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Middle Earth: [Shadow of War] Micro-Transactions to be tossed into Mount Doom!

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    LucascraftLucascraft Registered User regular
    Not to derail this too much, but at this point, any sort of boycott would be pointless. The general public has shown the market that they are totally willing to put their credit cards on file for all sorts of microtransactions and pay all sorts of dollars, many times very irresponsibly, for all manner of digital widgets, blings, beeps, boops, shinys, and horse armor.

    It's a lost battle. People are careless and reckless with their money and game developers know this. That's why even major AAA franchises that should be making their money on box sales are selling game credits, loot boxes, and everything else.

    Why stop at $60 a customer when the vast majority of consumers are super loose with their wallets these days and will gladly drop another $60-$5000 dollars on gambling within the game on cosmetic crap and all manner of flim-flam.

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    KarozKaroz Registered User regular
    edited August 2017
    I fully intend to pick this game up one day, just further down the road when it's much cheaper.

    Karoz on
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    Skull2185Skull2185 Registered User regular
    Lucascraft wrote: »
    Not to derail this too much, but at this point, any sort of boycott would be pointless. The general public has shown the market that they are totally willing to put their credit cards on file for all sorts of microtransactions and pay all sorts of dollars, many times very irresponsibly, for all manner of digital widgets, blings, beeps, boops, shinys, and horse armor.

    It's a lost battle. People are careless and reckless with their money and game developers know this. That's why even major AAA franchises that should be making their money on box sales are selling game credits, loot boxes, and everything else.

    Why stop at $60 a customer when the vast majority of consumers are super loose with their wallets these days and will gladly drop another $60-$5000 dollars on gambling within the game on cosmetic crap and all manner of flim-flam.


    Yeah, no real point in a boycott. If you know you're going to enjoy the game, no reason not to buy it. If by some miracle, nobody ever purchased the RNG boxes, that would be great though. Even if that were to happen, you just know theres going to be some kind of little roadblock that's just annoying enough to tempt people into buying them.

    Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
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    NEO|PhyteNEO|Phyte They follow the stars, bound together. Strands in a braid till the end.Registered User regular
    A full boycott is a good way to get the higher ups to kill otherwise promising IPs because they aren't making returns on the investment. A proper message for the corporate moneymancers is a boycott on the MTs themselves. Whales are unfortunately inevitable, but if they see lots of game sales and barely any MTs, they have actual solid data pointing to people not wanting them, rather than poor sales and also a bunch of internet posts blasting them over MTs that they have no way to pin a number of lost sales to.

    It was that somehow, from within the derelict-horror, they had learned a way to see inside an ugly, broken thing... And take away its pain.
    Warframe/Steam: NFyt
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    Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Boycotts are never pointless. Stating that is just people feeling guilty for giving into their wants.

    Boycotts may have a very small effect but there's always an effect. Even a small one if worth the effort.

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    Johnny ChopsockyJohnny Chopsocky Scootaloo! We have to cook! Grillin' HaysenburgersRegistered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    Boycotts are never pointless. Stating that is just people feeling guilty for giving into their wants.

    Boycotts may have a very small effect but there's always an effect. Even a small one if worth the effort.

    It's not that they won't have an effect, it's that they'll have the wrong effect.

    If people don't buy the game, the developer takes the blame. Nobody learns anything, jobs get cut, ips get abandoned. The thing people want to stop continues unabated, because money people are self-centered narrow-minded shits who need things demonstrated to them in no uncertain terms.

    ygPIJ.gif
    Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
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    RamiRami Registered User regular
    edited August 2017
    GMG has it up at 25% off for this week only.

    Which is probably what you'd get in the Steam autumn sale. Christmas sale 33-50% off most likely.

    Rami on
    Steam / Xbox Live: WSDX NNID: W-S-D-X 3DS FC: 2637-9461-8549
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    NogginNoggin Registered User regular
    edited September 2017
    https://youtu.be/-15muasKW58

    Edit: removed dumb hot take. The mechanic shown here is actually a nice addition to the nemesis system, assuming other NPCs can do it too.

