Well, here we are in February again. What's so special about February?
It's the anniversary of these threads, which we started way back in
2006. That's right; we've been doing this for 18 years straight now.
Maybe we should call it quits? Or are you folk up for another 18
years?

Heck, let's give it a shot. I'll start us off.

And... I'm Already Done
---------------------------------------
* Exit 8
* Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves
* Starship Troopers: Terran Command
* System Shock (2023 Remake)
* Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)

No, wait... I Keep Going and Going and Going...
---------------------------------------

* Exit 8 (new)
In many ways, "Exit 8" is more of a game concept than a full
experience. It's gameplay loop is simple: walk through a hallway
(nominally a barren underground tiled tunnel as, apparently, commonly
found in Japan). After a few twists and turns, it connects to another
tunnel. If this new bit of tunnel is identical to the part you passed
through earlier, keep moving forward. If anything is off, turn around.
If you keep progressing through a tunnel with an 'anomaly', you're
warped back to the start. Correctly identify whether the tunnel has an
anomaly or not 8 times, and you finally make it to the eponymous exit.

The game's tech is neat. The core tunnel is fairly straightforward,
and uses portals between its different parts for the looping; it's
nothing too exciting but it has good visuals and works so seamlessly
that you'll not easily notice what it's doing at first. The anomalies
are procedurally chosen and can range from the simple (an innocuous
blotch on the ceiling) to the outright creepy (a man embedded into the
tilework who chases after you). There are about 40 anomalies total in
the game, and you're unlikely to experience them all in a single
play-through (in fact, the game encourages you to replay and hunt down
all the strangeness by going through the tunnels more than once) as
the procedural engine does a good job of not repeating them on you.

There's a hint of SCP mythos built into the game's conceit; at times,
it feels like an underground variation of the Overlook Hotel in 'The
Shining' with its weirdly, non-Euclidean architecture. There's a bit
of a fish-eye effect that gives everything a feeling of unreality.
Passing by the same commuter walking down the hallway in the other
direction again and again doesn't help either. Is he another victim of
this haunted tunnel? Is he one of its creations? Is he dead? Is he...
me? Nothing is explained, and it is the mundanity of the locale
contrasted with the often surreal changes that gives this game a
delightful atmosphere of suspense.

But the real 'terror' of this game is how it instills paranoia in you
about the choices you've made. Did I miss an anomaly? Was that thing I
/thought/ an anomaly really just my uncertain memory? Because while
sometimes the changes are obvious - a door suddenly opening into
darkness - other times the differences can be incredibly subtle. You
start questioning yourself, doubling back again and again to re-check.
Did that commuter look a bit smaller this time? Was that light at the
far end of the hall flickering or was it a rendering glitch? You're
never sure, and even though the worst that will ever happen to you is
that you get sent back to the start of the game (a game, I'll remind
you, that - with luck and careful observation - you can likely finish
in MINUTES, so it's not like you're even losing a huge investment in
time) but still, it hurts. Because there's so little to see and do in
these (nearly) identical tunnels, being forced to re-walk your path -
especially after getting so close to the end - makes the experience
sometimes seem Sisyphean. And it makes your victory feel even more
momentous even though, in the end, all you did was walk down a tunnel
for a few minutes.

So overall, the experience of this game was really good. "Exit 8" is
an excellent use of restraint, never straying past its own core ideal
and yet still managing to tell an interesting story and engaging its
audience with its simple idea. Still, as much as I enjoyed the game,
I'd also have a hard time recommending it to others. At $4 USD, it's
just a bit overpriced for what you get, even acknowledging its unique
and well-developed concept. It's the sort of thing that would be a
very memorable part of a much larger game, but as a stand-alone
product? As good as it is, it feels incredibly overpriced. It's a
wonderful example of the innovativeness and artistry we (sadly) too
often only get from Indie developers... but that doesn't make its
price-tag any easier to swallow.

But if you do happen to get your hands on this game - either by having
more money than sense, or as part of some free bundle, or whatever -
do give the game a shot. It's short, but weirdly effective and well
worth the few minutes it will take you to play it.

* Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves
I'm having a really hard time describing my experience with
"Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves."

On the one hand, it's a game that shows a lot of obvious skill and
experience went into its development. It's a top-notch game with
top-end visuals and solid gameplay. The developers, Naughty Dog
Studios, have a solid reputation for a reason, and in many ways it
shows here. This is a team that knows how to put together a game.

But on the other hand, while playing "Legacy", I really got the
impression that this wasn't a game the developers wanted to make. It
feels heartless, without charm or personality. It feels rote; a game
designed by committee to fulfill a commitment or financial obligation.
"Legacy" is in no ways a bad game, but compared to Naughty Dog
Studio's other titles, it feels like hollow.

It's the little things, really. There are some very rough animations
scattered throughout the game, for instance. These are all minor,
often blink-and-you'll-miss-them events, but they're the sort of
things that Naughty Dog would have corrected in their earlier games.
It's the lack of any meaningful new content; the whole thing feels
like a they cobbled together a game made out of ideas rejected from
their earlier titles. Even the new mechanics - the absolutely
pointless 'open-world' areas, and the stealth feature - feel out of
place. The "Uncharted" games were always highly scripted, highly
linear but excellently paced games, and these new abilities do nothing
but needlessly slow down the action.

