Giant Bombcast - 03/10/15

daydream

Banned

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Date: 03/10/2015 - Duration:
02:33:55
- Download

We've clawed our way back from the great white hellscape that is Boston to wrap up the business out of PAX and GDC before turning our attention to more pertinent topics. Can you take a 3DS into North Korea? Where's Chris Cashman these days? And who the hell is riding all these razor scooters?
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Never realized how much Brad looks like the Postman...

Drew is Link, with his luscious golden locks and good-hearted adventurousness.

Jeff is Tingle because... reasons.

Dan is Skull Kid because he wants to destroy the world.


Edit: Correction

Jeff is Skull Kid because HE wants to destroy the world.

Dan is Tingle because he is a confusing mess of humanity, and his dad constantly expresses his shame at what his son does with his life.
 
for those curious: it's the same
canonical
order pretty much every week

brad/jeff/drew/dan

there's always more or less obvious choices for the first two, drew is the wildcard and dan gets the nice/straight hero types

that said, you can project whatever you want onto it, the op is your oyster &c. &c.
 
Drew: Dan how he could possibly not like MH4
Dan: I wrote down some notes on why I dont like it. 1) You can't pause it
Drew: ...yes you can
Dan: No you press start and it opens a menu
Drew: Yeah, and you select "Pause"
Dan: ..........okay I guess I'll erase that one
Brad: Also you can close your 3DS
Dan: .................................that works?

Well this is going about as expected
 
Drew: Dan how he could possibly not like MH4
Dan: I wrote down some notes on why I dont like it. 1) You can't pause it
Drew: ...yes you can
Dan: No you press start and it opens a menu
Drew: Yeah, and you select "Pause"
Dan: ..........okay I guess I'll erase that one
Brad: Also you can close your 3DS
Dan: .................................that works?

Well this is going about as expected

Everything he says or does makes me question his position


At least a bit
 
Drew: Dan how he could possibly not like MH4
Dan: I wrote down some notes on why I dont like it. 1) You can't pause it
Drew: ...yes you can
Dan: No you press start and it opens a menu
Drew: Yeah, and you select "Pause"
Dan: ..........okay I guess I'll erase that one
Brad: Also you can close your 3DS
Dan: .................................that works?




Well this is going about as expected


Hmm does dan like the souls games?
 
Dan: Mysterious games have to make sense mechanically and thematically...a rarely known goal, and much less attempted on a studio-scale nowadays. And when it's pulled off, it's exquisite.
 
I'm trying to get into Monster Hunter again now for like the third time, and I agree with Dan's points about the game being absolutely horrible at explaining a lot of its mechanics, to the point that I've spent a few hours reading FAQs today. That it's so fucking slow to get going is probably what has kept me from enjoying earlier MH games. But I really like how it controls, so gonna keep going with it.

Dan: Mysterious games have to make sense mechanically and thematically...a rarely known goal, and much less attempted on a studio-scale nowadays. And when it's pulled off, it's exquisite.

I would agree with you when it comes to the Souls series, that series clearly goes for mystery also when it comes to its mechanics and largely succeeds. But the Monster Hunter games, at least from my limited experience, have never seemed to go for that vibe, it's just that they're terrible at explaining a lot of basic stuff. I've seen a lot of veteran MH players say the same thing, that it's just something you have to get through either with the help of a veteran or maybe a FAQ if you want to get going within a reasonable time.
 
I'm trying to get into Monster Hunter again now for like the third time, and I agree with Dan's points about the game being absolutely horrible at explaining a lot of its mechanics, to the point that I've spent a few hours reading FAQs today. That it's so fucking slow to get going is probably what has kept me from enjoying earlier MH games. But I really like how it controls, so gonna keep going with it.

While MH isn't trying to be like Dark Souls in terms of intentionally hiding game mechanics, it really does require the same community interaction in order to fully grasp every aspect of it. For the longest time I didn't know what affinity was. Turns out it is a critical hit as indicated by a flashing red cross on the occasional hit. Just a couple days ago I learned about critical distance with a bowgun. The screen shakes when you fire in order to indicate that you are in critical distance. I've been playing MH since the first one on PS2 and I never knew this was a thing until now. I have no idea how long this mechanic has been a thing or if it's new to MH4.

And before anyone jumps on me for saying that Dark Souls doesn't explain its mechanics, I don't mean controls. I mean things like humanity and adaptability. I think people are still arguing whether adaptability matters.
 
Man I love Dan, sure he makes mistakes and comes across as a bit 'air-headed' but man is it funny.. Really beats the cynical jaded opinions you get out of Jeff and Brad.

Every time I watch a quick look and Dan is in it I'll watch to the end because, ya know, he seems like hes actually having fun!?

