What are you playing now?

[Tawmis]

-Sigh- I need better time management skills. I started the first BATMAN game on X360, and love it - but just have no time anymore. I hate it. Life's getting away from me.

[BBP]

Tried to tackle KQ5 again. Gaaaaaaaah...

[Expack3]

Dug this one out of a box in the basement....what a fun game.

PandorasBox.jpg

Holy shoot, dotkel50! That is indeed one awesome game you've got there - it's a rare one as well, so hold onto it and backup the disc.

On-topic, I'm currently playing SWAT 3 (which has surprisingly-intelligent AI if you manually tweak the terribly-named 'response time' settings) from the beginning, and trying to get back into Dwarf Fortress. While I do admit failing in the latter can be enjoyable, it can get frustrating when you keep failing and you don't know why.

[MacTeq]

NOLF2. Which, as it turns out, is a Sierra game.
90s nostalgia is also strongly urging me to pick up Shadowrun Returns on Steam but I remain skeptical.

[DeadPoolX]

NOLF2. Which, as it turns out, is a Sierra game.
90s nostalgia is also strongly urging me to pick up Shadowrun Returns on Steam but I remain skeptical.

A word of warning about Shadowrun Returns: it uses checkpoint saves and those checkpoints are widely spaced apart. If that doesn't bother you (and it'd definitely piss me off to have checkpoint saves in an RPG on the PC), then by all means go for it, but if you like being able to save when and where you want, I'd avoid it.

[Tawmis]

NOLF2. Which, as it turns out, is a Sierra game.
90s nostalgia is also strongly urging me to pick up Shadowrun Returns on Steam but I remain skeptical.

A word of warning about Shadowrun Returns: it uses checkpoint saves and those checkpoints are widely spaced apart. If that doesn't bother you (and it'd definitely piss me off to have checkpoint saves in an RPG on the PC), then by all means go for it, but if you like being able to save when and where you want, I'd avoid it.

Check Point Saves are not that bad in RPGs!

I kid! I kid!

I STRONGLY agree with DPX. Check Point saves in a RPG is a nightmare of an idea. In an RPG you need to be able to save whenever you want/need to. Because one fight can turn horrible, and in RPG, random encounters are quite a common thing. And to be spaced apart? That's even worse (RPG or otherwise).

[BBP]

Gave up on KQ5. Decided to resort to a walkthrough early on (and the moment I put it away I found myself at the serpent gate without a chrystal), but even with that the blue monster gave me too much of a fit.
So, now I'm checking out KQ4.

Who around here is an honest player? If you figured out all of KQ5's what-do-you-mean-intuition puzzles, you deserve the Master ofAdventure title in front of your name.

[Tawmis]

So, now I'm checking out KQ4.
Who around here is an honest player? If you figured out all of KQ5's what-do-you-mean-intuition puzzles, you deserve the Master ofAdventure title in front of your name.

KQ4 is my favorite of the series, despite popular opinion of KQ6 being the best.

As for the KQ5 puzzle; I can't say I remember (the what-do-you-mean-intuition puzzles). But I would say I probably didn't. Because I have a KQ5 Hintbook that I got back when KQ5 came out (not after, for collection purposes or anything).

[MacTeq]

I'm usually an honest gamer but I got a huge, comprehensive Sierra hintbook as a kid and considering my English wasn't really up to the level required back in those days, I used it frequently.
I remember KQ4 as a beautiful game, first and foremost. I don't think I remember anything from KQ5 except from dying in the desert.

[El Ravager]

The first time I played KQ5, I did indeed play it from start to finish without recourse to any hintbooks or helps of any kind. It took me months. I remember being stuck on certain puzzles for weeks at a time, and having to replay sections quite frequently.

[BBP]

That's very impressive, Ravager! The patience you must have for that!
I've given all other KQ's from 1 to 5 a go now and am having fun playing with Gwydion in KQ3. That is, with the sound off, otherwise I get too much of a fit every time Manannan shows up. I have that problem with all Sierra games that have a character walk in accompanied with music: Little Red Riding Hood in KQ2, troll, unicorn, shark in KQ4, blue monster in KQ5, even the drunk outside the shop in LSL1.

[Tawmis]

Sometimes, good graphics don't make a game - but rather, break it. I have repeatedly mentioned how much I loved Realms of Arkania (I see you rolling your eyes at me, DPX! ) - because, let's be honest. Sometimes, when I am passionate about something, it's impossible to get me to shut up about it. (DPX, stop nodding your head so damn emphatically back there!). But let's face it, SHP is all about most of us being passionate about old games, namely Sierra. While ROA is not Sierra - it's an old, classic RPG style game made back in the day by classic RPG codes, "Sir-Tech" (who made Wizardry! And if you have never played any of the Wizardry games, you haven't played the grandfather of CRPG! ). Anyway, some folks recently picked up ROA and made a "HD" version of it. Initially it was EXTREMELY buggy. And it immediately generated a VERY negative response. But I waited patiently for most of those bugs to be smashed, before I'd scream.

Now, most of the major bugs have been smashed (still some in there, but none that are game breaking). And Realms of Arkania HD, to me, still misses the mark and feel of the original. I think because it was an older game, they were limited by what they could squeeze into it (and still making it an amazing game, with lots of skills and random events that could happen - like losing a boot because you had your characters cross a river, rather than a bridge that was guarded by orcs). But the new one, I have tried - and despite the much nicer graphics and control - it didn't feel as ... awesome... as the original, which I still play from time to time.

