What Are You Playing 6: DLCs of Kevin Bacon

[Zevox]

probably doesn't. but neither does it really count as "early" or "good" Bioware.

like DAO and Mass Effect 1 I'd say is the probably the point most people will agree upon Bioware still being good before it went downhill. Mass effect is a little better handled than Dragon Age so you probably get more people liking ME2 than Dragon Age 2, and you will find people who say "I like all of ME3 except for the ending and the child dream parts" but I don't remember anyone speaking well of Inquisition.

Oh, certainly. My point was more that it's kind of hard to say what current Bioware is actually like, since their releases have slowed waaay down. Mass Effect: Andromeda is older now than ME1 was when ME3 came out, yet the only game they've made since Andromeda is Anthem. We know they're supposedly working on both a new Dragon Age and a new Mass Effect, but we've seen nothing particularly concrete on either, just a couple of teaser trailers that don't tell us much and don't show anything resembling gameplay, so who knows what the status of those projects really are. At this point, Bioware kind of feels dormant, honestly.

[MinimanMidget]

It's spiritual-spiritual successor Prey (2017) nails that down pretty good, at least until mid-endgame. And even then I think that was only because I just stockpiled ammo for the big boy guns all game and mostly used the pistol (which has relatively plentiful ammo since you can craft it easily) and wrench.

Yeah, but I'm 10 hours in and I still have to beat enemies to death with the wrench, because even pistol ammo is ridiculously scarce and prohibitively expensive to buy. 30 bullets would completely clean me out. And on top of that, keeping the pistol from getting broken requires maintenance kits that are rare and only repair 1/10 (depending on your maintenance skill, but still). When I say scarcity, I'm talking about to the point of desperation.

Oh yeah, and a bunch of the enemies explode on death, so the wrench is not exactly a weapon of choice.

[Rynjin]

Yeah, but I'm 10 hours in and I still have to beat enemies to death with the wrench, because even pistol ammo is ridiculously scarce and prohibitively expensive to buy. 30 bullets would completely clean me out. And on top of that, keeping the pistol from getting broken requires maintenance kits that are rare and only repair 1/10 (depending on your maintenance skill, but still). When I say scarcity, I'm talking about to the point of desperation.

Oh yeah, and a bunch of the enemies explode on death, so the wrench is not exactly a weapon of choice.

Prey mixes it up a bit in that I'm not 100% sure it's possible to do a wrench only run unless you know exactly what you're doing (i.e. not on a first playthrough). Some of the enemies in that game are DANGEROUS. So when you're down to just the pistol a lot of the time you DO feel pretty desperate. Like "I have 45 bullets left...each of these enemies takes between 8 and 17 to kill...there are 5 of them" type situations pop up a lot.

I had a lot of fun with it. It has a similar resource scarcity to a Resident Evil game. There's enough if you use it wisely, but you're never going to feel...hopeless? That may be the right word for it.

[Mechalich]

Oh, certainly. My point was more that it's kind of hard to say what current Bioware is actually like, since their releases have slowed waaay down. Mass Effect: Andromeda is older now than ME1 was when ME3 came out, yet the only game they've made since Andromeda is Anthem. We know they're supposedly working on both a new Dragon Age and a new Mass Effect, but we've seen nothing particularly concrete on either, just a couple of teaser trailers that don't tell us much and don't show anything resembling gameplay, so who knows what the status of those projects really are. At this point, Bioware kind of feels dormant, honestly.

It's arguable that Bioware no longer really exists as an active developer. Its various components were integrated into EA's overall development setup in 2016/2017 and basically all of the veteran leadership left shortly thereafter. Really, at present Bioware is only really responsible for the continued existence of SWTOR. That's not nothing, that MMO's not dead yet, but it's not a lot. Any future Dragon Age or Mass Effect games will be EA co-productions at best.

Bioware's name remains valuable, of course, because of the ongoing trend of re-releases and remakes in the gaming market. Mass Effect Legendary Edition made a lot of money. A KOTOR remake and potentially a Dragon Age legendary could also bring in serious sales.

[Zevox]

It's arguable that Bioware no longer really exists as an active developer. Its various components were integrated into EA's overall development setup in 2016/2017 and basically all of the veteran leadership left shortly thereafter. Really, at present Bioware is only really responsible for the continued existence of SWTOR. That's not nothing, that MMO's not dead yet, but it's not a lot. Any future Dragon Age or Mass Effect games will be EA co-productions at best.