    Noggin on
    Battletag: Noggin#1936
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    FreiFrei A French Prometheus Unbound DeadwoodRegistered User regular
    Noggin wrote: »
    https://youtu.be/-15muasKW58

    Ok, I was pretty meh on the "pay2win" and still considering this, but this seems pretty gross

    Maybe it's just poor wording, but it seems like the bit at the end says that they will donate a portion of the proceeds to the employee's family, and rake in the rest.

    Edit: ok, maybe not so bad, someone posited that the missing $1.50 could be the first party cut, which I guess they probably can't get around.

    Yeah foot in mouth.

    Are you the magic man?
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    ProhassProhass Registered User regular
    edited September 2017
    This is a case of internet outrage run amok. All the money is going to the charity, some is going to a mandatory fee that the company pays for the liscence to host and sell the content on platforms, it's an unavoidable cut. Unless people are suggesting this would only be ok if the developer ate the costs, in which case it wouldn't be cost effective and therefore there'd be no way to do it so there'd be no money going to anyone.

    Basically this is benign and I think the fucking people in the development team knew this guy best and knew he would like it and know how to honour him in a way he would be ok with, as would his family who have agreed to it after all. This is a charming fun way to honour a guy they knew and help out his charity.

    Besides even if they were "profiting" from this, they are still also donating, the idea that they must donate ALL proceeds or it's some sort of ghoulish money grab is a bit much. They had a stream with guys who knew him promoting it too. There is no "profiting" here, unless you argue that promoting the game is profiting off the guy's death, a guy who worked on the game and presumably wanted it to do well. And whose family signed off on this

    This just seems like the microtransactions and taco promotions or whatever have set everyone's phasers to outrage

    The alternative would be the development team eating the cost of each sale, which yeah they could do, but they aren't a charity themselves they are donating to a charity.

    It's a big stink about nothing, basically a standard practice when selling products wherein the proceeds go to charity is getting consumers, who are the ones doing the donating, to cover the fees. If you find this objectionable then just donate directly to the charity I suppose

    I'm not saying they didn't bring this ire and scrutiny on themselves with the loot box bullshit, but I think it's kind of rough to go after the development team which likely organised this, as they have every right to honour their friend this way and work with their friends family's charity with their consent

    Prohass on
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    HappylilElfHappylilElf Registered User regular
    Ok so this is basically the last straw for me

    Any/all insipid complaints about micro transactions are now pretty much going to filed in the same place as 9/11 truthers, birthers and people that think that no really any day now Trump is going to become a decent president.

    I am officially done humoring this bullshit.

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    Big ClassyBig Classy Registered User regular
    I just wanna talk about orc murdering. How essential is the strategy part of the game going to be? Can I leave the fort takeovers?

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    ProhassProhass Registered User regular
    edited September 2017
    Big Classy wrote: »
    I just wanna talk about orc murdering. How essential is the strategy part of the game going to be? Can I leave the fort takeovers?

    It looks like they will be part of the main quest and progression in some form, if by strategy you mean the fort assaults? The only real strategy is positioning orcs you brand and sending them to kill enemies, there's not really a hardcore strategy element to it, aside from maybe looking at Orc stats and levels and resistances and such?

    The good news is you can just go in and kill if you're good at combat, taking advantage of the environment, but if you're not as good at combat you can soften the bases up by converting the Orc chieftens one by one so when you assault a fort most of them are on your side

    In terms of defending your fortresses apparently they only come under assault post endgame.

    Prohass on
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    Big ClassyBig Classy Registered User regular
    That sounds awesome. I was worried it would go the Brutal Legend route.

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    ProhassProhass Registered User regular
    edited September 2017
    No the fortress assaults very much seem to just be vehicles for the combat system and for getting tonnes of Orc captains to kill, convert, etc. I don't think there's any actual strategy to the overmap, you might get bonuses for capturing them but according to the devs they only come under attack in the post game as something to do after you've done all the quests

    Depending on which wwrchief you put in charge you'll get different misc missions and stuff in that region, like a marauder means wagons of gold and loot, a beastmaster dude means more caragors walking s rounds, etc, but as far as I can tell you can just kill your overlord and replace him if you want a change

    Prohass on
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    NogginNoggin Registered User regular
    edited September 2017
    Frei wrote: »
    Noggin wrote: »
    https://youtu.be/-15muasKW58

    Ok, I was pretty meh on the "pay2win" and still considering this, but this seems pretty gross

    Maybe it's just poor wording, but it seems like the bit at the end says that they will donate a portion of the proceeds to the employee's family, and rake in the rest.

