What are you playing?

[Ruru]

Started Trepang2 last night and holy balls it feels like FEAR and I like that!

 

[SKRDPTSGL]

I'm playing Cyber Tower which is a very simple,cheap but nice to play TD.

 

[KrazyT]

Just finished Criminal Girls 2 : Party Favors (PSVita)
Have done the 1st several months ago, and it was a weird, but addictive experience ...
So the 2nd game is exactly the same as the 1st. Really, with just better graphics (it's not a port of a PSP game on Vita this time).
The *big* change is when you unlock a *spell / action move* you can choose between 2. One labelled "M" and the other "S", so your character tends to the side "S" or "M".
It's useful during combat, you can "coach" your girls and they get a bonus / malus depending of their side, "S" or "M". It adds a slice of strategy during fights.
Back to the game it has a "reputation". Some looks it as a perv' thing and the others doesn't care.
Same with the first, it alternate with lovely chibi characters, too cute, and "realistic" anime girls in very sex*alized position.
I'm not used to, I have mixed feelings about this, I let you judge by yourself.
Of course the "Motivation" time is back, you'll ending touching the screen for diverse action, scrub, pinch, flick ... It's fun at first, but grows repetitive really fast.
The gameplat doesn't change, quick combats in diverse dungeons, giving the game a phone game feel.
Addictive because of a good sense of progression.
For the rest, as I said, it's very close to the 1st. Even the scenario and the girl's behaviors, fun or dark sometimes evoking their *sins*.
Surely a low budget titles as the devs' could have put some stuff (armor, weapons etc ...) to enhance the gameplay but no.
I have to admit that I've had some fun with the serie, it's quick so the grinding is relativery fast. Enjoyed it

Look at thes chibi characters, aren't they cute ? It's how the combat system is fun and quick. Instead of choosing a spell for each of your girl, you choose one of the 4 proposals (it's more or less randomized, but patterns are here, like a shielding spell before an enemy's big hit)

The chara design is very good, on par with best anime. Kuroe looks like the weakest of the bunch, but a formidable magician !

It's you the leading the ways in many dungeons. It's no labyrinths so the navigation is made easy.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Red Alert 2. This is the 'speedrun' tactics that people do in Pearl Harbor mission. There is a lone sentry gun in one of the island before the Soviets completely destroyed the ally base, destroy this sentry gun before they can build on the destroyed base to quickly end the mission (game will detect as win when all building is destroyed). I don't like speedrunning but I only just now tested this, it's quite satisfying. I dunno why this game is harder than I remember it was, enemy rush to kill quickly and from all sides (sea, ground and paradrop), I didn't remember this before. I only play on medium difficulty.

View attachment 365284

Just a heads up(for anyone really), you can play C&C Red Alert 2 + Yuri's Revenge in modern widescreen resolutions on a modern OS with a patcher utility, cnc-ddraw.

Release 6.9 · FunkyFr3sh/cnc-ddraw

Instructions Download cnc-ddraw.zip and extract it into your game folder Start the game Game doesn't work? Please check the wiki. Hotkeys [Alt] + [Enter] = Switch between wind...

github.com

This will work with C&C Tiberian Sun + FireStorm as well. Works like a dream!
It does matter where you got the game, it works with all versions, whether disc, or Steam. Mine is from "The First Decade" disc collection.

Complete list of supported games is on the main page;

GitHub - FunkyFr3sh/cnc-ddraw: GDI, OpenGL and Direct3D 9 re-implementation of the DirectDraw API for classic 2D games for better compatibility with Windows ME, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11, Wine (Linux/macOS/Android) and Virtual Machines

GDI, OpenGL and Direct3D 9 re-implementation of the DirectDraw API for classic 2D games for better compatibility with Windows ME, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11, Wine (Linux/macOS/Android) and Virtu...

github.com

All of the 2D C&C games are supported!

 

[nomdeplume]

This looks like Thomas Kincaide and Bob Ross had a painting baby, and yes that is a good thing, but also yes a weird comment. I'm ok with it though.

Tried to capture the essence of how actively playing feels. In mosts parts austere (bland endless impassably rocky snowscape) enough a few hours of snow and low grey clouds fully enclosing everything could start to wear on you. Then suddenly you are in an expansive Winter park where snow is always fluffy and the sun aims to light everything to best effect.

