I don't mind text heavy, as long as it moves something along.

Alongside W2, I am playing the Skyrim mod Enderal with my wife. It's a total conversion with its custom setting and rules (manual levelling with different skills and perks, although the basic system and combat is close to vanilla) and a promised 20-100 hours of gameplay.

Judging by the first few hours, it is better than Skyrim in all the ways that bugged my about Skyrim. The world so far feels handcrafted with love and attention, not as large but with plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. Rather than the vast emptiness of Skyrim, it reminds me more of Gothic. (You mentioned you couldn't get into it, Joe; here's your chance for a similar experience!) Investigating a ruined tower or shipwreck actually feels worthwhile and the encounters are different, placed by hand. I don't know if exploration loses some of its charm later, when you already have good loot and have seen the enemies, but there are 100 collectible magical symbols hidden around the island if that sort of thing motivates you. And it's gorgeous: much more colourful and exotic than endless taiga.

The story begins with a very eerie note of mystery and psychological horror, it's fully voice-acted (pretty professionally). I can't say where it goes from here, but the writing seems really effective at introducing you to a new world without too much exposition.

All in all, it feels like a triple-A game in its own right, not a free mod by amateurs. I highly, highly recommend it.

http://sureai.net/games/enderal/?lang=en

Written by IronAngel on 14.11.2016 at 00:37


Judging by the first few hours, it is better than Skyrim in all the ways that bugged my about Skyrim. The world so far feels handcrafted with love and attention, not as large but with plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. Rather than the vast emptiness of Skyrim, it reminds me more of Gothic. (You mentioned you couldn't get into it, Joe; here's your chance for a similar experience!) Investigating a ruined tower or shipwreck actually feels worthwhile and the encounters are different, placed by hand. I don't know if exploration loses some of its charm later, when you already have good loot and have seen the enemies, but there are 100 collectible magical symbols hidden around the island if that sort of thing motivates you. And it's gorgeous: much more colourful and exotic than endless taiga.

The story begins with a very eerie note of mystery and psychological horror, it's fully voice-acted (pretty professionally). I can't say where it goes from here, but the writing seems really effective at introducing you to a new world without too much exposition.

All in all, it feels like a triple-A game in its own right, not a free mod by amateurs. I highly, highly recommend it.

http://sureai.net/games/enderal/?lang=en

Smaller world with a more handcrafted feel is pretty much where I think open world games need to be so might look into that. I did try Falskaar once but it all seemed very vanilla and dull so didn't get far into it. Enderal definitely looks a bit more distinct. Seems it doesn't have level scaling as well which is a big plus for me.

Written by [user id=142921] on 14.11.2016 at 11:20

Morrowind. So damn good. On the Mt Rushmore of old PC games along with Deus Ex, Thief and Vampire: TM-B.

Actually me too - in addition to Witcher 2 and Enderal referenced above, and an unfinished playthrough of Underrail (which I put on hold to finish New Vegas).

I posted here some years ago, I think, about starting a playthrough with a proper Nerevarine-themed character, dark elf with magic and spear and medium armor, nationalistic child of emigrant parents returning to Vvardenfell to unite his people and bridge the gulf between Ashlanders and the Great Houses. Since then I've gone through two clean installations (new PC and then upgrade to Win 10) but finally I took the time to dick around with the backups and get it working again. What a relief. I just became boss of Telvanni, gonna go get myself declared Nerevarine next. I've already spent 84 hours on my Steam version (i.e. this playthrough), and I wager my pre-Steam hours would total close to a thousand, but I have never finished the main quest. That's my goal this time around (and then maybe do the classic mod that continues the storyline after that, with the Blades).

And if you still didn't get Enderal, here's the trailer and a review (minor spoilers in the trailer, actually, not so in the review):

Written by [user id=4365] on 14.11.2016 at 13:16

Smaller world with a more handcrafted feel is pretty much where I think open world games need to be so might look into that. I did try Falskaar once but it all seemed very vanilla and dull so didn't get far into it. Enderal definitely looks a bit more distinct. Seems it doesn't have level scaling as well which is a big plus for me.