So that's what I was playing, until recently.

I have also been playing Neverwinter from time to time, which I enjoy - because you can literally nail down one quest in 5 to 10 minutes. And that's what I'd do. I'd log on, play for 30 min and log off. Rinse and repeat. And without too much effort and trouble, last night, reached Level 60, which is the current max for the game. And still have two or three areas, with quests wide open to explore yet. (Though not sure why one would do it, as there's no XP awarded once you hit level 60, so you're mostly just grinding at that point - or, doing it for the story, which is usually pretty good).

[MacTeq]

So are you gonna pick up the remakes of the other two games once they are released?
Guido Henkel, the guy behind the three original 'The Black Eye' RPGs had a Kickstarter project a few months ago which fell well short of its goal (probably because the pitch was pretty awful). He's now working on a Dungeon Master-like RPG, I think (when he's not busy writing/publishing pulp stories).
Daedalic turned The Black Eye license into a graphics adventure last year (Chains of Satinav). I've only played it for about half an hour but it looked pretty good, much better than I imagined. They're working on the sequel right now.

Oh right, currently playing Dungeon Siege 3, which is secretly is really good game.

[DeadPoolX]

Sometimes, good graphics don't make a game - but rather, break it. I have repeatedly mentioned how much I loved Realms of Arkania (I see you rolling your eyes at me, DPX! ) - because, let's be honest. Sometimes, when I am passionate about something, it's impossible to get me to shut up about it. (DPX, stop nodding your head so damn emphatically back there!).

Now, most of the major bugs have been smashed (still some in there, but none that are game breaking). And Realms of Arkania HD, to me, still misses the mark and feel of the original. I think because it was an older game, they were limited by what they could squeeze into it (and still making it an amazing game, with lots of skills and random events that could happen - like losing a boot because you had your characters cross a river, rather than a bridge that was guarded by orcs). But the new one, I have tried - and despite the much nicer graphics and control - it didn't feel as ... awesome... as the original, which I still play from time to time.

I know how you feel.

I loved the original Red Baron, but when Red Baron 2 and Red Baron 3D came out, I couldn't get into them. The latter two games covered the same war and had drastically improved visuals and physics. Unfortunately, neither were as much fun for me to play.

[Tawmis]

So are you gonna pick up the remakes of the other two games once they are released?
Guido Henkel, the guy behind the three original 'The Black Eye' RPGs had a Kickstarter project a few months ago which fell well short of its goal (probably because the pitch was pretty awful). He's now working on a Dungeon Master-like RPG, I think (when he's not busy writing/publishing pulp stories).
Daedalic turned The Black Eye license into a graphics adventure last year (Chains of Satinav). I've only played it for about half an hour but it looked pretty good, much better than I imagined. They're working on the sequel right now.

Oh right, currently playing Dungeon Siege 3, which is secretly is really good game.

I will probably at least get STAR TRAIL, which was, by and far, my favorite of the series. I actually saw Guido's KS and promoted it like crazy - but had a feeling it would not reach it's goal. He was asking for $1 Mill. That's a LOT of money. Especially after seeing LSL, SpaceVenture, etc - cutting it close to the $500,000 mark. To want TWICE as much, in the same amount of time, for a game? Just knew it wouldn't make it... I, like others, probably were waiting to see if it would get close to the mark before backing it... Shame.

And I played "The Dark Eye" RPG ... I didn't like the controls of the game. I did buy "The Dark Eye" RPG books that they also published in English a few years ago.

Sometimes, good graphics don't make a game - but rather, break it. I have repeatedly mentioned how much I loved Realms of Arkania (I see you rolling your eyes at me, DPX! ) - because, let's be honest. Sometimes, when I am passionate about something, it's impossible to get me to shut up about it. (DPX, stop nodding your head so damn emphatically back there!).

It's funny, because it's true, eh?

Now, most of the major bugs have been smashed (still some in there, but none that are game breaking). And Realms of Arkania HD, to me, still misses the mark and feel of the original. I think because it was an older game, they were limited by what they could squeeze into it (and still making it an amazing game, with lots of skills and random events that could happen - like losing a boot because you had your characters cross a river, rather than a bridge that was guarded by orcs). But the new one, I have tried - and despite the much nicer graphics and control - it didn't feel as ... awesome... as the original, which I still play from time to time.

I know how you feel.

I loved the original Red Baron, but when Red Baron 2 and Red Baron 3D came out, I couldn't get into them. The latter two games covered the same war and had drastically improved visuals and physics. Unfortunately, neither were as much fun for me to play.

It's such a bummer, too. Sometimes simplicity is the answer.

Honestly, I would have gladly backed any of these Sierra related games, if they were like SCI/VGA graphics. I don't need the cutting edge, super fancy graphics, personally.

Another example where enhanced graphics took away - when the original EverQuest became free to play a year or so ago (finally), I actually logged back in. I could tell that they had upped the graphics on a number of things - but when I ran back to Freeport (one of the cities), which I used to know like the back of my hand - I found the new graphics threw me off. Landmarks I once used to make my way around that city (which I am KOS - Kill On Sight) in, suddenly had me turned around because it was all different. (Which it still turned out to be kind of fun, because I was forced to kill more and more guards, further ruining my faction with that side of the Freeport city). But when I logged into EverQuest, I was still kind of hoping for the simplicity I once found there.