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[doniewhalberg]

Just to update on my purchases from earlier in the week. Finished Baldur's Gate 1. Great great, solid game. If I had the pleasure of nostalgia, I can totally see why people hold it in such regard. For me, having played a lot of fantasty, read a lot of fantasy, I felt it was a better game than story, as much of the plot doesn't really kick in til the end. It's a really good adventure, and was great to see the roots of a lot of western rpg game design.

That all said, I just played the first hour of Baldur's Gate 2 and wow. Just an absolute gut punch from the beginning movie and on, this has me REALLY excited. The opening area pretty much blows any area you visit in BG1 out of the water, and just the creepier tone to kick things off, super atmospheric, interesting art direction, different to the first game and yea, I think this will give me the full package I was looking for.

Please don't read that as me trashing BG1 though, I really enjoyed it.

 

[inm8num2]

Please don't read that as me trashing BG1 though, I really enjoyed it.

It doesn't read like that at all. I think it's universally accepted that BG2 is the better game.

 

[doniewhalberg]

It doesn't read like that at all. I think it's universally accepted that BG2 is the better game.

Haha I wasn't sure if I was walking on sacred gorund or anything man, so I was trying to tread lightly. I did really like it though, just, it was exactly what I expected it to be. BG2 has surprised me out the gate with something totally different feeling. Would anyone recommend taking a break before I do BG2 to play Planescape or does it not matter? As far as I can see Planescape came out between the two, and I have full intentions of playing it next. I'd hate to play BG2 first and make it seem inferior or something just due to being a year or so older and BG2 being a better iteration of the engine.

 

[inm8num2]

Haha I wasn't sure if I was walking on sacred gorund or anything man, so I was trying to tread lightly. I did really like it though, just, it was exactly what I expected it to be. BG2 has surprised me out the gate with something totally different feeling. Would anyone recommend taking a break before I do BG2 to play Planescape or does it not matter? As far as I can see Planescape came out between the two, and I have full intentions of playing it next. I'd hate to play BG2 first and make it seem inferior or something just due to being a year or so older and BG2 being a better iteration of the engine.

I say finish BG2 first!

I think there's even a mod out there that incorporates BG1 into BG2, effectively allowing someone to play both games 'back to back'.

 

[doniewhalberg]

I say finish BG2 first!

I think there's even a mod out there that incorporates BG1 into BG2, effectively allowing someone to play both games 'back to back'.

Cool man, I'll truck on then. The going just got good anyway,

Spoiler

Imoen is gone :O

. They emphasised in the intro though that

Spoiler

her past is fairly mysterious too

, so seems like she'll be getting a plot focus this time round.

Think I'm gonna go with Dragon Commander & Banner Saga in the sale. I'd thought about grabbing Aarklash too but everyone seems fairly tepid on it. Nothing heinous but no-one really enthusiastic about it either.

 

[mclem]

A Monday release, just to keep us on our toes:

Braveland ($4.99)

Also a preorder:

Ether One ($16.99)

 

[Minsc]

Sometimes I see a game and think, that looks like something I'd probably get on a mobile device / tablet... unfortunately Braveland looks like one of those games. I guess the plus side is I'm potentially interested in buying it, but it doesn't look like what I want from a PC experience from a glance.

And upon doing a little research, it is actually available for iOS, so I guess I'll put it on the wishlist there.

 

[doniewhalberg]

Grabbed Dragon Commander & The Banner Saga off the sale. It'll be awhile before I get to them though, knee deep in Baldur's Gate 2, and I grabbed PlaneScape as well which will be next after that. Nice to have a bunch of games to work through.

Spoiler

Gamersgate has a deal on Dragon Age stuff too so I got them too :L

. Probably no more splurges until May-ish time now.

 

[Persona7]

I wonder if the last few hitman games will be released tomorrow.

I don't think I have a DRM free version of blood money.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

I wonder if the last few hitman games will be released tomorrow.

I don't think I have a DRM free version of blood money.

The prospect of more Hitman is really only exciting to me because it suggests we might someday get a DRM-free Deus Ex: HR or Tomb Raider Anniversary. In any case, Squeenix dumping more stuff on GOG is a good thing.