    Edit: ok, maybe not so bad, someone posited that the missing $1.50 could be the first party cut, which I guess they probably can't get around.

    Yeah foot in mouth.

    Yes, and I'm sorry for getting caught up in it and bringing it here.

    My first reaction was to compare this to Blizzard, which has advertised their charity pets as 100% donations in the past. That was an unfair comparison.

    The first party cut totally didn't occur to me, and when I found that elsewhere my edit should have gone further.

    For clarity's sake, my misplaced ire was directed fully at WB and absolutely not Monolith. I wasn't clear about that.

    I made a mistake. Please don't file me under 9/11 truther, etc...

    Noggin on
    Battletag: Noggin#1936
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    DonnictonDonnicton Registered User regular
    Noggin wrote: »
    Frei wrote: »
    Noggin wrote: »
    https://youtu.be/-15muasKW58

    Ok, I was pretty meh on the "pay2win" and still considering this, but this seems pretty gross

    Maybe it's just poor wording, but it seems like the bit at the end says that they will donate a portion of the proceeds to the employee's family, and rake in the rest.

    Edit: ok, maybe not so bad, someone posited that the missing $1.50 could be the first party cut, which I guess they probably can't get around.

    Yeah foot in mouth.

    Yes, and I'm sorry for getting caught up in it and bringing it here.

    My first reaction was to compare this to Blizzard, which has advertised their charity pets as 100% donations in the past. That was an unfair comparison.

    The first party cut totally didn't occur to me, and when I found that elsewhere my edit should have gone further.

    For clarity's sake, my misplaced ire was directed fully at WB and absolutely not Monolith. I wasn't clear about that.

    I made a mistake. Please don't file me under 9/11 truther, etc...

    Too late, any children you may have have already be retroactively unvaccinated.

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    Iron WeaselIron Weasel Dillon! You son of a bitch!Registered User regular
    edited September 2017
    Noggin wrote: »
    https://youtu.be/-15muasKW58

    Edit: removed dumb hot take. The mechanic shown here is actually a nice addition to the nemesis system, assuming other NPCs can do it too.
    If you're referring to the thing where a dude pops in and saves you from an execution - yes, that is a something other followers can do (I saw a video the other day where the player was about to die to some chump in the Overlord's Chamber, but then a friendly Olog appeared and pulled the would-be Tark Slayer's head off).

    Iron Weasel on
    Currently Playing:
    The Division, Warframe (XB1)
    GT: Tanith 6227
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    LilnoobsLilnoobs Alpha Queue Registered User regular
    Frei wrote: »
    Noggin wrote: »
    https://youtu.be/-15muasKW58

    Ok, I was pretty meh on the "pay2win" and still considering this, but this seems pretty gross

    Maybe it's just poor wording, but it seems like the bit at the end says that they will donate a portion of the proceeds to the employee's family, and rake in the rest.

    Edit: ok, maybe not so bad, someone posited that the missing $1.50 could be the first party cut, which I guess they probably can't get around.

    Yeah foot in mouth.

    I don't really have an issue with this DLC. Maybe if by "portion" WB means .01%, and let's be honest when a company says 'portion' it's because it's a very tiny amount and they don't want blowback, but in general this doesn't sound slimy.

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    LilnoobsLilnoobs Alpha Queue Registered User regular
    edited September 2017
    Boycotts create a space for discussion and awareness for problems. They are not 'pointless'. The same people who say boycotts are pointless are probably the same ones who say protests are pointless and miss the entire point and it feeds right into the dominant culture paradigm: if there aren't results RIGHT NOW THIS MINUTE, it must be ineffective and stupid. It's a nice narrative that companies and organizations in power like to trod around, but it's wrong.

