Dominion Strategy Forum
Miscellaneous => Other Games => Topic started by: Davio on April 16, 2012, 07:22:30 am
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My history with video games is quite long. At least, as long as it can be for a 26 year old.
It started with a very early PC which could play Test Drive, Paperboy and a sports game on a monitor which could display only orange and black. The system used those 5 1/2 inch megafloppies.
Over the years, the gaming systems and corresponding games have evolved significally. But in good games that are made with a lot of fun, I can still find the same sense of enjoyment I did as a kid. And if a game is bad, even the best graphics can't help it.
Which video games are you playing right now? Why are they good/bad?
I am currently playing The Book of Unwritten Tales (http://videogamegeek.com/videogame/112079/the-book-of-unwritten-tales).
It is a very funny Point 'n Click adventure with a lot of references to geek culture: Lord of the Rings, WoW, Magic: The Gathering, Diablo (II), the PnC genre itself, breaking the 4th dimension etc... You can really see that the designers had a lot of fun with the game. It reminds me of those old Lucasarts game like the Monkey Island series and Day of the Tentacle. I won't go as far as putting the game side by side with the legends of yesteryear, but if you enjoyed those, you will enjoy this. The game occasionally twists just enough to break the "collect-combine-use" routine often found in PnC games. I would give this game an 8 out of 10.
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I am a pretty committed gamer, and that includes both boards n' bits gaming as well as video gaming.
In my experience and tastes: Strategy Board/Card gaming > Computer (PC) gaming > Console gaming > almost all other hobbies. (totally objective here :P)
I say this, though, with an affection for all 3.
As far as video gaming goes, I started with old PC games like Zaxxon, Digdug, Snipes, Q-bert. (5.5 inch floppies -which really were "floppy")
Since then, I've played TONS of PC games. FPS, RTS, TBS, RPG -- all fun. Doom series, Age of Empires series, Civilization series, Diablo II are probably the best examples of each of the four categories during my pre-adult PC gaming years.
Current favorites include:
-FPS: Source engine games like TF2, Portal series, Left 4 Dead series (finally playing through HL2 now -- been putting it off for a long time),
-RPG-action: a sweet-sweet 3D tower defense game called "Orcs Must Die,"
-TBS/RTS: the Total War series (played through Rome a few times, now on to Medieval II, excited to get to Empire).
What gets the most playtime currently? HL2, TF2, and Orcs Must Die.
As far as console gaming goes, I've played a bunch of NES/SNES games, and then a handful of N64, Gamecube, and Playstation/PS2 games. Probably my favorite out of these were Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and an old and mostly-unknown SNES game called Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen.
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Yep, video games rock. :)
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Starcraft was my first real entry into serious gaming, and I met rrenaud through TeamLiquid.
Now Team Fortress 2 is my main love, and I really enjoy it for several reasons:
1) Because it has 9 very different classes, meaning you are almost playing 9 different games. Maybe I want to go blow stuff up today, so I pick Demoman and launch explosives everywhere. Maybe I want to be the game-changer, so I pick Medic and accept my role as the opposing team's highest priority target. Maybe I want to play a stealth game, so I pick Spy and sneak up behind important targets to backstab them. Every class requires a different playstyle, and it keeps the game fresh.
2) Because the art style is gorgeous, clear, and easy to scan. I dislike the modern trend of dark gritty realism that ends up obscuring everything.
3) Because it is Team Fortress 2, and you can't get anywhere without a good team. This makes the game occasionally frustrating if you get stuck on a really poor team, but more often it makes the game more engaging because youare constantly communicating with your teammates. Victories feel like a big team effort. My favorite gaming moment came on pl_goldrush, where on RED our team was picked off one by one, until I was the only person left, desperately holding off the last point, with my entire team cheering me on until they respawned and came to my rescue.
4) Because although it is easy to get into, there's a very long learning curve and opportunities for improvement beyond just being better at aiming. Part of this is the teamwork, part of this is learning big picture strategy and tactics behind deploying Ubercharges, flanking, and area denial.
5) Because Valve has a fantastic sense of humor. See, e.g., Meet the Spy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR4N5OhcY9s), Meet the Medic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36lSzUMBJnc&feature=related). The character descriptions are vaguely reminiscent of the back of the Dominion boxes:
Though he wanted desperately to fight in World War 2, the Soldier was rejected from every branch of the U.S. military. Undaunted, he bought his own ticket to Europe. After arriving and finally locating Poland, the Soldier taught himself how to load and fire a variety of weapons before embarking on a Nazi killing spree for which he was awarded several medals that he designed and made himself. His rampage ended immediately upon hearing about the end of the war in 1949.
What he lacks in compassion for the sick, respect for human dignity, and any sort of verifiable formal training in medicine, the Medic more than makes up for with a bottomless supply of giant needles and a trembling enthusiasm for plunging them into exposed flesh. Raised in Stuttgart, Germany during an era when the Hippocratic oath had been downgraded to an optional Hippocratic suggestion, the Medic considers healing a generally unintended side effect of satisfying his own morbid curiosity.
