Gaming thread

[sockwithaticket]

I've found a decent groove with Sunless Skies, hit the 50 hour mark and still hungry to keep at it.

[Raggs]

Right, so now going to be upgrading to a 1070ti, which should keep everything over 60fps in 1440p, which is pretty nice :). Bought 2 from a clearance offer from a retailer (so used/ex-demo/returned but working etc 90 days warranty from shop). Hoping to be able to sell the 2nd one for £220-250 on the local facebay (don't want to deal with ebay if I don't have to), and also sell my old rx 580 for another £100-120.

Anyone here fancy a 1070ti or an rx580?

[Uncle fester]

Finally finished main quest.
Only took 6 months. Lots of ? In Skellige to explore as well as the expansions.

Ending was mostly good but think the pacing was a bit off. That whole stretch from battle of KM is a bit long and tedious.

Decided that I don't care that much about being over levelled for many things, I love the fact that enemies don't automatically scale. I want to feel like a near invincible bad ass when facing poxy street bandits. Love games that don't have scaling, always hated it when you'd built an infamous warrior, capable of slaughtering dragons, but still takes 5 minutes and tactical preparation to kill a few sewer rats etc.

Think I'm finally around ready to move to Skellige, but so much I could keep doing in Novigrad, don't want to push the main quest too fast as I don't want side quests to disappear.

Be careful north and east of Novigrad. That's Hearts of Stone territory and you'll run into pleasant surprises like level 34 Nekkers!

[Raggs]

Finally finished main quest.
Only took 6 months. Lots of ? In Skellige to explore as well as the expansions.

Ending was mostly good but think the pacing was a bit off. That whole stretch from battle of KM is a bit long and tedious.

Decided that I don't care that much about being over levelled for many things, I love the fact that enemies don't automatically scale. I want to feel like a near invincible bad ass when facing poxy street bandits. Love games that don't have scaling, always hated it when you'd built an infamous warrior, capable of slaughtering dragons, but still takes 5 minutes and tactical preparation to kill a few sewer rats etc.

Think I'm finally around ready to move to Skellige, but so much I could keep doing in Novigrad, don't want to push the main quest too fast as I don't want side quests to disappear.

Be careful north and east of Novigrad. That's Hearts of Stone territory and you'll run into pleasant surprises like level 34 Nekkers!

Thanks for the warning. I've run from some things, and taken on (and won) a few red skull fights here and there. Wouldn't fancy having to try and fight a crowd of high level nekkers though. Seen a few question marks around there and thought about investigating, will leave it for now. I have been trying to clear up the rest of Velen, almost all low level stuff, just filling in question marks.

I know I've said it before, but I love games where it lets you actually feel like an immortal against low level plebs, had a couple of fights now when I've been hit, my health has barely, if at all, changed. Getting into using all the oils, potions and bombs now too, makes fights so much easier (and interesting, which is nice). Still focusing on combat skills to level though. Level 21 now I think. Still got almost all of Skellige storyline to do, but trying to fill in the gaps in Velen. Too much to do :D. Enjoying it though.

[Margin__Walker]

The game is a nightmare for completists.

I've got a mountain of low level secondary quests I'm yet to do. That's without mentioning all the '?' symbols. I'm only a few levels above you as I'm only putting a few hours in a week at the moment and much to that is just dicking around.

Agree on the levelling of enemies. It's interesting to not know what you are walking into enemy wise much of the time.

[Raggs]

The game is a nightmare for completists.

I've got a mountain of low level secondary quests I'm yet to do. That's without mentioning all the '?' symbols. I'm only a few levels above you as I'm only putting a few hours in a week at the moment and much to that is just dicking around.

Agree on the levelling of enemies. It's interesting to not know what you are walking into enemy wise much of the time.

I'm not a 100% sort of person, but those ? kill me, as will undone quests. I'm not going to actively look for more quests (though I do enjoy listening in on potential quests when people are talking in the street), but I do want to try and tick off as much as possible :D.

[Nols]

Clearing the ? in Velen and even Toussaint is fine. Good luck trying it in Skellige. Most of them are just wrecks or smugglers' caches with some weapons and armour which are useless if you've been crafting stuff.
Good if you're short of cash or raw materials, though. Even if a smith/armourer has no cash, you can pay them to dismantle a bunch of stuff and then sell the rest back to them. You'll still come out ahead.

