Bay 12 Games Forum

Other Projects => Other Games => Topic started by: dragdeler on May 08, 2021, 05:28:16 pm

Title: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: dragdeler on May 08, 2021, 05:28:16 pm
It is a foolish proposition for a thread, and likely to derail into something toxic or annoying I might feel the urge to lock one day but we will see. Try to keep it as much as the "we got x at home" meme maybe? IDK. Is this the shy recommend me a game thread?



Tell me why I shouldn't buy Microsoft flight simulator 2020. A short list of my concerns: can I justify 70 bucks, to most likely just fly over my home once, when I don't have nor intend to get a joystick (actually I got one but serial port is dead so fu joysticks, gamepad must do), and the community talks that poorly about the updates?
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: EuchreJack on May 08, 2021, 05:32:10 pm
It's 70 bucks!

Plus all the people who really enjoy it also get the flight controls (wheel, levers, etc).  It's mostly for those who want the most authentic simulation of flying a plane without leaving their homes, so you'll have to invest far more than that 70 bucks for the experience that people are raving about.

Great thread idea by the way, we've needed it for years!
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: dragdeler on May 08, 2021, 05:52:02 pm
Great thread idea by the way, we've needed it for years!

Hehe we shall see, if there is any place where one could pull this off in a nice way is bay12.

Also on the plus side I guess I'm not the worst to be autosubscribed to this, I'll buy a game every few months or so, usually only real classics in sale or fancy technologic progress novelties. So much backcatalogue from life long hoarding. Should be able to dismiss stuff out of hand, I often do scrolling the stores, and I should often enough be able to give an informed judgment on fresh hypes like CP2077 was for example.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Yoink on May 08, 2021, 08:31:53 pm
Advise me not to buy Ashen.   
I don't even play much in the way of soulslikes, but something about the graphics, characters creation, the buzzwords about its multiplayer and, yes, its nifty trailer have kinda won me over. I probably would have bought it by now if I wasn't currently apart from my PS4.   
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Starver on May 08, 2021, 08:56:02 pm
Tell me why I shouldn't buy Microsoft flight simulator 2020.
...because it's 2021?
(But also... to work further and further back through that single sentence, because you don't intend to fly it properly with a joystick, because it's Microsoft and (finally) because it seems you already have doubts - hence you asking... ;) )

You remind me, though, that I've got a copy of XPlane somewhere. Must dig it out some time. See if it's aged badly. Apart from the "flying on Mars" bit, which is strangely topical!
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: EuchreJack on May 08, 2021, 09:00:53 pm
Advise me not to buy Ashen.   
I don't even play much in the way of soulslikes, but something about the graphics, characters creation, the buzzwords about its multiplayer and, yes, its nifty trailer have kinda won me over. I probably would have bought it by now if I wasn't currently apart from my PS4.   

I struck out those things you shouldn't be considering.

Now, I have played games solely on character creation, but its like the first thing that you only do once per playthrough.  And what's so great about creating a single character?

Graphics: Maybe check out actual gameplay videos.  They're more interesting than awe-inspiring.  Plus, they're graphics.
Buzzwords: Garbage.  Maybe when other people you know have played it, then you'll know whether multiplayer is a buy or pass.  Review lists it as "passable".
Trailer: Resist!  You're better than this!  Resist!
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Aoi on May 08, 2021, 09:48:43 pm
Tell me why I shouldn't buy Microsoft flight simulator 2020.

It took me far too many passes to read that as anything other than 'MINECRAFT Flight Simulator', which had me intrigued for all kinds of weird reasons.

Also, it punched a giant hole in the world in Brazil. (It's a rather interesting screenshot/clip, if you haven't seen it. My phone hates me trying to link anything though.)
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Sime on May 09, 2021, 04:49:01 am
I notice there's quite  a lot of negative steam reviews for Microsoft's latest flight sim.  Something about the game being unfinished and unrealistic, and little better than viewing your house with google maps.

Personally, I get  bored to tears with non-combat flight sims as soon as  I've read the cockpit documentation and  performed a single successful take-off and landing.    The rest feels like work and is basically dead time.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Robsoie on May 09, 2021, 05:30:20 am
If you have a need of civilian flight simulator but don't want to invest that much money into a program + all the required joystick and etc... , there are still free alternative, most of them that can be used with just your keyboard and your mouse ( a "mouse as a yoke" system, so really move your mouse as if it was a joystick, like no sharp big move or you'll crash you plane in no time :D )
Most are not really realistic in term of flight model (out of Flightgear, that also require i each new versions more and more computer power unfortunately and will mostly run like crap on not-modern system, while in the past it was running smooth even on a toaster)

There are some combat flight sim in that list but i never tried those (out of YSFlight that does civilian flight as well as combat flight), so i can't say anything about if they do the "mouse as a yoke" like the other titles or their level of arcade/realism.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-free-flight-simulators/
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: dragdeler on May 09, 2021, 06:05:54 am
Thanks guys, I didn't want to mention it but the civilian aspect annoys me too. I don't mind getting the ropes of a simulator, but it seems like that's all there is to it. I'm kind of allready hoping somebody would just take the map data and mod a completly different game into it.


