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The New Comic Thread for Wednesday, May 25, 2011

13

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    The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Edcrab wrote: »
    What occured to me fairly suddenly during a Dragon Age 2 playthrough (which also throws people into the deep-end, albeit to what sounds like a much lesser extent) is how often I just play a game despite the lack of any kind of guidance

    Team Fortress 2? Shipped with no manual and no tutorial, you just picked a class and hoped for the best

    And when I think about it... damn, that's not a very friendly practise from the point of view of people new to the genre

    Nah it is. Trial by fire. If you don't know how to play TF2 at all, you get good really fucking quickly.

    Didn't the devs actually say they added in the training mode as an afterthought because it is totally unnecessary.

    The_Scarab on
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    Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    if you had never played an FPS before, TF2 would be a terrible terrible place to start

    Speed Racer on
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    BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    When TF2 first launched it was kinda straightforward, no alt weapons, collectibles, most of the map objectives were just Push or CTF.

    I've tried it a few times since and I'm not entirely sure what's going on anymore.

    Brolo on
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    DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited May 2011
    Rolo wrote: »
    When TF2 first launched it was kinda straightforward, no alt weapons, collectibles, most of the map objectives were just Push or CTF.

    I've tried it a few times since and I'm not entirely sure what's going on anymore.

    This is exactly how I feel. I've completely stopped playing because there's so many items that have been introduced (never mind all the hats) that I feel really behind the curve about what alt weapon does what and how to counter it. My backburner feels so antiquated.

    Druhim on
    belruelotterav-1.jpg
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    ButtersButters A glass of some milks Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    The dumb thing about TF2 is the stupid achievements to get the new weapons which most people would either hack or idle for anyways. They should have just given them away.

    Butters on
    PSN: idontworkhere582 | CFN: idontworkhere | Steam: lordbutters | Amazon Wishlist
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    JintorJintor Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I have a bit of beef with the lack of instruction (HAND-HOLDINNNNNNNGGGG!!!!!!!), but my real pisstake is the goddamn stunlocks. It's just so easy to be staggered once and then be hit five times and then be instantly killed. No room for mistakes!

    Jintor on
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    OlivawOlivaw good name, isn't it? the foot of mt fujiRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Butters wrote: »
    Neli wrote: »
    The combat is dangerous and fun and if you don't pay attention it can be punishing at the start. I really liked it once I got the hang of it.

    But really, this game is about dialogue, characters environments and quests. If you dismiss it because of combat alone you're missing an extremely good game.

    To me, this is so far the best game released this year (by far)

    If I'm spending a majority of a game in shitty, frustrating combat I'm not going to care how good the dialogue or characters are and aren't the quests going to be primarily combat oriented?

    Well I haven't played it yet but from what I've seen, especially from this gameplay footage, most of the game is not combat focused

    And TF2 is really not that complicated

    Olivaw on
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    JintorJintor Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    It seriously plays more the less the exact same as it ever did

    I mean, for all the counter-rules and zany new weapons and whatever, there's one super reliable counter to every weapon: don't get hit

    Jintor on
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    BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I think the biggest problem with getting used to Witcher 2 combat is that swings, parries and stuns all take quite a bit of time. If you could cancel the sword swinging animation into a block it would help a lot, as would having less startup on attacks in general.

    These get a bit better when you invest some talent points in them, but in the beginning Geralt just doesn't feel all that quick.

    Really, any game that does combat like this needs to steal their system entirely from Arkham Asylum.

    Brolo on
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    PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Druhim wrote: »
    Rolo wrote: »
    When TF2 first launched it was kinda straightforward, no alt weapons, collectibles, most of the map objectives were just Push or CTF.

    I've tried it a few times since and I'm not entirely sure what's going on anymore.

    This is exactly how I feel. I've completely stopped playing because there's so many items that have been introduced (never mind all the hats) that I feel really behind the curve about what alt weapon does what and how to counter it. My backburner feels so antiquated.

    it takes a few hours to become familiar with essentially everything new

    PiptheFair on
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    Saint_DipsetSaint_Dipset Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Honestly, I'm loving being in the group of people who are good at this game that so many people are not. It stimulates my natural western tendency towards hubris, and the lighthearted mockery of those I deem inferior.

    Haha, what's that? You can't get past Letho? You mad?

    Saint_Dipset on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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    UnbrokenEvaUnbrokenEva HIGH ON THE WIRE BUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Druhim wrote: »
    I just find BD's attitude hilarious. Stereotypical "all you casual gamers are ruining it for us real gamers by making them dumb everything down!"

    If I wasn't so exhausted I'd dig up the quote where BD claims that only "pro" gamers/people who can beat a game on the hardest difficulty are qualified to review it. Maybe tomorrow.

    UnbrokenEva on
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    ButtersButters A glass of some milks Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    People like BD are why GameFAQs boards are total fucking garbage.

