Giant Bomb Thread The Third: #TeamBrad

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Judging by Paul Barnett's months of tweets regarding getting Ultima on GoG, don't count on EA doing a solid for the old Maxis/Firaxis/Bullfrog games.

I get the impression they're only interested in doing right by these games when it ties in neatly to whatever initiative they're trying to currently push. Even then they still cock it up (seriously, how difficult would it have been to include a port of one of the original Syndicate games with the 2012 game? Do it 'Project $10' style with a one-time redemption code with new copies).
 
"Ostensibly" and "Contextually" are two words I really wish the GB crew would stop saying. Patrick says one of them virtually every sentence and the habit has infected the others. To begin with it wasn't too bad because they seemed to understand what those words mean and used them appropriately (if too often) but now they just drop them in seemingly at random. It's almost similar to how some people will reflexively say "like" in the middle of a sentence.
 
edgefusion said:
"Ostensibly" and "Contextually" are two words I really wish the GB crew would stop saying. Patrick says one of them virtually every sentence and the habit has infected the others. To begin with it wasn't too bad because they seemed to understand what those words mean and used them appropriately (if too often) but now they just drop them in seemingly at random. It's almost similar to how some people will reflexively say "like" in the middle of a sentence.
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Those, along with [gameplay] "systems" are my least favourite GB buzzwords, personally.
 
edgefusion said:
"Ostensibly" and "Contextually" are two words I really wish the GB crew would stop saying. Patrick says one of them virtually every sentence and the habit has infected the others. To begin with it wasn't too bad because they seemed to understand what those words mean and used them appropriately (if too often) but now they just drop them in seemingly at random. It's almost similar to how some people will reflexively say "like" in the middle of a sentence.
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This makes me think of that one time I literally died of laughter.
 
SimGolf is still one of my all-time favorite games ever.

From the SimGolf nostalgia thread:

XiaNaphryz said:
You have to build your course out to ensure there's absolutely no chance the golfers may try to take a weird detour. If you hit the slash key (I think that's the right key at least) you'll bring up the shot analyzer and see a bunch of lines show up from where your mouse cursor is to see what kinds of shots various golfers would attempt from that spot. Push the / key a couple times to make sure there's no odd shot path attempts. If you do see weird shot paths, build a tree line in the right spot to block those stray shots off.

You can use the shot analyzer tool this way to make better rated holes that force challenging shots for any type of golfer and setup good risk/reward opportunities.

Other good in-depth tips can be found here: http://jztemple.tripod.com/backswing/sgid.htm

Some screenshots from one of my games in progress. And no, I never play in sandbox mode, I'm no pansy. ;)

Course report screen below. I'm fighting playing time issues on 2, 4, 5, and 6. Other than that though, I'm in pretty good shape. Holes 4 and 18 are the best on the course in terms of overall rating. Getting as many holes rated as Classic (one that challenges all three skills of length, accuracy, and imagination) will go a long way in earning you money and fun factor. Holes 15 and 16 were closed and reopened for some quick layout tweaks, which resets their stats and ratings and Hole 1 was also reopened a little while before that for a massive upgrade (some landmarks and a bunch of scenic tree lines), hence why it hasn't been re-labeled as a scenic hole yet and why it's massively in the red.

TQQGT.png


The routing map for my course, which has changed quite a bit as it grew from a small 3 hole course at the very beginning. As you expand and get more land for more holes, don't be afraid to completely re-route your course in terms of hole numbers for more efficient play time for the golfers. 13, 8, 11, and 12 were my original 1, 2, 3, and 4. Also note that a lot of the water/rivers you see I ended up putting in, there were only a few natural rivers that had come with the land.

TULMK.png


What you see below is the 4th hole (par 4), one of the two best rated holes on the course. Tee is on the left edge and may be hard to see, it's directly under the green of another hole. The hole's on the right side, across the lake. From the tee golfers see a skinny fairway, trees to the left, rocks to the right, and a big pine right in the middle which all make this a challenging tee shot for all golfer types.

zKoUN.png


The spot below (or the tiles right next to it or below it) is where you want to be for a chance at birdie this hole. You need to hit a long and accurate draw so that it lands on the crest of the hill, and then let it roll down the fairway to this spot for any chance of hitting the green in two. The second shot still isn't easy - small green, water in front and to the left, bunker in the back, trees to the right. Looking at the shot analyzer, only golfers with all 3 skills or with length and imagination will attempt to hit the green, with those lacking accuracy likely hitting the drink. Most everyone else is laying up. So the better a golfer can get that ball to roll down the slope, the easier that approach shot will be. But if you get the draw angle wrong you may roll into the rough, the trees, the sand, or maybe even the water!

9PV3P.png


If you don't hit your tee shot just right, you end up at the top of the hill shown below with no real chance at getting on the green. Players with the length skill can make that distance, but there's too much danger so noone even bothers to think to attempt it so it's no surprise that the shot analyzer has everyone laying up - and it's not an easy layup either with all the hazards around. When building the hazards around the green, this particular spot on the fairway is what I used to make sure it would be nearly impossible to make a second shot to the green - I wanted to force the golfers to make the long draw tee shot and reward them appropriately.

GMCQP.png


Here's the scenic 18th hole, a short par 3 to a tiny island green in front of a waterfall. The tee is elevated above the hole somewhat to make ball spin more of a factor. Small patch of fairway short of the water for the golfers without the length to go for the green. Sand and cart path to the right, water to the other three sides.

X49tN.png
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The only Sim game I can remember playing for far too long was SimLife on the Amiga. painting/creating your own animals and plants, the whole genetic stuff was fascinating to me.
edit: oh god the boxart is giving me huuuge flashbacks. My long basement hours on the Amiga, good times.
 
I had SimIsle.