Heavy armour, even if it's way below your level, is great for stuff like cured draconid leather or dark steel plates. Medium/light will give you fabrics, leather and so on.
Magic or relic swords are good for meteorite steel/silver, jemstones etc. They're all raw materials needed for witcher gear, which have poxy crafting trees of their own.

It'll still cost a fair whack to dismantle a decent sword or armour piece, but you make it back offloading longswords and so on.

[Raggs]

Clearing the ? in Velen and even Toussaint is fine. Good luck trying it in Skellige. Most of them are just wrecks or smugglers' caches with some weapons and armour which are useless if you've been crafting stuff.
Good if you're short of cash or raw materials, though. Even if a smith/armourer has no cash, you can pay them to dismantle a bunch of stuff and then sell the rest back to them. You'll still come out ahead.

Heavy armour, even if it's way below your level, is great for stuff like cured draconid leather or dark steel plates. Medium/light will give you fabrics, leather and so on.
Magic or relic swords are good for meteorite steel/silver, jemstones etc. They're all raw materials needed for witcher gear, which have poxy crafting trees of their own.

It'll still cost a fair whack to dismantle a decent sword or armour piece, but you make it back offloading longswords and so on.

I'll remember that dismantling is important in the future. For now all funds are being spent on upgrading bombs, oils and potions.

[Nols]

Often you'll need to dismantle just so that the smith actually has funds to buy the rest of your stockpile. Otherwise you end up with a load of gear in you stash that you'll never use.

Also, I wouldn't bother stockpiling weapons until later in the game. The master smiths give you the best prices, but you don't get to them until around Skellige time, depending on whether you completed the side quests necessary to unlock them. If you have a bunch of longswords or maces, just sell them at the next smith you encounter. They fill your inventory and are plentiful. You'll be able to make a rake of cash selling stuff later in the game regardless. No shortage of bandits to kill and loot.

[Raggs]

Often you'll need to dismantle just so that the smith actually has funds to buy the rest of your stockpile. Otherwise you end up with a load of gear in you stash that you'll never use.

Also, I wouldn't bother stockpiling weapons until later in the game. The master smiths give you the best prices, but you don't get to them until around Skellige time, depending on whether you completed the side quests necessary to unlock them. If you have a bunch of longswords or maces, just sell them at the next smith you encounter. They fill your inventory and are plentiful. You'll be able to make a rake of cash selling stuff later in the game regardless. No shortage of bandits to kill and loot.

I've got both Hattori and Fergus/Roanna unlocked. I did Hattori a bit low level, but nothing crazy.

[Nols]

Hattori is very doable under-levelled. Just have to know how to parry in fist fights.

[Raggs]

Doing the brawling quests has helped me with that. I do like that as you get harder fights, you do seem to change up your strategy. Low level fights were just wait for the haymaker, and pummel. Fights in Skellige have required better timing, dodges, and really having to focus since if you do get stun blocked, you lose a ton of health, nearly (1 light punch off) lost a few fights.

Got my 1070ti installed, now just have to wait to I can play and enjoy better graphics and frames :D.

And now have to hope that I can bloody sell the old card, and the 2nd 1070ti I got as part of the deal, so the missus doesn't kill me for spending loads of cash on a needless upgrade :D.

[Raggs]

1070ti has cranked up the pretties and runs smoother (quieter too). Loving it.

I'm level 23 now, took out a level 30 forktail dragon thing, red skull, but really straightforward. Working on the feline armour set at the moment, and clearing up witcher contracts and secondary quests in Skellige. Massively overlevelled for the main storyline already, but really don't care, I actually quite like that I can just enjoy the story :D.

Going to have to deliberately avoid doing the expansions before I finish the main quest though.

Already considering doing a 2nd run to pick different options, but that would have to be more story only (and therefore harder without spending time on all the oils/bombs etc). Could be interesting though.

[tabascoboy]

Finished my second run through TLOU Part 2, got 100% on the trophies. Pretty gruelling again given the general bleakness of the game, can't decide if Naughty Dog have been bold, cynical or boldly cynical with what they make you do!

Would give it 8/10 - very good but can't ignore the flaws in it.

[Nols]

Raggs, once you complete the game, you can do New Game+, where you start the game with everything levelled up and unlocked already. Means you don't have to waste time on oils/potions and can concentrate on higher difficulty level, alternative quest choices etc.