    Butters on
    PSN: idontworkhere582 | CFN: idontworkhere | Steam: lordbutters | Amazon Wishlist
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    GaslightGaslight Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Fearghaill wrote: »
    Druhim wrote: »
    I just find BD's attitude hilarious. Stereotypical "all you casual gamers are ruining it for us real gamers by making them dumb everything down!"

    If I wasn't so exhausted I'd dig up the quote where BD claims that only "pro" gamers/people who can beat a game on the hardest difficulty are qualified to review it. Maybe tomorrow.

    With no dog in this fight, I'm intrigued to see how you would accomplish this while the search remains non-functional.

    Gaslight on
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    TheySlashThemTheySlashThem Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I guess this makes me one of those filthy industry-killing casuals but nothing turns me away from a game more than an inadequate tutorial

    TheySlashThem on
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    DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited May 2011
    brb playing farmville

    Druhim on
    belruelotterav-1.jpg
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    Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I don't play RPGs for challenge, I play them for story

    while I can appreciate a challenging game I don't like it getting in the way of a narrative I'm interested in

    it's why I liked that you could skip all the "video gamey" sequences in LA Noire if you cocked 'em up enough times. I could beat that stuff if I really wanted to, but I'd really rather get back to interrogations and finding clues.

    Kuribo's Shoe on
    xmassig2.gif
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    BusterKBusterK Negativity is Boring Cynicism is Cowardice Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I am the exact opposite Shoe

    BusterK on
    Visit http://www.cruzflores.com for all your Cruz Flores needs. Also listen to the podcast I do with Penguin Incarnate http://wgsgshow.podomatic.com
    Amazon Wishlist: http://www.amazon.com/BusterK/wishlist/3JPEKJGX9G54I/ref=cm_wl_search_bin_1
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    Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    well it is good we live in a world where all of our needs can be met through difficulty settings

    Kuribo's Shoe on
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    TheySlashThemTheySlashThem Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I'm gonna go ahead and link this video because EC is good stuff

    TheySlashThem on
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    cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I prefer story, but I like a challenge too. It's no fun if you just breeze through it.

    cj iwakura on
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    DoobhDoobh She/Her, Ace Pan/Bisexual 8-) What's up, bootlickers?Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I don't play RPGs for challenge, I play them for story

    while I can appreciate a challenging game I don't like it getting in the way of a narrative I'm interested in

    it's why I liked that you could skip all the "video gamey" sequences in LA Noire if you cocked 'em up enough times. I could beat that stuff if I really wanted to, but I'd really rather get back to interrogations and finding clues.

    There's the option to skip those action scenes if you mess up enough, too. Because of that, I'm thinking about recommending L.A. Noire to my parents- veterans of Myst and several King's Quests, together.

    Doobh on
    Miss me? Find me on:

    Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
    Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
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    Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I'm experiencing this right now with MLB '11: The Show right now

    we got it as a way for me and my dad to kind of meet in the middle. He likes baseball and I like video games.

    Turns out the game is (or at least seems to be) deep as fuck, and between the fact that he knows jack about video games and I know jack about baseball aside from the basics, neither of us has any clue what the fuck we're doing

    in our case it's fun though because it's a multiplayer game so we're learning it together

    Speed Racer on
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    Centipede DamascusCentipede Damascus Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Druhim wrote: »
    brb playing farmville

    don't you mean Gagaville

    Centipede Damascus on
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    L|amaL|ama Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Butters wrote: »
    The dumb thing about TF2 is the stupid achievements to get the new weapons which most people would either hack or idle for anyways. They should have just given them away.

    no, the dumb thing is that now the majority of the unlockable weapons aren't available through the achievements, only by random drops or buying them. It's really, really dumb when some of the weapons are just plain better, and there's so many around that it takes forever to actually get them.

    And the huge amount of hats ruins the aesthetic consistency that they had going.

    L|ama on
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    OrikaeshigitaeOrikaeshigitae Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited May 2011
    i stopped playing tf2 when hats were introduced. part of that is i was tired of the constant high-pitched whine that was prevalent on the PA servers at the time, part of it is that i didn't get a fedora and thought everything else was lame looking

    Orikaeshigitae on
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    L|amaL|ama Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I've got a fedora and don't really care for it

    heh

    L|ama on
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    SquallSquall hap cloud Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Gaslight wrote: »
    Fearghaill wrote: »
    Druhim wrote: »
    I just find BD's attitude hilarious. Stereotypical "all you casual gamers are ruining it for us real gamers by making them dumb everything down!"

    If I wasn't so exhausted I'd dig up the quote where BD claims that only "pro" gamers/people who can beat a game on the hardest difficulty are qualified to review it. Maybe tomorrow.

    With no dog in this fight, I'm intrigued to see how you would accomplish this while the search remains non-functional.

    this one?

    re: TF2: I love that game, but if I were to pick it up for the first time today I'd probably never play it again.

    Getting in on the ground floor while everyone else was also learning to play is what kept it interesting and fair amongst most players. The sheer amount of weapons and combinations make the game nearly impenetrable to new players, even with the addition of some training courses.