I had no idea what the fuck you were supposed to do because the manual was missing and the game would just end because really obtuse objectives were failed.
 
XiaNaphryz said:
SimGolf is still one of my all-time favorite games ever.

From the SimGolf nostalgia thread:
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Damn, I'm inspired. I need to step my SimGolf game up. Currently sitting on a rather haphazard 18 hole course in a location I don't love but it's making me money. Not sure whether to concentrate on landscaping and redoing courses now that I've got the whole map to work with or start over somewhere nice. Feels like I'm only scratching the surface though, looking at that post and linked articles.

If we're talking Sim games, SimCopter might be my favorite of the B-tier offerings. Importing maps from SimCity 2000 was super neat.
 
edgefusion said:
"Ostensibly" and "Contextually" are two words I really wish the GB crew would stop saying. Patrick says one of them virtually every sentence and the habit has infected the others. To begin with it wasn't too bad because they seemed to understand what those words mean and used them appropriately (if too often) but now they just drop them in seemingly at random. It's almost similar to how some people will reflexively say "like" in the middle of a sentence.
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You're totally right.
 
IndieJones said:
Ebay's got SimGolf starting at around $18, going up to the mid-thirties... Surely that's not that expensive? There are plenty of them. I didn't realize it's so rare, either, glad I kept my copy.
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Found my copy last night! Almost tempted to sell it with interest at an all time high, but then I went and installed it again :(
 
I bought a physical copy of Sim Golf. Now the moral quandary - is it OK to pirate to play while I wait for it to arrive?

I should probably hold off, but I have been dying to play ever since I watched them play it. I don't know how I ever missed this game.
 
Brashnir said:
I bought a physical copy of Sim Golf. Now the moral quandary - is it OK to pirate to play while I wait for it to arrive?

I should probably hold off, but I have been dying to play ever since I watched them play it. I don't know how I ever missed this game.
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You own it. Morally, you're in the right. Legally, it's more grey.
 
First two sentences from Patrick's Dishonored review:

Unlike other games of its type, Dishonored gives you countless options in the middle of combat.
Countless creators have chased the phantoms of Deus Ex since its release in 2000, and most fail.
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Countless, guys. :P

Edit: Nevermind, the first sentence comes from the RSS caption of the image in the review, not "technically" part of the actual review.
 
Mr. F said:
Those, along with [gameplay] "systems" are my least favourite GB buzzwords, personally.
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Ugh you've made it even worse! Haha. In the Dishonoured quick look within 2 minutes 20 seconds Patrick mentions both "systems" and "AI systems" followed by Ryan saying "gameplay systems'.

Ostensibly, contextual systems.

Edit: Thanks brianmcdoogle, I am now in a coma.
 
brianmcdoogle said:
First two sentences from Patrick's Dishonored review:



Countless, guys. :P

Edit: Nevermind, the first sentence comes from the RSS caption of the image in the review, not "technically" part of the actual review.
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Looking at the usage, "countless" does seem appropriate where it's actually being used (How many creators have tried to duplicate Deus Ex's success? Who knows how many, their number is countless but indubitably quite high) so things look good to me.
 
JeTmAn81 said:
Looking at the usage, "countless" does actually seem appropriate where it's actually being used (How many creators have tried to duplicate Deus Ex's success? Who knows how many, their number is countless but indubitably quite high) so things look good to me.
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Well, I'd dispute that there have been countless or really all that many Deus Ex imitators.
 
Basileus777 said:
Well, I'd dispute that there have been countless or really all that many Deus Ex imitators.
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It made sense to me to use countless to mean not infinite, but a high number that has not been tallied. It also made sense to me that there have probably been many who have tried to imitate aspects of Deus Ex over the years.
 
"If you love yourself some Deus Ex, you're going to really like Dishonored, and if you've found the genre impenetrable in the past, I've got some good news for you."

Guys, this is how you write sentences.
 
Since when has Deus Ex-Like become "a genre?"

Note, I'm not complaining about it if there is such a thing. I just wish I knew where they all were. There's Dishonored, arguably, and then the Deus Ex series...and then...Thief is kinda like Deus Ex except not really at all. Bioshock isn't really like Deus Ex at all, neither was SS2.
 
So Dishonored is amazing. And XCOM is amazing. And Walking Dead Episode 4 comes out TOMORROW, out of nowhere. And Retro City Rampage
and Fable: The Journey

The fuck do I play first I don't even know.
 
hearsaybear said:
"If you love yourself some Deus Ex, you're going to really like Dishonored, and if you've found the genre impenetrable in the past, I've got some good news for you."

Guys, this is how you write sentences.
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As someone who isn't a literary genius, what exactly is wrong with that sentence? Are there a lot of commas? Yeah, but they totally make sense if you bother to read it. There doesn't seem to be anything more to your point than "Grr, I don't like the way Patrick writes."
 
vitaminwateryum said:
As someone who isn't a literary genius, what exactly is wrong with that sentence? Are there a lot of commas? Yeah, but they totally make sense if you bother to read it. There doesn't seem to be anything more to your point than "Grr, I don't like the way Patrick writes."
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Patrick wrote it.
 
vitaminwateryum said:
As someone who isn't a literary genius, what exactly is wrong with that sentence? Are there a lot of commas? Yeah, but they totally make sense if you bother to read it. There doesn't seem to be anything more to your point than "Grr, I don't like the way Patrick writes."
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He writes how he talks. He uses too many words to express very little. This isn't a grr, I don't like the way Patrick writes. His articles are genuinely terribly written. It reads like someone who wants to be a writer very badly but never actually received criticism.

Not to mention "If you love yourself some Deus Ex" is just a poorly transcribed colloquialism. His reads like how he would talk on the bombcast, not how an actual review should be written.
 
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