Feels a bit cheap to start with when your mastercrafted gear is weaker than floor loot, but it works well for replayability.

[Nols]

Finished my second run through TLOU Part 2, got 100% on the trophies. Pretty gruelling again given the general bleakness of the game, can't decide if Naughty Dog have been bold, cynical or boldly cynical with what they make you do!

Would give it 8/10 - very good but can't ignore the flaws in it.

With the new factor worn off, what did you make of the general misery level?
Well crafted emotional manipulation which makes you think and reassess moral values, or cheap exploitative manipulation and misery porn? Or a bit of both.

The ending was so ridiculously bleak, probably a bit in the misery porn camp for that, IMO.

Spoiler

Show

Ellie struggling with PTSD and unable leave Abby be, then losing everything and having that juxtaposed against flashbacks with Joel was not exactly subtle. Then losing the ability to even play guitar, his lasting gift to her, was just brutal.
Effective, but not really uplifting!

[tabascoboy]

Finished my second run through TLOU Part 2, got 100% on the trophies. Pretty gruelling again given the general bleakness of the game, can't decide if Naughty Dog have been bold, cynical or boldly cynical with what they make you do!

Would give it 8/10 - very good but can't ignore the flaws in it.

With the new factor worn off, what did you make of the general misery level?
Well crafted emotional manipulation which makes you think and reassess moral values, or cheap exploitative manipulation and misery porn? Or a bit of both.

The ending was so ridiculously bleak, probably a bit in the misery porn camp for that, IMO.

Spoiler

Show

Ellie struggling with PTSD and unable leave Abby be, then losing everything and having that juxtaposed against flashbacks with Joel was not exactly subtle. Then losing the ability to even play guitar, his lasting gift to her, was just brutal.
Effective, but not really uplifting!

About 75 - 25 IMO. I can kind of understand people disliking that

Spoiler

Show

they turn Ellie from a feisty but funny young teen into a purely revenge driven character that they are being made to feel they can no longer like, but the whole point is that she - and other - have been through experiences that are completely beyond our understanding (unless you lived, e.g. in Rwanda during the genocide). People need to take a step back and consider that this is just a game that asks some tough questions that deliberately makes you feel uncomfortable, there's no reason that games have to be entirely about fun and entertainment any more than movies do. Which isn't to say the writers didn't push the misery a bit too far at times, and also that it's a result of an outcome we were given no choice over in the first game.

[JM2K6]

I haven't played it, but isn't the point that, well, they make that point quite quickly and then relentlessly hammer you with it, hour after hour?

[tabascoboy]

That actually helps to strengthen the impact of the very end

Spoiler

Show

when Ellie ultimately spares Abby and we get the suggestion that maybe Ellie has regained her humanity at that point - it just came with unnecessary cost to herself.

[ScarfaceClaw]

There’s a remake of Mafia coming out in Sept. the definitive edition. Mafia is one of the few games I’ve actually completed so the updated graphics but original story look good. Driving around Hoboken in a 1930s car doing 5mph otherwise the police arrest you was great fun.

That fecking car race level though.

[bessantj]

Here is an old rugby game. From the days when it was the Five Nations and tries were five points.

[Line6 HXFX]

Alyx Half Life was something else, even on my old Oculus rift.
Terrifying, freaky, pustulating, awesome..
If VR games carry on in down this track, then I can see it having a great future outside of just flight simmer'y.

[Raggs]

I'm waiting on the new Quest. Or other high quality wireless options. Not sure where exactly I'll play them though...

A quick brag. Due to my amazing negotiating skills... or at least being willing to try and it coming off. I have now successfully completed my upgrade from an RX580 to a 1070ti, costing me a bit of time, and a grand total of £15. Not too shabby considering the price difference between them 2nd hand is about £110+.

Will definitely consider trying the same trick again in the future.

[Uncle fester]

1070ti has cranked up the pretties and runs smoother (quieter too). Loving it.

I'm level 23 now, took out a level 30 forktail dragon thing, red skull, but really straightforward. Working on the feline armour set at the moment, and clearing up witcher contracts and secondary quests in Skellige. Massively overlevelled for the main storyline already, but really don't care, I actually quite like that I can just enjoy the story :D.

Going to have to deliberately avoid doing the expansions before I finish the main quest though.