6) It's free :) Not like, free until you get to X level, or free but all the good stuff you have to pay for, but literally and completely 100% free. The only things you must pay for (and cannot find) are exclusively cosmetic items (hats hats hats! hats? hats!)
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I also love Team Fortress 2. That's a funny thing to be saying when you consider I probably haven't played it in a year. But, I do like the game. I remember people bemoaning that TF2 removed grenades, but I learned to go without. I loved the different roles that the game offers. I usually played Random when our team was winning. If it was losing, then I'd identify the role that was needed most and take that one. I'm especially glad that TF2 removed the Medic's ability to automatically find Spies. You know you're a great Spy when you can convince the Medic to turn you Uber.
I have fond memories of the old arcade and lament its loss. I saw Paperboy mentioned above as a console game, and I just can't do it. I played Paperboy with an actual bicycle handle as a control. There really was a connection when I had to pull back to brake.
I think the game I miss the most right now is APB. It was a fun, quirky game, but it also cannot be simulated on a console. I live in 720 sq. ft. right now, so buying a video game cabinet is out of the question. If I ever am forced into the suburbs, I'll make use of that extra space by buying APB. Also, 720, which also cannot be translated into a console.
My friend bought a kit where he could make his own cabinet with two sets of a joystick and six buttons. He hooked up a monitor and a computer with a pretty comprehensive emulator. It did pretty good at capturing the feel of many of the old games (Robotron, Donkey Kong, et al.).
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Now Team Fortress 2 is my main love, and I really enjoy it for several reasons:
1) ...
2) ...
3) ...
4) ...
5) ...
6) ...
^^^ these. Absolute win.
TF2 is the first FPS that I have encountered where you need to take responsibility for your team's success (not only your personal glory) or be doomed to forever lose matches. Your K/D ratio is not of primary importance. Your contribution to your team is.
In a standard game, when you look at your team's composition and see that you have no medic, there are only three real options before you:
1) get on chat/voice comms and complain that there is no medic, trying to entice someone to switch,
2) pony up and switch to medic yourself, or
3) lose
Some people do #1. People who "get" the team aspect of the game do #2. Most people are willing to let #3 happen.
Teams who are made up of #2s are a TON of fun to be on. When it's good, and it often is, TF2 just rocks.
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BTW, for those of you on Steam (https://steamcommunity.com/), I'm looking to expand my friends list a bit. Mostly it's just been made up of family members (brother, cousin, father, sisters). I'd be more than willing to befriend any upstanding Dominion Strategy Forum users such as yourselves. (I'll even be willing to befriend the non-upstanding ones like you, theory.)
Feel free to send a friend request if interested. My SteamID is p4ddy0d00rs (http://steamcommunity.com/id/p4ddy0d00rs) (I have to have numbers instead of vowels in my name because I am a super-1337 uber-pro MLG haxor, lol). I haven't been on in the past week or so due to the crazy work hours for the impending tax deadline (I am a public accountant), but I'll be logging on a lot in the next few days.
I don't just play TF2 either. I'm up for just about any online multiplayer gaming (hence the near-addiction to isotropic ). Check out my Steam profile (http://steamcommunity.com/id/p4ddy0d00rs/games?tab=all) for a list of my other Steam games (which doesn't even include my non-Steam PC games like AoE, AoK, etc.).
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TF2 is the first FPS that I have encountered where you need to take responsibility for your team's success (not only your personal glory) or be doomed to forever lose matches. Your K/D ratio is not of primary importance. Your contribution to your team is.
My first experience of FPS teamplay was the CTF mod that was made for Quake. That was HUGE. Oh sure, there were death matches where you could change your color to be on a team, but that always annoyed me. When I play death match, I want there to be more targets to kill, not less. Of course, Quake's CTF had flaws, but team play evolved. It eventually led to Team Fortress. I fell in love with that game due to the different roles.
I also fell in love with Counter-Strike. After playing so much Doom, Quake, TF, and Half-Life, the concept of a game where you stay dead was different to me. Oh sure, those other games could be set so that you only had one life, but for some reason those just pissed everyone off. When CS combined dead-is-dead with objectives, it really stuck. Teamwork was really important for CS for that reason, especially if you had a server that turned on friendly fire (when run on a server that enforced mature behavior).
For some reason, I tend to like CS better than TF. I guess it's because of the dead-is-dead rule. Really, that doesn't work in TF. I won't say that TF is less strategic. It's just a different strategy. You know in TF that when you get killed, you can come back and correct your earlier mistake. Found a sentry gun? Respawn and approach more cautiously. That strategy, of course, doesn't work in CS.
I realize that I don't play a lot of team games lately because I don't have much time for video games (including Isotropic). Single-player games work better for me, since I can start and stop at my own pace. I actually have some free time this month, so maybe I'll go look for that TF2 icon. Definitely got me in the mood with this thread.
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Most of my video game experiences are strategy games. I grew up on Age of Empires and Command and Conquer and Civilization. And my favorite game of all time might be Alpha Cenauri.