I don't think it does, no. I am not sure how "open world" the experience will be in the end: I tried walking in a different direction and sure enough, saw a keep in the distance and I think I could have gone through a valley to some other area. But there was a monster in the way that I could not beat at my level without expending pretty much all my stuff, and no doubt more ahead. So there is a clear direction for you to go, although there's stuff to explore on the way and the theoretical possibility to go somewhere else entirely.

Written by IronAngel on 14.11.2016 at 13:22

I don't think it does, no. I am not sure how "open world" the experience will be in the end: I tried walking in a different direction and sure enough, saw a keep in the distance and I think I could have gone through a valley to some other area. But there was a monster in the way that I could not beat at my level without expending pretty much all my stuff, and no doubt more ahead. So there is a clear direction for you to go, although there's stuff to explore on the way and the theoretical possibility to go somewhere else entirely.

I don't mind a more guided experience, especially when it has a decent story to follow (which Enderal apparently has). I've pretty much never been engaged in an Elder Scrolls story so the change would be welcome.

Written by IronAngel on 14.11.2016 at 00:37



All in all, it feels like a triple-A game in its own right, not a free mod by amateurs. I highly, highly recommend it.

http://sureai.net/games/enderal/?lang=en

Yeah I've put a few hours into it and really impressed. I've spent a lot of time exploring a relatively small area which is something I would never do in Skyrim because I know it would be empty, whereas in Enderal you can find chests and whatnot almost anywhere. The design feels totally different really and seems really dense and intentionally designed with lots of interesting areas. Only found a few dungeons but again the design is leaps and bounds ahead of Skyrim which still feels like they were made by algorithms. Hoping it all holds up and I don't start to see similarity creep in.

The enemy AI seems a bit better too. Still not perfect but in Skyrim I could cheese the game so easily with a bow, but in Enderal enemies react differently. Melee fighters rush to hide behind something and often remain there until I move position to find them. Wolves seem to sprint off when using a bow too, often right off where I can't find them. Spiders seem to relentlessly pursue me which can be difficult as I'm finding the combat much more challenging, especially with regards to healing. Also nice little touches like how bandits won't necessarily attack you unless you get too near them etc.

One of my worries going in was that I wouldn't be able to able to escape the Skyrim-y feel of it, but despite the UI and some obviously similar assets it feels quite different, I'm sure in large part to the visual style and music, but the writing seems less generic too. Haven't experienced much of the story but it's definitely more engaging so far.

Somewhat slightly concerned about the leveling though with regard to the basic stat points you can invest in. It's all done through finding the right books but so far I haven't found any that relate to the character I want to make and they seem few and far between. Hoping they become more abundant when I reach some big cities or whatnot. Performance is odd too: it goes from a smooth 60fps to huge drops if I look in certain directions at various points. Nothing gamebreaking though.

Was playing this indie rpg game named Creepy Castle, which apparently is a bit like Cave Story gameplay-wise, since it's a 2d platform game, except that you have ot fight the enemies in a turn battle system and get to level up and that stuff.
one thing: The ost is awesome. What's with all those awesome osts on indie games lately? Not realy ocmplaining though, keep them coming.
other thing: This battle system oughta be the best turn based battlesystem ever, omg those minigames are so fun. I haven't had that fun in minigames since Undertale, but I think this style is even better because it requires an even broader set of skills.

Back to FO4 now that PS4 gets mods. just for a while. then back to Witcher III.

at least can skip FFXV based upon Fat & Sassy's comments.

Important and great news: Neverwinter Nights: Diamond Edition is currently free on GOG.

Written by Metren on 03.12.2016 at 11:43

Important and great news: Neverwinter Nights: Diamond Edition is currently free on GOG.

