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AusGAF 10 - Node Country for Old Men
- Thread starter Kritz
- Start date
- Status
You can't do anything right.
OK so I can safely assume many of us are back at work today? BOO-URNS.
I got quite accustomed to having the time off and actually doing stuff. It was nice! However the office does have air conditioning so that's...something, I guess.
I'm trying to force myself to actually stop 'work' by 10pm every night and maybe even play some video games before going to bed. It's resulted in a much better night's sleep AND I'm even getting some actual proper gaming time in! Good lord. Usually I just keep working until I pass out on the keyboard. What a difference.
So Zelda 3DS is really fantastic. I haven't enjoyed a Zelda game like this in years. I usually enjoy a Zelda until the point where I get lost wandering aimlessly around the overworld looking for the next place to go, but I haven't come across that yet. I absolutely love the faux-open world nature of it that is mainly due to how you can rent out all the upgrade items from the start. Crazy how such a 'game breaking' idea actually works so well. I'm....I think about two dungeons in on the
(Is that a spoiler? I have no idea, I haven't seen any ads for it besides the initial trailer) and think I've got a while to go yet, but am having tons of fun. I'm just having fun wandering around the overworld too discovering new stuff around every corner.
Luigi's Mansion 2 (yeah yeah I know, I meant to get it back when it came out but it was always sold out and I just kind of forgot about it...which reminds me, I gotta get Donkey Kong Country 3D too, loved it on Wii but fuck that Wiimote waggling nonsense) is great too...finished the first house and started exploring the second...such a great sense of exploration here. I'm compelled to take my time with each mission, to explore every nook and cranny that I can, and I guess that's why I'm not playing it as much as Zelda since I know each level will take me like 30-45 minutes.
Um, what else. Oh yeah Collosatron. Rlan is there any benefit in getting the Prestige ranking? I feel like I'd be punished for it and I've effectively finished the game anyway...not exactly what I'm sure I'd be losing by selecting it? I'm just faffing about on the survival challenge modes and making sure I'm number one on every map. I'm slowly figuring out my preferred set of weapons (red homing missiles, yellow laser, orange machine gun, green...machine gun type thing, blue that floating freeze ball thing, and purple regen) and saving up prisms to keep them locked in. It'll do until Train Defense 2 comes out
Downloaded Borderlands 2 on PS+ which I've never played before and have been told I would enjoy. Can you get homing missiles in it? That's all I really care about. Oh and btw I know this is shockingly old news for everyone but good lord is it nice to finally have a real media streaming system in the house. The wife's all set with her sexy doctor shows or whatever and I get to watch Muppet Show episodes any time I want. Fantastic.
(Oh and if anyone can give me the heads up on best place to get PS+ subscriptions from...)
So yeah, feels good to be playing games for huge chunks of time rather than the five minutes a day or so I usually allow myself. Hopefully that'll continue. Although with a book to make, I dunno how long that will last...
The wife has apparently taken to heart my off-hand comment that as soon as I turn 40 I'll turn into a pinball fanatic and is planning on where the table is going to go. Bless her. What's a good table for someone with absolutely no skill and has really good long term replayability?
I got quite accustomed to having the time off and actually doing stuff. It was nice! However the office does have air conditioning so that's...something, I guess.
I'm trying to force myself to actually stop 'work' by 10pm every night and maybe even play some video games before going to bed. It's resulted in a much better night's sleep AND I'm even getting some actual proper gaming time in! Good lord. Usually I just keep working until I pass out on the keyboard. What a difference.
So Zelda 3DS is really fantastic. I haven't enjoyed a Zelda game like this in years. I usually enjoy a Zelda until the point where I get lost wandering aimlessly around the overworld looking for the next place to go, but I haven't come across that yet. I absolutely love the faux-open world nature of it that is mainly due to how you can rent out all the upgrade items from the start. Crazy how such a 'game breaking' idea actually works so well. I'm....I think about two dungeons in on the
dark world
Luigi's Mansion 2 (yeah yeah I know, I meant to get it back when it came out but it was always sold out and I just kind of forgot about it...which reminds me, I gotta get Donkey Kong Country 3D too, loved it on Wii but fuck that Wiimote waggling nonsense) is great too...finished the first house and started exploring the second...such a great sense of exploration here. I'm compelled to take my time with each mission, to explore every nook and cranny that I can, and I guess that's why I'm not playing it as much as Zelda since I know each level will take me like 30-45 minutes.