Naughty Dog games always have good characters, settings and stories;
again, while "Legacy" isn't terrible, it isn't that great either. Its
villain is cliche; the trap-filled maps feel - even for an cinematic
action/adventure game like this - cartoonishly unrealistic. The
protagonists are just repeating story tropes already covered several
times in earlier games. Even the voice actors sound tired of their
roles.

And it hurts because - like I said - there was some real skill putting
this game together. The traps are clever. The combat is solid. The
game is gorgeous. If you've never played an Uncharted game - and you
enjoy the action/adventure genre - you'll love this game. It falls
short only in comparison to its older, better predecessors.

In fairness, "Legacy of Thieves" actually includes two games; the
original "Uncharted 4" and the spin-off "Lost Legacy" game. I only
managed to work my way through the former. By the time I got to the
end, I just didn't have the heart to play a second game (maybe one
day). Apparently that spin-off is a better experience than "Thief's
End". But that doesn't seem such a high bar to clear.

* Starship Troopers: Terran Command
It's amazing how such a small thing can have such a negative effect.

It's the voice-acting, you see. It's absolutely terrible, and it
brings down the whole game. It's just so dull and amateur, and when
the other elements of the game are also struggling to achieve
mediocrity, having such a weight dragging it down is the last thing
the game needs.

Because, as I said, the rest of the game really isn't that good
either. Visually, it's not that exciting, and it's map and mission
design are far too linear and, frankly, the whole thing is a bit
boring. The game also utilizes the movie license, which - while
entertaining enough on film - just doesn't seem a good fit for a video
game. But limited as the game is, the combat is satisfying and it's
fun to gun down hundreds of giant bugs. Or it would be if the
voice-acting just didn't disrupt the sense of immersion by how horrid
it is.

Maybe I should give the game another chance, except this time play it
with the speech disabled. Perhaps I'd have more fun that way. But,
honestly, it just doesn't seem worth the effort.

* System Shock (2023 Remake)
I'm not sure if I am disappointed by this game or not. Because I'll
give the developers this much: they were true to the original game.
But that is not necessarily a good thing.

On 2/1/2024 9:45 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
> But how about you? Because we all want to know:
>
> What Have You Been Playing... in JANUARY 2024?
>
Some 'Dave the Diver' and 'Rise to Ruin'.

Rise to Ruin is an older game that I'm sure anyone who is interested in
it already knows what its like. I'm slowly grinding away at individual
maps to conquer the world. I'm down to about four.

Dave the Diver is a weird little frustrating game. You play Dave, who
is a diver in a mysterious Blue Hole. The basic routine is dive during
the day, catch fish to give to your partner Bancho to make sushi at your
sushi restaurant. But.... Well, there are these Sea People
(mermen/maids) who want you to help as their village is being threatened
by earthquakes. A Korean game so it, of course, has to even weirder
than that. Which is a problem for me. The big problem is they insist
on inserting these button-mash little QTE games/twitch-fests into the
game ALL OVER THE F*CKING PLACE. And these are real twitch-fests
requiring over-caffeinated teenage test pilot reflexes. And there is a
different one for every activity or weapon type. With no instructions
on how to "play" them. And a lot of them are completely pointless,
there just to add another QTE. I can deal with the oddball setting and
characters that Dave has to deal with, but the QTE's are doing bad
things to my blood pressure.

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

Nothing! Way too busy. I hope to play something soon!

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

> Well, here we are in February again. What's so special about February?
> It's the anniversary of these threads, which we started way back in
> 2006. That's right; we've been doing this for 18 years straight now.
> Maybe we should call it quits? Or are you folk up for another 18
> years?

> Heck, let's give it a shot. I'll start us off.

> And... I'm Already Done
> ---------------------------------------
> * Exit 8
> * Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves
> * Starship Troopers: Terran Command
> * System Shock (2023 Remake)
> * Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)

> No, wait... I Keep Going and Going and Going...
> ---------------------------------------

> * Exit 8 (new)
> In many ways, "Exit 8" is more of a game concept than a full
> experience. It's gameplay loop is simple: walk through a hallway
> (nominally a barren underground tiled tunnel as, apparently, commonly
> found in Japan). After a few twists and turns, it connects to another
> tunnel. If this new bit of tunnel is identical to the part you passed
> through earlier, keep moving forward. If anything is off, turn around.
> If you keep progressing through a tunnel with an 'anomaly', you're
> warped back to the start. Correctly identify whether the tunnel has an
> anomaly or not 8 times, and you finally make it to the eponymous exit.

> The game's tech is neat. The core tunnel is fairly straightforward,
> and uses portals between its different parts for the looping; it's
> nothing too exciting but it has good visuals and works so seamlessly
> that you'll not easily notice what it's doing at first. The anomalies
> are procedurally chosen and can range from the simple (an innocuous
> blotch on the ceiling) to the outright creepy (a man embedded into the
> tilework who chases after you). There are about 40 anomalies total in
> the game, and you're unlikely to experience them all in a single
> play-through (in fact, the game encourages you to replay and hunt down
> all the strangeness by going through the tunnels more than once) as
> the procedural engine does a good job of not repeating them on you.

> There's a hint of SCP mythos built into the game's conceit; at times,
> it feels like an underground variation of the Overlook Hotel in 'The
> Shining' with its weirdly, non-Euclidean architecture. There's a bit
> of a fish-eye effect that gives everything a feeling of unreality.
> Passing by the same commuter walking down the hallway in the other
> direction again and again doesn't help either. Is he another victim of
> this haunted tunnel? Is he one of its creations? Is he dead? Is he...
> me? Nothing is explained, and it is the mundanity of the locale
> contrasted with the often surreal changes that gives this game a
> delightful atmosphere of suspense.