Ashen does have a nice aesthetic I'll give it that, can it even count as souls-like if it has plattforming?  People are complaining the movesets dont evolve so I think it's more of a matter of picking a character than creating one. Also if you're hittin it off with somebody in multiplayer you will probably not be able to stick together.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: ChairmanPoo on May 09, 2021, 06:17:41 am
I recommend that you dont get massive chalice because it´s a really lame game. SUpposed to be xcomlike, but the tactic component is really weak.


Also: breach and clear deadline is pretty lame too. They dont know if they want to be a diablolike, or a tactics game, and they do both poorly.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Duuvian on May 09, 2021, 07:06:26 am
I watched a mini-drone racing league on a sportsball network once, and it was awesome. They even had a (free?) video game that simulated the controls of the drones accurately enough that the drone pilots trained on it.

They wore VR headsets and the drones looked relatively cheap though I can't say for sure. Threy crashed quite often, so either they are sturdy or cheap I assume. They also were capable of some really intricate obstacle courses.

I used to have a few of the old Microsoft flight sims, and they usually aren't bad for the time they are made in. I liked IL-2 Sturmovik more than their WW2 flight sim though for example, though both were difficult with my crappy aviator joystick at the time.

A completely free alternative might be Planetside 2 for a less demanding flight experience (no checklists though it is a combat game). The VTOL craft in that game can be really fun and people have gotten really good with them over the years that game has been around.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: AlStar on May 09, 2021, 08:53:43 am
I recommend that you dont get massive chalice because it´s a really lame game. SUpposed to be xcomlike, but the tactic component is really weak.
Really? I quite enjoyed my time with it. It's an XCOM-like bolted to a breeding simulator, with the dry wit humor that most Double Fine games manage.

I'll grant that it doesn't XCOM as well as an actual XCOM game, but I thought it did it passably enough - I did a single playthrough in 17 1/2 hours; and while I haven't gone back, I certainly don't regret paying for the KickStarter - at the prices you can get it nowadays, I'd say it's a great find.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: ChairmanPoo on May 09, 2021, 10:17:08 am
I got it at a sale, and got bored of it reallly fast. not worth it IMO. This is what I wrote at the time.



Quote
More bland than bad: a non-KS review

June 5, 2015 Verified owner
And an attempt to add some light on the game, unbiased by kickstarter drama or past good or bad experiences with the parent company. Based on my impressions while playing it during this week.

Massive Chalice is mostly an X-COM like game: You develop your base and deploy squads in turn-based missions. In many ways it's a simplified clone of Enemy Unknown 2012: a very similar waypoint system, analogous mission arrangement (AKA: random missions, you have to choose as you cannot respond to all of them). You have in effect three classes of characters: Melee, ranged, and AOE-glasscannon, plus some subclasses for each of these classes. There are limited ways to "tune" your heroes by breeding for certain traits, and by some research options which allow you to carry special items into battle (like in EU2012 and medikits).

Combat itself is likely the game's biggest flaw (which is pretty damning, as it SHOULD be the core of the game). While it apes EU2012 waypoint system, there's just so little to do, the scenarios are so bland, and the enemies feel so much like sitting ducks that it's more a regular every-so-many-years ingame tedium that something that hooks you.


Overall, I think it's not a *terrible* game, but there are better options out there which do what this one does but better. Five years ago it'd have had scant competition and it might have been a better choice. Nowadays I'd recommend going for OpenXCOM or Xenonauts if you're looking for a game of this sort.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: IronyOwl on May 09, 2021, 06:51:09 pm
It's one of those hours played vs interesting concept things. It's not going to be your main thing for any real length of time, but it's a neat enough concept and it's cool to see what can be done with it, even if very simply. Depending on why you'd want to purchase a video game, that could be alright or incredibly damning.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: EuchreJack on May 09, 2021, 07:20:01 pm
I recommend that you dont get massive chalice because it´s a really lame game. SUpposed to be xcomlike, but the tactic component is really weak.

Seeing as its a dead product, kinda late to be giving that advice. I mean, nobody was going to mention it, ergo nobody was going to buying it until you mentioned it.

Kinda counterproductive.

But seriously nobody should buy for $20.  And read up to make sure its still running properly, since the devs are GONE.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: nenjin on May 09, 2021, 09:22:24 pm
Quote
I mean, nobody was going to mention it, ergo nobody was going to buying it until you mentioned it.