Um, what else. Oh yeah Collosatron. Rlan is there any benefit in getting the Prestige ranking? I feel like I'd be punished for it and I've effectively finished the game anyway...not exactly what I'm sure I'd be losing by selecting it? I'm just faffing about on the survival challenge modes and making sure I'm number one on every map. I'm slowly figuring out my preferred set of weapons (red homing missiles, yellow laser, orange machine gun, green...machine gun type thing, blue that floating freeze ball thing, and purple regen) and saving up prisms to keep them locked in. It'll do until Train Defense 2 comes out
Downloaded Borderlands 2 on PS+ which I've never played before and have been told I would enjoy. Can you get homing missiles in it? That's all I really care about. Oh and btw I know this is shockingly old news for everyone but good lord is it nice to finally have a real media streaming system in the house. The wife's all set with her sexy doctor shows or whatever and I get to watch Muppet Show episodes any time I want. Fantastic.
(Oh and if anyone can give me the heads up on best place to get PS+ subscriptions from...)
So yeah, feels good to be playing games for huge chunks of time rather than the five minutes a day or so I usually allow myself. Hopefully that'll continue. Although with a book to make, I dunno how long that will last...
The wife has apparently taken to heart my off-hand comment that as soon as I turn 40 I'll turn into a pinball fanatic and is planning on where the table is going to go. Bless her. What's a good table for someone with absolutely no skill and has really good long term replayability?
but we're only halfway to the next page
codswallop
Member
I finished (to end credits) five (5) video games over the Christmas break. Three of which were yesterday!
Far Cry 3 was oddly enjoyable. Story was stupid but taking over the bases was great.
Saints Row IV was dumb but fun. Got bored of Crackdowning for the orbs after a while but was fun being overpowered.
Antichamber was a bit 'eh'. For some reason I expected Escher-esque spatial puzzles and got whatever it delivered with coloured blocks. Deleted immediately after finishing.
Gunslinger was great fun. Shooting felt decent and the way the environment changed as the story was told was sweet.
Retro City Rampage got a bit shit near the end.
5/5
Also, AGDQ is on this week which makes going back to work slightly less crap.
Far Cry 3 was oddly enjoyable. Story was stupid but taking over the bases was great.
Saints Row IV was dumb but fun. Got bored of Crackdowning for the orbs after a while but was fun being overpowered.
Antichamber was a bit 'eh'. For some reason I expected Escher-esque spatial puzzles and got whatever it delivered with coloured blocks. Deleted immediately after finishing.
Gunslinger was great fun. Shooting felt decent and the way the environment changed as the story was told was sweet.
Retro City Rampage got a bit shit near the end.
5/5
Also, AGDQ is on this week which makes going back to work slightly less crap.
I completely smashed out Mass Effect 2 over the holidays.
I had only ever done about 2-3 hours of it and never gotten back to it. My hours now stand at 38 with every story quest and side quest completed.
I had a tonne of fun with the game, especially once I had a really big crew with a wide variety of aliens and personalities on board.
It's really fulfilling when you find a great squad combination for a mission or just in general. I normally favoured Samara + Jack or Garrus + Jack, and being a Soldier class meant I could lay down heavy fire with multiple ammo types while the tech and biotic attacks rained down.
Some of the writing was a bit dodgy, but it was pretty decent on the whole. I actually had some laugh out loud moments, especially with Joker and EDI.
I still love how my decisions in previous games effect the entire trilogy. I played about 34 minutes of ME3 just to get a feel for it and already I was getting unique conversations because of things I had chosen.
My only real annoyance was I didn't realise that there was DLC in ME2 (and ME3) that had extra squadmates that you could use during the main story. I installed all the DLC afterwards and some of it was a bit odd as I was recruiting extra people for a mission I had already completed.
Aside from that, the DLC was actually pretty great. Lair of the Shadow Broker was the cream of thecrop, that one surprised me mutlitple times. I also really enjoyed Overlord, good varied level design and gameplay, plus the ending was pretty shocking.