Bioware's name remains valuable, of course, because of the ongoing trend of re-releases and remakes in the gaming market. Mass Effect Legendary Edition made a lot of money. A KOTOR remake and potentially a Dragon Age legendary could also bring in serious sales.

That... makes a lot of sense, honestly, given how things have gone for Bioware, and how long it's taking for them to have anything worthwhile to say about the new Dragon Age or Mass Effect. A shame, though considering the state they were in during the mid-2010s, I guess it's not that surprising.

BTW though, a Knights of the Old Republic Remake was already announced last year, and Bioware doesn't seem connected to it at all, at least that they've said. It's being developed by a company called Aspyr, who have previously mostly just done ports of games.

[Anonymouswizard]

Dragon Age: Inquisition is getting close to a decade old; does it even count as "current Bioware" anymore? Even Mass Effect: Andromeda just passed 5 years old. The only particularly recent game they have at this point is Anthem.

Inquisition was picked because, to me, it represents a significant drop in quality and focus. Yes it's nearly a decade old, but to me it's the start of 'new' Bioware.

Even if the DLC for Inquisition is much better than the main game.

[Brother Oni]

I've just finished My Time at Portia, which is like a super chill, 3D version of Stardew Valley.

You start off as a young Builder, who's inherited their father's old workshop in the distant citystate of Portia. You move in and start meeting the townsfolk while building up your Workshop to do whatever you want - you can dive into post apocalyptic ruins and recover artifacts and technology of the old world, take building commissions from the local Chamber of Commerce, go fishing, or go farming and the animal husbandry route.

Most of the activities are optional, but the building and manufacturing side is critical to advancing through the game. There's some minor optimisations (e.g. setting an 8 hr manufacturing run on at midnight so it will be ready for when you wake up at 8am the following morning), but generally, the more machines, the better.

If you're willing to wait, it'll probably go on 75% sale again once the sequel goes into early access (My Time at Sandrock) towards the end of May.


All the building in My Time at Portia has given me a hankering for a real optimisation game - I didn't like Factorio too much as getting attacked while trying to optimise my production process is more stress than I'm looking for in a game at the moment, so I'm trying Dyson Sphere Program. It's in early access, so is missing some controls (like being able to turn machines off and on), but there's enough of the game to create a production queue spaghetti nightmare.

[IthilanorStPete]

All the building in My Time at Portia has given me a hankering for a real optimisation game - I didn't like Factorio too much as getting attacked while trying to optimise my production process is more stress than I'm looking for in a game at the moment, so I'm trying Dyson Sphere Program. It's in early access, so is missing some controls (like being able to turn machines off and on), but there's enough of the game to create a production queue spaghetti nightmare.

Factorio has a peaceful mode where the aliens won't attack, if you just want to work on automation and optimization without pressure (which I totally get). There's also Satisfactory, which has the added bonus of looking gorgeous and letting you experience walking around your factory in first person.

[Anonymouswizard]

More Greedfall, got to the actual island. The combat is honestly better than I expected, but the game seems to think I want to look like something other than an eighteenth century naval officer. Joke's on them, I'm never switching out of my doublet, cape, and hat. Well, unless I can get a better doublet or more impressive hat.

Fast tracked Science so I can craft bullets, and Charisma is going to get the next couple of raises. I do like the separation of the combat and non-combat stats, normally buffing my Charisma or Baking just feels like I'm making the combat harder.

And why really does seventeenth/eighteenth styled RPGs? It's more interesting than yet another medieval fantasy setting, the outfits are better, and there's just something satisfying about switching between sword and pistol. Let's have more varied settings and technology levels!

Now if you'll excuse me I need to work out why my new companion also has leaves growing out of her face.

[Taevyr]

And why really does seventeenth/eighteenth styled RPGs? It's more interesting than yet another medieval fantasy setting, the outfits are better, and there's just something satisfying about switching between sword and pistol. Let's have more varied settings and technology levels!

It's one of the reasons I enjoyed Deadfire and Tyranny so much: being willing to take a different historical period than the standard "vaguely medieval" setting, in those cases age of sail and early iron age, respectively.


Also why my own tabletop setting is "vaguely migration period/3rd century crisis" rather than anything else. Though I suspect the artificer PC has plans to change that.

[Anonymouswizard]

It's one of the reasons I enjoyed Deadfire and Tyranny so much: being willing to take a different historical period than the standard "vaguely medieval" setting, in those cases age of sail and early iron age, respectively.

Yeah, although the first Pillars of Eternity felt too safe for my liking. Really do need to get back to Tyranny though, it really is a great little game.