While I think the thread's spirit is "Hey, X game has some red flags, someone want to go into more depth about it", it's probably easily read at a casual glance as "Shit on a game that you believe is bad so someone doesn't spend money on it."
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Yoink on May 17, 2021, 01:44:20 am
Advise me not to buy Ashen.   
I don't even play much in the way of soulslikes, but something about the graphics, characters creation, the buzzwords about its multiplayer and, yes, its nifty trailer have kinda won me over. I probably would have bought it by now if I wasn't currently apart from my PS4.   

I struck out those things you shouldn't be considering.

Now, I have played games solely on character creation, but its like the first thing that you only do once per playthrough.  And what's so great about creating a single character?

Graphics: Maybe check out actual gameplay videos.  They're more interesting than awe-inspiring.  Plus, they're graphics.
Buzzwords: Garbage.  Maybe when other people you know have played it, then you'll know whether multiplayer is a buy or pass.  Review lists it as "passable".
Trailer: Resist!  You're better than this!  Resist!
Thanks, fam. You friggin' assassinated that game.   
I mean, I am a sucker for character creation, but on second thoughts it doesn't look very in-depth anyway. I'd probably get bored of the gameplay itself a few minutes in and multiplayer would consist of getting heartlessly ganked (or maybe just lagged to pieces) every once in a while.   


Somewhat related to the thread: I've recently found that a good way to resist temptation and to stop yourself from buying a bunch of games on sale is to simply procrastinate. Just leave 'em in your cart for a few days and by the time you remember to go back even if you're still interested they're probably back to full price. #lifehacks   
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: EuchreJack on May 17, 2021, 02:04:20 am
Glad I could help!  :D
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: AlStar on May 17, 2021, 09:58:22 am
Somewhat related to the thread: I've recently found that a good way to resist temptation and to stop yourself from buying a bunch of games on sale is to simply procrastinate. Just leave 'em in your cart for a few days and by the time you remember to go back even if you're still interested they're probably back to full price. #lifehacks   
I've found the same works with Humble Bundles - not sure if you're willing to pay for the mid/top tier? Just leave it in a forgotten tab on your browser for a couple of days; when you finally get around to making a decision, no more bundle!
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Aoi on May 17, 2021, 04:02:24 pm
Somewhat related to the thread: I've recently found that a good way to resist temptation and to stop yourself from buying a bunch of games on sale is to simply procrastinate. Just leave 'em in your cart for a few days and by the time you remember to go back even if you're still interested they're probably back to full price. #lifehacks   
I've found the same works with Humble Bundles - not sure if you're willing to pay for the mid/top tier? Just leave it in a forgotten tab on your browser for a couple of days; when you finally get around to making a decision, no more bundle!

Except don't do this with the Humble Monthly/Choice/whatever they call it now, or you'll end up accidentally buying your eighth bundle when you forget/the last-minute pause doesn't work/the stupid thing unpauses you for the hell of it. I kid, it's more than eight.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: E. Albright on May 17, 2021, 04:40:50 pm
Another problem is when you describe this technique, other practitioners may suddenly remember that they were doing that, and check to make sure it worked, and find a bundle they're more susceptible to has replaced the one they were procrastinating to death.

You can't prove this story is autobiographical.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Frumple on May 17, 2021, 06:40:56 pm
I can ask what bundle it was, though, right? Whichun wuzzit?
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: E. Albright on May 17, 2021, 07:10:09 pm
Dead Humble bundle that I was safe from was the Lego one (I've probably been safe for weeks). Live one that definitely did not - ha, how could it, the very idea is absurd! - ensnare me with its honeysuckle whispers and looming expiration clock was the Heal: Covid-19 bundle.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: A_Curious_Cat on May 17, 2021, 08:37:10 pm
So…

I’ve heard there’s this game called “Dwarf Fortress” that’s supposed to be coming out on Steam.  I was think about getting it to play on my Linux machine…
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Egan_BW on May 18, 2021, 02:12:44 am
You should buy it on Itch instead. DRM free!
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: George_Chickens on May 18, 2021, 02:50:39 am
You should download it for free and donate an equivalent amount directly to Toady One.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Salmeuk on May 18, 2021, 04:25:32 am
So…

I’ve heard there’s this game called “Dwarf Fortress” that’s supposed to be coming out on Steam.  I was think about getting it to play on my Linux machine…

I know this is a joke, but it reminded me of the time in school when I went to a meeting on campus. It was a group of students who wanted to start a website dedicated to game journalism, and so I signed up for this inaugural meeting. So imagine a collection of young college age nerds who thought they knew enough about games to write articles. Yeah, looking back I don't know what compelled me to go . .

Anyways, the first round of icebreakers was a pretty innocuous question, "What is your favorite game?" I had been deeply enthralled by Dwarf Fortress for many years at that point, so it was an obvious choice when my turn came around.