> But the real 'terror' of this game is how it instills paranoia in you
> about the choices you've made. Did I miss an anomaly? Was that thing I
> /thought/ an anomaly really just my uncertain memory? Because while
> sometimes the changes are obvious - a door suddenly opening into
> darkness - other times the differences can be incredibly subtle. You
> start questioning yourself, doubling back again and again to re-check.
> Did that commuter look a bit smaller this time? Was that light at the
> far end of the hall flickering or was it a rendering glitch? You're
> never sure, and even though the worst that will ever happen to you is
> that you get sent back to the start of the game (a game, I'll remind
> you, that - with luck and careful observation - you can likely finish
> in MINUTES, so it's not like you're even losing a huge investment in
> time) but still, it hurts. Because there's so little to see and do in
> these (nearly) identical tunnels, being forced to re-walk your path -
> especially after getting so close to the end - makes the experience
> sometimes seem Sisyphean. And it makes your victory feel even more
> momentous even though, in the end, all you did was walk down a tunnel
> for a few minutes.

> So overall, the experience of this game was really good. "Exit 8" is
> an excellent use of restraint, never straying past its own core ideal
> and yet still managing to tell an interesting story and engaging its
> audience with its simple idea. Still, as much as I enjoyed the game,
> I'd also have a hard time recommending it to others. At $4 USD, it's
> just a bit overpriced for what you get, even acknowledging its unique
> and well-developed concept. It's the sort of thing that would be a
> very memorable part of a much larger game, but as a stand-alone
> product? As good as it is, it feels incredibly overpriced. It's a
> wonderful example of the innovativeness and artistry we (sadly) too
> often only get from Indie developers... but that doesn't make its
> price-tag any easier to swallow.

> But if you do happen to get your hands on this game - either by having
> more money than sense, or as part of some free bundle, or whatever -
> do give the game a shot. It's short, but weirdly effective and well
> worth the few minutes it will take you to play it.

> * Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves
> I'm having a really hard time describing my experience with
> "Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves."

> On the one hand, it's a game that shows a lot of obvious skill and
> experience went into its development. It's a top-notch game with
> top-end visuals and solid gameplay. The developers, Naughty Dog
> Studios, have a solid reputation for a reason, and in many ways it
> shows here. This is a team that knows how to put together a game.

> But on the other hand, while playing "Legacy", I really got the
> impression that this wasn't a game the developers wanted to make. It
> feels heartless, without charm or personality. It feels rote; a game
> designed by committee to fulfill a commitment or financial obligation.
> "Legacy" is in no ways a bad game, but compared to Naughty Dog
> Studio's other titles, it feels like hollow.

> It's the little things, really. There are some very rough animations
> scattered throughout the game, for instance. These are all minor,
> often blink-and-you'll-miss-them events, but they're the sort of
> things that Naughty Dog would have corrected in their earlier games.
> It's the lack of any meaningful new content; the whole thing feels
> like a they cobbled together a game made out of ideas rejected from
> their earlier titles. Even the new mechanics - the absolutely
> pointless 'open-world' areas, and the stealth feature - feel out of
> place. The "Uncharted" games were always highly scripted, highly
> linear but excellently paced games, and these new abilities do nothing
> but needlessly slow down the action.

> Naughty Dog games always have good characters, settings and stories;
> again, while "Legacy" isn't terrible, it isn't that great either. Its
> villain is cliche; the trap-filled maps feel - even for an cinematic
> action/adventure game like this - cartoonishly unrealistic. The
> protagonists are just repeating story tropes already covered several
> times in earlier games. Even the voice actors sound tired of their
> roles.

> And it hurts because - like I said - there was some real skill putting
> this game together. The traps are clever. The combat is solid. The
> game is gorgeous. If you've never played an Uncharted game - and you
> enjoy the action/adventure genre - you'll love this game. It falls
> short only in comparison to its older, better predecessors.

> In fairness, "Legacy of Thieves" actually includes two games; the
> original "Uncharted 4" and the spin-off "Lost Legacy" game. I only
> managed to work my way through the former. By the time I got to the
> end, I just didn't have the heart to play a second game (maybe one
> day). Apparently that spin-off is a better experience than "Thief's
> End". But that doesn't seem such a high bar to clear.

> * Starship Troopers: Terran Command
> It's amazing how such a small thing can have such a negative effect.

> It's the voice-acting, you see. It's absolutely terrible, and it
> brings down the whole game. It's just so dull and amateur, and when
> the other elements of the game are also struggling to achieve
> mediocrity, having such a weight dragging it down is the last thing
> the game needs.

> Because, as I said, the rest of the game really isn't that good
> either. Visually, it's not that exciting, and it's map and mission
> design are far too linear and, frankly, the whole thing is a bit
> boring. The game also utilizes the movie license, which - while
> entertaining enough on film - just doesn't seem a good fit for a video
> game. But limited as the game is, the combat is satisfying and it's
> fun to gun down hundreds of giant bugs. Or it would be if the
> voice-acting just didn't disrupt the sense of immersion by how horrid
> it is.