Can't wait to sink another 40 hours in to ME3. I grabbed the free Extended Ending DLC and also From Ashes, as it's a squadmate DLC. Damn you EA.
I had only ever done about 2-3 hours of it and never gotten back to it. My hours now stand at 38 with every story quest and side quest completed.
I had a tonne of fun with the game, especially once I had a really big crew with a wide variety of aliens and personalities on board.
It's really fulfilling when you find a great squad combination for a mission or just in general. I normally favoured Samara + Jack or Garrus + Jack, and being a Soldier class meant I could lay down heavy fire with multiple ammo types while the tech and biotic attacks rained down.
Some of the writing was a bit dodgy, but it was pretty decent on the whole. I actually had some laugh out loud moments, especially with Joker and EDI.
I still love how my decisions in previous games effect the entire trilogy. I played about 34 minutes of ME3 just to get a feel for it and already I was getting unique conversations because of things I had chosen.
My only real annoyance was I didn't realise that there was DLC in ME2 (and ME3) that had extra squadmates that you could use during the main story. I installed all the DLC afterwards and some of it was a bit odd as I was recruiting extra people for a mission I had already completed.
Aside from that, the DLC was actually pretty great. Lair of the Shadow Broker was the cream of thecrop, that one surprised me mutlitple times. I also really enjoyed Overlord, good varied level design and gameplay, plus the ending was pretty shocking.
Can't wait to sink another 40 hours in to ME3. I grabbed the free Extended Ending DLC and also From Ashes, as it's a squadmate DLC. Damn you EA.
shanshan310
Member
Saw him on the ABC this morning. So out of touch with reality. I think he really believes women like having invasive surgery regularly because they are too lazy to buy condoms.
Just a local business that sells computers and repairs them. It wasn't sold as second hand. It cost me $1,300 -_-
that seems...too expensive D:
like, you coulda got a sweet macbook with that money!
Ruthless_Barbarian
Member
Yep, it's the game. 2 months and a dozen updates later. Broken piece of shit.
$1300! What specs? Sounds like you got ripped off really bad.
From Ashes is good. The squad mate you get from that is pretty enlightening.
Ruthless_Barbarian
Member
Isn't he the same idiot who said gay marriage will lead to bestiality?
What the fuck is wrong with politicians from South Australia?
Also, next episode of Sherlock is out.
Yeah from what I read online it sounded like it was the one DLC to get if you want to go light.
I did some googling and it looks like From Ashes and Citadel are the way to go, and maybe Leviathan. Too expensive though, can't believe there isn't a discounted pack for all of it by now. Bloody EA!
200 posts per page?
Edit: Also, I made a post defending Polygon. I need to get the filth off me. And yeah, holying it.
Hah, cheers. Not as epic as it was a few weeks ago:
I hope this is how you feel
LOL. Took me a minute to recognise the image. But yeah, mostly that's how I feel.
Planet_JASE
Member
I had the title "Trying to Kick a Bad Abbot" in my head the last week or so.
You like Ben Kuchera, don't you.
Just start shouting "DURKA, DURKA, JIHAD," I'm sure it will work out fine.
If I grow a beard, I don't even need to. That's all anyone hears regardless of what I say.
Whoa now, calm down there buddy.
From what I can Leviathan is the mission that gives you all the back-story for the ending. All the things that people were complaining came out of nowhere were cut out and sold months later as DLC.
Such backfire
Much schadenfreude
Lucian Cat
Kissed a mod for a tag; liked it
Hah, cheers. Not as epic as it was a few weeks ago:
LOL. Took me a minute to recognise the image. But yeah, mostly that's how I feel.
Seems I enjoy getting my arms into other people's photos
oh the shame.
Ruthless_Barbarian
Member
Sucks for you. I've never had that problem.
Dammit, might have to get that one as well.
It felt really odd playing all of the ME2 DLC after finishing the main game, so I don't wanna have that issue again with ME3.
shanshan310
Member
Your post has reminded me that I need to reply to that kickstarter email of yours...
As for pinball, the first thing that springs to mind is, why wait until 40?! You'll just be angry that you didn't start earlier and you're forever handicapped compared to people who've played all their life (at least, that's how I feel having only started 2 years ago...).