 

[Persona7]

The prospect of more Hitman is really only exciting to me because it suggests we might someday get a DRM-free Deus Ex: HR or Tomb Raider Anniversary. In any case, Squeenix dumping more stuff on GOG is a good thing.

Yeah, that is why I always like seeing more SE games on GOG. Maybe one day we will get a DRM free FF7 and 8 with some cool extras.

 

[Catshade]

Looks like they're planning to expand to Linux, after all...

 

[Persona7]

Cool. 100 games sounds like a good launch this fall.

 

[Lafazar]

Looks like they're planning to expand to Linux, after all...

Great news. GOG and Linux is a much better fit than Steam and Linux (both are welcome, though and will help to make Linux more popular, so it's all good).

 

[mclem]

Luftrausers is now released.

 

[BraXzy]

Also a preorder:

Ether One ($16.99)

Just for anyone who wants some info on this, I made an OT. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=786672

 

[gabbo]

Looks like they're planning to expand to Linux, after all...

To rid myself of windows... one step closer

 

[Persona7]

Overlord is on sale, cool. $3.99 and totally worth it.

Sacrifice, Tropico Reloaded, Startopia, Evil Genius and Theme Hospital are also on sale.

 

[doniewhalberg]

Overlord is on sale, cool. $3.99 and totally worth it.

Sacrifice, Tropico Reloaded, Startopia, Evil Genius and Theme Hospital are also on sale.

Haha, I bought my girlfriend this yesterday since she's feeling down with the cold. She literally spent the whole of last night and this evening playing it, I'm not sure I've ever spent a better £2.

 

[Persona7]

Haha, I bought my girlfriend this yesterday since she's feeling down with the cold. She literally spent the whole of last night and this evening playing it, I'm not sure I've ever spent a better £2.

That is why I uninstalled it! I tell myself I will play for one hour and next thing I know I played for three.

 

[doniewhalberg]

That is why I uninstalled it! I tell myself I will play for one hour and next thing I know I played for three.

Haha, awesome. Did you play with the corsix-TH mod btw? I set that up for her, and she played the whole first two nights with no probs, but last night it crashed, I think she lost like an hour of progress haha. Not sure what the rhyme or reason for the crash was, I guess saving often is advised.

 

[Persona7]

Haha, awesome. Did you play with the corsix-TH mod btw? I set that up for her, and she played the whole first two nights with no probs, but last night it crashed, I think she lost like an hour of progress haha. Not sure what the rhyme or reason for the crash was, I guess saving often is advised.

I did try the original release but I never got it working. I noticed they released a new version since then so maybe I will try it.

 

[doniewhalberg]

It's pretty cool, definitely worth a look. Jumping between the original game and the mod, there's a really vast visual difference, and the ease of being able to zoom in and out easily, game is quicker to load up and so on, really good. Do you have any idea what's the best theme park alternative right now on PC? I was looking for theme park world/Sim theme park but I can only spot it on disc right now, and I doubt it runs on windows 8.

 

[Persona7]

It's pretty cool, definitely worth a look. Jumping between the original game and the mod, there's a really vast visual difference, and the ease of being able to zoom in and out easily, game is quicker to load up and so on, really good. Do you have any idea what's the best theme park alternative right now on PC? I was looking for theme park world/Sim theme park but I can only spot it on disc right now, and I doubt it runs on windows 8.

I've only played the first two Rollercoaster Tycoon games and Theme Park/World as far as theme park sims go. Sorry, I am not up to date. I know there was one on kickstarter but I can't remember the title.

 

[doniewhalberg]

I've only played the first two Rollercoaster Tycoon games and Theme Park/World as far as theme park sims go. Sorry, I am not up to date. I know there was one on kickstarter but I can't remember the title.

Cheers anyway, I appreciate the chat

An update for anyone who's interesterd in my shadow of ahm progress: Jesus, this game is really packed with content compared to the first game. I have actually finally left the city, on an excursion to the Umar hills/temple ruins, but 90% of my time in the game since I started about 4 days ago has been in Athkatla, and I've still got a full district or so I've barely explored. Every time I head off to do a side quest, some or other pops up and distracts me. Absolutely brilliant. Most recent quest was

Spoiler

hunting down the skinner in the bridge district.