Thanks! I have the Gold Edition lying around here somewhere, but since it's free I might as well upgrade ^^

So yeah, I just bought a PS4 and Bloodborne GOTY and holy shit: THIS GAME IS DIFFICULT! I selected the weakest class and can't even beat the first boss My weapon scaling dropped immediately and I don't know why. Seriously, what the heck?! Dark Souls is an easy ride in comparision... But I won't give up

Written by Paz on 12.12.2016 at 21:20

So yeah, I just bought a PS4 and Bloodborne GOTY and holy shit: THIS GAME IS DIFFICULT! I selected the weakest class and can't even beat the first boss My weapon scaling dropped immediately and I don't know why. Seriously, what the heck?! Dark Souls is an easy ride in comparision... But I won't give up

Dunno if you know, or want to know, but once you fight the first boss you can level up, even if you die fighting him. I managed to beat the first two before dying, but I didn't choose the Waste of Skin class like I'm assuming you did =P

Can't explain the weapon scaling dropping though...

Haha, yeah, Waste Of Skin + Saw Cleaver is not a good combo

I started again as a Military Veteran with Hunter Axe... The first boss wasn't a big problem this time. Gr8 game!

Written by [user id=4365] on 13.12.2016 at 00:38

I managed to beat the first two before dying

Did you kill the first wolf with your bare hands?! Whoa...

Written by Paz on 13.12.2016 at 14:50

Did you kill the first wolf with your bare hands?! Whoa...

Oh that one, no I died on that but I don't count it =P

Written by [user id=4365] on 13.12.2016 at 15:03

Oh that one, no I died on that but I don't count it =P

Lol, I'm disappointed

Written by Paz on 13.12.2016 at 16:35

Lol, I'm disappointed

Come to think of it I think I did die on the way up to the boss at some point, so not so great after all.

Written by [user id=4365] on 13.12.2016 at 16:42

Come to think of it I think I did die on the way up to the boss at some point, so not so great after all.

You're still way better than me

Written by Paz on 13.12.2016 at 16:48


You're still way better than me

When Bloodborne came out I'd been playing Dark Souls 2 for weeks so was properly set up and trained in dodging rather than using a shield I haven't played the DLC yet though which seems to be way harder than the main game.

Written by [user id=4365] on 13.12.2016 at 17:12

When Bloodborne came out I'd been playing Dark Souls 2 for weeks so was properly set up and trained in dodging rather than using a shield I haven't played the DLC yet though which seems to be way harder than the main game.

Oh, that explains everything We'll see. Honestly, I don't even know how to access the DLC. I just hope it is not as complicated as in DS1...

So far, the only downfall of the game is the lack of weapons in the early levels. But Kirkhammer is probably my all-time fave when it comes to Miyazaki's games. I love the moveset. And when powered, it really hits hard!

From times to times I play Brutal Doom. If someone doesn't know it:

Written by Cass on 21.12.2016 at 22:39

From times to times I play Brutal Doom. If someone doesn't know it:

i speedrun it for most part of last year. Only thing i could not managed to do is to make rocket jump in e1m7 to shorten my time by about 2 minutes on that map (i could do the small rocket jump that cuts about 1 minute there ).

i dont like v20 though cause Sergeant Mark IV messed with jump/gravity on it so it became a bit slower .

Meh, finished W2 and grabbed Wild Hunt GOTY from the Steam sale. I am very sceptical of it - W2 was okayish - but since it's lauded left and right as the BEST GAME EVER I guess I need to give it a shot. If it's mediocre, at least I can trash it to irritate rabid fans.

Found an original PS 1 Final Fantasy VII at the city where I am currently working. Cost me 47 euros, but it was in mint condition and I didn't have the PS 1 version yet. Happy as hell, gonna be playing (for the fourth time overall) soon, one of the greatest games of all time.

Only the last boss has left in Bloodborne Thankfully they've added some cool new weapons with the DLC. The Brador's set is also hella nice.

