing you through bushes and stuff, since I can see them to about that degree if I'm really looking.

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I have and will continue to swim a lot. Its one of the games that have got the swimming mechanics right.

I agree. I swim in random ponds for no reason, just because the swimming is so well done. You also go surprisingly fast while swimming.

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How did you guys get around in the game?

I mainly used boats, buses and walking. At other times, I'd take the jeeps or the dune buggies off road to avoid patrols.

Driving on the roads is the worst: you've got that engine noise blaring, you don't get to enjoy the scenery, it isn't particularly fun, and you're always getting attacked. With the other modes of transportation, I always feel like I can do something clever or interesting.

Haven't played the game after I beat it (should get back to it soon) but I kind of liked driving around on the roads, except when it got to the point where the objective was 90 miles south of the headquarters in which case it became monotonous and annoying.

The swimming is really great, until you get Malaria and drown at any random time, which is why I stayed away from it throughout.

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Haven't played the game after I beat it (should get back to it soon) but I kind of liked driving around on the roads, except when it got to the point where the objective was 90 miles south of the headquarters in which case it became monotonous and annoying.

The swimming is really great, until you get Malaria and drown at any random time, which is why I stayed away from it throughout.

Did you ever take the bus? There's usually a civilian car at the bus stop, sometimes a nice dune buggy.

So you guys would swim for like 5 mile distances? Lol, wtf

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Did you ever take the bus? There's usually a civilian car at the bus stop, sometimes a nice dune buggy.

So you guys would swim for like 5 mile distances? Lol, wtf

I have swam a ridiculous amount in the game, probably upwards of 50 miles

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