A good table to start with? It's really hard to say as, just like video games, there are so many different types that you need to work out what kind of game you'd like and what you will click with. My recommendation would be to download Pinball Arcade and buy all of the tables and play them. At the same time, find where real pinball machines exist in your local area (there are phone apps and things) and try those. However, it's likely guaranteed that pinball in the wild will be the newer ones and they may not be completely up your alley. I prefer the solid states from the 80s and early 90s myself, and you don't see many of those around.
But, in the end, if you just want to take the plunge, you can't go wrong with picking a game in the top 50 from Pinside: http://pinside.com/pinball/top-100
Thanks Mar, was hoping you'd dispense some words of wisdom
Heh, the 40 quip was us doing some napkin math and us realising that I'll be 40 by the time I the money / time to get my man cave set up just the way I want it (custom shelves and lighting is expensive, who knew), so I was like oh well by the time that happens I'll have given up on video games and gotten into pinball, everyone I know who's done that seems so much happier
Oh man, there's a Simpsons pinball table in that top 100 list's top 20. That looks right up my wheelhouse. (Heads to YouTube)
I got Pinball Arcade on Wii I think? I better go give that a bash tonight Most of my pinball time is spent on Pinball FX 2. I played some Goldeneye a week or so back at the hotel I stayed at, and I thought it was terribly difficult. They had a Red & Ted's Roadshow that was kinda broken I think? Sigh :/
And yeah fill out that Kickstarter survey so I have more comics to draw hahah
Heh, the 40 quip was us doing some napkin math and us realising that I'll be 40 by the time I the money / time to get my man cave set up just the way I want it (custom shelves and lighting is expensive, who knew), so I was like oh well by the time that happens I'll have given up on video games and gotten into pinball, everyone I know who's done that seems so much happier
Oh man, there's a Simpsons pinball table in that top 100 list's top 20. That looks right up my wheelhouse. (Heads to YouTube)
I got Pinball Arcade on Wii I think? I better go give that a bash tonight
Most of my pinball time is spent on Pinball FX 2. I played some Goldeneye a week or so back at the hotel I stayed at, and I thought it was terribly difficult. They had a Red & Ted's Roadshow that was kinda broken I think? Sigh :/And yeah fill out that Kickstarter survey so I have more comics to draw hahah
Heh, the 40 quip was us doing some napkin math and us realising that I'll be 40 by the time I the money / time to get my man cave set up just the way I want it (custom shelves and lighting is expensive, who knew), so I was like oh well by the time that happens I'll have given up on video games and gotten into pinball, everyone I know who's done that seems so much happier
I'm dying to make a game room. I just need to keep resisting because I need a house to put one in first... Still saving up and that's going to keep taking longer if I keep buying stuff...
Just watch this instead, much better! http://papa.org/2012/12/03/the-simpsons-pinball-party-tutorial/
Cool so you can go in and get them to fix it. Under Consumer Law products sold as new must have a minimum of 12 months warranty and a number of years of what they call Statutory warranty(this takes going to court etc). So it makes it illegal for them to refuse warranty claims head off to the store ask for a repair if they refuse tell them they will be contacted by ACCC soon and follow it up fuck losing out on a $1300 laptop due to a dodgy repair shop. You are also within rights to as for a full refund.
Best place is usually (I shit you not) PSN. Best keep an eye out on ozbargains as they're normally pretty quick on posting good deals for it. Mine expired a month ago, so I'm just hopping along a few months at a time at full retail until a sale comes up.
Mar's very much bang on the money with all his advice. I think that Simpsons one will set you back around $5k-ish, possibly more.
The Pinside top 50 is a fairly safe bet as well, I think if you find something you like outside of that on the first go it's probably because you know your pinball.
If it was my game room and I was getting my first one, I probably wouldn't stray far away from the sort of machine I wound up with... that being a mid-80s classic that was under $2k. Newer generally means you'll pay more, but there are bargains to be had if it's an unpopular theme... Baywatch is quite good and generally found cheap, for example. Hell, Street Fighter 2 isn't an amazing game but could be perfect if you only want to play it every so often (and it would go with your upright vidya arcade machine splendidly).
