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What are you playing?

Cities: Skylines is way too easy, it turns out, and fiddly in annoying ways.

Transport Tycoon Deluxe but with some modern sensibilities (mostly some cumbersome interface stuff) would be a masterpiece. OpenTTD is not that.
 
I have to say I am now totally addicted to TWWH3 Immortal Empires. There is a function where you can build outposts in your allies provinces. This allows you to recruit for cheap units from other armies. There is also the scale of the map that is absolutely huge. Any intent on total domination would seriously take at least 6 months of steady game play. The amount of factions that are available are absolutely crazy. The best thing about the Game though is the amount and quality of mods for the Game. I have used mods to add Legendary Lords of up to 3 for each faction and in conjunction a mod that allows me to recruit Legendary Lords from defeated armies in your faction. There are other Games that I play like Everspace 2, The Ascent, Project Cars 2&3 and other Games like Spiderman, Guardians of the Galaxy but TWWH3 is still my addiction.
 
But it's not bad either. The UI has a learning curve, but then again, most micro-management type games do.

Sure. But I just feel that with some tweaking it would be amazing. Like placing tracks/roads. Or undo buttons. Managing vehicles. Auto renew failing because of lack of funds when I have all the funds in the universe. Auto saving is so slow. Slowdowns in late game. Rotating the map. More details on towns and why they hate you. The fundementals is great, but I really think it could to with a fresh coat of paint (and some welding).
 
Yea its a fun/interesting game on its own, tbh I still can't describe this game if someone asked me whats this game I'm playing cause its just a bag of weird stuff but in a good way.
Definitely not a typical whatever game you finish and then forget about it soon after.

Last boss in DLC 2 did take me a few tries until I switched to a more agressive style and just blasted it down as fast as possible. 'that boss fight design was questionable'
What I love most about Control is how its a full concept game. Its like everyone in every area knew what that game was meant to be, as a creative work. It is just so complete, and yet the possibilities left in the writing feel endless. And then it is all tied into an ongoing universe that ultimately feels so much more alive for having that intricate and invitingly alienating mystery as sort of its 'grand stream' for story concepts to form from. It is at first hard to conceptualize how so many seemingly disparate things can go together, but over time, you learn not to doubt it. It has a way of letting you know that you're in good hands, I like to think. The ideas are more unified than they often appear, and they kind of ease you into recognizing that at a pace that for me, feels more 'active' and exploratory on my end. It's the kind of writing that really wishes to engage you, use your own mind to make things happen.

It gets even better when you realize that they secretly have just one franchise going between all of these different titles - each major title is just another chapter in their crazy multiverse. I mean, from an artistic ambition standpoint, you really have to respect what Remedy has managed to pull off creatively. They are absolute madlads when it comes to how far down the rabbit hole they go in their whole overarching theming and general 'theory of universe,' the level of detail they manage to attain without writing themselves into corners. To me, it's masterful, even if it isn't the most accessible. Hell, I might actually call it obtuse. It is distinctly deliberate in its obtuseness. But at the same time, they are exceptional at maximizing the effect of inference. They can spin a top and spawn a new world in the heads of their audience. Remedy is all about taking you down to the abyssopelagic zone and making that sort of an inviting place to be, simply in how strange and intriguing it is. It's that, and the uncanny sense it all seems to make when you're down there. Half of the story running through all of their games is just friggin hyperabstraction and non-euclidean logic with heavy scoops of Jungian mysticism and Finnish mythology. It's the story of a multiverse, the birthing and melding of unstable realities, lovecraftian outer-god-like beings, and people interacting with all of it in intricately linked overarching narratives. And yet when you play through em each a few times, that whole world seems natural to you - nothing is really out of place. This could all easily have become your standard 'paranatural' camp, like X-Files for the now. But Remedy always does this style with such sincerity and depth that I think it elevates the work beyond that kind of stuff. It's just one of a kind art with them, always made with love and care.