Also why my own tabletop setting is "vaguely migration period/3rd century crisis" rather than anything else. Though I suspect the artificer PC has plans to change that.

I've moved into a swashbuckling adventure phase, so the setting I'm hoping to run is roughly the early-modern period. Although I might just try to rework it into an alternate Earth to lighten the worldbuilding but avoid pissing off the people I'm likely playing with who actually know history.

[Zevox]

Inquisition was picked because, to me, it represents a significant drop in quality and focus. Yes it's nearly a decade old, but to me it's the start of 'new' Bioware.

Even if the DLC for Inquisition is much better than the main game.

Is it now? I never actually played any of the DLC for Inquisition. The first one they were putting out didn't sound like it was worth spending money on, and by the time they started putting out DLC that was relevant to the story, I had moved on and wasn't interested in revisiting the game anymore.

[MCerberus]

It's one of the reasons I enjoyed Deadfire and Tyranny so much: being willing to take a different historical period than the standard "vaguely medieval" setting, in those cases age of sail and early iron age, respectively.

This is why I still hold out for Crimson Skies 3. Alternate history interwar period where you're unapologetically an Errol Flynn character. Wait I have game pass I should play the xbox version for nostalgias

[Anonymouswizard]

Is it now? I never actually played any of the DLC for Inquisition. The first one they were putting out didn't sound like it was worth spending money on, and by the time they started putting out DLC that was relevant to the story, I had moved on and wasn't interested in revisiting the game anymore.

They don't seem to require power grinding beyond unlocking the area, and then present an actual questline. It kind of makes them better than the main game by default.


Anyway, playing Greedfall and I've noticed an annoying trend. So far every single Charisma check I've come across which also has a bribe option has failed, meaning I have to choose between completing the associated quests or upgrading my equipment. This is despite passing every other Charisma check I've come across. Which is annoying, especially as I'm saving up for a new gun and completing the side quests will basically wipe me out.

I don't want to say that the rolls are rigged, but it very much feels that way at the moment. I actually Ctrl-F4ed out of the game after the last one, because I was so close to finally having enough cash

[Cygnia]

What difficulty are you playing on? I never needed to buy a new gun. I also try to make sure Petrus is my companion when I needed Charisma checks.

[Anonymouswizard]

What difficulty are you playing on? I never needed to buy a new gun. I also try to make sure Petrus is my companion when I needed Charisma checks.

Normal, and it's less 'I need a new gun' and more 'ive found a gun I want'.

EDIT: and two more Charisma checks for the easy routes for quests, of course both fail.

First they give you an objective that potentially requires spending money, then they throw another at you that leaves you with the choice which requires either spending a lot of money (that I don't have because I had to spend it on other quests) or passing a Charisma check.

Save scumming feels wrong, but my ability to get the talents that'll help complete these quests is FOUR LEVELS AWAY. Levels that at the moment I only get by completing quests. The end result is just frustration and rage quitting because I built my character assuming that I'd have to do some combat for a bit instead of immediately being dropped in a side quest hub.

[NeoVid]

Anyway, playing Greedfall and I've noticed an annoying trend. So far every single Charisma check I've come across which also has a bribe option has failed, meaning I have to choose between completing the associated quests or upgrading my equipment. This is despite passing every other Charisma check I've come across. Which is annoying, especially as I'm saving up for a new gun and completing the side quests will basically wipe me out.

Good news, Greedfall makes it pretty easy to get as much cash, gear, materials and XP as you feel like fighting for!

[Brother Oni]

Pottering along with Dyson Sphere Program and using your solar sail to his speeds of around 0.5 c to get to other planets in the system is very serene and peaceful.

Looting the aforementioned planets for their resources and coming back to base is going to get a bit tedious... oh hello, Interstellar Logistics System in the tech tree? "The magnificent space elevator realizes more convenient transportation of materials between planets."

Time to start researching.

Factorio has a peaceful mode where the aliens won't attack, if you just want to work on automation and optimization without pressure (which I totally get). There's also Satisfactory, which has the added bonus of looking gorgeous and letting you experience walking around your factory in first person.

Huh, peaceful aliens wasn't an option available when I first got the game - I must get back to it sometime.

I've been holding off Satisfactory as I suffer from simulation sickness (motion sickness induced by first person games), so don't really want to splash out on a new game only to find that I can only play it an hour a day.