My declaration was met with a loud and smarmy callout from the front row: "Dwarf Fortress is NOT a game!"

I wish I had more to tell about this story, but all I can remember is experiencing utter confusion. Why would anyone care so much as to publicly call out someone's choice of favorite game, in an icebreaker where the whole point is the introduction of individual perspectives in a lighthearted manner?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Perhaps the young lady who called it out was in a bad mood, or perhaps she was an enlightened individual who was attempting to debate the fine line between 'simulation' and 'game.' Whatever the case, after that odd bit of hostility, I obviously ducked from that group of wannabe Zero Punctuation-ists and went on about my dwarf business.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: methylatedspirit on May 18, 2021, 07:44:34 am
On an actually serious note, Dwarf Fortress does have this thing where its first few releases after a major update often have big glitches. Not always game-breaking, but they are pretty big and immersion-breaking. 40.01 had save corruption bugs so bad it broke compatibility with future versions, 42.01 had the cats die of inebriation due to licking alcohol (though that one's just funny), 47.04(?) made the dwarves a bit too stressed (especially due to random corpses)...

I'd say delay buying it for a few more versions. I'm sure there's gonna be bugs introduced by the graphics overhaul, or bugs that resurface because of said overhaul. I mean, Toady fully admits to the game being an alpha, but just bear that in mind if you want to really get immersed into DF (again). At least download the Classic version first, since that's free and is otherwise the exact same game as the premium one, sans the tileset.

Plus, it takes some time for DFHack to get updated for the new version. Keep that in mind if you care about that. You could wait for a bit for the nightly builds, but now you're basically becoming a bug tester for two projects at once, and it'll be harder to keep track of if a bug you encounter comes from DFHack or DF itself. I'd suggest the Itch versions in that case, just so that you can keep a fresh unmodded copy on hand.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: WealthyRadish on May 18, 2021, 08:42:08 am
I'd suggest the Itch versions in that case, just so that you can keep a fresh unmodded copy on hand.

Our amphibious benefactor retains more revenue if it's bought on itch.io as well, compared to the rather enormous cut steam takes.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: nenjin on May 18, 2021, 11:16:58 am
Quote
Perhaps the young lady who called it out was in a bad mood, or perhaps she was an enlightened individual who was attempting to debate the fine line between 'simulation' and 'game.' Whatever the case, after that odd bit of hostility, I obviously ducked from that group of wannabe Zero Punctuation-ists and went on about my dwarf business.

Hell with that. I'd have asked her if she was just posing as a gamer because of the inanity of that statement.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: E. Albright on May 18, 2021, 12:42:47 pm
Honestly, that degree of gatekeeping would convince me she absolutely was a gamer, albeit a toxic lifestyle gamer.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: dragdeler on May 18, 2021, 01:00:23 pm
Eh I'm still gonna buy it on steam, I donated once and refused to take up time with reward drawing, but owning it on steam is to advertise the game among my friend list. Also racking up hours in game is generally shameful but should my profile ever say 3k hours in DF I'll wear that as a badge of honor... Also cheesing the system to get 100% achievements might be a fun challenge in and of itself, who knows maybe the badges earned could spell something more funny than what I'm currently exposing in which case it's DF bling bling all the way.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: nenjin on May 18, 2021, 01:14:26 pm
Yeah, after donating a few times through here, I have no qualms about getting it on Steam. Will probably continue to donate directly to Toady. Haven't done that in a while, it's probably high time.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: EuchreJack on May 18, 2021, 01:55:56 pm
Quote
Perhaps the young lady who called it out was in a bad mood, or perhaps she was an enlightened individual who was attempting to debate the fine line between 'simulation' and 'game.' Whatever the case, after that odd bit of hostility, I obviously ducked from that group of wannabe Zero Punctuation-ists and went on about my dwarf business.

Hell with that. I'd have asked her if she was just posing as a gamer because of the inanity of that statement.

Honestly, that degree of gatekeeping would convince me she absolutely was a gamer, albeit a toxic lifestyle gamer.

Hey now, calm down folks, I'd bet good money it was someone on our boards (no speculation on whom, though).  Sounds mostly like a missed opportunity for some lively in-person debate, albeit an awkward in-person encounter.  Not everyone is a Professional Negotiator. (https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Roger_Smith_(The_Big_O))
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Aoi on May 18, 2021, 04:00:24 pm
That sounds fun, actually.

Dwarf Fortress is NOT a game! It's a....

Psychological exercise to determine how people will respond to traditionally docile animals like carp exhibiting severe hostile behavior.

Exploration of the risks one will undertake to recover a single worn out sock.

Representation of The Matrix, and all I see are bearded short people.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: nenjin on May 18, 2021, 05:09:30 pm
Quote
Perhaps the young lady who called it out was in a bad mood, or perhaps she was an enlightened individual who was attempting to debate the fine line between 'simulation' and 'game.' Whatever the case, after that odd bit of hostility, I obviously ducked from that group of wannabe Zero Punctuation-ists and went on about my dwarf business.