On 2/1/24 11:45, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> * Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)
> Despite what Steam may tell you, I didn't actually play this game very
> much this month. The vast bulk of the time I spent in the game was
> watching it slowly download itself to my hard-drive. I had previously
> uninstalled it from my SSD (it seemed silly to waste 250GB of space on
> the fast SSD when it got so little usage) but - following the advice
> of some clever Usenetters - I decided to move it over to an older,
> slower, spinning-rust drive.
>
> Unfortunately, that meant a long and tedious download; over 100GB at
> an intolerably slow 5-10MBits/s. Eventually, I just turned off the
> monitor (and sound, because until the game fully installs it plays a
> chirpy little tune that you can't turn off!) and let the computer do
> its thing overnight.
>
> But once it was (mostly) installed, I had to give the game another
> chance... if only to see how the change from SSD to HDD affected the
> gameplay. Once in the game, the difference was unnoticeable... but
> those load times to actually get started? Wow! It almost made me
> reconsider installing it back onto the SSD.
>
> Beyond that, I didn't do anything too unusual. Mostly, I just pick a
> random part of the world as a starting point, and then just fly around
> for an hour, reveling in the vastness (and detail) of the world. I
> don't bother with any of the realism settings; I ignore ATC rules.
> Heck, I don't even worry about running out of fuel or crashing into
> the ground. I'm just there to bobble recklessly over the terrain and
> see the sights.
>
> But that's one of the great things about MS Flight Sim; it's
> configurable to suit the needs of all sorts of fliers. Maybe one day
> I'll again fully indulge in the fantasy of flying with all the
> 'realism' settings cranked up to max, where it can take ten minutes
> just to start up the engines, and an hour to dutifully navigate the
> taxiways and get into the air. I've done just that in earlier versions
> of the game (including, once, a non-stop eight hour flight across the
> Atlantic in real-time. I was younger then and had both more energy and
> more time to waste ;-). But until then, I'm happy being an unsafe
> tourist dangerously ignoring every single air-safety law (and physics)
> just to see the prettiest places on Earth.

I miss playing with the flight sim in Google Earth.
> ---------------------------------------
>
> That's all of my gaming this month (well, all the games I played long
> enough to make it worth writing about, anyway). Not a bad selection, I
> think.
>
> But how about you? Because we all want to know:
>
> What Have You Been Playing... in JANUARY 2024?

I discovered multi-world randomizers and have been playing them quite a bit.
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On 2/1/24 15:02, Ant wrote:
>> But how about you? Because we all want to know:
>
>> What Have You Been Playing... in JANUARY 2024?
>
> Nothing! Way too busy. I hope to play something soon!

Busy ~~bee~~ ant?
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net> wrote:
> On 2/1/24 15:02, Ant wrote:
> >> But how about you? Because we all want to know:
> >
> >> What Have You Been Playing... in JANUARY 2024?
> >
> > Nothing! Way too busy. I hope to play something soon!

> Busy ~~bee~~ ant?

BUSY ant. :P
--
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense ??? Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." --1 John 2:1-2. Rain on a new month!
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

On 2/1/2024 1:02 PM, Ant wrote:
> Nothing! Way too busy. I hope to play something soon!
>
You have failed this newsgroup!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdTK38tvyLU

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

On Thu, 1 Feb 2024 15:06:31 -0600, candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net>
wrote:
>On 2/1/24 11:45, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>> * Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)
>> But that's one of the great things about MS Flight Sim; it's
>> configurable to suit the needs of all sorts of fliers. Maybe one day
>> I'll again fully indulge in the fantasy of flying with all the
>> 'realism' settings cranked up to max, where it can take ten minutes
>> just to start up the engines, and an hour to dutifully navigate the
>> taxiways and get into the air. I've done just that in earlier versions
>> of the game (including, once, a non-stop eight hour flight across the
>> Atlantic in real-time. I was younger then and had both more energy and
>> more time to waste ;-). But until then, I'm happy being an unsafe
>> tourist dangerously ignoring every single air-safety law (and physics)
>> just to see the prettiest places on Earth.
>
>I miss playing with the flight sim in Google Earth.

Why? It still exists. Load up the client, press CTRL-ALT-A and fly.

As a sim (and even a game) it's - unsurprisingly - a worse experience.
But Google Earth is, in many cases, a lot more detailed than Microsoft
Flight Sim. Textures are generally higher, and there's more ground
clutter.

MSFS makes up for these failings with hand-built models (in better
known regions) and a lot of assets procedurally scattered about
(mostly trees). And it generally has better lighting and color, which
makes for a lot better experience. But there's a significant
difference in detail that you'll notice soaring over a locale in
Google Earth, and its not to Microsoft's advantage.

But I guess that's what Microsoft gets for using Bing Maps. ;-)

On 2/1/24 17:31, Ant wrote:
> candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net> wrote:
>> On 2/1/24 15:02, Ant wrote:
>>>> But how about you? Because we all want to know:
>>>
>>>> What Have You Been Playing... in JANUARY 2024?
>>>
>>> Nothing! Way too busy. I hope to play something soon!
>
>> Busy ~~bee~~ ant?
>
> BUSY ant. :P