    Lilnoobs on
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    Skull2185Skull2185 Registered User regular
    It depends on what you're boycotting. If nobody buys Shadow of War because of the loot box shenanigans I guarantee the message received by WB will be that "this IP failed, shut it down." Now, if people buy the game, but boycott the microtransactions, that sends a clearer message. So yes, boycotting the game is pointless unless your goal to to see the series killed off.

    Same goes for "protests" in a sense. Kneeling at a football game is pointless and will accomplish nothing. Non-violent mass gatherings with a clear message, now that can lead to something.

    Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
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    Johnny ChopsockyJohnny Chopsocky Scootaloo! We have to cook! Grillin' HaysenburgersRegistered User regular
    Lilnoobs wrote: »
    Boycotts create a space for discussion and awareness for problems. They are not 'pointless'. The same people who say boycotts are pointless are probably the same ones who say protests are pointless and miss the entire point and it feeds right into the dominant culture paradigm: if there aren't results RIGHT NOW THIS MINUTE, it must be ineffective and stupid. It's a nice narrative that companies and organizations in power like to trod around, but it's wrong.

    It depends on if you're boycotting the actual thing that you think you're boycotting. If the point is to get a message across, then you need to make sure the message is delivered with no chance of it being misinterpreted. It needs to be resolute and clear, or else the group you're trying to get the message to will find a weasel way to think you meant something that totally isn't about them.

    Corporations are very very good at twisting poorly-messaged boycotts into collateral damage that hurts something expendable and won't trouble their bottom line.

    Boycotting the game itself = "FUCK THIS GAME AND THE PEOPLE WHO MADE IT"
    Buying the game but boycotting the microtransactions = "FUCK YOUR MICROTRANSACTIONS"

    ygPIJ.gif
    Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
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    Iron WeaselIron Weasel Dillon! You son of a bitch!Registered User regular
    People have been pretty vocal about how much they dislike even the idea the microtransactions in SoW, so I suspect that poor sales will have to be at least some what attributed to that decision (the publisher will still kill the series, though).

    As for buying the game but skipping MT, I'd like to think that would send the "right" message (it's what I plan to do) - but I also worry that WB might instead decide that there simply wasn't enough incentive, and insist that future titles tie MT more closely to progression/success, which would be bad.

    Currently Playing:
    The Division, Warframe (XB1)
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    AkimboEGAkimboEG Mr. Fancypants Wears very fine pants indeedRegistered User regular
    How is boycotting a game for offering microtransactions "better" than buying the game and not spending any money on microtransactions? Why would the former convey the message "microtransactions are bad, we don't need them" better than the latter?

    Give me a kiss to build a dream on; And my imagination will thrive upon that kiss; Sweetheart, I ask no more than this; A kiss to build a dream on
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    DerrickDerrick Registered User regular
    I'm not boycotting per say. I'm just not interested in paying 3-5 times the value of the game by getting the content as it trickles out. I'll buy it when it's $30 on sale with that shit thrown in.

    Steam and CFN: Enexemander
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    LilnoobsLilnoobs Alpha Queue Registered User regular
    AkimboEG wrote: »
    How is boycotting a game for offering microtransactions "better" than buying the game and not spending any money on microtransactions? Why would the former convey the message "microtransactions are bad, we don't need them" better than the latter?

    Well, initial sales are no joke on the public perception of how good a game is (and by consequence, investors). Also, probably because it's a safer bet to stay away.

    How many people do you know bought a game and then paid for micro transactions just because [insert some justification here]? I'm betting most people buy games with no intention of purchasing microtransactions, but the psychological impulse is a real thing, copied from cigarettes, casinos, and other marketable addictive substances. Even on this forum we have people claiming microtransaction purchases because of [insert some justification], and this is typically a more informed group of people than the general population. So it's safer and more reliable to just stay away rather than tempt that addictive impulse.

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    dporowskidporowski Registered User regular
    Is it intended functionality that, while stealthed and in bushes, a captain will run across the map just to find you? I have been unable to get more than 100 yards from the starting tower in the tutorial, because no matter what I do, or how stealthy I am, one of 300 captains in this immediate area just runs the fuck over and calls another 400 orcs.