Already considering doing a 2nd run to pick different options, but that would have to be more story only (and therefore harder without spending time on all the oils/bombs etc). Could be interesting though.

You're following a very similar path to me. Don't worry too much about your level. Just play as you want and dip in and out of the main quest as you like.

Leave expansions until you complete the main quests though.

[Raggs]

Been trying to clear up question marks and secondary quests, contracts etc. There's one in velen i just don't seem to be able to reach at the moment.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

Been trying to clear up question marks and secondary quests, contracts etc. There's one in velen i just don't seem to be able to reach at the moment.

The game isn't 100% bug free. I think every playthrough I've had one or two stuck quests.

[Raggs]

This is a question mark that i just can't find a way upto. Though it's possible it's under the hill and through locked doors.

[Nols]

Likely in a cave. Sometimes the entrance can be a fair bit away, especially if there's a quest associated with it, so it's not obvious.

[Uncle fester]

This is a question mark that i just can't find a way upto. Though it's possible it's under the hill and through locked doors.

Oh that's probably Bald Mountain. Very south of the map, east of the lake? It's locked until you reach a certain point in the main quest.

[Raggs]

This is a question mark that i just can't find a way upto. Though it's possible it's under the hill and through locked doors.

Oh that's probably Bald Mountain. Very south of the map, east of the lake? It's locked until you reach a certain point in the main quest.

Yeah, sounds like it, got the crazy tree on top. I was just working my way along until I came across it. Killed a red skull basilisk whilst I was there.

[Nols]

Ah yeah, that's it. I was messing around there earlier in my second playthrough trying to see where I could get to. That Basilisk had a go at me, but then I slid down half the mountain and it buggered off.


I love the set design around bald mountain, and that tree, in particular. Spooky as fuck.

[Raggs]

Ah yeah, that's it. I was messing around there earlier in my second playthrough trying to see where I could get to. That Basilisk had a go at me, but then I slid down half the mountain and it buggered off.


I love the set design around bald mountain, and that tree, in particular. Spooky as fuck.

I'm level 25 now, trying to just clear up some secondaries in Skellige at the moment, then I'll start getting people ready for the Isle of the Mists quest. Currently not much has got me too scared. Just maxed out the quick combat tree, and trying to see what I want to do with my points now. I'm thinking poison blade perhaps.

[sefton]

Got Skyrim cheap on the Xbox a while ago and started playing it last week, had forgotten how bloody good it was.

[JM2K6]

Excuse me sefton but this is the The Witcher thread

(They've just announced a prequel TV series...)

[sefton]

Excuse me sefton but this is the The Witcher thread

(They've just announced a prequel TV series...)

Completed The Witcher and all the DLC, just needed something to fill my limited gaming time until Cyberpunk is released.

[Line6 HXFX]

Got Skyrim cheap on the Xbox a while ago and started playing it last week, had forgotten how bloody good it was.

Pretty great in VR too actually.
This game will live longer than the bible.

[Raggs]

Excuse me sefton but this is the The Witcher thread

(They've just announced a prequel TV series...)

Completed The Witcher and all the DLC, just needed something to fill my limited gaming time until Cyberpunk is released.

Won't be playing cyberpunk on release I wouldn't think, but am definitely interested in it.

Bannerlord has just received a big update, once the witcher is completed, I'll be moving back to that I imagine.

[sefton]

Excuse me sefton but this is the The Witcher thread

(They've just announced a prequel TV series...)

Completed The Witcher and all the DLC, just needed something to fill my limited gaming time until Cyberpunk is released.

Won't be playing cyberpunk on release I wouldn't think, but am definitely interested in it.

Bannerlord has just received a big update, once the witcher is completed, I'll be moving back to that I imagine.

I got one of the Xbox One X Cyberpunk models, by the time I sold my One S it cost me less than the price of the game.

[Raggs]

I got one of the Xbox One X Cyberpunk models, by the time I sold my One S it cost me less than the price of the game.

Smart move. Does that allow you to play it on PC to? The game is in your microsoft account? Or you're limited to xbox?

[sefton]

I got one of the Xbox One X Cyberpunk models, by the time I sold my One S it cost me less than the price of the game.

Smart move. Does that allow you to play it on PC to? The game is in your microsoft account? Or you're limited to xbox?

I don’t know but as I only have my MacBook Pro and a work laptop I’m not going to be using it on a PC.