melmer

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

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Ah, hm. Anyway, will find out how it runs tonight, I can't even remember what video card I have it's so old, so that may not bode well, lol.

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I haven't seen the console version, but I was running the game incredibly smoothly on my rig with mostly maxed out settings. For reference, I'm running:

 

ASUS Z-97A MOBO

Intel Core i5 4670K @4.2GHz

Gigabyte GTX760 2GB

8GB DD3 RAM @1866MHz

500GB Samsung 840 Evo SSD

 

Enabling V-sync certainly drops performance, but even the tearing I was experience was pretty minimal. I will play around with the settings later, but it seemed pretty buttery on my end. Even my boss said he was amazed at how well it ran. It seems pretty optimized to me!

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I'm running whatever it recommended, which is medium/high for most settings. I have an I5, 8 gigs, and a 750 ti. It looks awesome and it's smooth as butter.

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Has there been any gameplay videos that show much variation in the scenery? The few I've seen look pretty generic rolling moorland and crumbling ruins strategically placed in that slightly gamey way. 

 

I'm kinda in two minds about this game. Orcs are right up there with Nazis and Bad Space Aliens for things I enjoy stabbing into bits, and I do like me some Batman-esque combat but I just have never got on with the Assassin's Creed games for some undefinable reason. Watching a video where the ranger guy dove of a tall ruin into a pile of leaves sucked the interest out of me.

 

Perhaps I've just seen the blandest bits of the game somehow?

 

I am right with you as having never enjoyed Assassin's Creed and I was slightly worried by the comparisons. I just sunk five hours into this game (only stopping thanks to a Steam Big Picture crash) and I can assure you the game, from both combat and stealth standpoints, is far more Batman than Assassin's. The stealth is predatory and empowering, just as the Arkham games' design philosophy dictates, whereas in Assassin's Creed I am constantly lost, clumsy, and frustratedly unsure of how to approach my target.

 

The piles of leaves are just ground-level gargoyles.

 

I'm also satisfied with how the game's holding up technically. I ran numerous benchmarks in the beginning in order to optimize my settings (I really appreciate games including this feature, BioShock Infinite did it very nicely as well) and I have every setting (besides the anomalously burdensome textures) at high or ultra on my modest GTX 680 and the framerate's been staying at a very smooth sixty.

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This looks amazing, especially after seeing the GiantBomb quicklook. Having said that, I'm going to wait a bit, not to be a cheapskate but because I have too much other awesome on my plate. The next elite dangeroud beta is dropping sometime today, plus I recently got sucked into the Old Republic, with evil dealings of a Sith Inquisitor/Pacman. There's too much cool stuff coming out, damnit and if I start on too many things, I tend to leave some things behind forever!

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For some reason a colleague told me it would unlock on October the 3rd so it was a pleasant surprise that it was today instead. Still 15 minutes to go to decrypt it or whatever it's doing. I just realized how many graphics card generations there have been in the meanwhile, though -- I have a 570. May need an upgrade here.

 

[edit] crap, the performance seems fine but the display is corrupted :( I'm seeing a PIP effect which I haven't seen in any game before, ever. The image is doubled several times in smaller form (picture in picture) and often some details (like tutorial text) appear only in the smaller ones. Weird bug.

 

[edit2] turning off 3D support completely got rid of the issue

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Ok, so I found out my specs. To note I think the last time I looked at them was for Skyrim and ran the thing on high or something, anyway, it was never impressive, but Skyrim looked awesome.

 

I get home and Mordor defaults me to low. The art is nicely done, but it's looking a little 2nd generation 360 game. I did their benchmark thing and was getting average 65fps, which I am the sort of idiot that thinks a steady 30 is good enough, so I cranked it to very high and got my 30 and it doesn't feel like I'm staring at a game from 5 years ago. So yay!

 

I have a 550TI to note, so yeah, might be time for an upgrade one day.

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A steady 30 looks better than a game which oscillates between 40 and 60, at least in my personal opinion.

 

I would guess that the Cyber Monday deals on 760s and 770s will be pretty great this year, if you can swing a couple hundred bucks for a new GPU.

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I'm enjoying this game much more than I thought. Seriously, this is a pretty good game, probably the best one of the "next-gen" titles I played.

It has a lot of weak spots, but the combat is so satisfying, and the Nemesis system is fantastic, never thought it would make such a difference in the game. I want to see more stuff like this in other titles, it makes the combat much more involving and kinda personal.