    I believe I have now leveled one of them up 7 times, and I'm pretty certain that I am not enough of a masochist to play this game, because this is pretty stupid.

    And note that when I say "run over" I mean they didn't even bother to put the little detection arrow on the guy's head until he'd called another 40 dudes. I didn't even SEE him before he ran from the other damn side directly to my bush.

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    Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    dporowski wrote: »
    Is it intended functionality that, while stealthed and in bushes, a captain will run across the map just to find you? I have been unable to get more than 100 yards from the starting tower in the tutorial, because no matter what I do, or how stealthy I am, one of 300 captains in this immediate area just runs the fuck over and calls another 400 orcs.

    I believe I have now leveled one of them up 7 times, and I'm pretty certain that I am not enough of a masochist to play this game, because this is pretty stupid.

    And note that when I say "run over" I mean they didn't even bother to put the little detection arrow on the guy's head until he'd called another 40 dudes. I didn't even SEE him before he ran from the other damn side directly to my bush.
    He's probably a tracker. They home in on you even when your hiding.

    Try just running away. They'll typically stop following you after awhile.

    They also go away if you start a mission.

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    dporowskidporowski Registered User regular
    dporowski wrote: »
    Is it intended functionality that, while stealthed and in bushes, a captain will run across the map just to find you? I have been unable to get more than 100 yards from the starting tower in the tutorial, because no matter what I do, or how stealthy I am, one of 300 captains in this immediate area just runs the fuck over and calls another 400 orcs.

    I believe I have now leveled one of them up 7 times, and I'm pretty certain that I am not enough of a masochist to play this game, because this is pretty stupid.

    And note that when I say "run over" I mean they didn't even bother to put the little detection arrow on the guy's head until he'd called another 40 dudes. I didn't even SEE him before he ran from the other damn side directly to my bush.
    He's probably a tracker. They home in on you even when your hiding.

    Try just running away. They'll typically stop following you after awhile.

    They also go away if you start a mission.

    I'm on a mission; kill the very very first dude in the tutorial. I can't even get within 300' of him, because I am orc gangbanged the second I step out of this fucking tower.

    I did try running away once. I got to a bush, hid in it, and another captain came over and bashed me on the head. Then the first captain called three more, all of them came over, and killed me a lot. I have actually seen more captains in this area than I have mook orcs. The intended gameplay loop simply can't be "get skullfucked over and over and over", and I swear to god if anyone says "work" or "effort" or "tastes sweeter"...

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    ProhassProhass Registered User regular
    edited September 2017
    Yeah it sounds like you might have a tracker Orc. I'm not sure if you can check weaknesses and go into wraith mode yet to get a handle on captains in your area? Try elf headshots, drop stealth attacks from above, etc. I'm sure you are, just keep at it (although of course if it gets too frustrating I can understand losing interest).

    Try focusing all your energy on ignoring the other orcs and getting the mission Orc, try arrow stuff, look for caragors, explosives, Morgai flies, anything in the environment that can distract orcs and that can help you get the better of him. It's been a long while since I played but can you interrogate worms yet? Try that to get info on weaknesses. You can always just keep running and running and breaking line of sight and they eventually should lose you. And the health system is pretty dumb in the original, you find herbs on the ground indicated by your minimap, its a cumbersome and unintuitive system thats thankfully gone in the sequel (you get health in shadow of mordor by leeching it from orcs, friend or foe)

    Is it possible to avoid or leave the mission and try other missions to level up weapons and bow skills, and just come back when you're levelled? I think youre in a mandatory mission of sorts so maybe not, again apologies its been a while since ive played the start of the game

    The game definitely gets easier and easier the more you play, not because you get better necessarily, but because the range of skills you get makes things so much easier. It sounds like you've run into a perfect storm accidently, the way the game works is you eventually get so many abilities that it becomes a cakewalk, but that means it can be quite tough early on with dynamic spawning

    Nobody would say get good, it sound s like you're in an unfortunate situation with the orcs spawning. keep at it if you can, focus on the mission Orc, and keep experimenting. Is it possible to pass time at the tower and move some of the orcs away that way?