Well, hope u and ur colony is good then ^^
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On 2/2/24 07:44, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Thu, 1 Feb 2024 15:06:31 -0600, candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net>
> wrote:
>> On 2/1/24 11:45, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
>>> * Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)
>>> But that's one of the great things about MS Flight Sim; it's
>>> configurable to suit the needs of all sorts of fliers. Maybe one day
>>> I'll again fully indulge in the fantasy of flying with all the
>>> 'realism' settings cranked up to max, where it can take ten minutes
>>> just to start up the engines, and an hour to dutifully navigate the
>>> taxiways and get into the air. I've done just that in earlier versions
>>> of the game (including, once, a non-stop eight hour flight across the
>>> Atlantic in real-time. I was younger then and had both more energy and
>>> more time to waste ;-). But until then, I'm happy being an unsafe
>>> tourist dangerously ignoring every single air-safety law (and physics)
>>> just to see the prettiest places on Earth.
>>
>> I miss playing with the flight sim in Google Earth.
>
> Why? It still exists. Load up the client, press CTRL-ALT-A and fly.
>
> As a sim (and even a game) it's - unsurprisingly - a worse experience.
> But Google Earth is, in many cases, a lot more detailed than Microsoft
> Flight Sim. Textures are generally higher, and there's more ground
> clutter.
>
> MSFS makes up for these failings with hand-built models (in better
> known regions) and a lot of assets procedurally scattered about
> (mostly trees). And it generally has better lighting and color, which
> makes for a lot better experience. But there's a significant
> difference in detail that you'll notice soaring over a locale in
> Google Earth, and its not to Microsoft's advantage.
>
> But I guess that's what Microsoft gets for using Bing Maps. ;-)

Well, for one I'm on Linux..
IDK if the client is still supported anyways lol
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On Thu, 01 Feb 2024 12:45:26 -0500, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>But how about you? Because we all want to know:
>
>What Have You Been Playing... in JANUARY 2024?
>
Cocoon (finished):
``````````````````
A fun puzzler with a very artistic aesthetic. Puzzles get a little
annoying at the end because the walk speed is slow and they require *a
lot* of walking. I really enjoyed the artwork, but YMMV. Took about 6
hours to finish.

There is completionist stuff that involves releasing "moon" creatures,
but they don't tell you about it, and you end the game saying, "Oh! So
that's what that was." You will likely have missed them. Then you have to
play again. Little Nightmares pulled this too. If there's a scavenger
hunt, it should be explicitly mentioned at the beginning of the game.

Starfield (got my feet wet):
````````````````````````````
This game is bland, and appears to run on some kind of modified Fallout
76 engine, because my graphics card laughs at it. You are immediately
made "the most important person in the galaxy who must save it," near as
I can tell. You then get your own ship. Space flight plays really nice.
Best KBM controls I've seen for the genre. If you enjoyed the planetary
expeditions in Mass Effect, there's a bunch of that too. Gunplay is
similar to Fallout. Plenty of dialog trees.

Bog standard RPG. Feels like The Outer Worlds without a sense of humor.
I'm intrigued, but getting it through a free trial of GamePass rn, and
unlikely to buy if it doesn't get better. I have far more compelling
things to play rn.

The Talos Principle 2 (nearly done):
````````````````````````````````````
Okay, so if you're a fan of Talos 1 then this is a no-brainer purchase.
Get it. Now. The puzzles are interesting and varied. The new devices and
puzzle mechanics are cool. The environments are nothing short of
stunning. Myst wishes it could have been this game.

What makes this game stand out from The Talos Principle is its vibrant
world full of robots. No longer are you constantly alone listening to a
computer with a God complex and interacting with the Milton librarian
through text. You are among, and interact with, a whole society of
robots. They even have a social media platform. This new element comes
complete with dialog trees, storyline, goals, achievements, and setbacks.
Backstory is again doled out in logs, both written and audio. It carries
the same commitment to philosophy that the original did, but this time
asks you to do something about it.

There are strong contributions from Greek mythology throughout the game.

The game is far more ambitious than the original and its DLC. It's also
much larger, with bigger maps to explore. So much so that it has an
in-game compass system which shows objectives and points of interest.

I'm at 100% on the standard puzzles, "lost" puzzles, and stars. I've
picked up 6 sparks out of 12. I have not yet been given access to the
"gold gate" puzzles, but I'm betting they are as hard as Gehenna.

Completing the original first is not required, but it greatly enriches
the references contained in the game.

Say hi to Byron for me!

Baldur's Gate 3 (paused):
`````````````````````````
Didn't play this much. I'm too obsessed with Talos 2. I'm in the lower
city, and a bit overwhelmed by its more sandboxy nature, when the first
two chapters were fairly linear.

As you've probably heard, BG3 is a fantastic adaptation of 5e, with
strategy and interactions (Grease and fire damage, for instance) that
basically makes it D:OS but with Forgotten Realms lore and 5e mechanics.
Worth it simply for the atmosphere and story. You can lower the combat
difficulty if all you want is a narrative experience or crank it up to
Iron Man if you want the real D&D experience where a TPW is the end.

Fortunately, the death of your main character, unlike the first two
Baldur's Gate game, does not create "game over." You have to TPW.