Dark Souls III is already waiting for its' turn...

Written by [user id=142921] on 26.12.2016 at 13:35

Arx Fatalis

Old as dirt. Doesn't even work w/o a community install. In fact it dropped in the same year as Morrowind which is probably why it's fairly unknown. While quite tedious at times with it's backtracking and lack of sprint it has some interesting ideas. To use spells you draw symbols with your mouse like you do in The Void. Nice experimentation but it doesn't really mesh that well. It's too gimmicky for a game like this. 99% of the time I just walk backwards while trying to get the game to register the right spell as the enemy charges me. It has one of if not the best footstep sounds of any game and an interesting cooking feature. Ambience is nice too. The fact that most of the game is underground leads to areas feeling a bit samey. It's also a shame the stealth system is nowhere near as refined as Thief's to take advantage of the great footstep sounds. In the end not on par with Morrowind but solid regardless.

I highly approve
You can store up to 3 spells so that you can cast them instantly
It's ambiance is better than Morrowind imo (but of course, different games etc)

Okay yeah, I kind of get the hype now. Wild Hunt is definitely the best Witcher game. The second didn't have much actual witchering to do, it was a linear political drama. This one is all about the work.

It's not terribly difficult, though. I started with the second hardest difficulty and yeah, the prologue was fairly challenging. Once I got into the world, though, I upped it to Death March and it's still pretty easy. That's a shame, I wanted some hardcore monsterslaying tactics.

I'm still in Velen so I expect some of the exploration will get old (oh look another bandit camp) and there are issues with it: story relies on random book trivia completely unknown to you even if you finished both previous games; markers are so unambiguous that there's no real exploration; character build is almost as narrow and inconsequential as before (which is part of staying true to the character, sure); right-clicking to follow glowing red objects is not very interesting gameplay to "investigate" every single thing; combat is repetitive.

So no, I don't see how this is the greatest game ever. I think it's lacking in core gameplay. The quests, dialogue and world, though, are really good. Many details that make the semi-open world seem more interesting than, say, Arkham City or Skyrim.

Written by [user id=142921] on 02.01.2017 at 12:39

Baldur's Gate 2

A blast so far. Skipped the 1st one because no time. I chose to pick this up because it always comes up in 'best dialogue' and 'best RPG' discussions. Quests are adventurous with many creative dialogue lines. Combat is tough at times so thank RPGesus for quick save and quick load.

To be honest I would be playing Planescape Torment instead but it's not on Steam and I was too lazy to make a GoG account. Soon after purchasing BG2 I briefly researched the best quotes on each game and Planescape's offerings trump BG2's. After I finish this game I may have to make that GoG account after all. When a game has lines this how can you not want to play it?... (open image in new tab if too small)



This isn't too say BG2's isn't pure quality, it really is but I'm yet to come across anything remotely close to it.

Your pathetic magics are useless. LET THIS END!

Sorry, had to chime in with one of my fave Irenicus quotes. Used that far too often in P-N-P sessions. BG2 is still one of my absolute faves.

Anyone know any good (preferably cheap/indie/...) co-op games for 3 to 4 people? Just finished the Trine trilogy with some friends and I love playing those kind of games.

Written by [user id=142921] on 02.01.2017 at 12:39

Baldur's Gate 2

A blast so far. Skipped the 1st one because no time. I chose to pick this up because it always comes up in 'best dialogue' and 'best RPG' discussions. Quests are adventurous with many creative dialogue lines. Combat is tough at times so thank RPGesus for quick save and quick load.

To be honest I would be playing Planescape Torment instead but it's not on Steam and I was too lazy to make a GoG account. Soon after purchasing BG2 I briefly researched the best quotes on each game and Planescape's offerings trump BG2's. After I finish this game I may have to make that GoG account after all. When a game has lines this how can you not want to play it?

At least BG 2 is a game and not a book that's pretending to be a game