    Sorry I can't be more helpful, it's been a while since I started a new game so I'm not sure what abilities you have access to and what vulnerabilities the Orc you're after has. Hiding in bushes usually only works if you break line of sight and they go into yellow search mode I think, and tracker captains can find you regardless. So It might be best to just keep leggining it until you get lucky and they lose you. (If that's possible in this mission I can't remember if it hasn't a mission area or not). If there are a tonne of orcs open combat might not be viable and you might have to run, climb, elf shot, run climb, find more elf shot, then elf shot. Basically just run and gun the captain with headshots whittling down his health and doing whatever you can to avoid the crowd by climbing and dodging

    Edit: ok sorry misread you're actually in a mission? Is there anyway to leave the mission and come back to it?

    All I can say is you definitely don't need to be a masochist to play the game, while this kind of situation can unfortunately happen early on, the game gets way way way easier the more skills and abilities you get

    It's one of the lessons they learned for shadow of war, a big problem with the first game is it withholds all the best skills and fun behind a staggered skill system. So people assume the whole game is going to be as tough as it is at the start, which is understandable. But If you do manage to soldier through it does get a lot easier, you basically stomp most Orc captains by using beasts, ally orcs and melee stunners, and brutalise to disperse crowds, which are annoyingly not available to you right now, so it would be totally understandable if you told the game to shove it :p

    Prohass on
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    Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    edited September 2017
    Orcs have limited climbing abilities too, so that's one possible way to get away from them.(they can climb, but not as fast or as high as you.)

    I have to wonder of they retuned the game post-launch after people said it was too easy. I'm hearing more about people getting into bad situations right out the gate than I did at launch.

    Also if you're close to the start of the game, you could try restarting and maybe get a less punishing arrangement of orcs.

    Undead Scottsman on
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    ProhassProhass Registered User regular
    Orcs have limited climbing abilities too, so that's one possible way to get away from them.(they can climb, but not as fast or as high as you.)

    I have to wonder of they retuned the game post-launch after people said it was too easy. I'm hearing more about people getting into bad situations right out the gate than I did at launch.

    Also if you're close to the start of the game, you could try restarting and maybe get a less punishing arrangement of orcs.

    Its funny because I played so much of the game that I forgot how frustrating it can be at the start. Sometimes you breeze through and then you end up with so many devastating abilities, and by the second region when you can take over orcs, you forget you couldnt do that at first. Ive spent so much of my game riding giant Graugs and eating orc captians, that I forget you basically just had to rely on stealth, elfshot and lucky environmental options in the first region.

    Its so dumb they split the game like that, I can kind of understand why, they wanted to slowly introduce you to so many mechanics, but its like, man you are significantly underpowered in the first region!

    It becomes so much easy when you can interrogate worms for info on weaknesses, knowing weaknesses is pretty much mandatory when approaching orcs, but even then in the first area sometimes you just get swamped and have to run. But if its during a mandatory mission that is very annoying.

    I also forget that before brutalise you couldnt just enter combat by getting most enemies to FLEEE FLEEE FOR YOOUR LIVES

    Luckily while the randomness fucks you over when you first start, you eventually get it swinging in your favour, with allies turning up and orc captains running from caragors into fire pits. Its definitely a double edged sword. I remember running from quite a few fights early on and getting killed a lot. But as soon as the game opens up if youre worried about overleveled orcs dont be, just do side missions that unlock abilities and you'll dominate the fuckers in time

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    dporowskidporowski Registered User regular
    edited September 2017
    Nope. No worms around, nothing. I eventually ran three laps of the area, all the while followed by dude, his gang, and 3 other captains he picked up on the way. Climbed things, hid in things, broke LOS, everything. Nope, just kept chasing me. It says I need to interrogate another captain to find out his weaknesses, which is kind of hilarious honestly. Finally found the first Ratbag mission, started that, and I think he went away, so that's fine, but then I did a mission to "kill one dude", dude has 5 friends, aaaaaand attacking him summons all the orcs in the area. This then leveled up 5 other uninvolved captains in the area 2-3 times, including the guy who keeps chasing me. Believe average captain level is now 12.

    I'm really not sure the point of elfshot, either. Just shot a dude in the head three times, and it kinda made him angry. Seems to only be good for opening cages and dropping beehives.