More Greedfall, got to the actual island. The combat is honestly better than I expected, but the game seems to think I want to look like something other than an eighteenth century naval officer. Joke's on them, I'm never switching out of my doublet, cape, and hat. Well, unless I can get a better doublet or more impressive hat.

I like Greedfall - go guns heavy build, get ALL DA DAKKA!

Unfortunately the PS4 I was playing it on died and I'm mustering the enthusiasm to go back into it. Charisma in Greedfall is weird - if you meet the threshold for a check, then you automatically succeed. If you don't, then it does an RNG check and if you've played Bloodbowl or X-Com, you know what those are like.

[Eldan]

Got Cyberpunk because it was half off and I was out of games. Not very far in, only did one mission, but it looks enjoyable so far. Nice environments, gunplay feels serviceable, characters are likeable enough.

[Rynjin]

I thought Cyberpunk got a bad rap. It's a good game overall, it's just not the savior of modern gaming everybody decided it was supposed to be before release.

[Eldan]

Though I did plow into about six walls until I saw there was a button to change cameras while driving.

[factotum]

I thought Cyberpunk got a bad rap. It's a good game overall, it's just not the savior of modern gaming everybody decided it was supposed to be before release.

I think it gets a "bad rap" mainly because it was released on the PS4 and XBox One, even though neither console could run the game properly? That smacked of an arrogant cash grab on behalf of CD Projekt Red. If they'd come clean and said, "Sorry, we won't be releasing on these platforms at launch because we can't get it to run decently" people would have been upset, but less so.

[Cygnia]

Unfortunately the PS4 I was playing it on died and I'm mustering the enthusiasm to go back into it.

It's now causing it to crash on the hubby's computer. Which is odd, as we have the same type of computer and graphics card and I've played it twice on mine with no troubles.

[Brother Oni]

It's now causing it to crash on the hubby's computer. Which is odd, as we have the same type of computer and graphics card and I've played it twice on mine with no troubles.

I'd ask your husband to check his drivers for the graphics card and motherboard, then if they're up to date or it still crashes, look into what background stuff is running (in case there's RAM/CPU differences) and how much free space each computer has.

[GloatingSwine]

I thought Cyberpunk got a bad rap. It's a good game overall, it's just not the savior of modern gaming everybody decided it was supposed to be before release.

I dunno. Once you get past the shiny and the bugs it's mostly a pretty average open world dot tidier sprinkled with some well written quests whose difficulty curve gets absolutely ruined if you did the open world bit too much.

I finished it, and I feel no compulsion to go back to it even if they release DLC for it.

[Form]

Spoiler: Tunic, end game

Show

Finished the game, but got frustrated near the end so I used the accessibility options to basically cheat my way through the final fight. I was trying to go for the golden ending, but that requires a lot of exploration and I really didn't feel like walking all over the map just to get that final page. I also forgot how to get to certain areas, which also annoyed me, so I just rushed towards the end instead. Good game overall, but a bit frustrating near the end. People who love exploring and searching for hidden secrets would probably appreciate the end game more.

I thought Cyberpunk got a bad rap. It's a good game overall, it's just not the savior of modern gaming everybody decided it was supposed to be before release.

Before it's release I was super excited to play it but then the release came and... it was an absolute disaster, so I held off on it. I should like to think they've fixed a lot of issues in patches since then and I've been eyeing Cyberpunk myself again, but with some suspicion. At half price I might actually pick it up.

[Cespenar]

Spoiler: Tunic, end game

Show

Finished the game, but got frustrated near the end so I used the accessibility options to basically cheat my way through the final fight. I was trying to go for the golden ending, but that requires a lot of exploration and I really didn't feel like walking all over the map just to get that final page. I also forgot how to get to certain areas, which also annoyed me, so I just rushed towards the end instead. Good game overall, but a bit frustrating near the end. People who love exploring and searching for hidden secrets would probably appreciate the end game more.

I kinda cooled down on it near the end as well. Still, it was a decent Zelda Souls.

[LibraryOgre]

One day, I hope to play a CRPG through, the first time, without 15+ restarts making the exact same character, but trying to do things "right".

[Cygnia]

I'd ask your husband to check his drivers for the graphics card and motherboard, then if they're up to date or it still crashes, look into what background stuff is running (in case there's RAM/CPU differences) and how much free space each computer has.

He might have fixed the issue (parts replacement). We'll see how it is when he's playing for an hour or so.

[Triaxx]

Been playing Spaxe Engineer's now that the water mod has matured and now that the Agaris at War Scemario that uses it has dropped. Fixed Deposits is really a game changer.