 

[Persona7]

I found the game https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1011099242/theme-park-studio-create-the-ultimate-theme-park

I just realized I don't have the BGII soundtrack on my MP3 player.

Spoiler

time to fix that

 

[mclem]

One indie, one (newish) oldie.

Indie: Stick It To The Man. Normally $15, currently $6

Oldie: Hitman: Contracts. Normally $10, currently $5.

There's also a bundle deal on; 60% off if you buy all you're missing from the Hitman collection (so if you have the existing two, you can get Contracts for $4 using that link; if you don't have any, it's $10.37 for all three)

 

[Persona7]

Cool, I was hoping for Blood Money as well but I am guessing they are saving it for a later date.

 

[Persona7]

Apparently the GOG version of Hitman Contracts has the song that caused all those legal issues with it previously. They removed the song when they put it back on steam a while back.

 

[mclem]

Heads up (because I almost forgot!): Luck of the Irish sale ends in half an hour.

 

[Persona7]

Another Enigmatic hint

http://instagram.com/p/lzo5Leqf3K#

 

[epmode]

That's a Grim Fandango hint if I ever saw one.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Whatever that's hinting at, it's probably not Bulletstorm. But it really should be. That game shouldn't disappear just cuz GFWL says so

 

[Card Boy]

Guys its a PC port of this.

Also the slaves are the Jumpers and the masters are the Paladins.

 

[Persona7]

Whatever that's hinting at, it's probably not Bulletstorm. But it really should be. That game shouldn't disappear just cuz GFWL says so

https://www.origin.com/en-us/store/buy/bulletstorm-ANW.html

It is still for sale

 

[gabbo]

Another Enigmatic hint

http://instagram.com/p/lzo5Leqf3K#

Does GOG have Slave Zero?

 

[Forsythia]

Does GOG have Slave Zero?

Oh my god, no, and that would be fucking amazing!

 

[Persona7]

I would buy Slave Zero. I am pretty sure I liked it. I don't think I beat it though.

 

[Minsc]

Just four this week, sometimes you go through searching a bunch more misses (games with too mixed or not enough positive impressions) than other times. SiN Gold was one such game, that didn't quite have enough feedback to get listed. But on to the games we have:

MDK, aka Murder Death Kill (don't care if you want to call it something else), a through and through action game, full of fun consisting of blasting apart / sniping enemies and parachuting... this one generally comes very highly regarded. I remember playing it myself quite a bit, and enjoying it a lot as well. Didn't make it to the sequel, and the sequel's impressions are heavily mixed. Most people found the varied game modes of the sequel annoying, and just wanted the same action the original delivers. So the sequel doesn't make the cut, but it wasn't unanimously hated, it did have a few positive impressions which I tried to leave in some of the quotes.

Kingpin: Life of Crime was also a borderline entry (there were a lot of these, just remembered the first three hitman games all also came up too mixed as well), but it gets through with the warning. Another one of those games with almost no recent impressions, but remembered quite fondly, partly in regards to the multiplayer.

Stick It To The Man is the newest of the group, from last week's releases. People praised it quite a bit in the OT, and more good platformers (or psuedo platformers) are never a bad thing. Colorful, mysterious, and definitely caught my interest after reading impressions about it. Apparently has an awesome title screen song as well.

Divinity Dragon Commander finishes off the batch, being a RTS/Strategy/TPS? blend of genres, it leaves generally positive impressions. I think what catches people off guard is the depth in the political system between missions, with very well done voice acting and humorous writing, along with quite a bit of branching paths to take among the different queens you can pick (perhaps it carries a pseudo dating sim genre as well lol). Summed up best probably by the impression that said it's one of those games that will have a cult following down the road... I am not sure of that, but certainly do plan on trying it out myself.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

SiN Gold was one such game, that didn't quite have enough feedback to get listed.

As in specifically for Gold or for the original game too? I think there's been plenty of discussion either in SiN Episodes threads or the recent SiN Gold thread we had. This game's so low on the bestsellers list it's painful—I'll generate discussion if that's what it takes to get this listed, lol.