    I really hate people who bitch about things being easy. They've confused "a sense of grim satisfaction, sort of like when you dig out a really buried splinter" with "I enjoyed this". "But it's such a good story!" So is the one about the time I got my hand caught in a set of industrial carpet rollers, and sure yeah, I've got a great scar to show off, but I would hesitate to call my experience "fun".


    Edit: Also, this game makes liberal use of the "taunt the player when they fail" mechanic, which is A: shitty, B: shitty, and C: "we couldn't actually come up with anything good here in terms of game mechanics, so we're settling for cheap emotional manipulation".

    Edit 2: Sorry, I feel bad coming in here and sounding like I'm crapping on your fun. Just like, holy shit, it seems like two entirely different games, and this one is set to "screw you".

    dporowski on
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    TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    This might not be the game for you.

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    Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    edited September 2017
    It doesn't sound like the game for me, either, and I've beaten it like four times.

    I'd try starting over a see if you get a less abusive roll of the dice.

    Undead Scottsman on
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    ProhassProhass Registered User regular
    edited September 2017
    dont worry about the leveling up of captains, theyll level up normally as part of the game anyway and they dont get too much more powerful when they level

    To be clear nobody is saying the situation youre in is easy (or they shouldnt be saying that). The game just gets MUCH easier pretty quickly after the initial start and you get more powerful abilities. The second game wisely has you being able to dominate orcs straight away, which is the biggest problem with the first, it gates that mechanic and that mechanic makes the game VERY easy.

    Im a god at this game, but I had distinct memories of getting my ass kicked over and over early on. As for taunting, just visualise how great it will be to stab a sword in those assholes faces when you finally do get them

    I think the game is for everyone, but sometimes people just end up in a situation in the game where you get killed lots, and frankly no matter the game thats never fun so I dont blame you for being pissed and rightfully so

    Dont worry about orcs leveling up, it doesnt make them that much tougher at this stage. Elfshoot can sometimes oneshot captains, sometimes do basically nothing, depending on their resistances.

    When the orcs swarm you what in particular do you find is killing you?

    Btw its totally ok to just give the game a miss, id still recommend coming back for the sequel if you see it on the cheap, as it starts off with the ability to brand orcs and so you can build up an ally army of normal orcs to help make battles easier. But frankly nobody would judge you for giving up if the game is throwing too many bullshit situations at you, if youre not having fun then the game failed you you dont owe anything to keep at it and keep getting frustrated

    Elfshots can vary in effectiveness but always try it first, if you cant get a stealth attack in first that is

    this has made me curious to start the game again to see what its like and maybe come up with some more helpful stuff, cos honestly all my strategies involve wraith stun (the B button on xbox, tho im not sure if its an ability you have to unlock and improve, or if you get it straight away) and caragaur riding

    Prohass on
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    Lord_AsmodeusLord_Asmodeus goeticSobriquet: Here is your magical cryptic riddle-tumour: I AM A TIME MACHINERegistered User regular
    Prohass wrote: »
    This is a case of internet outrage run amok. All the money is going to the charity, some is going to a mandatory fee that the company pays for the liscence to host and sell the content on platforms, it's an unavoidable cut. Unless people are suggesting this would only be ok if the developer ate the costs, in which case it wouldn't be cost effective and therefore there'd be no way to do it so there'd be no money going to anyone.

    Basically this is benign and I think the fucking people in the development team knew this guy best and knew he would like it and know how to honour him in a way he would be ok with, as would his family who have agreed to it after all. This is a charming fun way to honour a guy they knew and help out his charity.

    Besides even if they were "profiting" from this, they are still also donating, the idea that they must donate ALL proceeds or it's some sort of ghoulish money grab is a bit much. They had a stream with guys who knew him promoting it too. There is no "profiting" here, unless you argue that promoting the game is profiting off the guy's death, a guy who worked on the game and presumably wanted it to do well. And whose family signed off on this

    This just seems like the microtransactions and taco promotions or whatever have set everyone's phasers to outrage

    The alternative would be the development team eating the cost of each sale, which yeah they could do, but they aren't a charity themselves they are donating to a charity.