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That benchmark thing in the options was not a good test of the game./ Once into it it looked great, but once 10 orcs show up I had to stick it on low. Well looks like its time for an upgrade.

 

So far, really digging the systems and the little systemic stories that are coming out of it.

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Kind of bummed out that the Nemesis system is used in this Arkham/Assassin's Creed type game that I don't really care for. It could really add a lot to other open world games. Still glad that people are coming up with ideas that are system and AI driven, whereas many of these main character open world games are so motivated by just have loads of filler content to push through.

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Overall I have never really enjoyed the Arkham-style combat system(Asylum for me was held up by an insane art style, and City I just hated), and while I still don't like it here, the way it's incorporated as a means of letting you decide how to approach a fight is really great.

 

I love having to figure out where these Warchiefs are by interrogating fools, then when I find them, take out their support guys so I can go in for the direct kill, usually trying to get the big man alone for me to do it. I could go in sword-flying every time, but it just feels more fun, more effective, to skulk about, gather information, weaken enemy forces strategically, then strike hard and fast.

 

At this point, I just wish combat was slower, more deliberate with each enemy, with fewer enemies and more combat intricacy. Oh, and that it wasn't a LotR game, 'cause I'm just not big into that series.

 

Edit: And any real difficulty. Taking on 20 Orcs by myself shouldn't be so easy. I want to be punished for going against numbers like that.

 

Edit 2: Nevermind on the difficulty. Got another 2 or 3 hours in, and now one Orc is consistently kicking my ass. And taking on groups of 20+ is suicide from the pure variety of enemies and things to consider. SUDDENLY ADDICTED.

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That was my favourite contextual prompt as well.

 

 

Edit 2: Nevermind on the difficulty. Got another 2 or 3 hours in, and now one Orc is consistently kicking my ass. And taking on groups of 20+ is suicide from the pure variety of enemies and things to consider. SUDDENLY ADDICTED.

 

Yeah, the difficulty can really ramp up occasionally. Particularly if a given captain happens to luck into some nasty traits. I was trying desperately to fight one with the Combat Master trait who was Immune to Ranged and Fearless and a bunch of other horrible stuff. I just absolutely could not take him down and he eventually defeated me, becoming even stronger as a result.

 

So as you said, I then got some information on him and really planned things out, managing to stealthily murder him after discovering that was his one weakness. Sweet revenge.

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That was my favourite contextual prompt as well.

 

 

 

Yeah, the difficulty can really ramp up occasionally. Particularly if a given captain happens to luck into some nasty traits. I was trying desperately to fight one with the Combat Master trait who was Immune to Ranged and Fearless and a bunch of other horrible stuff. I just absolutely could not take him down and he eventually defeated me, becoming even stronger as a result.

 

So as you said, I then got some information on him and really planned things out, managing to stealthily murder him after discovering that was his one weakness. Sweet revenge.

 

Yeah, I died to him 4 or 5 times in a row trying to be quick about it. I am about to go to bed, but now this Gorfel guy is in my head. I want him dead. He's immune to ranged, stealth, fearless, gets pissed off over pretty much everything, has a posse that always includes 1 other Captain, he's a berzerker(two axe guys that you get the yellow guard symbol from, I don't know what that is but if I guard there he punishes me for it), and if I fall below 25% health when he hits me, he says "Yeah I didn't think you were worth it." and walks off.

 

He doesn't even bother killing me! He just humiliates me repeatedly!

 

Seriously I'm gonna stab him in the eye

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I am right with you as having never enjoyed Assassin's Creed and I was slightly worried by the comparisons. I just sunk five hours into this game (only stopping thanks to a Steam Big Picture crash) and I can assure you the game, from both combat and stealth standpoints, is far more Batman than Assassin's. The stealth is predatory and empowering, just as the Arkham games' design philosophy dictates, whereas in Assassin's Creed I am constantly lost, clumsy, and frustratedly unsure of how to approach my target.

 

The piles of leaves are just ground-level gargoyles.

 

I'm also satisfied with how the game's holding up technically. I ran numerous benchmarks in the beginning in order to optimize my settings (I really appreciate games including this feature, BioShock Infinite did it very nicely as well) and I have every setting (besides the anomalously burdensome textures) at high or ultra on my modest GTX 680 and the framerate's been staying at a very smooth sixty.

 

Thanks, that's good to know. 

