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I know you like LOTR and Steam has Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Definitive Edition (which includes the main game and all DLC) on sale for 80% off right now, which probably means it's about $16 AUS or so.

Some DLC is also free, but I'd skip the 4K Cinematic Pack as it's 25 GB itself and unless you have a 4K monitor and a CPU/GPU capable of running games at that resolution with decent framerates, it'd simply be a waste of time and bandwidth to download.

Hey DPX -- thanks for the heads-up. I've tried M-E: Shadow of Mordor, but found the game very challenging because the enemies were so fast (and because there were many of them, and just one of me).

I know that, in the beginning, they are supposed to see me sneaking up on them. But it seems like it didn't matter if I sneaked or not, they could still see me. *shrug* On top of that, my attacks didn't hurt the orcs much, and their attacks hurt my character a great deal.

So I'm not sure what happened there. Eventually, I just gave up and uninstalled the game because there was no way I could get past the initial "training" level. If the rest of the game is as hard as that -- well. *shrug*

Maybe I'm missing something?

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 4:48 amHey DPX -- thanks for the heads-up. (and because there were many of them, and just one of me).

And...? There's supposed to be one of you against tons of enemies. That's pretty normal for games like this.

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 4:48 am I know that, in the beginning, they are supposed to see me sneaking up on them. But it seems like it didn't matter if I sneaked or not, they could still see me. *shrug* On top of that, my attacks didn't hurt the orcs much, and their attacks hurt my character a great deal.

Why would you expect to do a lot of damage at the start?

Really, you need to stop sneaking in a game like this and just attack. You'll get the hang of it, but you need to practice. You can't rely on stats to do the work for you.

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 4:48 am So I'm not sure what happened there. Eventually, I just gave up and uninstalled the game because there was no way I could get past the initial "training" level. If the rest of the game is as hard as that -- well. *shrug*

Seriously? You couldn't get beyond a training level? Sorry if this sounds insulting, but come on! You're not going to be good at first and that means you need to work at it. I think you're too used to games that you're not only experienced in playing, but also slower-paced RPG games, where stats do the heavy lifting instead of your own skill.

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 4:48 am Maybe I'm missing something?

I think you are. You need to gain skill (not character skill, your OWN skill) because most games like this rely on the player, not on stats. You also need to stop trying to sneak and attack and act/react quickly.

Also if a game has a difficulty level, consider turning it down.

I did that the first time I played Gears of War, till I got the hang of it.

Did the same thing with Pillars of Eternity.

Hey Tawm! Question for you ...

Which would you say is better: Pillars of Eternity or PoE 2?

I've taken another look at these, and the only difference I can see is that the latter has sound when people speak. Otherwise, the general look-and-feel reminds me of Baldur's Gate 2, NWN, and games of that era. But you know better, I'm sure -- so what's your take?

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:50 am Hey Tawm! Question for you ...

Which would you say is better: Pillars of Eternity or PoE 2?

I've taken another look at these, and the only difference I can see is that the latter has sound when people speak. Otherwise, the general look-and-feel reminds me of Baldur's Gate 2, NWN, and games of that era. But you know better, I'm sure -- so what's your take?

I'm not Tawmis, but I can tell you this: PoE2 allows you to import your character (and decisions) from PoE, so it's probably beneficial — as far as having a continuous game world where your choices matter — to play the first game before the second game. I imagine the sequel also makes more sense if you've played the original as well.

As far as gameplay is concerned, it's definitely similar, but there are a few differences. One big change is your base of operations in PoE2 is a ship, and PoE2 lets you choose between "real-time with tactical pause" (it's what you have in BG2, DAO, etc) and "turn-based tactics," like you might find in Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2, the first two Fallout games, and so on.

I think you'll like the PoE games as they're made for hardcore roleplayers where choice and the freedom to roleplay your character takes precedence over everything else.

And... it looks like you're in luck! Pillars of Eternity: Definitive Edition is currently on sale at 70% off the normal price. The Definitive Edition includes all the DLC. Unfortunately, this sale is over in about four hours (from the time of this post), so hopefully you see this before then.

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:50 am Hey Tawm! Question for you ...

Which would you say is better: Pillars of Eternity or PoE 2?

I've taken another look at these, and the only difference I can see is that the latter has sound when people speak. Otherwise, the general look-and-feel reminds me of Baldur's Gate 2, NWN, and games of that era. But you know better, I'm sure -- so what's your take?

DPX answered a lot about the differences.

My preference by far is the first POE. Not that the second one is bad... it's just with how it opens... it seems odd your character would be running around doing small, trivial side quests you find along the way.

So POE2 is good - but I like the first. The first will also give you a feel for the world and the lore as your character "awakens" and learns things.

And as DPX said, if you enjoyed it - you can then get POE2 and import.

Ah, drat. It looks like the GOG sale has ended. Oh, well ... I'm sure PoE will be on sale again. Thanks!

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:03 pm Ah, drat. It looks like the GOG sale has ended. Oh, well ... I'm sure PoE will be on sale again. Thanks!

You keep missing those sales!