    It's a big stink about nothing, basically a standard practice when selling products wherein the proceeds go to charity is getting consumers, who are the ones doing the donating, to cover the fees. If you find this objectionable then just donate directly to the charity I suppose

    I'm not saying they didn't bring this ire and scrutiny on themselves with the loot box bullshit, but I think it's kind of rough to go after the development team which likely organised this, as they have every right to honour their friend this way and work with their friends family's charity with their consent

    Honestly the problem is that because WB has been pulling a ton of shady shit with all of it's microtransactions and similar behavior and they are becoming more and more well known for doing that kind of thing, it makes people people more critical and more suspicious of things like this. It's not, to me, a case of internet outrage run amok, it's one of the reasons behavior like WB and so many other big publishers do is so toxic, because it makes people more cynical and distrustful of any attempts to add any kind of additional paid or DLC content. People jumped to conclusions because the publisher of the game has given them a lot of reasons to doubt any new information from the game which might come with a price tag attached, even if their suspicions prove to be undeserved. If this kind of thing had happened with another game, or hell with Shadow of Mordor people would be have reacted much less badly.

    I mean when someone has spent the couple of months poisoning the well, people are going to be understandably suspicious when their employee hands them a glass of water, even if their intentions are good and the water is clean, people are going to be much more likely to think they're trying to poison them and I think that's what happened here. People were primed to expect WB to hand them a glass of poison and reacted accordingly, only belatedly realizing maybe they should have actually checked first. The reaction might not be totally fair, but it's not hard to understand why people had it.

    Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if Labor had not first existed. Labor is superior to capital, and deserves much the higher consideration. - Lincoln
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    ProhassProhass Registered User regular
    edited September 2017
    oh yeah I agree with that

    Also wraith stun and impact are abilities you need asap Dporowski, they make downing captains and dealing with crowds much easier. Basically you stalk a captain from above if possible until hes isolate, elfshot his henchmen if hes resistant to arrows, and then wraithstun the shit out of him with the follow up with a wraith flurry (which again, you have to unlock, so annoying). wraith finisher (YET ANOTHER unlock, goddamnit I forget how much is unlocked rather than available right away) added to this blows up orcs heads, terrifies the crowd, etc.

    Also avoid engaging captains in areas with the bells or horns or whatever, you'll see a notification on orcs that says theyre running to a horn (or bell or something, i forget what it is), and if they ring that you'll get swamped

    If youre already doing this and theres still too many captains around even if you follow one until hes isolated, then yeah you have every right to be angry and say fuck it if the game is fucking you over with its random gened mobs

    when gollum crops up in the story, do his missions, he gets you shadow strike and wraith flash, which are also mandatory

    Im not sure what missions are available to you right now, but try ones that dont involve captains if possible, they are the white ones or challenge missions, like freeing slaves, time based killing enemies, basically everything that involves getting miriun and xp to unlock abilities and health upgrades (go for health upgrades first) and doesnt involve captains (I realise this might not be possible, again, no idea what missions are available early on sorry)

    Also maybe a stupid thing to say, but ALWAYS counter, and against shield dudes, ALWAYS dodge, no matter what, and take out spear-throwers and archers with elfshot first if you see them, as you cant counter their projectiles, dodge your way to them and melee them first if you have to

    Prohass on
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    urahonkyurahonky Resident FF7R hater Registered User regular
    Considering it's WB it just feels like they are trying to peddle their microtransactions by making the consumers feel bad. Fuck them and fuck this scenario.

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    dporowskidporowski Registered User regular
    So after far, far too much trouble, I made it to whatsisbutt the Slaver. Surrounded by roughly 300 orcs, archers, etc, I assumed "well this will suck". THESE orcs however, were giant fucking chumps who went down with like, a single elfshot to the head, and didn't call for reinforcements or any of the hideous things that had been happening to me. In fact, they single-file lined up and marched over to my AC-patented "bush of death".

    Do not fucking go "left" at the beginning. Do not. It leads to pain. You think "oh hey I'll do that to level up" and instead you get chased by an ambushing tracker who is immune to everything and regenerates.

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