Bargain Bin sale's up, with cool stuff like Realms of the Haunting up for grabs.

 

[Minsc]

Original game too, well the Sin Gold item from GOG. The recent thread was just 28 posts, and I think most of the quotes I had going for the game are from it. I believe I had 3 or 4, but then I just couldn't find others. I didn't search through that SiN Episodes thread, you're probably right if I check through that I may be able to find a few more, so I'll give it another go and PM you if need by for additional impressions.

Realms of the Haunting was a good one too, worth getting I think, and probably would also make the list if there's a few more impressions for it besides Sinatar's (iirc) nice write up of it a little while back.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Does GOG have Slave Zero?

That was honestly my first guess... The jumper is on master... Master=1, slave=0.

Would be cool. I remember playing the hell out of both of the demos for the game, but I never actually bought the thing when it finally came out... Mostly because I was a broke-ass fifth grader. Ironically, I did eventually buy the game for a friend as a birthday present.

Well, I certainly wouldn't mind the opportunity to remedy all that. I really had a great time with those demos... And I've always been a fan of those late-90s/early-2000s PC actioners.

 

[mclem]

That was honestly my first guess... The jumper is on master... Master=1, slave=0.

I think the answer's correct, but I don't think you're meant to make a mental leap to equate master with 1 and slave with zero. There's four images, *all* of them are masters, and zero of them are slaves. I think that's the derivation for Slave Zero.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

I think the answer's correct, but I don't think you're meant to make a mental leap to equate master with 1 and slave with zero. There's four images, *all* of them are masters, and zero of them are slaves. I think that's the derivation for Slave Zero.

Lol, I didn't even think about that. My puzzle solving skills=-1

In any case, this is the sort of game that I'll plunk down the (presumably) $6 for as soon as I see it listed.

 

[gabbo]

That was honestly my first guess... The jumper is on master... Master=1, slave=0.

Would be cool. I remember playing the hell out of both of the demos for the game, but I never actually bought the thing when it finally came out... Mostly because I was a broke-ass fifth grader. Ironically, I did eventually buy the game for a friend as a birthday present.

Well, I certainly wouldn't mind the opportunity to remedy all that. I really had a great time with those demos... And I've always been a fan of those late-90s/early-2000s PC actioners.

I remember playing it back in the day and never finishing it. It was a 'mecha' game that didn't put me off with a completely anime-fueled art design. I can only hope all these hints actually do lead to that being the case.

 

[doniewhalberg]

Divinity Dragon Commander finishes off the batch, being a RTS/Strategy/TPS? blend of genres, it leaves generally positive impressions. I think what catches people off guard is the depth in the political system between missions, with very well done voice acting and humorous writing, along with quite a bit of branching paths to take among the different queens you can pick (perhaps it carries a pseudo dating sim genre as well lol). Summed up best probably by the impression that said it's one of those games that will have a cult following down the road... I am not sure of that, but certainly do plan on trying it out myself.

Got this in the sale last week. I have some stack of rpgs to get through before I get to it, but I'm pretty psyched for it. I'll probably crack it out when Original Sin gets an official official release date, keep that mental hype wave high that way. I did boot up the tutorial just to mess with the graphics settings etc though and it looks really great. Jetpack dragon ftw.

 

[Persona7]

Some users on the GOG forum think it is Pier Solar HD or Homeworld.

"HD MASTER"

 

[mclem]

Some users on the GOG forum think it is Pier Solar HD or Homeworld.

"HD MASTER"

Doesn't take into account that there's four of them, plus it's non-specific (HD Remastering referring to a technique applied to a game, not a specific title). It's not impossible that that's what it's alluding to, of course, but if it *is* that, it's a poorly-designed puzzle. Slave Zero makes a lot more sense.

 

[Persona7]

I am trying figure out what the blurred boxes could mean. Three of four are blurred.


I need to remember to purchase that racing game currently on sale when I wake up in a few hours.

 

[Da DreadLord]

I am trying figure out what the blurred boxes could mean. Three of four are blurred.

4 game series, 1 gets released for now?