The bosses never gave me a ton of trouble. I think I kinda just nerded out on the mechanics to a point where strategy was its own game for me. I like the combat flow that Control has... and yes, offense really is key. It's all about keeping that flow, knowing the moves to use when. Even your core defensive options in that game, are basically offense, or direct paths to it. Control... "Take control..." that theme alone says everything about the combat, really. Remedy plays this trick on your mind that makes everything feel intentional. I feel utterly gaslit by their games and I hope it never changes. Accept reality and take control of it. Harness whatever situations come along to chain the best offensive moves you can make each time, and just never stop moving. The action seems fast, but its more of a mental game. It's a test of continual focus and quick decision making more than reflexes. You explore all of the different ways to flow from situation to situation. Get yourself good and in the moment with different moves trained into you, and things go well. Whenever I lose that, I suck immediately. Fail over and over. It's either intuitive or it doesn't really work out. I guess it's a bit like driving stick. But then, unlike stick, it's more in the sizing up than the precision in execution. Know what I mean? It's never about sticking anything perfectly, just making the right moves at the right times. Setting the playing field up right. Creatively and efficiently sizing-down mobs that show up to introduce chaos that's meant to break you out of that flow. You instead flow into it, like Polaris's resonance itself.


What I hate most about Control is...

...the expedition DLC. :rolleyes:



Not the game I'm playing today. I think I'd rather do a refresher on Alan Wake at some point, as I haven't since completing everything in Control. They should call the game I'm playing Metro Eggodust, just because even after all of this time, it's so dang immersive that all I can do is toast my eggos and eat em straight toaster-hand-mouth like a savage. Hunger really only gets in the way.
 
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They should call the game I'm playing Metro Eggodust, just because even after all of this time, it's so dang immersive that all I can do is toast my eggos and eat em straight toaster-hand-mouth like a savage. Hunger really only gets in the way.
That is one of the funniest things I have read in a while. Thank you for that.

I also totally understand what you mean. Artyom is becoming one of my favorite protagonists. I just wish he talked - I keep expecting a voice like BJ from "The New Order" but Russian. Love the style and writing though.
 
That is one of the funniest things I have read in a while. Thank you for that.

I also totally understand what you mean. Artyom is becoming one of my favorite protagonists. I just wish he talked - I keep expecting a voice like BJ from "The New Order" but Russian. Love the style and writing though.
It's just the plain truth, but youre welcome :laugh:

Artyom's voice is a definite rub for me. The awkward silence in dialog sequences is real. It's especially strange, because Artyom DOES have a voice actor in Metro Exodus. It's just that he only ever narrates Artyom's journal entries on the loading screens. So it's like they tease you with it, basically let you know that they could voice him.

I usually just tell myself that Artyom doesn't HAVE to speak to anyone, and has earned that privilege by continually being the guy getting everything done without complaining. Just kind of an unspoken understanding. They kinda can't say nothin to him, because they NEED him. So he doesn't need to speak on anything, doesn't even have to answer questions in ordinary passing conversations. He's just that good, like Master Chief. Nobody makes Master Chief explain himself.
 
I don't disagree, but it does make the conversations somewhat awkward. Especially when his wife is asking him stuff - imagine if you or I never spoke to our SO.

I totally didn't think about the journal entries. Of course that is his voice.
 
I don't disagree, but it does make the conversations somewhat awkward. Especially when his wife is asking him stuff - imagine if you or I never spoke to our SO.

I totally didn't think about the journal entries. Of course that is his voice.
Dude, it's easy to miss the fact that Artyom is speaking there. I didn't consider it for a whiiiilllleeeee. I was just on a loading screen one day when I went "Oh, he does talk."

I'm half joking on that take. It's just kind of funny to me to think that he wouldn't say anything during so many moments, and it's not like they always write things as though he doesn't talk. Characters often speak to him as though he does, as though he HAS spoken to them. We just never see it. So it does have that uncanniness... it is definitely weird to just imagine staring at my girlfriend while she talks to me for a while, then she hugs me, and I just like... go and stoically do the dishes or something. Maybe let out a "Hyarrrghhh" if I drop one, start hyperventilating and wobbling a little.
 
I have to say I am now totally addicted to TWWH3 Immortal Empires. There is a function where you can build outposts in your allies provinces. This allows you to recruit for cheap units from other armies. There is also the scale of the map that is absolutely huge. Any intent on total domination would seriously take at least 6 months of steady game play. The amount of factions that are available are absolutely crazy. The best thing about the Game though is the amount and quality of mods for the Game. I have used mods to add Legendary Lords of up to 3 for each faction and in conjunction a mod that allows me to recruit Legendary Lords from defeated armies in your faction. There are other Games that I play like Everspace 2, The Ascent, Project Cars 2&3 and other Games like Spiderman, Guardians of the Galaxy but TWWH3 is still my addiction.

No more game killing bugs then in Immortal Empires?
Still need to buy this :D
 
No more game killing bugs then in Immortal Empires?
Still need to buy this :D
Butter smooth for me. The last hotfix has basically stabilized the experience. Radious Mod is in there as well as thousands of others including playable factions. I could swear I saw Albion added. As long as you have Freesync or Gsync or VRR it will never slow down (other than by design when casting a spell) even in super huge battles. The scale and fortifications of siege battles have expanded. Your archers have a stronger effect on siege towers and you suffer attrition instantly when besieged.

Windows 11 and a bad Seagate Firecuda 530 gave me the impression that there were problems but that was with all Games. The funniest though was, I contacted Seagate about an RMA and they told me this in an email. "Hi R$%#% Fircuda 530 SSD especially for gaming drive so if its not work in windows means its issue with M-KEY SOCKET pls check with your computer manufacture". After I got back up from almost falling out of my chair. I posted a picture from the product page they sent me of a Gigabyte MB in my reply literally copying the page into the email. Blame the MB for disk failure is insane when a 660P is in the slot that was part of a RAID 0 array and wiped and tested so many times that it should show more errors than a brand new drive.

Getting back to TWWH3 in 2 turns I will be able to recruit Tyrion and Alistar to my Army. Ulthuan has been overrun by Lizardmen and Averlorn is the lone province left. That means that once I conquer the entire Southland and keep Tomb Kings as my allies I will be able to send a relief force to retake the home of the Elves.
 
What I love most about Control is how its a full concept game. Its like everyone in every area knew what that game was meant to be, as a creative work. It is just so complete, and yet the possibilities left in the writing feel endless. And then it is all tied into an ongoing universe that ultimately feels so much more alive for having that intricate and invitingly alienating mystery as sort of its 'grand stream' for story concepts to form from. It is at first hard to conceptualize how so many seemingly disparate things can go together, but over time, you learn not to doubt it. It has a way of letting you know that you're in good hands, I like to think. The ideas are more unified than they often appear, and they kind of ease you into recognizing that at a pace that for me, feels more 'active' and exploratory on my end. It's the kind of writing that really wishes to engage you, use your own mind to make things happen.

It gets even better when you realize that they secretly have just one franchise going between all of these different titles - each major title is just another chapter in their crazy multiverse. I mean, from an artistic ambition standpoint, you really have to respect what Remedy has managed to pull off creatively. They are absolute madlads when it comes to how far down the rabbit hole they go in their whole overarching theming and general 'theory of universe,' the level of detail they manage to attain without writing themselves into corners. To me, it's masterful, even if it isn't the most accessible. Hell, I might actually call it obtuse. It is distinctly deliberate in its obtuseness. But at the same time, they are exceptional at maximizing the effect of inference. They can spin a top and spawn a new world in the heads of their audience. Remedy is all about taking you down to the abyssopelagic zone and making that sort of an inviting place to be, simply in how strange and intriguing it is. It's that, and the uncanny sense it all seems to make when you're down there. Half of the story running through all of their games is just friggin hyperabstraction and non-euclidean logic with heavy scoops of Jungian mysticism and Finnish mythology. It's the story of a multiverse, the birthing and melding of unstable realities, lovecraftian outer-god-like beings, and people interacting with all of it in intricately linked overarching narratives. And yet when you play through em each a few times, that whole world seems natural to you - nothing is really out of place. This could all easily have become your standard 'paranatural' camp, like X-Files for the now. But Remedy always does this style with such sincerity and depth that I think it elevates the work beyond that kind of stuff. It's just one of a kind art with them, always made with love and care.

The bosses never gave me a ton of trouble. I think I kinda just nerded out on the mechanics to a point where strategy was its own game for me. I like the combat flow that Control has... and yes, offense really is key. It's all about keeping that flow, knowing the moves to use when. Even your core defensive options in that game, are basically offense, or direct paths to it. Control... "Take control..." that theme alone says everything about the combat, really. Remedy plays this trick on your mind that makes everything feel intentional. I feel utterly gaslit by their games and I hope it never changes. Accept reality and take control of it. Harness whatever situations come along to chain the best offensive moves you can make each time, and just never stop moving. The action seems fast, but its more of a mental game. It's a test of continual focus and quick decision making more than reflexes. You explore all of the different ways to flow from situation to situation. Get yourself good and in the moment with different moves trained into you, and things go well. Whenever I lose that, I suck immediately. Fail over and over. It's either intuitive or it doesn't really work out. I guess it's a bit like driving stick. But then, unlike stick, it's more in the sizing up than the precision in execution. Know what I mean? It's never about sticking anything perfectly, just making the right moves at the right times. Setting the playing field up right. Creatively and efficiently sizing-down mobs that show up to introduce chaos that's meant to break you out of that flow. You instead flow into it, like Polaris's resonance itself.


What I hate most about Control is...

...the expedition DLC. :rolleyes:



Not the game I'm playing today. I think I'd rather do a refresher on Alan Wake at some point, as I haven't since completing everything in Control. They should call the game I'm playing Metro Eggodust, just because even after all of this time, it's so dang immersive that all I can do is toast my eggos and eat em straight toaster-hand-mouth like a savage. Hunger really only gets in the way.

Yeah no kidding I often felt like, who the heck comes up with such stuff while playing Control.
In a good way ofc, I actually never played Alan Wake so I felt a bit missing out while playing DLC 2. 'I do have it on EPIC tho, now I'm more interested'
 
Sure. But I just feel that with some tweaking it would be amazing. Like placing tracks/roads. Or undo buttons. Managing vehicles. Auto renew failing because of lack of funds when I have all the funds in the universe. Auto saving is so slow. Slowdowns in late game. Rotating the map. More details on towns and why they hate you. The fundementals is great, but I really think it could to with a fresh coat of paint (and some welding).
Fully agree!
 
There is a such a thing as 'too wide' I don't think I can handle this. 7680x1440 :kookoo:

Feelin' a little queasy.

FH4

holywidebatman.jpg
 
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There is a such a thing as 'too wide' I don't think I can handle this. 7680x1440 :kookoo:

Feelin' a little queasy.

FH4

View attachment 265558
I just love playing at the 7680x1440 setting but its not great in all games - looking forward to more power with RDNA3 perhaps
 
There is. That is too wide.. It's like tank-a$$, but in display form.

It's a bit much at first. :) It's also physically huge as it's three 32" screens.

Now you got the steering wheel on the wrong side for FH4..... :D

Ok, Ok. I fixed it for you :D Correct side of the road, and correct steering wheel location. :rockout:Whenever I play this I have to keep yelling 'STAY LEFT!!'.

FH4_GTI.jpg


And one right down the center

Grid_Legends.jpg


I just love playing at the 7680x1440 setting but its not great in all games - looking forward to more power with RDNA3 perhaps

After some more time with it I'm finding I really like it for driving games. I can't get FH5 to start no matter what I do, but everything else seems to figure it out, although a lot of games aren't the best this wide. Things like Guild Wars 2 are a no go as most of the HUD is in the four corners, and can't be moved. It's like whiplash trying to see everything.

I'm currently using three different monitors, two curved and one flat, and the only common refresh rate between them is 60Hz. I could see needing some more GPU power at this res if you could play at 120 or 144.

Mainly I wanted to try this first before considering an UW monitor. I'll mess around with it more this weekend before I have to move the monitors back.
 
@Splinterdog

Bought the game on the sub 2$ sale and now playing it, to my surprise the game actually supports 21:9 since the 1.08 patch.
Mad respect for that, devs could be arsed to do that with such an old game even tho we have brand new games not supporting it in 2021-2022 out of the box and have to use fan made tweaks/fixes..
FEAR 1:
Fear1.jpg
Fear2.jpg

Gotta say that bullet time is still good fun in this game. :D

I'm gonna play this till the launch of The Plague tale Requiem but I will definitely finish it even after.
Requiem.jpg


I have it pre ordered, loved the first game and I can't wait to play this. 'and torture my GPU with it:laugh:'
 
Despite the backlash I am enjoying GTA Remasters, added a reshade to make the game look much better though.

Some video footage from my Channel (Dailymotion, i don't use Youtube, less copyright issues on Dailymotion) , this game runs so much better using this mod or maybe its just the drivers I'm using who knows, or both. (Enterprise 21.Q4, best drivers for my Radeon Pro W6600).

Reshade Enhanced 2560x1440p max settings force 4xEQ.
LC1.png
LC2.png
LCS4.png
 
Despite the backlash I am enjoying GTA Remasters, added a reshade to make the game look much better though.
Whatever floats your boat. i enjoyed remasters, because they fixed a ton of small QoL problems and improved the gameplay tremendously, however those games are also the ones that seemingly look better with lower shadows and lighting settings. I think that remasters have contrast cranked to the moon and it doesn't look good to me, and really good reflections also don't work well in what were essentially a games with minimal reflections. Again they look unpleasantly overdone, when OG world was way more matte. The things I like the most in them is that textures look a lot better and now 16:9 ratio isn't stretched anymore. Also animations, OG games had really janky ones and remasters improved them a lot.

Edit:
Nonetheless, it would be interesting to see what would happen is remasters got ray tracing. I have suspicion that it could make them look amazing.
 
I'm gonna play this till the launch of The Plague tale Requiem but I will definitely finish it even after.
View attachment 265617

I have it pre ordered, loved the first game and I can't wait to play this. 'and torture my GPU with it:laugh:'
Yuuup, lookin forward to that one for sure. Very excited for Rat-nado II. The first one was really engrossing... and occasionally just gross. It blew my mind that this studio that mostly only made merch-style spinoffs had Plague Tale in the oven the whole damned time. I love that this is like, their baby now.

I finally got moving and setup FNV with all of the fixes and QOL stuff. I wanna play it mostly vanilla though.

The only thing I can honestly say right now, is that I forgot how much better FNV looks out of the box compared to FO4. The graphics are more dated, but it's way more visually coherent and just... sensible, distinctly less cartoonish. I have an easier time believing this is how the game is supposed to look, whereas FO4 kinda makes me go "is this really what they wanted?"

And it's nice that the GOG version comes pre-patched.
 
I have that "what to play" dilemma once again, I simply have too many games and I can't decide what to play. I'll wait until PUBG downloads as I haven't played it for like 2 years, then I'll think something story-based.

There is a such a thing as 'too wide' I don't think I can handle this. 7680x1440 :kookoo:

Feelin' a little queasy.

FH4

View attachment 265558
I tried surround with GTX 980 @ 5760x1080, looked hella cool but the card wasn't fast enough. Still that immersion was awesome.

@Splinterdog

Bought the game on the sub 2$ sale and now playing it, to my surprise the game actually supports 21:9 since the 1.08 patch.
Mad respect for that, devs could be arsed to do that with such an old game even tho we have brand new games not supporting it in 2021-2022 out of the box and have to use fan made tweaks/fixes..
FEAR 1:
View attachment 265615
View attachment 265616

Gotta say that bullet time is still good fun in this game. :D

I'm gonna play this till the launch of The Plague tale Requiem but I will definitely finish it even after.
View attachment 265617

I have it pre ordered, loved the first game and I can't wait to play this. 'and torture my GPU with it:laugh:'
FEAR needs absolutely a properly made remaster or even a remake. Expansions were also good and I enjoyed FEAR2 as well. F3AR was just meh and I haven't finished that even once.
 
Despite the backlash I am enjoying GTA Remasters, added a reshade to make the game look much better though.

Some video footage from my Channel (Dailymotion, i don't use Youtube, less copyright issues on Dailymotion) , this game runs so much better using this mod or maybe its just the drivers I'm using who knows, or both. (Enterprise 21.Q4, best drivers for my Radeon Pro W6600).

Reshade Enhanced 2560x1440p max settings force 4xEQ.
View attachment 265667View attachment 265668View attachment 265670

Can you make a video on how to add the mods/reshades you are using? or just tell me how to add those things. impressive honestly, was not expecting such an old game to look that good

:Reshade Enhanced: but how do i do it? FFXIV game also uses a reshade, but i could never figure out how to make it work so i gave up :(
 
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