Hell with that. I'd have asked her if she was just posing as a gamer because of the inanity of that statement.

Honestly, that degree of gatekeeping would convince me she absolutely was a gamer, albeit a toxic lifestyle gamer.

Hey now, calm down folks, I'd bet good money it was someone on our boards (no speculation on whom, though).  Sounds mostly like a missed opportunity for some lively in-person debate, albeit an awkward in-person encounter.  Not everyone is a Professional Negotiator. (https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Roger_Smith_(The_Big_O))

It's to the point I won't even criticize walking simulators as non-games. It's just a stupid thing to say these days IMO.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Starver on May 18, 2021, 05:37:39 pm
but owning it on steam is to advertise the game among my friend list.
...wouldn't work here. I don't have such a list and don't intend to create one.

The peripheral 'social network' bells'n'whistles of the Steam version are as likely to persuade me not to buy into that avenue. Very definitely I'm not the ideal customer in that respect.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: dragdeler on May 18, 2021, 06:03:49 pm
I got like 30 people from IRL on there, and I don't really use facebook, whatsapp, and that other bullshit. Steam is definitly the most failsafe way to reach me directly and without delay, hell even my cellphone gets neglected.  It's about pragmatism really. But with a 16 year old account I collected a bunch stuff to show off I sometimes go through for a laugh. 100 percenting Dwarf Fortress is also a comical notion that's why I'd bother. Been flashing these achievements in this order since a while now.

defiant>fatso>the fly guy>indistinguishable from magic>seriously?!>dealt with every sister>cheated death
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: JWNoctis on May 18, 2021, 11:54:41 pm
I'd choose itch.io or GOG over Steam anyday - If only there were more games on those two.

Back on topic -

Hyperlight Drifter and Rain World.

I've heard good things about both, but the first is apparently a near frame-perfect twitch-reflex game, and the second drew a lot of comparisons to Dark Souls in terms of difficulty - Or, at least, that's what the reviews read.

I've never been really good at reflex-based games, and for reference, the two of the Ori series, which on regular difficulty are rather casual forgiving as platformers went, are probably the most I could take to completion. I did not get very far with Mark of the Ninja, and hardly ever lasted more than a few stages of Risk of Rain, and did not get the second.

Yet...Well, they looked really interesting.

EDIT: "Casual" is not quite the right word for them, actually...
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: A_Curious_Cat on May 19, 2021, 12:43:30 am
You should buy it on Itch instead. DRM free!

Huh?!  Why shouldn’t I get something that uses DRM?  I thought the Device Rendering Manager was a great addition to Linux…
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: methylatedspirit on May 19, 2021, 12:49:07 am
You should buy it on Itch instead. DRM free!

Huh?!  Why shouldn’t I get something that uses DRM?  I thought the Device Rendering Manager was a great addition to Linux…

Reject DRM, return to /dev/fb0.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: A_Curious_Cat on May 19, 2021, 12:58:34 am
…I wasn’t actually expecting that joke to get such good replies…

This community is impressive.


On a side note, after reading the replies, I think I’ll:

A.  Get it on Itch.Io.

B.  Wait until there’s a version of DFHack available for it.  And DT too.

C.  Wait a few minor versions so I don’t get swarmed by giant mosquitoes or horses or something.

D.  ??

E.  PROFIT!!
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Mkok on May 19, 2021, 04:49:00 am
So…

I’ve heard there’s this game called “Dwarf Fortress” that’s supposed to be coming out on Steam.  I was think about getting it to play on my Linux machine…

A bit late, buuut.... you cant rotate workshops  ???
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: E. Albright on May 19, 2021, 07:56:53 am
Hyperlight Drifter and Rain World.

Don't get Hyperlight Drifter because it's in the bundle (Humble Heal: Covid-19 bundle) I cracked and bought a handful of comments back, and you can either go get that plus 30-ish other things for the same price HLD normally goes for if you pounce before it expires (5h left), or I can just give you my key since I already had HLD.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Yoink on May 19, 2021, 07:57:25 am
C.  Wait a few minor versions so I don’t get swarmed by giant mosquitoes or horses or something.
What the heck is your problem, pal?  ???   
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Sime on May 19, 2021, 10:14:18 am
Any haters of Shadow Empire or Rule the Waves 2 to stop me buying them?
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: EuchreJack on May 19, 2021, 10:34:29 am
Any haters of Shadow Empire or Rule the Waves 2 to stop me buying them?

Unfortunately, I love them both.  Not cheap though.

However, I'll try to help...

Shadow Empire could use some more polish, definitely worth waiting a bit.