 

Still a little unsure about the game being my cup of tea after watching a few videos though, so I reckon I'll see how the other releases I have my eye on this month pan out and pick this up if they review poorly.

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One thing to note is that the Nemesis system isn't in the previous gen versions, apparently

 

Whoa, is this true? If it is, I guess I'm holding off.

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This game has really surprised me.  It was not at all a title I was looking forward to but now that I've seen some footage of it, I have to say I'm really intrigued.  I can't really afford it right now, hopefully it'll pop up in the Steam holiday sale and I can get it then.

 

Whoa, is this true? If it is, I guess I'm holding off.

 

The PS3 and 360 versions will have a reduced form of the Nemesis system, whatever that means.

 

 

Ok, so I found out my specs. To note I think the last time I looked at them was for Skyrim and ran the thing on high or something, anyway, it was never impressive, but Skyrim looked awesome.

 

I get home and Mordor defaults me to low. The art is nicely done, but it's looking a little 2nd generation 360 game. I did their benchmark thing and was getting average 65fps, which I am the sort of idiot that thinks a steady 30 is good enough, so I cranked it to very high and got my 30 and it doesn't feel like I'm staring at a game from 5 years ago. So yay!

 

I have a 550TI to note, so yeah, might be time for an upgrade one day.

 

I've been using this site/utility to check for stuff like that.  It won't tell you exactly what kind of performance you'll get but its a quick and easy way to see if you meet the min/recommended requirements.

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Yeah, I died to him 4 or 5 times in a row trying to be quick about it. I am about to go to bed, but now this Gorfel guy is in my head. I want him dead. He's immune to ranged, stealth, fearless, gets pissed off over pretty much everything, has a posse that always includes 1 other Captain, he's a berzerker(two axe guys that you get the yellow guard symbol from, I don't know what that is but if I guard there he punishes me for it), and if I fall below 25% health when he hits me, he says "Yeah I didn't think you were worth it." and walks off.

He doesn't even bother killing me! He just humiliates me repeatedly!

Seriously I'm gonna stab him in the eye

Haha, yep, it's pretty amazing how varied their personalities can be.

Yesterday I fought a captain with a pretty bad burn in his face, he was super weirdo and, unlike the others, he didn't say a word to me, just stared with a creepy face. He was pretty hard to beat, especially because someone accidentally threw fire on him, something that makes him furious and way harder to beat.

I'm really enjoying this system, makes the battles much more remarkable with this kind of details. I want to see more of it in other games, and not necessarily associated with the combat system, but with NPCs in general.

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Thanks SecretAsianMan, I tend to just fiddle with the settings until I get something that looks good and plays alright. It took some adjusting and I am on a low-medium setting.

 

I'm really enjoying the game, but wondering if I should stop playing it now so I can wait to get a new video card so I can crank it up to look a bit better, because on high it's pretty gorgeous. 

 

Couple hours last night, first impressions:

 

I never got into the batman games until just a few months ago, so the combat system is probably really tiresome for everyone, but since it's new to me, I enjoy it a lot, while it's similar to Assassins Creed I find this far more fun and interactive.

 

Mordor seems small. Maybe more opens up in time? I don't think so though.

 

Main characters eyes are too far apart, he looks cross eyed or just plain dumb at times. I had a costume change, which I guess works like the Arkham system, so at least I don't look like I am in crappy rags, but it does change it in the cut scenes, so I think it's breaking a bit of the immersion for me.

 

I have a feeling the nemesis system and the whole "political" game with the captains and chiefs is going to make it's way into A LOT of games in the next few years. I dare to say, this could be this generations cover system mechanic.

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So I was playing last night and found myself in an interesting situation. 

 

I was tracking down one of the higher ups when I ran into one of his body guards, we started fighting and things were not going my way. But then one of those big dogs came out of no where and killed him, as this was happening another body guard showed up. A few seconds later the captain I was tracking showed up too and both were immediately killed by the dog.

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So I was playing last night and found myself in an interesting situation. 

 

I was tracking down one of the higher ups when I ran into one of his body guards, we started fighting and things were not going my way. But then one of those big dogs came out of no where and killed him, as this was happening another body guard showed up. A few seconds later the captain I was tracking showed up too and both were immediately killed by the dog.

 

bigdog.jpg

 

(I would have photoshopped some orcs in if I had any talent for that)

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Knowing or not knowing a captain's strengths and weaknesses severely changes how the game plays. It's incredible for that to be true.

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