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[Sanctume]

Stellaris vanilla is $9.99 -- Is this worth getting still?

[forsaken1111]

I'd say yes. I've gotten hundreds of hours out of the game.

[Mephansteras]

Stellaris is a funny game. It's broad but shallow and missing key aspects I'd have expected from a 4-x like Espionage. And yet I've put more hours into it than any 4x since Master of Orion 2.

It's oddly engaging and fun despite it's shortcomings.

[Sanctume]

Stellaris is a funny game. It's broad but shallow and missing key aspects I'd have expected from a 4-x like Espionage. And yet I've put more hours into it than any 4x since Master of Orion 2.

It's oddly engaging and fun despite it's shortcomings.

I'd say yes. I've gotten hundreds of hours out of the game.

This is probably why I have not bought it, because my time sink is either DF or XCOM LW.

[forsaken1111]

If you just want to try it out I'm pretty sure it's part of the PC game pass from microsoft, which is currently 1 dollar to start. No idea if DLC are included

[a1s]

So Steam gave me a coupon for 25% off AI war II, which is already on sale (40% for a total of 55%). Does anyone want it? First come, first serve.
Steam handle.

[heydude6]

I'll take it. I saw it on the store page a few days earlier and I found myself intrigued by the concept. An RTS that doesn't pretend to be a match between two equal players and instead puts you against an AI with vastly more resources than you right off the bat.

It's a game that I've wanted to be made for quite a while since I believe that trying to make an RTS AI on par with humans is a waste of effort. With this asymmetrical approach, you can provide a balanced experience even if the AI is not a genius. You can also do more things with the opponent in general. You can give them all sorts of weird units and abilities since you don't have to worry about a player trying to use them themselves and either being overwhelmed or exploiting them. Best of all though the AI doesn't have to cheat since those extra resources should already be part of the deal.

[a1s]

(add me on steam, so I can send it to you.)

[heydude6]

Invite sent, it's [NAME DELETED]

[Aoi]

I have one of those AI War 2 coupons I don't intend on using also; if anybody else is interested, just send me a PM. (Priority goes to anybody I owe stuff to, otherwise FCFS.)

[Iduno]

GOG is having a post-apoc game sale.

I recommend Caves of Qud. If you like roguelikes, you'll love CoQ. Running around with a 4-armed axe-wielding maniac or a psychic whose brain is so impressive intergalactic bounty hunters come after you are fun. When you really get into it, you start trying to read their randomly-generated books, attempting to break the Pauli Exclusion Principle for the achievement, or saw chunks off nearly-invincible super tanks to wear them.

[notquitethere]

I've had a lot of fun with Caves of Qud since it's early ascii days. As far as depth of play, it's really up there among the best of roguelikes and more content is being made for it all the time.

[Reelya]

I'll take it. I saw it on the store page a few days earlier and I found myself intrigued by the concept. An RTS that doesn't pretend to be a match between two equal players and instead puts you against an AI with vastly more resources than you right off the bat.

It's a game that I've wanted to be made for quite a while since I believe that trying to make an RTS AI on par with humans is a waste of effort. With this asymmetrical approach, you can provide a balanced experience even if the AI is not a genius. You can also do more things with the opponent in general. You can give them all sorts of weird units and abilities since you don't have to worry about a player trying to use them themselves and either being overwhelmed or exploiting them. Best of all though the AI doesn't have to cheat since those extra resources should already be part of the deal.

One thing to keep in mind is that this isn't just about having "good AI". if the AI is as good as the human, all battles must turn into symmetric battles to make them fair. This would seriously limit the sort of narratives you can tell. They have better AI for RTS's that have been developed over the last 20 years, but we still don't use them in campaign design. For a good reason.

There are some articles and videos about game AI, pointing out that the goal isn't to create this awesome super AI able to "beat" the player, because that has in fact been tried, and found to be the opposite of fun. Proper single-player game AI is about what experience it delivers to the player, not about "beating" them.

Imagine you're playing a Call of Duty single-player campaign but they've replaced all the AIs with multiplayer bots. It'd be the opposite of "fun". It would be almost unmarketable. Sure, they would be "smarter", but then you'd have to redesign all the campaigns to basically be small-squad skirmishes. CoD and similar in the single-player modes are narrative / cinematic experiences. Replicating that experience in a game isn't about having the best AI for every soldier, it's about replicating the "movie" experience.

[Iduno]

Humble Bundle is having a sale on "Female Protaganist Games", and they didn't price everything at 80 cents on the dollar (or whatever number).

Missed jokes aside, Bayonetta, Franbow, and My Twin Brother Made Me Crossdress As Him And Now I Have To Deal With A Geeky Stalker And A Domme Beauty Who Want Me In A Bind!! are all games I've heard of. Anyone able to describe them?

[TheBronzePickle]

Bayonetta is a beat-em-up style game about a witch with magic hair who fights God.

Fran Bow is a point-and-click adventure horror about a disturbed little girl.

I don't know the other one.