I know. *hangs head* The last one was 3 months ago, so I guess next time I can pick up PoE on sale will be in June, right?

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 6:57 pm I know. *hangs head* The last one was 3 months ago, so I guess next time I can pick up PoE on sale will be in June, right?

I bet part of the issue is the time difference between Bellevue, Washington state (Steam) and and Warsaw, Poland (GOG). Sure, both Steam and GOG show the amount of time left on their sales, but everything is still off a bit for Australia.

On this note, very summer (in the northern hemisphere, so I guess it'd be your winter, Rath) both Steam and GOG have huge sales. I'd recommend putting PoE1 and PoE2 in your your Steam and GOG wishlists, so you'll get an email when those games are on sale.

Actually, that makes me wonder: because the majority of media comes from the US (and to a somewhat smaller degree, Canada, the UK, and Europe), is it weird to watch TV shows and movies where the seasons are the opposite of how you experience them?

Yep. I'm 18 hours ahead of Bellevue (Steam) -- so when it's 11 pm for me, it's 5 am for them. I'm also 10 hours ahead of Warsaw (GOG) -- so when it's 11 pm for me, it's 1 pm for them.

That gives me a bit more time for their sales, but on the minus side, if I leave it too late and go to sleep, I can miss a sale.

Does summer for US/Canada start in July/August? Winter starts in June for me and goes until the 1st of September.

DeadPoolX wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 9:17 pm Actually, that makes me wonder: because the majority of media comes from the US (and to a somewhat smaller degree, Canada, the UK, and Europe), is it weird to watch TV shows and movies where the seasons are the opposite of how you experience them?

I don't know, I don't get to see any media from the US (or Canada, the UK, or Europe). I don't have Netflix, Amazon TV, or any of that stuff. All I have access to is the usual Aussie TV channels, who run the usual Aussie crap plus any overseas stuff that they can be bothered getting. (For instance, our ABC channel sometimes runs BBC-made stuff, which is cool. Our channel 10 runs "The Simpsons", "Futurama", "Bob's Burgers", and so on. Our SBS runs "South Park" and "Vikings").

So, on the plus side, this means that I will never have to watch TV ever again (woo-hoo!), 'cos Aussie TV is full of crap (with one or two exceptions). That gives me time to do stuff I prefer, like reading books, writing stories, creating a video every now and then, playing games, and hanging around in forums like this. If there's a movie I really want to watch, I'll get it on DVD and watch it.

On the minus side, when people at work (or whatever) mention binge-watching stuff like "Game of Thrones", I have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, because I'm way too busy to binge-watch anything. But I don't think I've missed very much.

By the way, I have a "Game of Thrones" question - and this question comes in the form of a rant:

From what I gather, GoT is basically loads of T&A and loads of people backstabbing each other and dying in gratuitously (and sometimes ridiculously) over-the-top ways. So, okay ... what kind of society did GRRT have in mind there? The HBO series looks like something from medieval European history, but if that's what GRRT was thinking of, then HBO boobed. Why? Because in medieval history, the whole "OTP death" thing was very rare, unless you were a peasant.

Basically, if you're a European peasant and you commit a serious crime like murder or revolt against your lord, there's no end of OTP-deaths waiting for you. (Which one it was depended where you lived and what century it was, but still. If you poison someone, you'd be burned to death or boiled in oil. Are you a witch/warlock/relapsed heretic? You get tortured, drowned or burned to death. Did you try to kill the king or revolt against him? Oh boy -- hanging, drawing and quartering for you, surely one of the most horrible ways to die. EVER! Whoever designed that one was a sadistic sociopath. Anyway).

That's the bad news. The good news? If you're a nobleman ... depends how serious your crime is, but the worst thing they could do to you is chop your head off. Quick, clean, no OTP deaths at all.

And if you're a king or an emperor, well ... with very, very few exceptions, no-one of that rank is ever executed for anything. If people fear you enough (like they did Ivan the Terrible), you can even kill peasants in the street. Unless you're an obvious monster like Caligula or Nero, no-one can or will do anything. La Dolce Vita. Put your feet up on a peasant and relax.

So, um ... why are so many high-rank people in GoT dying in such horrible ways? Either they're peasants in disguise, or someone in HBO boobed. Well done. Try again.

For the Game of Thrones portion - I made it it's own thread.
http://sierrahelp.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 892#p80892

Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 9:12 am Does summer for US/Canada start in July/August? Winter starts in June for me and goes until the 1st of September.

This is how the seasons are categorized in the northern hemisphere.

Spring: March, April, and May
Summer: June, July, and August
Fall/Autumn: September, October, and November
Winter: December, January, and February

Ah, OK. For us in the southern hemisphere, it's the opposite:

Summer: December, January, and February
Autumn: March, April, and May
Winter: June, July, and August
Spring: September, October, and November

Our winters (at least where I am) are obviously cold, but we rarely get below 0, and we have no snow. Does all of the US (or Canada) get snow in winter? I presume that some areas (e.g. Washington State, because it's close to the mountains) are more prone to snow than somewhere like Nevada or Arizona (desert states) - am I right?