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I was big into console games during middle school, high school, and college. Now, I don't play nearly as much, and I only tend to buy new games that come out in a couple series that I like: Mario games, Zelda games, and Dynasty Warriors games.
Every year or so I replay several of my favorite games. These include: the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask; The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker; Super Mario RPG; and Donkey Kong Country 2.
Right now I'm playing Majora's Mask, which is my favorite video game of all time. The newest Zelda game, Skyward Sword, was really good, and I look forward to replaying that, too.
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I was big into console games during middle school, high school, and college. Now, I don't play nearly as much, and I only tend to buy new games that come out in a couple series that I like: Mario games, Zelda games, and Dynasty Warriors games.
Every year or so I replay several of my favorite games. These include: the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask; The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker; Super Mario RPG; and Donkey Kong Country 2.
Right now I'm playing Majora's Mask, which is my favorite video game of all time. The newest Zelda game, Skyward Sword, was really good, and I look forward to replaying that, too.
I have the collector's edition of Zelda for the GameCube (many games on one disk). The only game on there that I've played is OOT. I've often considered giving MM a shot -- sounds like you recommend it! :) :) I may have to try it out.
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I started out way back with King's Quest, and Hitchhikers Guide (DOS prompt based) floppys.
After that I moved onto console (snes) falling in love with RPG's (FF3,, Chrono Trigger, Breath of Fire 1&2, Secret of Mana, Illusions of Gaia, etc). I went from there to Playstation, staying mainly in genre, but finding myself drifting towards strategy (I loved Final Fantasy Tactics, and Tactics Ogre (a remake of Ogre Battle for SNES).
It wasn't until the later years of PS that I moved back into PC games (I also started getting into any card/board games I could find at the time). I played Diablo 1 and 2, as well as Statecraft for a long time. Trusting blizzard, I then ended up in the WoW world for a few years (I'm ashamed, I know. Don't laugh). It was during that time I got into my first FPzs,, counter-strike; so much so that I ran 4 servers for about 2 years (2 competitive, closely monitored -ff on of course-, one loose & relaxed, and the last with Warcraft mods).
Sadly, most of that is in the past now, as I don't have a lot of free time. I play, if anything, single player flash games now; something I can get up and walk away from if needed. Even dominion I don't get to play as much as I would like.
I still find some time to play old classic board games now and then. Favorites being Cosmic Encounters, Nuclear War, or any rail game (Eurorails, Australia, Nipon, etc). I also enjoy the occasional Space Alert, or Pandemic.
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I was big into console games during middle school, high school, and college. Now, I don't play nearly as much, and I only tend to buy new games that come out in a couple series that I like: Mario games, Zelda games, and Dynasty Warriors games.
Every year or so I replay several of my favorite games. These include: the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask; The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker; Super Mario RPG; and Donkey Kong Country 2.
Right now I'm playing Majora's Mask, which is my favorite video game of all time. The newest Zelda game, Skyward Sword, was really good, and I look forward to replaying that, too.
I have the collector's edition of Zelda for the GameCube (many games on one disk). The only game on there that I've played is OOT. I've often considered giving MM a shot -- sounds like you recommend it! :) :) I may have to try it out.
Oh man, you have to play Majora's Mask! I can't recommend it enough. It's especially enjoyable if you've already played OoT, as it sort of builds off of that one while going in a much darker direction.
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I play mostly Japanese games (RPGs primarily) and have composed gigantic nerd lists with insufferable ramblings about them. Been trying to play more mainstream western stuff lately, just not the same enjoyment for me. (I only mention this as most games mentioned in this thread are western in origin) I've been developing computer games for a long time, but slowed down a lot lately as my artist leaving killed a project I'd been working on for several years.
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I'm not a major gamer, but Portal 1 and 2 really are a necessity of any halfway-gamer to feel completeness in life.
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I'm not a major gamer, but Portal 1 and 2 really are a necessity of any halfway-gamer to feel completeness in life.
lol I don't know if that is strictly true, but I agree with the spirit of your statement. Portal is an amazingly fun game for gamers and non-gamers alike. I've gotten four family members into more serious PC games by starting them out with Portal. Each time, I would say "just play for 5 minutes. If after 5 minutes you want to stop, I won't ever mention it again." Needless to say, they all loved it, and played for much more than 5 minutes. 8)
The first game rocked my socks off, and I still laugh when I recall all of GLaDOS' cold, dry sarcasm.
And when Portal 2 was coming out I remember thinking "oh no way I'm going to get that. I don't want to ruin my memories of the original with a shotty sequel." And then I played it, and it was even better, funnier, more thought provoking. Didn't think it was possible, but it was.
I think my favorite video game quote of all time is from the first Portal game:
"At the enrichment center we believe: if at first you don't succeed, you fail."
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WOW. Starcraft (years ago) and SC2 (for about 6 months after it came out).
But deep strategy is my favorite when I have the time. Civ (and I'm just fine with the way Civ 5 works), MOO, Space Empires (which is sort of a hipster MOO, most people really haven't heard of it), etc.
And of course Portal.
For those who like the crazy efficiency puzzles we seem to have here, I highly recommend SpaceChem and other games from Zachtronics. 8 Provinces in 8 turns is nothing compared to those.
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I'm a big fan of the Fallout Series and Skyrim.
Civ III is an evergreen game that I always return to. I should check out Civ V. I wasn't a huge fan of Civ IV.
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I guess I have different gaming allegiances than the rest of y'all who have commented. For one, I do enjoy sports games very much. Mainly NBA games (NBA Street series, NBA 2k series), and Fifa, and Madden a bit as well. These aren't taken too seriously, but are still a great way to relax nonetheless.
The game I take most seriously is Super Smash Bros. 64 (the original on the N64 console). I am not as good as I would like, but I have a passion for the game. I know Melee is better, but I am too devoted to the good ol' 64, which has lasted me for well over half of my life to switch. I also used to be very much into the Halo series, I was best at Halo 3, but due to RROD and lack of time and such, I have had to give it up.
For the same reason that I never go on Reddit, I do not play StarCraft, WoW, LoL, or TF2. I know how addicting/fun it can be, and it terrifies me. I already sink enough time into the NBA and Dominion for me to pick up another obsession.
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But deep strategy is my favorite when I have the time. Civ (and I'm just fine with the way Civ 5 works), MOO, Space Empires (which is sort of a hipster MOO, most people really haven't heard of it), etc.
Kirian, have you plated Sins of a Solar Empire? I have really come to appreciate that game a bit more. It's an RTS (not turn-based like the strategy titles you mentioned). One thing that I think most RTS games have against them is that higher-level play can only happen with a very high rate of clicks-per-minute. It almost becomes a game of dexterity than a purely intellectual enterprise. Either way, SoaSE tones that down a lot, and I have found it to be a wonderful balance of long-term planning and short term tactical decision-making. And it is multiplayer (easily saved and continued if you're playing a longer match).
For the same reason that I never go on Reddit, I do not play StarCraft, WoW, LoL, or TF2. I know how addicting/fun it can be, and it terrifies me. I already sink enough time into the NBA and Dominion for me to pick up another obsession.
Yes, I've been there -- it is so easy to get sucked in. However, something that helped me was this: whenever I realized I was getting too attached to a game, let's say WoW, I would resolve to never play that game unless invited to do so by someone else. I had people that I played with, and it always helped a ton that I would stick to my "diet" for that game and never play without an invitation. It made the times that I did play more meaningful, and it kept me from developing an unsustainable habit with regards to that particular game.
Maybe something to shoot for if you're interested in getting into the games you mentioned there at the end without going overboard. It worked for me, but naturally YMMV. :)
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The game I take most seriously is Super Smash Bros. 64 (the original on the N64 console). I am not as good as I would like, but I have a passion for the game. I know Melee is better, but I am too devoted to the good ol' 64, which has lasted me for well over half of my life to switch. I also used to be very much into the Halo series, I was best at Halo 3, but due to RROD and lack of time and such, I have had to give it up.
I am a huge fan of all three Super Smash Bros games. You know, Melee has some balance issues. Three or four of the characters are just way, way better. So it's an improvement over the original in many ways, but I could see preferring the original. The third one, Brawl, is the best, I would say.
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Any of the StarCraft players know ToT)Strafe?
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I am a huge fan of all three Super Smash Bros games. You know, Melee has some balance issues. Three or four of the characters are just way, way better. So it's an improvement over the original in many ways, but I could see preferring the original. The third one, Brawl, is the best, I would say.
You thought Melee had balance issues, so you'd rather play Brawl? I'm confused.
Any of the StarCraft players know ToT)Strafe?
Yes, in the sense that I saw his posts on TeamLiquid and probably talked to him / played with him at some point in BW.
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I see, he's a personal friend of mine although I never see him anymore.
He's from the same area as I am, but he's always travelling and working at exotic locations. I think he's in Thailand at the moment, but he has also lived in Gibraltar to manage a poker team. He got second place at the World Series of Poker in some No Limit event I believe.
Funny how the world is connected that way.
+1 for Portal and Portal 2, I care a lot for games that are made with enjoyment by the programmers. I love small jokes or geek/pop culture references.
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I am a huge fan of all three Super Smash Bros games. You know, Melee has some balance issues. Three or four of the characters are just way, way better. So it's an improvement over the original in many ways, but I could see preferring the original. The third one, Brawl, is the best, I would say.
You thought Melee had balance issues, so you'd rather play Brawl? I'm confused.
Well, balance issues aren't overriding for me in any case. I would play any of the three. But yeah, I would say Brawl is more balanced than Melee. They fixed some of the cheap moves. The discrepancies in character goodness aren't quite as large. You can't just Smash Move the smaller, weaker characters off the side of the map and kill them with 25% damage. There is no Pichu, etc.
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Pichu is the sole reason I would ever go back to playing Melee. I miss that fellow.
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Pichu is the sole reason I would ever go back to playing Melee. I miss that fellow.
I was a dedicated Pichu player. But why the designed a weak-ish character who's own moves damage him is beyond me.
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I can't really say I'm a die hard melee player, but wasn't Pichus moves kinda strong? I've played a few semi-pros in Sweden with my Pichu and they all got surprised that he could actually do damage. Most people shrug him off as a bad character because he damages himself (which is horrible). He has a few ones that doesn't, though. And those were the ones that you spammed.
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If I remember correctly, he was generally weaker than Pikachu in almost every way. He had a few good qualities, but nowhere near enough to redeem him.
He's always hovered around the bottom of the tier list (http://super-smash-bros.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_NTSC_tier_lists). People have tried to make use of him, and generally failed.
... The discrepancies in character goodness aren't quite as large. You can't just Smash Move the smaller, weaker characters off the side of the map and kill them with 25% damage. There is no Pichu, etc.
Except Meta Knight is so good he's been banned in competitive play, which hasn't happened to any other character before. And Ganondorf is pretty garbage...
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To be honest, I don't take tier-lists too seriously. I'm not really saying that Pichu is good. Just that he actually could do something. And most of the smashers I've talked to have all said that Pichu is garbage and cant' do anything.
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Tier Lists are about as useful as all our card rankings. You'll get yourself into trouble if you follow them blindly, but Pichu is like Transmute: definitely somewhere near the bottom.
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That was probably the meanest thing anyone ever said to me about Pichu. :'(
(http://ct.fra.bz/ol/fz/sw/i54/5/4/20/frabz-Pichud-a-copper-Gained-a-Pichu-40cbe4.jpg)
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I'd say they're a lot less useful than our card rankings. With cards, often going for the power cards when there's no great combo and no good counter when your opponents don't will lead to a win, even if your opponent is someone considerably better than you. Tier lists only matter if skill is incredibly close, and even then, it's the actual matchup between characters that really matters - tiers are just a generalisation of those (for the most part), and even then, tiers only matter at the metagame level of play, and even then, they have less of an impact than luck does in many cases.
In other words, tier lists for Smash Bros. are irrelevant to 99% of people.
Yet 1% of the players seem to control 99% of the opinions. Occupy Tier List!
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That's true. The Tier Lists assume a lot more mastery of the game than card rankings: if you aren't SHFFLing then you won't really appreciate the power of a lot of top tier characters (e.g. Fox / Falco / Marth).
I wonder if there has been a "casual" Tier List for people who don't use advanced techniques. I'd imagine that Sheik / Marth would still be very high, and Samus would rise quite a bit.
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Feel free to send a friend request if interested. My SteamID is p4ddy0d00rs (http://steamcommunity.com/id/p4ddy0d00rs) (I have to have numbers instead of vowels in my name because I am a super-1337 uber-pro MLG haxor, lol). I haven't been on in the past week or so due to the crazy work hours for the impending tax deadline (I am a public accountant), but I'll be logging on a lot in the next few days.
It was kind of hilarious playing TF2 with p4ddy0d00rs last night, listening the entire server rage and complain about his mini-sentries. Those things are a gigantic PITA: too small to want to bother with, but too damaging to ignore.
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Feel free to send a friend request if interested. My SteamID is p4ddy0d00rs (http://steamcommunity.com/id/p4ddy0d00rs) (I have to have numbers instead of vowels in my name because I am a super-1337 uber-pro MLG haxor, lol). I haven't been on in the past week or so due to the crazy work hours for the impending tax deadline (I am a public accountant), but I'll be logging on a lot in the next few days.
It was kind of hilarious playing TF2 with p4ddy0d00rs last night, listening the entire server rage and complain about his mini-sentries. Those things are a gigantic PITA: too small to want to bother with, but too damaging to ignore.
Okay, I'm guessing I can answer my own question by logging onto TF2, but I haven't done that in over a year, so I'm obviously going to have to rely on the kindness strangers…
But what mini-sentries? Something new was added?
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Feel free to send a friend request if interested. My SteamID is p4ddy0d00rs (http://steamcommunity.com/id/p4ddy0d00rs) (I have to have numbers instead of vowels in my name because I am a super-1337 uber-pro MLG haxor, lol). I haven't been on in the past week or so due to the crazy work hours for the impending tax deadline (I am a public accountant), but I'll be logging on a lot in the next few days.
It was kind of hilarious playing TF2 with p4ddy0d00rs last night, listening the entire server rage and complain about his mini-sentries. Those things are a gigantic PITA: too small to want to bother with, but too damaging to ignore.
Okay, I'm guessing I can answer my own question by logging onto TF2, but I haven't done that in over a year, so I'm obviously going to have to rely on the kindness strangers…
But what mini-sentries? Something new was added?
Released in the Engineer Update (http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Engineer_Update) on 8 July 2010: the Gunslinger (http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Gunslinger) was added as a melee option for the Engy (same slot as the Wrench). When using the Gunslinger, the Engineer does not build a traditional sentry; he builds a Combat Mini-Sentry (http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Sentry_Gun#Combat_Mini-Sentry_Gun), which is a quick building, non-upgradeable sentry with a lower cost. Check the links for details.
Basically, the mini-sentries are great for harassing the enemy. They can't deny area nearly as well as the traditional sentry, but it makes the Engy more mobile. He basically becomes a slow scout with a fast-firing, weak, quickly-deployed level 1 sentry.
That being said, in the right situations, it is one of the most fun ways to play.
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Feel free to send a friend request if interested. My SteamID is p4ddy0d00rs (http://steamcommunity.com/id/p4ddy0d00rs) (I have to have numbers instead of vowels in my name because I am a super-1337 uber-pro MLG haxor, lol). I haven't been on in the past week or so due to the crazy work hours for the impending tax deadline (I am a public accountant), but I'll be logging on a lot in the next few days.
It was kind of hilarious playing TF2 with p4ddy0d00rs last night, listening the entire server rage and complain about his mini-sentries. Those things are a gigantic PITA: too small to want to bother with, but too damaging to ignore.
Yeah, it was a blast -- we were playing two maps in which the "Combat Engy" loadout can do really well (KOTH ProViaduct and KOTH Nucleus). I was definitely rofl as the other team raged and raged. Good times.
theory, you were rocking the Combat Engy for a good chunk of the time I was on, too... so fun, amirite?
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As someone that's been involved in the competitive Melee scene for upwards of five years, dear god do I never want to read another argument about tier lists. And this forum was the last place I expected to find one...
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If I remember correctly, he was generally weaker than Pikachu in almost every way. He had a few good qualities, but nowhere near enough to redeem him.
He's always hovered around the bottom of the tier list (http://super-smash-bros.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_NTSC_tier_lists). People have tried to make use of him, and generally failed.
... The discrepancies in character goodness aren't quite as large. You can't just Smash Move the smaller, weaker characters off the side of the map and kill them with 25% damage. There is no Pichu, etc.
Except Meta Knight is so good he's been banned in competitive play, which hasn't happened to any other character before. And Ganondorf is pretty garbage...
Well, having played both games a lot, having been pretty good but nowhere near "tournament" level, Brawl seemed the more balanced of the two. That could be totally wrong, it was just my impression. And sure, Meta Knight is fairly dominating, even at my non-tournament level of play, but that was true for Marth, Falco, Fox, and Sheik in Melee. You just had so many terrible characters like Pichu, who was outclassed by Pikachu in every way.
But maybe I'm biased because Zelda (not Sheik) is my favorite character to play, and she was significantly stronger in Brawl...
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Released in the Engineer Update (http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Engineer_Update) on 8 July 2010: the Gunslinger (http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Gunslinger) was added as a melee option for the Engy (same slot as the Wrench). When using the Gunslinger, the Engineer does not build a traditional sentry; he builds a Combat Mini-Sentry (http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Sentry_Gun#Combat_Mini-Sentry_Gun), which is a quick building, non-upgradeable sentry with a lower cost. Check the links for details.
Holy crap. I've been way out of TF2. I must check it out again.
Better examine my balance of wife points this weekend.
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Just an FYI for anyone who cares:
The Diablo 3 beta is open for the weekend starting at noon PDT today. (about 2.5 hours from the time of this post)
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Just an FYI for anyone who cares:
The Diablo 3 beta is open for the weekend starting at noon PDT today. (about 2.5 hours from the time of this post)
While I likely won't play it, I did enjoy the first two immensely(until duping became ridiculous). So I very much hope that it is every bit as much fun and sees great success (although with Blizzard's fan base, that's not likely to be an issue).
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Just an FYI for anyone who cares:
The Diablo 3 beta is open for the weekend starting at noon PDT today. (about 2.5 hours from the time of this post)
I have just downloaded the client, and I will be on as soon as the boy is asleep tonight... probably around 9pm eastern. If anyone wants to start a new char around then, PM me.
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Oh - and because theory is a cheap punk who wouldn't recognize a good game if it jumped up and bit him in the Ambassador, is anyone out there playing Fez?
I can't recommend it enough, and would love to discuss puzzle hints with someone in a non spoilerific manner.... and I'm too afraid to even search the internet.
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bit him in the Ambassador
roflmao
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Holy crap. I've been way out of TF2. I must check it out again.
Yes, you do. Or at least I think you should... but my opinion is obviously biased towards having awesome, insane amounts of fun.
TF2 is doing really well, IMHO. I have generally removed myself from all the hat craziness -- so playing the game solely for the gameplay has really helped me enjoy it more. I like a more serious game (instead of a silly 2Fort fragfest devoid of strategy/tactics/teamwork), and TF2 certainly satisfies.
Hit me up on Steam (user p4ddy0d00rs (http://steamcommunity.com/id/p4ddy0d00rs)) if you're using that to play TF2. Hopefully I'll be on quite a bit this weekend. Tax season is now over, so I'm taking a weekend to just veg out.
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I played Melee at a semi-competitive level before I got frustrated with my main's position on the tier list and quit. For sure, Melee is a hugely unbalanced game (though not as much as Brawl) and the tier list really does matter.
I also speedrun Fire Emblem: http://www.youtube.com/user/dondonSDA
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Just an FYI for anyone who cares:
The Diablo 3 beta is open for the weekend starting at noon PDT today. (about 2.5 hours from the time of this post)
I have just downloaded the client, and I will be on as soon as the boy is asleep tonight... probably around 9pm eastern. If anyone wants to start a new char around then, PM me.
Constantly getting the message: The servers are busy at this time. :(
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I also speedrun Fire Emblem: http://www.youtube.com/user/dondonSDA
Man, how did I come here and forget to mention Fire Emblem? Easily my favourite video game series. In a way it's a bit like Dominion... uh, if you squint your eyes a bit, I mean. In that you start with a small group of weak characters, and you have to rapidly aim to build them up while filtering out characters too weak to use, all the while the enemies get progressively stronger too and you need to keep on top of them, or die trying. Okay, it's not really THAT like Dominion at all.
Anyway, Dondon and I know each other from another forum (a Fire Emblem one) we both frequent. Well, I knew him. I'm pretty much a nobody there while he's pretty famous, quite possibly the best player in the English-speaking world, or close to it.
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Just an FYI for anyone who cares:
The Diablo 3 beta is open for the weekend starting at noon PDT today. (about 2.5 hours from the time of this post)
I have just downloaded the client, and I will be on as soon as the boy is asleep tonight... probably around 9pm eastern. If anyone wants to start a new char around then, PM me.
Constantly getting the message: The servers are busy at this time. :(
There was an issue early in the evening, and they restricted the max connections, but it seemed to be opened back up by around 6:30 Central time. As far as I know it is working now. I played most of the evening and it is pretty good despite the limited content.
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BTW, for those of you on Steam (https://steamcommunity.com/), I'm looking to expand my friends list a bit. Mostly it's just been made up of family members (brother, cousin, father, sisters). I'd be more than willing to befriend any upstanding Dominion Strategy Forum users such as yourselves. (I'll even be willing to befriend the non-upstanding ones like you, theory.)
I sent you a friend request. Also sent one to theory. I recognize that avatar picture anywhere.
It was a pretty fun weekend, despite my internet connection being wonky. It was like rediscovering a new game. I even took the tutorial before unleashing my reacquired newbieness on the servers. I was impressed with the addition of the Engineer moving his buildings around.
It was like falling off a bicycle. I picked up my old tactics pretty easily. Getting used to the new features, like the Pyro's air blast. I still suck as a Sniper. Some things never change.
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Have been trying out the Diablo III beta over the weekend on my poor work laptop (the only computer I have left after my PC crashed).
Had to "escape" out of the "Your video card is not supported" dialog to even run the game.
With 800x600 and all details on "low" it ran pretty decent, until I came to the Skeleton King.
My poor laptop finally complained and started lagging enough to get me killed.
As much as I would like to play DIII, unfortunately I don't have $1000 lying around for a new PC just for this game. :(
And I don't think my boss would agree on upgrading my vid card. ;D
Oh well, at least I'm having fun playing through Titan Quest again. Got excited now that I found out those guys have a new kickstarter program.
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For what it's worth, you can probably build a Diablo III-capable gaming computer for $600 or so.
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For what it's worth, you can probably build a Diablo III-capable gaming computer for $600 or so.
Still more than I'm going to be able to spend for a few years. Wife just bought the first set of diapers for our yet to be born baby. Man, those things are expensive! ???
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I'm not sure if you were just throwing a number out there, or what price you could afford to build a new PC, but a $1000 computer would be way beyond overkill for running Diablo 3.
Since you said your old PC crashed, you probably have some parts you could steal from it, but even if you can't here is a quick estimate without really making an actual effort:
Case + Power Supply $73 (-$20 rebate) http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.877364
CPU $78 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103886
Motherboard $50 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186215
HDD $70 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136771
CD/DVD $20 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118031
RAM $30 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277
Video card $45 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102933
Should be able to run D3 on low settings: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=57444360&f=68
Medium settings as low as $60. High settings as low as $140.
Total comes to $366 for a computer that can play D3. ($346 with the $20 rebate)
If you have an old crashed PC, you shouldn't need these, but...
Keyboard + Mouse $26 http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.877648
Monitor $80 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009350
Even with new Keyboard, Mouse, and Monitor, it comes in at $472
I didn't spend a lot of time putting that together, so it can probably get a bit cheaper. There are some pretty tiny hard drive options that are a lot cheaper (refurbished), Processor can go down a notch and still meet minimum D3 specs, and you could shave a few bucks off the other components. With some effort, you could probably get a min-spec D3 box for around $300.
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Do you know what happened to your computer that crashed? A dead power supply or Hard Drive would be easy to replace and get your old one back up for cheap.
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For what it's worth, you can probably build a Diablo III-capable gaming computer for $600 or so.
Still more than I'm going to be able to spend for a few years. Wife just bought the first set of diapers for our yet to be born baby. Man, those things are expensive! ???
Diapers are just the start!
Not to threadjack - but I'd strongly taking a wait and see approach with the clothing... particularly for the sizes < 6 months. If you end up with a fast growing kid, you could end up outgrowing the 6month clothes by the 3rd month. We ended up with clothes that the boy never wore because he grew so damn fast. Make sure you have enough for a full laundry cycle (remember ~2-3 outfits a day and 1 more layer of clothing than you would wear), but anything more than that is probably wasteful. Yes, the kids clothes are cheaper than yours, but if he only wears it once before he outgrows it....
Anyway, congrats. Plus, you won't have time for games anyway.
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I sent you a friend request. Also sent one to theory. I recognize that avatar picture anywhere.
It was a pretty fun weekend, despite my internet connection being wonky. It was like rediscovering a new game. I even took the tutorial before unleashing my reacquired newbieness on the servers. I was impressed with the addition of the Engineer moving his buildings around.
It was like falling off a bicycle. I picked up my old tactics pretty easily. Getting used to the new features, like the Pyro's air blast. I still suck as a Sniper. Some things never change.
Glad you enjoyed it! As I mentioned before, TF2 is still getting better and better. I only got hooked on the hat craziness for a couple of weeks, now I steer clear of it and I find I really enjoy the game so much more.
And yes, the Pyro's airblast is crazy... but really good in the right hands. While on defense, the Pyro and his airblast is really the only thing that a team has at its disposal to stop an uber rolling in against them.
TF2 ... so fun. If you ever see me on, hit me up. It's always more fun playing with people I know than just random people.
... Wife just bought the first set of diapers for our yet to be born baby. Man, those things are expensive! ???
True! They are. We have our second on the way (due in June), and I can attest to how life-changing (and budget changing) kids can be. However, it is really really good... wouldn't change it for the world.
Congrats, man! :) :) :) :)
Diapers are just the start!
Not to threadjack - but I'd strongly taking a wait and see approach with the clothing... particularly for the sizes < 6 months. If you end up with a fast growing kid, you could end up outgrowing the 6month clothes by the 3rd month. We ended up with clothes that the boy never wore because he grew so damn fast. Make sure you have enough for a full laundry cycle (remember ~2-3 outfits a day and 1 more layer of clothing than you would wear), but anything more than that is probably wasteful. Yes, the kids clothes are cheaper than yours, but if he only wears it once before he outgrows it....
Anyway, congrats. Plus, you won't have time for games anyway.
^^^ what he said, except for the last line.
I have found plenty of time for games. The first few months are the exception... it takes your body a few months to get used to the sleep deprivation. :P
But after that, most infants (and toddlers) are content to sit on your lap while you play a game. (This is true for IRL games... gaming on the computer is tougher to pull off.) And when they're old enough to be bored by that, they are generally old enough to start gaming (albeit extremely simple games).
Just my thoughts... YMMV.
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TF2 ... so fun. If you ever see me on, hit me up. It's always more fun playing with people I know than just random people.
Agreed. I'll be glad to hunt you down (take that as you will).
Besides, I need to create a new list of favorite servers. I like finding consistent servers that actively discourage bad gameplay.
I was part of (well, guess I still am a part of) a "guild" called Crusty Old Fossil Rockers. It formed from the Counter Strike days as a haven for old gamers (over 25 years of age) to find like-minded people who don't much approve of childish hijinks that you'd find in the wild. During the CS craze, there were at least three servers dedicated to CoFR, in which members were allowed to become admins. If someone was being a jerk on the server, he was booted and possibly banned. As a result, we had some of the most elegant and friendly experience in a game about putting bullets into pixilated brainpans. Even cursing wasn't allowed, as many CoFR members had children that liked to watch the game. The players were even mature enough that the servers were set up to allow friendly fire. Obviously, FF isn't something you want in TF2 (it'd be Spy a way more powerful class, though).
I'm a little busy this week, but I'm finding excuses to get online here and there. Heh.
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For what it's worth, you can probably build a Diablo III-capable gaming computer for $600 or so.
Still more than I'm going to be able to spend for a few years. Wife just bought the first set of diapers for our yet to be born baby. Man, those things are expensive! ???
Congratulations! And what Frisk said. Get more 3M/6M clothes than you think, and almost no NB clothes other than what people get you at the shower. Both our girls outgrew NB at ~1 month and 6M by 4M. Also, because so many people seem not to know it, for anything below size 4, the number is the age they're supposed to outgrow it, not the age they start...
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For fans of old video games, this is really well done little montage that might even bring a tear to your eye: http://www.avclub.com/articles/this-oddly-moving-montage-of-videogame-characters,73160/
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For fans of old video games, this is really well done little montage that might even bring a tear to your eye: http://www.avclub.com/articles/this-oddly-moving-montage-of-videogame-characters,73160/
It really is an excellent video, they fit a lot into a couple minutes. Here's a list someone put together of all the games featured:
http://pastebin.com/CuERRhU6
I didn't put it together, but I did identify the last two unknown games, which I was entirely too proud about. (Hagane and Alien Carnage, for the record.)
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Not being a hardcore gamer I'm still pretty proud I've played roughly 65% of the games I saw and recognized another 10% of them. :)