Most important thing to realise is that as long as you get a reasonable deal on one (Mar and I can help with that, as well as countless locals I'm sure) if you don't like it you're practically guaranteed of not losing any money on it if you decide to sell. Pinnies are amazing like that! (makes them easier to justify buying, too)
Do you know anyone outside of Mar and myself who have machines? You should visit them, bring some beers and have a flip around with whatever they have, see if it's something you could envisage having. Hit them up for ideas as well, they may even know people who are getting rid of a machine for cheap. That's pretty much how you'll find the best deals... not through eBay or classifieds, but knowing a guy who knows a guy who has to make room for a new machine he's getting soon.everyone I know who's done that seems so much happier
Oh BTW Gaz, can I change my three things? I've had some ideas since filling it out. PS. Not to have it as one of my three things, but why haven't you done Crackdown yet? I guess it's "retro" now seeing as it's officially last-gen?
Planet_JASE
Member
Jintor, I'm not sure if you saw it but I replied to your post in the comic thread. I found the issue that you were looking for on Comixology. If digital is okay, you can get it for $1.99, along with much of that series.
Great point. I would also add that finding a nice classic for 2k or under doesn't mean you are buying a subpar experience. Many of the best machines of all time are games from the mid 80s and early 90s. And Gaz, if you are anything like me (and I think you are), you'll probably gravitate to this era anyway as retro doesn't just mean it's old, in my opinion the art and sound on these are far better than the newer machines. Take Firepower for example, you play that and the sound effects are basically ripped from Robotron 2084 (same company, same sound designer). When I play that my mind is blasted back into the arcades I grew up in, even though I never touched a pinball machine back then.
Excuse my possible ignorance, but you're in Brisbane aren't you? Join the local league and see where it takes you: http://www.aussiearcade.com.au/showthread.php/60582-Regular-Brisbane-Pinball-Club-Meet/page2
Pinball people are cool. They like to play games and chat in real life. It's fun.
Still surprises me how cool pinball people really are. It's not like people who like "video games", because that covers so much more than a general style of that hobby. It's probably closer to a group of people who like a specific *type* of video game. Like shmups. Not everyone likes all shmups (R-Type to Raiden to Cave shooters) but because they're all basically the same (like pinball) it's a common thing everyone shares anyway and everyone who likes those types of games generally appreciates all of them anyway.
If that makes sense?
Anyway, yeah. It also helps that it's mostly older people who enjoy it, meaning that it's unlikely to be a passing fad for these people. They can talk about how they've grown up with it throughout the years rather than just being a thing that's existed recently. Plus, regardless of new innovations and whatever, you're still using two buttons to push a ball around some wood... in that regard, basically nothing's changed in the last 50 years or whatever.
For as many problems I have with The Pinball Arcade, it does let me play a fuckton of pinball so while it isn't the same - it scratches that itch.
Next PAX I really must get in on the pinball.
As for beards, my partner requested I grow one for movember and I've kept it. I'm not sure about it yet, but other people are being nice about it at least.
Next PAX I really must get in on the pinball.
As for beards, my partner requested I grow one for movember and I've kept it. I'm not sure about it yet, but other people are being nice about it at least.
Do you have an iPhone? There's an app which I think is both ad-supported and $1 which has user-submitted locations of pinball machines. It's global, so it might be worth tracking down to find something local to you
Or if you're in Melbourne (I can't remember if you are or not, damnit) melbournepinballfinder.wordpress.com
Edit: Oh, wait. You'll be in Melbourne for PAX! If you're earnest about it (and why not?) (and if there's anyone else, you're obviously more than welcome to join in) maybe we'll find a day and hit up a few spots!
Awesome, thanks! I guess I'll just plonk down for three months and see what happens. Damn, Instant Game Collection is such a stupidly good deal for someone like me who doesn't usually play games when they're released.
Yikes, $5k is probably a biiiiiit much for what is essentially one game, even though I am a stupid Simpsons fan who still enjoys new episodes
And I'm sure it would tickle the wife pink if I bought a Street Fighter 2 pinball table, I do remember sucking at that one a lot back in the day. Good lord the art for that was terrible. It was probably a bad game, come to think of it.I think I need to drill down into the table list and find something cheap and cheerful, my big requirement is that it's easy to play and offers a lot of depth.