Rule the Waves 2 is basically done, which is to say that if you don't like what it is, there isn't going to be anything new to "fix" it.
There is talk of an expansion that will change the start and end dates, but the game itself isn't going to be changing, just added to.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Dostoevsky on May 19, 2021, 01:27:19 pm
Neither game is much for diplomacy if that's what interests you. Shadow Empire because only a few major faction types will allow allied victory at all, and minors are a little on the simplistic side; RtW because you're just the Admiralty guy after all.

Both have something of a learning curve too and require a certain level of being okay with fiddliness.

(That said I do like both, in part because they're both relatively unique games.)
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: dragdeler on May 19, 2021, 02:11:11 pm
pretty weak argument but more than 30 bucks feels like a lot of cash for allmost no graphics
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Culise on May 19, 2021, 11:51:46 pm
For my part, I didn't buy RtW2 after playing the heck out of RtW1 because I wasn't really enamored with the idea of leaping through hoops to e-mail them the serial codes I got in the purchase, then wait until they send an activation code from them for each box I wanted to install the game on.  I liked being able to play RtW both on my desktop and on the go.  When this bit of news on their planned DRM policy landed on the forums before release, I ended up walking.  I don't know if they rolled the policy back after release for a while, as I haven't really regretted it enough to look back. 

At least feelies looked nice back in the day, and you didn't need to write the devs personally for CD keys.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Frumple on May 20, 2021, 05:15:57 am
Sometimes you did, actually :P

... I'm not the only one that remembers shareware (in particular, though not exclusively) and its prompts to mail order requests to the dev/publisher, right? Sometimes they got creative and asked for a poem or something weird like that, too.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Mkok on May 20, 2021, 06:17:39 am
Shadow Empire is a rather good game, but it does have one major flaw. While the dev did promise he will fix this in the future, and is still working on the game, for now the game is so slow it is borderline unplayable unless you play on the smallest maps on which the game tends to end before it really begins. We talking like minutes per single turn, in a game where game lasts for hundreds of turns and not that much tends to happen in a single turn (except for the smallest maps where the game can be long over in 100 turns easily).

Also in all of my attempts to play the AI seemed really dumb, but from what I read around forums it seems I was just unlucky? But the long turn times turn me away from trying another game to find out  :-[
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Starver on May 20, 2021, 06:33:05 am
Sometimes they got creative and asked for a poem or something weird like that, too.
In Soviet Fortress, developer arts you...
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Urist McScoopbeard on May 20, 2021, 01:00:18 pm
Any haters of Shadow Empire or Rule the Waves 2 to stop me buying them?

My biggest criticism of RtW2 is actually a lack of replayability. Yes, the nations that are in the game are extremely different, but there's so few of them. And while it's understandable that (mostly) it's just the foremost naval powers I think the most fun is had when you are bootstrapping the navies of smaller nations and fighting conflicts that have a lot of focus to them. To that end, mods do help flesh things out, but the way RtW2 works is that one nation has to be unloaded for another to be put in so... meh.

That said, it's still supremely fun as a simulator of both naval battles and contextually satisfying campaigns.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: EuchreJack on May 20, 2021, 04:03:41 pm
Any haters of Shadow Empire or Rule the Waves 2 to stop me buying them?

My biggest criticism of RtW2 is actually a lack of replayability. Yes, the nations that are in the game are extremely different, but there's so few of them. And while it's understandable that (mostly) it's just the foremost naval powers I think the most fun is had when you are bootstrapping the navies of smaller nations and fighting conflicts that have a lot of focus to them. To that end, mods do help flesh things out, but the way RtW2 works is that one nation has to be unloaded for another to be put in so... meh.

That said, it's still supremely fun as a simulator of both naval battles and contextually satisfying campaigns.
It's noooo gooooood.  Don't buuuuyyyyy.
Fixed that for you, we're trying to talk them out of buying the game.  Talking people into buying games is another topic. :P
Which is why I'm actually keeping quiet about my huge love affair with RTW2.  Everything that has been said about its awful DRM is accurate, however.  Apparently the dev figures they lost a lot of money on the first game due to piracy, so they decided to lock it up hardcore.  It's not bad once you get it installed on a machine, but heaven help you if anything happens to that machine.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Culise on May 20, 2021, 05:09:46 pm
Sometimes you did, actually :P

... I'm not the only one that remembers shareware (in particular, though not exclusively) and its prompts to mail order requests to the dev/publisher, right? Sometimes they got creative and asked for a poem or something weird like that, too.
Nope. I still haven't played anything in the Commander Keen series other than episodes 1 and 4, and likewise for...I believe it was either the first or first two episodes of Doom, wasn't it?  That said, these weren't products I had bought and then needed to unlock by mail: they were free offerings that allowed the option to purchase by mail.  Once you received it by mail, you didn't need to mail them again for the rest of what you needed to unlock it, except for perhaps in the case of some very expensive software that required hardware dongles.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: EuchreJack on May 21, 2021, 10:21:25 pm
Pre-emptively going to say: DON'T buy Victoria 3!  For the love of Armok, don't buy that shitfest! (https://www.victoria3game.com/en/news/dev-diary-0-the-vision)