Portal: Revolution (hardly scratched the surface):
``````````````````````````````````````````````````
I ran this and solved a couple of puzzles. We all know what Portal is.
Seems like a worthy successor for a fan made game. I have no idea what
the twist is, or the story, or much of anything except that there are
puzzles, and they involve portal guns. So if you like portal guns, and
Aperture Science, it's bonus material and it looks well done.

"We do what we must because we can."

- - -

So as you can see, I've withdrawn from my Switch for a while and have
rejoined the PC Master Race, mostly due to that free X-Box GamePass, but
also due to Talos 2. The Overlord of "The Number" is very pissed with me
that I am now renting games and finishing them. How dare I not increase
and multiply my stash?

I will not be buying Cocoon (Take that, Overlord!). I've had a fun month.
I look forward to finishing Talos 2. Collecting all the stars lead to a
nice payoff -- a prophecy of sorts -- that was very intriguing.

--
Zag

No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

On Thu, 01 Feb 2024 23:31:08 +0000, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, Ant
wrote:

>candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net> wrote:
>> On 2/1/24 15:02, Ant wrote:
>> >> But how about you? Because we all want to know:
>> >
>> >> What Have You Been Playing... in JANUARY 2024?
>> >
>> > Nothing! Way too busy. I hope to play something soon!
>
>> Busy ~~bee~~ ant?
>
>BUSY ant. :P

Say hi to your queen for me. Don't pick any fights with the soldier ants.

--
Zag

No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

On 2/2/2024 7:14 AM, Zaghadka wrote:
>
> Baldur's Gate 3 (paused):
> `````````````````````````
> Didn't play this much. I'm too obsessed with Talos 2. I'm in the lower
> city, and a bit overwhelmed by its more sandboxy nature, when the first
> two chapters were fairly linear.
>
> As you've probably heard, BG3 is a fantastic adaptation of 5e, with
> strategy and interactions (Grease and fire damage, for instance) that
> basically makes it D:OS but with Forgotten Realms lore and 5e mechanics.
> Worth it simply for the atmosphere and story. You can lower the combat
> difficulty if all you want is a narrative experience or crank it up to
> Iron Man if you want the real D&D experience where a TPW is the end.
>
> Fortunately, the death of your main character, unlike the first two
> Baldur's Gate game, does not create "game over." You have to TPW.
>
TPW?

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

>The Talos Principle 2 (nearly done):

Sounds great! How long did the first one take -- I already have it in my
library

rms

>What Have You Been Playing... in JANUARY 2024?

Cocoon
The Lies of P

(both on PC Gamepass) As Zag noted, Cocoon is a puzzle game where you play
a tiny sentient beetle, who hatches and then has to make her way across
several exotic worlds and through obstacles to ascend -- ascend to what?
Well that's what you are left to discover! Zag quibbled about 'a lot of
walking' but I felt that was a minor quibble, given that you are solving
environmental puzzles and have to explore the lay of the land, and that the
game is respectful of your time: As soon as you solve one puzzle, your way
back is cut off so no time will be wasted going back to already solved
areas.

Lies of P is a dark souls game with very similar mechanics under a new skin
and renamed jargon. The conceit is that instead of a 'Hollow' you are one
the few sane Puppets in a world full of insane and mutated puppets, and you
battle your way through to fix this broken world, along the way meeting your
Maker, and as in Cocoon, growing up. I'm enjoying it a lot, battles are
challenging, the many weapons and mechanics are fun to juggle, and there's a
decent amount of secrets and plot to discover. Thumbs up! I'm in Chapter
7, out of I think 9, so pretty far along.

rms

On Fri, 2 Feb 2024 08:29:26 -0600, candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net>
wrote:
>On 2/2/24 07:44, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>> On Thu, 1 Feb 2024 15:06:31 -0600, candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net>
>> wrote:
>>> On 2/1/24 11:45, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>>>> * Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)

>>> I miss playing with the flight sim in Google Earth.

>> Why? It still exists. Load up the client, press CTRL-ALT-A and fly.

>Well, for one I'm on Linux..
>IDK if the client is still supported anyways lol

Dunno about Linux, but the Windows client is still supported. The most
recent version has a build date of 12 January 2024. I reinstalled it
back when I first got MSFS so I could do a direct comparison between
the two, and it's kept a spot on my hard-drive ever since. ;-)

(I can't imagine the Windows version wouldn't run well under WINE or
some other shim like Proton though. It's not a very resource intensive
program, so if you're really interested you may wish to give that a
try.)

(Alternately, here is a random untested, unverified - and two years
old - instructions for getting and installing Linux version of GE
client on Ubuntu:
https://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2022/04/google-earth-ubuntu-22-04/)

On Fri, 2 Feb 2024 07:57:27 -0800, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:
>On 2/2/2024 7:14 AM, Zaghadka wrote:

>> Baldur's Gate 3 (paused):

>> Fortunately, the death of your main character, unlike the first two
>> Baldur's Gate game, does not create "game over." You have to TPW.

>TPW?

I'm guessing 'Total Party Wipe', what we used to call 'total party
kill'

(or, 'Rocks fall, everybody dies'*, or alternately, 'That's what you
get for pissing off the GM.' ;-)

* even when no rocks were involved, we called it that. Do not question
the meme.

On 2/1/2024 9:45 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

> * Exit 8

Sounds possibly interesting and at least of little time commitment, if I
happen across it at a low price I'll give it a try.

> * Starship Troopers: Terran Command

Too bad, I would've thought the movie would make an excellent bug hunt.
Loved the book. While I liked the movie, it had nothing on the book.
(Give me the powersuits damit!)

> * Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves
> I'm having a really hard time describing my experience with
> "Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves."

Verily. I don't have any idea what it's about after your description
either. Looked it up, sounds like they tried to cram as many game games
together as they could manage and the majority of those don't sound like
my cuppa.

> But how about you? Because we all want to know:
>
> What Have You Been Playing... in JANUARY 2024?

What the ell did I play?

Short