Hahaha thanks I will definitely remember that when it comes time to make the negotiations with the financial controller
Yeah that definitely seems to be the way to go. I know a couple of folks who have machines, and I really should get around to going over and playing sometime.
One thing I really, really want to change in 2014 is that I need to leave the house and socialise more.
After the book is done...
Dude, yeah, no problem at all. I have no idea if Kickstarter lets you fill out the form again or not (I know I can't resend out surveys, which is a bummer) but you can always just drop me an email gazunta@gazunta.com
And yeah Crackdown's last gen but I dunno if I'd go calling it retro just yet...I saw a retro magazine on the shelves the other week that mentioned Half Life 2 on the cover and I'm like UH NO FUCK THAT AIN'T RETRO SHEESH.
Does beg the question of what the statute of limitations on something being a 'retro game' would be, though. 10 years? Eh, that means TY 2 GBA is retro, I'm not ready for that yet.
20 years? So Blast Corps wouldn't be retro? Nah that can't be right. 15 years seems...yeah, I'm OK with that. 1998.Oh man, you're absolutely right. Yes totally. And I think the more mechanical the machine is the better chance I have of being able to maintain it, too. Damn, now that I'm thinking about it I'm remembering I sunk a LOT of time on pinball machines during that era. They offered the best time / money value with the exception of games I knew I could get a solid fifteen minutes out of like Galaga or Street Fighter x. When I had five dollars to my name and needed to kill five hours in the arcade, I'd be headed to the Jurassic Park table every time.
Fucking great suggestion. Thanks!
Yeah totally that makes total sense. It's part of what attracts me to the retro gaming community so much too. It's a shared experience that we went through together even though we didn't know each other back then. Kinda like high school reunions except, you know, playing video games and pinball taught you real life skills, and you're surrounded by people who actually matter.
Thanks guys, this is awesome.
How's everyone else handling being back at work?
The anxiety attacks are telling me "not well".
BananaArnie
Member
mega the bots broken
i dont care what your not picture thing says
i dont care what your not picture thing says
Not back until Thursday or Friday, but flying out tomorrow! Can't wait, I love work lol
On the topic of depth, something that I really only noticed since owning High Speed is that depth really isn't the be-all and end-all of pinball machines. For example (this will take a bit) the main rule of HS is as follows: There are three banks of targets, each have a green, yellow and red (traffic lights, duh). You have to light all targets to start the main mode (running the red light aka multiball) and they can only be lit in their colour groups from green to red. So green three times, then yellow, then red. Then you have to make a somewhat tricky loop shot twice, once to "run the red light" and then next to "escape/get away" from the cops. Multiball starts, then if you hit this loop again during multiball, you get the jackpot. That's basically the entire game, save for a few features here and there (certainly not full modes).
But, I can't stop playing it. That's because it's tricky as hell, so it's likely there's a balance between how easy a game is (to keep the ball in play, not to necessarily complete) and how deep the ruleset needs to be. Another great example is Bride of Pinbot (which Mar will be able to attest to). I'm yet to play it in person, but it has a similarly basic aim and there's not necessarily much to do other than that. But it's easy to understand, not as brutal as High Speed and it's known as a great table for good players and beginners because it's not so deep in that you feel you're missing out if you don't play the hell out of it.
Um, so none of that probably makes much sense, but my point is that you shouldn't think you need to get a game that's deep in order to get extended playtime out of it. I guess it's like going to a carnival... if it's only got a few rides but they're all rad, you don't mind (even if it means you don't stay there for too long) as long as you have fun with them. But if you go some place that has lots and lots of rides, it can take a lot of effort to see all of them and feel like you've gotten your money's worth (and that's if they're all good).
Yeah, that analogy will do.
PS. Bride of Pinbot would likely be a *great* first game to get. Like I mentioned, it's simple and has enough personality and flair that it appeals to a wide range of people. And it can be had for fairly cheap too (~$2,500 should get you a half-decent one).
Let me have a think about tables that would fit into that sort of mold and I'll get back to you
They may not be ones you necessarily like, but it'll give you a point from which to work from.- Status