Argument: Their "Game Designer" was that asshole that gave us Stellaris, and NOT the person that made it a viable game.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: nenjin on May 21, 2021, 11:21:13 pm
While I think it's entirely reasonable to make assumptions about a new game based on the person making it, is it entirely fair to advise people to not buy a game that hasn't actually released yet?
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: EuchreJack on May 21, 2021, 11:47:24 pm
While I think it's entirely reasonable to make assumptions about a new game based on the person making it, is it entirely fair to advise people to not buy a game that hasn't actually released yet?
Yes.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Mkok on May 22, 2021, 03:44:22 am
is it entirely fair to advise people to not buy a game that hasn't actually released yet?

I say you answered yourself. It is never a good idea to buy a game that has not yet released.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: George_Chickens on May 22, 2021, 03:47:25 am
While I think it's entirely reasonable to make assumptions about a new game based on the person making it, is it entirely fair to advise people to not buy a game that hasn't actually released yet?
Based on Paradox's recent track record, definitely.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: E. Albright on May 23, 2021, 08:01:37 am
Also in all of my attempts to play the AI seemed really dumb, but from what I read around forums it seems I was just unlucky? But the long turn times turn me away from trying another game to find out  :-[

This seems to vary wildly for different players. On the current beta thread there's someone talking about raging and/or getting bored when on turn 190 with 10-20 minors and 5 majors, AI turns are taking a minute and a half to process. Honestly, I feel like they're low-key bragging about how fast things are processing for them, but they're probably sincere...
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Salmeuk on May 23, 2021, 08:27:46 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It might be best to only bring up games that someone has genuinely inquired about. Otherwise this thread is just going to be a platform for . . unnecessarily verbose negativity. Which is not a problem in itself, but this is kind of a fan boy minefield where I can only see pain and altercation in the future.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: EuchreJack on May 23, 2021, 08:58:33 am
It might be best to only bring up games that someone has genuinely inquired about. Otherwise this thread is just going to be a platform for . . unnecessarily verbose negativity. Which is not a problem in itself, but this is kind of a fan boy minefield where I can only see pain and altercation in the future.

As Public Enemy #1, I'm sorry for my actions and will try to follow this sage advice.  There are certainly other areas those discussions can occur, and if not, an new more relevant topic can be created.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Yoink on May 23, 2021, 11:09:08 am
Advise me not to buy Ancestor's Legacy next time it's on sale.   
Pretty much everything about it looks so incredibly cool, but I almost always suck at RTS-es. Plus, if I bought such a purty game at this stage it would have to be on console, which generally ain't considered the ideal platform for the genre. It's not one of those large-scale clickfests where having a mouse is absolutely vital, I don't think, but still.   
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Virtz on May 23, 2021, 12:25:48 pm
Advise me not to buy Ancestor's Legacy next time it's on sale.   
Pretty much everything about it looks so incredibly cool, but I almost always suck at RTS-es. Plus, if I bought such a purty game at this stage it would have to be on console, which generally ain't considered the ideal platform for the genre. It's not one of those large-scale clickfests where having a mouse is absolutely vital, I don't think, but still.   
It's made by Polish edgelords who previously made Hatred, so expect the story to be really pro-Potatoland and stupid?
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Urist McScoopbeard on May 23, 2021, 01:01:26 pm
Advise me not to buy Ancestor's Legacy next time it's on sale.   
Pretty much everything about it looks so incredibly cool, but I almost always suck at RTS-es. Plus, if I bought such a purty game at this stage it would have to be on console, which generally ain't considered the ideal platform for the genre. It's not one of those large-scale clickfests where having a mouse is absolutely vital, I don't think, but still.   
It's made by Polish edgelords who previously made Hatred, so expect the story to be really pro-Potatoland and stupid?
Allow me to jump aboard and say it looks utterly generic. Just a mishmash of different ideas, historical settings, and mechanics from other RTSes blended together in some kind of bland strategy soup. The top review on Steam would seem to agree with that too.........