*** God of War (2018) on PS+ streaming on PC
*** Bloodborne on PS+ streaming on PC

TL;DR

*** God of War (2018) on PS+ streaming on PC
I finally tried this as per mostly PW's pestering with Spall's review
putting this over the top. The characters are excellently done and the
interactions with especially Kratos' son were great, I got real dusty at
one point, but then started to hate the little shit when he hit his teen
attitude.

I had just barely started it when my PS+ Premium subscription ran out,
so I re-upped it considering the price vs. how long the game is suppose
to be. That was a mistake. There's puzzle chests where you have to do
something with 3 items with runes on them, throwing your axe at them and
destroying them to start out, which was fine, but then they progressed
to bells, where you have to hit the other two before the first stops
ringing. That would've been fine on a PC switching to mouse for aiming,
but doing it on a controller was neigh impossible. Unfortunately you
can't use a mouse on the Sony's streaming, only a controller. I spent
over 45 minutes on the worst of those puzzles, I stopped and looked up a
solution, but I had already been doing the solution, I just wasn't able
to get the reticle on the bells and throw fast enough. I almost gave up
on the game there. Yes you don't have to get all the puzzle chests
open, but I couldn't just leave it there knowing they have character
upgrades on either rage or hp meters.

The other annoyances don't have anything to do with having to use a
controller, but they're annoying none-the less. The next most annoying
thing was the typical adventure/console game garbage of having areas and
chests you can't access currently, but have to wait until you have a way
to unlock them and go back. I think there's 5 different types I have
the 'keys' for now, at least one of those also involve timed puzzles
with aiming, but seems to be adequate time for so far. Next is all the
slow climbing, there's just way too much of that. I also feel a bit
overwhelmed with all the options for armor and weapon upgrades and type
of upgrades. Lastly there's the monster level vs. your level, where the
monsters not only do more damage and take less with very little
difference, and while they actually have the same attacks, the number of
attacks that can be blocked or parried decreases the higher level they
vs. you. Leveling itself is also weird as it's based solely off your
total equipment level.

Lastly when I got the chaos blades, which were the original weapon of
Kratos, I started to remember bits of that game, and it seemed to feel
like combat was a lot more fun and a lot less tedium in the original game.

I'm still mostly enjoying it, but should've just waited for a sale and
got it on PC, and I'm not sure I'd really recommend it, nor would buy it
knowing what I know now. I'm probably a bit more than halfway through
it though and already commited so am going to try to soldier through to
the end.

*** Bloodborne

I enjoyed it a bit more after I finished the base game, I moved on into
a bit of NG+ and found that more challenging than previous From games
NG+ cycle. I mainly kept playing so I could say I fought all the
bosses, of which there's a good number in the optional chalice dungeons.
I also liked the dungeons much more than the base game.

The hardest of boss of those was Chalice Amygdala, similar to the main
game Amygdala, but in a little arena making it much harder to fight, and
also having I assume about 4 times the health and doing significantly
more damage. That one took me 68 tries to beat. I did beat the last
chalice boss "The Queen" but she was a pushover and beat her first try.
So I'm essentially done. I could complete NG+ and go to NG++ to try to
get platinum with the three required endings, or play another character
or two. I am kind of wanting to complete the game with an arcane
character instead of dex as it plays very different. I can't think of
another character I'd want to play though, as I tested enough with my
dex and with character that didn't get that far to know that the other
styles just seemed similar but not as good, or wholly ineffectual
(shield, gun)

I'm sad the DLCs aren't available through streaming as those are
supposedly better than the base game. (No I'm not going to buy a PS5
just to play those and Demon Souls... well, maybe a used one in a year
or two, and then resell it after, unless those games get released on PC.)

--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

On 2/1/2024 9:45 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

> * Exit 8

Sounds possibly interesting and at least of little time commitment, if I
happen across it at a low price I'll give it a try.

> * Starship Troopers: Terran Command

Too bad, I would've thought the movie would make an excellent bug hunt.
Loved the book. While I liked the movie, it had nothing on the book.
(Give me the powersuits damit!)

> * Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves
> I'm having a really hard time describing my experience with
> "Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves."

Verily. I don't have any idea what it's about after your description
either. Looked it up, sounds like they tried to cram as many game games
together as they could manage and the majority of those don't sound like
my cuppa.

> But how about you? Because we all want to know:
>
> What Have You Been Playing... in JANUARY 2024?

What the ell did I play?

Short
*** God of War (2018) on PS+ streaming on PC
*** Bloodborne on PS+ streaming on PC

TL;DR

*** God of War (2018) on PS+ streaming on PC
I finally tried this as per mostly PW's pestering with Spall's review
putting this over the top. The characters are excellently done and the
interactions with especially Kratos' son were great, I got real dusty at
one point, but then started to hate the little shit when he hit his teen
attitude.

I had just barely started it when my PS+ Premium subscription ran out,
so I re-upped it considering the price vs. how long the game is suppose
to be. That was a mistake. There's puzzle chests where you have to do
something with 3 items with runes on them, throwing your axe at them and
destroying them to start out, which was fine, but then they progressed
to bells, where you have to hit the other two before the first stops
ringing. That would've been fine on a PC switching to mouse for aiming,
but doing it on a controller was neigh impossible. Unfortunately you
can't use a mouse on the Sony's streaming, only a controller. I spent
over 45 minutes on the worst of those puzzles, I stopped and looked up a
solution, but I had already been doing the solution, I just wasn't able
to get the reticle on the bells and throw fast enough. I almost gave up
on the game there. Yes you don't have to get all the puzzle chests