Looking at a few 1080 captured VOD using higher graphics settings is considerably better yet compared to the lowest ones I'm running on a 1060.

 

[Ruru]

Just a heads up(for anyone really), you can play C&C Red Alert 2 + Yuri's Revenge in modern widescreen resolutions on a modern OS with a patcher utility, cnc-ddraw.

Release 6.9 · FunkyFr3sh/cnc-ddraw

Instructions Download cnc-ddraw.zip and extract it into your game folder Start the game Game doesn't work? Please check the wiki. Hotkeys [Alt] + [Enter] = Switch between wind...

github.com

This will work with C&C Tiberian Sun + FireStorm as well. Works like a dream!
It does matter where you got the game, it works with all versions, whether disc, or Steam. Mine is from "The First Decade" disc collection.

Complete list of supported games is on the main page;

GitHub - FunkyFr3sh/cnc-ddraw: GDI, OpenGL and Direct3D 9 re-implementation of the DirectDraw API for classic 2D games for better compatibility with Windows ME, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11, Wine (Linux/macOS/Android) and Virtual Machines

GDI, OpenGL and Direct3D 9 re-implementation of the DirectDraw API for classic 2D games for better compatibility with Windows ME, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11, Wine (Linux/macOS/Android) and Virtu...

github.com

All of the 2D C&C games are supported!

Yo Lex, is the remastered C&C collection good? My friend got it for me a while ago, haven't played yet though...

 

[lexluthermiester]

Yo Lex, is the remastered C&C collection good? My friend got it for me a while ago, haven't played yet though...

Well if it isn't, the above patcher will work. Or is that what you were asking?

 

[Ruru]

Well if it isn't, the above patcher will work. Or is that what you were asking?

I mostly just wondered that do they have the same feeling as the originals back in the day

 

[lexluthermiester]

I mostly just wondered that do they have the same feeling as the originals back in the day

Oh yeah, they're the exact same games, just packaged a little differently. All existing mods and tweaks work the same way.

 

[Ruru]

Oh yeah, they're the exact same games, just packaged a little differently. All existing mods and tweaks work the same way.

I'll play at vanilla first like I do with every game (well, to be honest, Fallout 3 needed some graphical mods when I played it in 2010 and I removed the level cap).

 

[lexluthermiester]

I'll play at vanilla first like I do with every game (well, to be honest, Fallout 3 needed some graphical mods when I played it in 2010 and I removed the level cap).

I think you're missing the point of the patcher above. You can't play the originals on a modern OS as they're incompatible and either won't run or are severely glitched. You need to use the patcher above to enable them to play.

 

[Ruru]

I think you're missing the point of the patcher above. You can't play the originals on a modern OS as they're incompatible and either won't run or are severely glitched. You need to use the patcher above to enable them to play.

I got your point, what I meant was that I probably don't need any mods for the remasters

 

[lexluthermiester]

I got your point, what I meant was that I probably don't need any mods for the remasters

Ah, gotcha. I can't remember if the collection you mentioned above works on Windows 10/11..

 

[64K]

I got your point, what I meant was that I probably don't need any mods for the remasters

I've played the Remastered Collection several times. You don't need any mods. Really the only difference besides the visuals is that you can queue multiple units at the same time which you couldn't in the originals which makes it less micromanagement imo but any of them are great. Just click up to 20 times or hold shift and click to add 5 at a time to the queu. I also have the Ultimate Collection and played all of those but imo the first C&C and Red Alert were the best games from Westwood.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Ultimate Collection

The digital or physical version?

 

[64K]

The digital or physical version?

I had the originals on disk long ago but lost them. The Ultimate Collection I have on Origin and the Remastered Collection I have on Steam. The best 2 games of all imo are the first C&C and first Red Alert which are in the Remastered Collection for the better visuals but the 2 in the Ultimate are also great and imo the best games Westwood ever made.

In any case all of the digital collections run fine on Win 10. Not sure about Win 11.

 

[Dristun]

Metaphor: ReFantazio Demo is cool, convinced me to buy the full game.

 

[Ruru]

I've played the Remastered Collection several times. You don't need any mods. Really the only difference besides the visuals is that you can queue multiple units at the same time which you couldn't in the originals which makes it less micromanagement imo but any of them are great. Just click up to 20 times or hold shift and click to add 5 at a time to the queu. I also have the Ultimate Collection and played all of those but imo the first C&C and Red Alert were the best games from Westwood.

Good to know. I may have a "retro" week sooner or later when I play those, Diablo II Resurrected and modified Heroes III all day long.

And play some Warcraft II with my WinXP laptop!

 

[lexluthermiester]

In any case all of the digital collections run fine on Win 10. Not sure about Win 11.

If they run on 10, they should be fine on 11. So that's good!

 

[Ruru]

If they run on 10, they should be fine on 11. So that's good!

Yeah, aren't they pretty same what it comes to compatibility (games, drivers, software in general)?

 

[lexluthermiester]

Yeah, aren't they pretty same what it comes to compatibility (games, drivers, software in general)?

The remasters are a different beast from the OG games. Those were only C&C1 and C&C-RedAlert1.

 

[wNotyarD]

Metaphor: ReFantazio Demo is cool, convinced me to buy the full game.

How does it compare to SMT and Persona?

 

[Ruru]

The remasters are a different beast from the OG games. Those were only C&C1 and C&C-RedAlert1.

I meant Win10 vs Win11 in general what it comes to compatibility (man I hate typing that word, I can say it easily but typing it sucks nuts)

Just like almost everything Vista-stuff worked in Win7 etc

 

[Dristun]

How does it compare to SMT and Persona?

It's an edgier/darker/slightly more grown-up Persona with a battle system that's more mainline SMT but now you can make a little combo ahead of turn-based screen like in Trails into Daybreak. There are social bonds and some shit to do aside from quests but no romancing options afaik. Oh, and I really liked most of the music so far.

How I'll feel after playing the full game I don't know but I'm interested now. For the reference I couldn't bring myself to finish any Persona games except 2 on PSP but I played through every mainline SMT except 1. My favourite is still IV.

 

[Vayra86]

Book of Hours, HOUSE OF LIGHT expansion. The finest librarian simulator has been expanded upon with more late-game content, food, fun, flair, and occult myth. There is supposed to be another one in the works.

The stuff - including the foodstuff - looked interesting, but it's late game content I've yet to get to. Infestation and contamination felt rather a lot more common than it was a few versions ago - a full 1/5 of the first few room's books are infested. Players are strongly advised to get into a roleplaying mindset, and write down which action and which books gave which memories and/or items, and what aspects those had for smoother progression, like a real librarian would do.

And....Yep, Frostpunk 2 is hard(er than Frostpunk 1 on sandbox and minimum difficulty). You can take it somewhat easy in Frostpunk 1 and play it like a sandbox builder, but starting and early-level techs without laws in 2 are not even close to self-sufficient on all terms, and it is a race against time and dwindling stock from the start, even on minimum difficulty. Think I might be getting a bit old for this.

Can confirm, playing on Officer in Frostpunk 2 and I've reached 70k pops now but there was literally not a single moment I didn't have a resource deficit and wasn't fighting for my life in one way or another. Efficiency is everything. If you grow too large, there's no going back and you will find yourself fighting one deficit after another. I tend to lean towards the Adaptation tree but a lot of the buildings for example seem great (great resource/yield ratio) but they all cost more workforce and often add a bit of disease. The disease is easy to counteract but you'll still be building more hospitals, which take workforce too. Add those together and you'll find yourself far too keen on getting more population in, because otherwise you can't use all those shiny buildings... and then you find yourself struggling for every resource imaginable, including housing, which in turn costs 200+ Workforce just to house... more pops... that eat more resources...

That's how I'm stuck now. I can keep things under control but even an entire separate food colony shipping 900 food every week isn't enough to satisfy the demand now, and similarly, six fully upgraded industrial districts to produce Goods isn't cutting it either. And that's just when there's no whiteout... The only resource you can keep up easily is ironically heating. And then I researched and passed Apex Workers... a major production efficiency boost to everything... and all was fixed for about 40 weeks, until it spiralled out control again. Growing way too fast

I think the key is keeping your city and your people just out of their comfort zone, if you're stockpiling resources, you've got room not to grow, but to actually disable or reduce some production, and in the meantime you focus on securing more and more resources in the Frostland instead - because that's the only way to get resource income growth without population growth (and workforce cost); it actually does the opposite: new colonies will drain your main city of their pops, relaxing your needs.