(Also I will only ever give my actual opinion games, if you want to buy a GOOD rts, I will not stop you)
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Micro102 on May 23, 2021, 11:32:23 pm
I tried Ancestor's Legacy. I hated it. The UI and pathing and combat are all mediocre, and the story is tedious and nonsensical, for example:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Play it if you really really want a medieval RTS, but you are probably going to be disappointed.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Yoink on May 25, 2021, 02:59:47 am
I tried Ancestor's Legacy. I hated it. The UI and pathing and combat are all mediocre, and the story is tedious and nonsensical, for example:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Play it if you really really want a medieval RTS, but you are probably going to be disappointed.
Okay, I think that anecdote alone is enough to turn me off it. Thanks. ^-^   


It's made by Polish edgelords who previously made Hatred, so expect the story to be really pro-Potatoland and stupid?
Hey now, just because you're Polish doesn't mean you can't write a decent story now and then.   
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Starver on May 25, 2021, 03:31:27 am
It's made by Polish edgelords who previously made Hatred, so expect the story to be really pro-Potatoland and stupid?
Hey now, just because you're Polish doesn't mean you can't write a decent story now and then.   
Well, there's Stanislaw Lem, I think. (Though, in its various published and adapted forms, Solaris is maybe a bit of a Marmite piece.)

This may be particularly subject to Lem's Law, of course. ;)
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: E. Albright on May 25, 2021, 07:09:40 am
I think I'd point to The Cyberiad if I was citing a more broadly-appealing Lem work even if Solaris is his best-known work.

Although I'd also point out that from an anglophonic point of view Lem was exceptional in a way that most Polish authors won't be, in that anglophones benefited greatly from Michael Kandel's wonderful work translating Lem. Prose translation is, alas, an art, not a science, and w/o either dual fluency or a partner of Kandel's caliber, we could well be seeing masterful Polish storytelling reduced to edgelord nonsense by poor translation. Probably not, though - there's a lot of bad storytelling throughout all gaming.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: EuchreJack on June 13, 2021, 04:42:29 pm
Convince me not to buy Two Points Hospital (https://store.steampowered.com/app/535930/Two_Point_Hospital/).

It looks interesting, its less than $10, its like a sim that I could never get working on any computer I own.  Why not?
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: gimlet on June 13, 2021, 06:19:23 pm
TPH is actually kind of decent, a nod back to Theme Hospital.   The main faults are that it's really not super deep, and can get kind of repetitive after about 6 or so hospitals.   Still, it's a decent amount of gameplay for the sale price, and if/when you do get the itch to do a few more hospitals the DLC is also pretty cheap on sale (50%+ off fairly frequently).  It's competent but not super, a bit above the average tycoon game but not a great game to replay over and over.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: EuchreJack on June 13, 2021, 07:25:52 pm
TPH is actually kind of decent, a nod back to Theme Hospital.   The main faults are that it's really not super deep, and can get kind of repetitive after about 6 or so hospitals.   Still, it's a decent amount of gameplay for the sale price, and if/when you do get the itch to do a few more hospitals the DLC is also pretty cheap on sale (50%+ off fairly frequently).  It's competent but not super, a bit above the average tycoon game but not a great game to replay over and over.

Thanks for the info.  I'll have to mull it over a bit.  It was sorta on my radar but too generic for the full price.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: ChairmanPoo on June 13, 2021, 07:34:56 pm
Some people say project hospital is cheaper and more satisfying. I have it but havent gotten around trying it yet. I recall the selling point is that it was more serious than TH or TPH. I also recall reading that the economic sim was surprisingly dead on.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Yoink on June 14, 2021, 02:53:27 am
Personally, it always seemed too expensive for my liking, but I bought it on the sale despite my computer not being able to run it. Even though Theme Hospital seems awfully silly in hindsight, it has a lot of nostalgia value and a special place in my heart - even if I'm pretty sure I only played a demo of it as a kid.   

Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: ChairmanPoo on June 14, 2021, 03:01:35 am
Tbh I got the Project Hospital thing because of the alleged realism, yet have been a bit reluctant to launch it because of the very same reason: I play games to chill out/relax, and its too reminiscent of my day job 🤣
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: Starver on June 14, 2021, 05:23:48 am
“Now, I have to tell you, it's an unbelievably complex subject. Nobody knew health care could be so complicated.” - some random guy
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: EuchreJack on June 14, 2021, 11:07:51 pm
“Now, I have to tell you, it's an unbelievably complex subject. Nobody knew [insert basically anything here] could be so complicated.” - some random guy

Fixed that for you!  :P

Remember: "Everything is easy if you're not the one that has to do the work!"

EDIT: Well, missed the sale, not spending full price.  Hm, maybe I should check out Project Hospital, I found the overall silliness of Two Points Hospital to be a turnoff.
Title: Re: Advise me to not buy this game thread.
Post by: ndkid on June 15, 2021, 10:29:05 am
“Now, I have to tell you, it's an unbelievably complex subject. Nobody knew [insert basically anything here] could be so complicated.” - some random guy

Fixed that for you!  :P

Remember: "Everything is easy if you're not the one that has to do the work!"

EDIT: Well, missed the sale, not spending full price.  Hm, maybe I should check out Project Hospital, I found the overall silliness of Two Points Hospital to be a turnoff.

I've played both, and I do find I enjoy the verisimilitude of PH more than the silliness of TPH.