open, but I couldn't just leave it there knowing they have character
upgrades on either rage or hp meters.

The other annoyances don't have anything to do with having to use a
controller, but they're annoying none-the less. The next most annoying
thing was the typical adventure/console game garbage of having areas and
chests you can't access currently, but have to wait until you have a way
to unlock them and go back. I think there's 5 different types I have
the 'keys' for now, at least one of those also involve timed puzzles
with aiming, but seems to be adequate time for so far. Next is all the
slow climbing, there's just way too much of that. I also feel a bit
overwhelmed with all the options for armor and weapon upgrades and type
of upgrades. Lastly there's the monster level vs. your level, where the
monsters not only do more damage and take less with very little
difference, and while they actually have the same attacks, the number of
attacks that can be blocked or parried decreases the higher level they
vs. you. Leveling itself is also weird as it's based solely off your
total equipment level.

Lastly when I got the chaos blades, which were the original weapon of
Kratos, I started to remember bits of that game, and it seemed to feel
like combat was a lot more fun and a lot less tedium in the original game.

I'm still mostly enjoying it, but should've just waited for a sale and
got it on PC, and I'm not sure I'd really recommend it, nor would buy it
knowing what I know now. I'm probably a bit more than halfway through
it though and already commited so am going to try to soldier through to
the end.

*** Bloodborne

I enjoyed it a bit more after I finished the base game, I moved on into
a bit of NG+ and found that more challenging than previous From games
NG+ cycle. I mainly kept playing so I could say I fought all the
bosses, of which there's a good number in the optional chalice dungeons.
I also liked the dungeons much more than the base game.

The hardest of boss of those was Chalice Amygdala, similar to the main
game Amygdala, but in a little arena making it much harder to fight, and
also having I assume about 4 times the health and doing significantly
more damage. That one took me 68 tries to beat. I did beat the last
chalice boss "The Queen" but she was a pushover and beat her first try.
So I'm essentially done. I could complete NG+ and go to NG++ to try to
get platinum with the three required endings, or play another character
or two. I am kind of wanting to complete the game with an arcane
character instead of dex as it plays very different. I can't think of
another character I'd want to play though, as I tested enough with my
dex and with character that didn't get that far to know that the other
styles just seemed similar but not as good, or wholly ineffectual
(shield, gun)

I'm sad the DLCs aren't available through streaming as those are
supposedly better than the base game. (No I'm not going to buy a PS5
just to play those and Demon Souls... well, maybe a used one in a year
or two, and then resell it after, unless those games get released on PC.)

--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

>*** God of War (2018) on PS+ streaming on PC

Every user review I've read complains of the larding up with sidequests &
tedious combat. I did start this on PS+, but did not renew with the big
price jump, instead buying a used copy at gamestop. And no, I haven't gone
back as yet :)

>*** Bloodborne on PS+ streaming on PC

I have this impression this is one of the peaks of playstation gaming and
keep avoiding starting it; as you noted the Old Hunters DLC is treated as an
odd duck, so once again I bought a used GOTY year physical copy. I guess it
will never come to pc.

rms

candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net> wrote:
> On 2/1/24 17:31, Ant wrote:
> > candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net> wrote:
> >> On 2/1/24 15:02, Ant wrote:
> >>>> But how about you? Because we all want to know:
> >>>
> >>>> What Have You Been Playing... in JANUARY 2024?
> >>>
> >>> Nothing! Way too busy. I hope to play something soon!
> >
> >> Busy ~~bee~~ ant?
> >
> > BUSY ant. :P

> Well, hope u and ur colony is good then ^^

We're OK. :)
--
"From inside the fish Jonah prayed ... 'In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.'" --Jonah 2:1-2. Will 2day B like yesterday? More new bites. :(
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

Zaghadka <zaghadka@hotmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 01 Feb 2024 23:31:08 +0000, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, Ant
> wrote:

> >candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net> wrote:
> >> On 2/1/24 15:02, Ant wrote:
> >> >> But how about you? Because we all want to know:
> >> >
> >> >> What Have You Been Playing... in JANUARY 2024?
> >> >
> >> > Nothing! Way too busy. I hope to play something soon!
> >
> >> Busy ~~bee~~ ant?
> >
> >BUSY ant. :P

> Say hi to your queen for me. Don't pick any fights with the soldier ants.

We only fight if the ants are not from this colony (aka family).
--
"From inside the fish Jonah prayed ... 'In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.'" --Jonah 2:1-2. Will 2day B like yesterday? More new bites. :(
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:
> On 2/1/2024 1:02 PM, Ant wrote:
> > Nothing! Way too busy. I hope to play something soon!
> >
> You have failed this newsgroup!

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdTK38tvyLU

When did newsgroup become a city? :P
--
"From inside the fish Jonah prayed ... 'In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.'" --Jonah 2:1-2. Will 2day B like yesterday? More new bites. :(
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

On 2/2/2024 4:39 PM, Ant wrote:
> Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:
>> On 2/1/2024 1:02 PM, Ant wrote:
>>> Nothing! Way too busy. I hope to play something soon!
>>>
>> You have failed this newsgroup!
>
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdTK38tvyLU
>
> When did newsgroup become a city? :P

When you failed it!!

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:
> On 2/2/2024 4:39 PM, Ant wrote:
> > Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:
> >> On 2/1/2024 1:02 PM, Ant wrote:
> >>> Nothing! Way too busy. I hope to play something soon!
> >>>
> >> You have failed this newsgroup!
> >
> >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdTK38tvyLU
> >
> > When did newsgroup become a city? :P

> When you failed it!!

Bah.
--
"From inside the fish Jonah prayed ... 'In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.'" --Jonah 2:1-2. Will 2day B like yesterday? More new bites. :(
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )