Hey let's catch up on some video gaming in the sandbox

like fallout 3 felt like it had drive and motion but skyrim is all like hey i think i'll go explore my world

it's v poorly explained, but the magic menu >> active effects shows whether you're sick or not

ha I don't think I've ever looked at that part of the magic menu

there should be icons next to yr magicka/stamina/health when you're either boosted or inhibited on something

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/12/08/hey-bethesda-could-you-fix-skyrim/

it's v poorly explained, but the magic menu >> active effects shows whether you're sick or not

ok that lydia vs gate video in the lydia death link is hilarious

Gents and ladies and Dan -

I'm going to be buying some used games today; planning on Deus Ex and 2 more. I'd love some recommendations for non-FPS games of the past year or so.

Just Cause 2, Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2, Saboteur was cool..., New Vegas, Arkham City, Portal 2, + obv Skyrim if you can find it used

ya both the Arkham games get massive THUMBS UP from me

also Marvel vs Capcom 3, but that's because I am addicted to fighting games

u know, if you can get it really cheap Mortal Kombat V. DC was a lot of fun!

I hear really great things about Saints Row 3 and if I wasn't in the middle of Skyrim I would surely be playing it

I always hear great things about the new Anno game and I can't wait for it to come out on the Mac

Saints Row seems to be ridiculous enough for me to play, unlike the GTA series

Thinking of Red Dead and Mass Effect. Saboteur was cool? I vaguely remember that - WWII Paris, right? Open worlder?

I've played all the others (except MK v. DC as I suck so, so bad at fighters) and loved them to various degrees.

Totally forgot about SR3! Wonder if I'll see it used.

hmm should i shot the first arkham game? its the only one available for mac

yes! though I played it on ps3 - i don't know if the pc version is as good (I assume so).

And don't tell anyone, but it's better than the sequel and I underrated it in our year-end poll when it came out.

it still won iirc

I think so, but I personally underrated it. A perfect, tight game with barely anything to quibble over.

Q related to previous Q: I thought the shooting in Uncharted was terrible so never played the second. Should I think about either of the sequels? Did they improve the shooting model?

some ppl liked dragon's age (nb i wasn't one of them)

KILLER CROC xposts

dragon age is a little bit above average fantasy world design and writing but if you're not into bioware rpg's i wouldn't bother

I liked the Croc stuff. Good change of pace. Liked it more than the Scarecrow stuff which everyone else seemed to think was the bee's knees.

Played the first Dragon Age until I got bored with the annoying characters and crappy console combat.

the idea of someone enjoying the croc stuff makes me feel like charlton heston finding the statue of liberty buried on a beach

I liked all the parts of it where I didn't get lost and go the wrong way. The little zipline tool makes a cool noise and Batman looks like he's having fun on it. Though he shoulda yelled, "Wheeee!" once in a while.

yeah i didn't mind the croc stuff either.

solidarity!

Now I'm off to the store. Will report back. Thanks for the input people!

I hated the Croc stuff so much

croc was fine; i think i maybe had to play that part twice before i beat it? If you couldn't handle the platforming there I could see where it would drive you nuts.

I could handle the platforming, it was the ZOMG WALK SLOW bullshit that artificially dragged out the section that I objected to

YES

I liked the croc and scarecrow parts. Shocking.

i'm having so much fun re-playing resident evil 4 for the nth time that i'm considering giving RE5 another shot (played it one night with a friend right when it came out, didn't finish it), especially since it's super cheap now. is this a bad idea?

re5 actually gets pretty fun, but the first hour or two are such a slog that i dont think many people bother to make it that far.

still pales compared to re4 in a big way imo tho.

xxp there's a "walk slow" bit in Arkham City which is p annoying, nothing like as aggravating as the Croc stuff in Asylum IMO.

I'm now obsessively caning the fighting challenges. 71 hit combo!

the Scarecrow parts were prob my favorite parts of Arkham Asylum tbh

there are a couple of similar bits in AC- the Mad Hatter sequence, fighting Ray Ghoul or whatever he's called...

oh my god I ADORED the Mad Hatter sequence, esp. since I just sort of stumbled into it

i've been idly reading some skyrim wikis, and come across something kind of obvious but totally insane:

alchemy can make potions that boost enchanting and smithing
enchanting can make apparel that boosts alchemy and smithing

you can recurse these a couple of times, ending up with gear created and improved a big hunk better than "normal" limits. whoa!

the boosts are, tbf, pretty small on both ends but yeah in theory that's right

re5 actually gets pretty fun, but the first hour or two are such a slog that i dont think many people bother to make it that far.

i think we got to the start of the last chapter, but i don't remember any of it except that it was very action movie-ish. i was only in town for the night so we tried to stay up and blow through the whole game, last time i've done anything like that.

res evil mechanics feel like they were made for me, since i tend to find a safe place to stand & shoot even in games where you can do it while running.

Back from the store with Deus Ex, Saints Row the Third, and Gran Turismo 5.

alchemy can make potions that boost enchanting and smithing
enchanting can make apparel that boosts alchemy and smithing

i read something saying be wary of boosting yr non combat stats up too high, or the baddies will level up over yr ability to fight them.

also, biggest lydia annoyance: get the fuck out of the doorway! worst when i wake up and she is standing in my bedroom door staring at me.

yeah that's probably smart

er xp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GpySAdU_Co

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ6bCjoJnFo