His about me on Giant Bomb always cracks me up

Recently learned that humans can't breathe in space due to the lack of air
Did not know what a hatchback car was.
Believed the United Kingdom's currency was Euros.
Believed that all of Europe drove on the left side of the road.
Until recently, Dan did not know of the existence, or purpose, of a Car Title and Car Registration despite owning a car since he was a teenager. This caused him great turmoil when he recently visited the DMV.
Did not drive on the highway until he was 25.
Despite having a minor degree in History, he was not aware of the multiple theatres of engagement in Africa during World War II. The East African Campaign (June 1940 to November 1941) and the North African Campaign (June 1940 to May 1943), for example.
Once braved a bathroom inferno. He was "saved" by a random man who "put the fire out with his dick."
Signed up to dating site as a female to prank men into meeting him on a bridge wearing the same color at the same time.
Broke his television as a child spraying it with a super soaker because he didn't like "the fat guy from Whose Line is it Anyway?"
Owns a Ribera Jacket.
Until he was 25, Dan had never tasted ketchup, mustard, onions, pickles, sour cream, relish, salad, or salad dressing.
Maintains that he has never consumed mayonnaise.
Briefly held the Guinness World Record (along with three other Game Informer editors) for "Longest Fighting Game Marathon." They played Super Smash Bros. Brawl for 30 straight hours.
Dan was face scanned, and appears as a NPC in both LA Noire and InFamous: Second Son.
Over the weekend of August 6-7, 2011, Dan set the Guinness World Record for "Longest Mario Marathon." He played the following games for 50 straight hours: Super Mario 64 (completed all 120 stars for the first time in his life), beat Super Mario World, beat Super Mario RPG, and played some of Dr. Mario, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Party.
Dan hates Jose Canseco.
Dan ruined his eyesight as a kid by, for some reason, wearing glasses without needing glasses. He now can't see without glasses.
Dan believed that "egg whites" were egg shells due to their color and tried to cook just the shells in a pan. When nothing happened, he called his mother for advice and was told egg whites were not, in fact, egg shells.
Dan believes Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is a far superior movie in comparison to The Terminator.
Dan has never drunk tea.
He's a failed musician.
Has referred to acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki as "Japanese Colonel Sanders" multiple times.
Once mixed up a hyena for a cheetah confusing and exciting co-workers about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Thought that figs were actually made of sticks and wondered why people ate them.
Made friends with a person who was associated with the Russian Mafia. He gave Dan a ride home from the bar.
He has never been stung by a bee or punched in the face. However, he did punch a bully in the face as a child.
Dan is a superkick savant.
Dan has never seen a plum.
Dan only knows that lemons grow on trees because of that Simpson's episode.
He and his grandfather both have three nipples.
Dan would sooner enter a black hole than get into a hot air balloon.
Claims to have never eaten yogurt.
As of 10/24/2014 he has not seen Torque.
He does not sweat, except when wearing an Oculus Rift.
Has never had mushrooms.
 
While MH isn't trying to be like Dark Souls in terms of intentionally hiding game mechanics, it really does require the same community interaction in order to fully grasp every aspect of it. For the longest time I didn't know what affinity was. Turns out it is a critical hit as indicated by a flashing red cross on the occasional hit. Just a couple days ago I learned about critical distance with a bowgun. The screen shakes when you fire in order to indicate that you are in critical distance. I've been playing MH since the first one on PS2 and I never knew this was a thing until now. I have no idea how long this mechanic has been a thing or if it's new to MH4.

And before anyone jumps on me for saying that Dark Souls doesn't explain its mechanics, I don't mean controls. I mean things like humanity and adaptability. I think people are still arguing whether adaptability matters.

I get that it's such a deep game that you can't explain everything upfront, that would lead to a tutorial the length of Zelda: SS. But I've always found the game to be bad at explaining even more basic stuff in the beginning, to the point that I feel aimless a lot of the time and it's probably why the game has never really hooked me. As you say it's not going for the mystery of the Souls games, so there's no reason why it should be so notoriously bad at explaining that stuff (maybe it's better at it than I think, I'm no expert here!).

But again, I love the actual controls of the game as long as I use the CPP. I think I'm closer to getting hooked by MH than I've ever been before (not sure if that's a good or a bad thing, seeing the playtime of many MH veterans).
 
I'm trying to get into Monster Hunter again now for like the third time, and I agree with Dan's points about the game being absolutely horrible at explaining a lot of its mechanics, to the point that I've spent a few hours reading FAQs today. That it's so fucking slow to get going is probably what has kept me from enjoying earlier MH games. But I really like how it controls, so gonna keep going with it.



I would agree with you when it comes to the Souls series, that series clearly goes for mystery also when it comes to its mechanics and largely succeeds. But the Monster Hunter games, at least from my limited experience, have never seemed to go for that vibe, it's just that they're terrible at explaining a lot of basic stuff. I've seen a lot of veteran MH players say the same thing, that it's just something you have to get through either with the help of a veteran or maybe a FAQ if you want to get going within a reasonable time.

Yeah, it's a delicate thing, but since I have no play experience with that series (or any Hunter games), I went with that "vague defense of discovery games" spiel of mine.
 
I think it does bear mentioning that Dan asked on Twitter if he should start MH4 for the first time on a plane and got unanimous "Noooo, wait for Jason to help you through the beginning, that's the hardest part for anyone new."

Dan took this to mean "Yeah I should totally start this on the plane."
 
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