    Squall on
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    theSquidtheSquid Sydney, AustraliaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    i stopped playing tf2 when hats were introduced. part of that is i was tired of the constant high-pitched whine that was prevalent on the PA servers at the time, part of it is that i didn't get a fedora and thought everything else was lame looking

    remember the halo shitstorm

    ah memories

    theSquid on
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    BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    are the hats still purely cosmetic?

    Brolo on
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    ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Gaslight wrote: »
    Fearghaill wrote: »
    Druhim wrote: »
    I just find BD's attitude hilarious. Stereotypical "all you casual gamers are ruining it for us real gamers by making them dumb everything down!"

    If I wasn't so exhausted I'd dig up the quote where BD claims that only "pro" gamers/people who can beat a game on the hardest difficulty are qualified to review it. Maybe tomorrow.

    With no dog in this fight, I'm intrigued to see how you would accomplish this while the search remains non-functional.

    You can still do a google search using a site:forums.penny-arcade.com specification and find what you're looking for.

    ArcSyn on
    4dm3dwuxq302.png
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    DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited May 2011
    Squall wrote: »
    Gaslight wrote: »
    Fearghaill wrote: »
    Druhim wrote: »
    I just find BD's attitude hilarious. Stereotypical "all you casual gamers are ruining it for us real gamers by making them dumb everything down!"

    If I wasn't so exhausted I'd dig up the quote where BD claims that only "pro" gamers/people who can beat a game on the hardest difficulty are qualified to review it. Maybe tomorrow.

    With no dog in this fight, I'm intrigued to see how you would accomplish this while the search remains non-functional.

    this one?

    oh goddamn

    Druhim on
    belruelotterav-1.jpg
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    SquallSquall hap cloud Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Rolo wrote: »
    are the hats still purely cosmetic?

    there are four or five that give you a minor bonus if you equip it with a set of specific weapons

    but they're difficult to acquire (unless you spend money in the steam store to buy the set)

    Squall on
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    Viscount IslandsViscount Islands [INSERT SoKo HERE] ...it was the summer of my lifeRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I guess this makes me one of those filthy industry-killing casuals but nothing turns me away from a game more than an inadequate tutorial

    Really, in this day and age when you can find fifty guides online?

    Viscount Islands on
    I want to do with you
    What spring does with the cherry trees.
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    IvarIvar Oslo, NorwayRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    http://tf2wiki.net/wiki/Weapons

    Jesus fuck-a-doodle-doo, they've added a lot of stuff since the last time I played

    Ivar on
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    UnbrokenEvaUnbrokenEva HIGH ON THE WIRE BUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    Gaslight wrote: »
    Fearghaill wrote: »
    Druhim wrote: »
    I just find BD's attitude hilarious. Stereotypical "all you casual gamers are ruining it for us real gamers by making them dumb everything down!"

    If I wasn't so exhausted I'd dig up the quote where BD claims that only "pro" gamers/people who can beat a game on the hardest difficulty are qualified to review it. Maybe tomorrow.

    With no dog in this fight, I'm intrigued to see how you would accomplish this while the search remains non-functional.

    I would do it like this.
    BlackDove wrote: »

    *snip*
    Game Journalism is shit for another very specific reason.

    Playing games takes hand-eye co-ordination.

    Playing games well, takes well developed reflexes.

    It is an abstract skill that is unfortunately (in my opinion) a must if you plan on being in the business of deconstructing game mechanics and underlying intentions of the developer, and gauging accurately how the intention matches up with the finished product.

    *snip*

    The only way to truly give an objective review is to be able to experience THE ENTIRE spectrum, not just the low end.

    *snip*

    The unskilled (hypothetical in this case, but pretty much everyone these days is) reviewer that is reviewing the game is incapable of making this distinction, because their ability to judge rests solely on the low plateau. Therefore they can't say for example "game sucks for the average person, but for those who have moderate hand eye co-ordination would get a lot out of it". He can't score the game based on this. The score the game gets is "pretty colors, horrible gameplay, 4/10, the end".

    Would you say that's accurate, for the people capable of playing the game properly?

    Should there be no distinction and should the reviewers just assume that everyone playing is as handicapped as they are?

    Is that an accurate way of judging anything?

    Here's an analogy: An average 12 year old girl reviews Citizen Kane. Is that a good, trustworthy review? Is an average 12 year old girl capable of understanding Citizen Kane?

    That's right, if you're not as good as BlackDove you're essentially a 12-year old girl.

    EDIT: this is what I get for going to bed. But it's still worth quoting for all to see.

    UnbrokenEva on
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    Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    the idea that people who review games for a living haven't developed gaming-related reflexes strikes me as ridiculous

    Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
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    it was the smallest on the list but
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    Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited May 2011
    the idea that people who review games for a living haven't developed gaming-related reflexes strikes me as ridiculous

    Clearly, you never read Gamepro.

    Munkus Beaver on
    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
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    UnbrokenEvaUnbrokenEva HIGH ON THE WIRE BUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered User regular
    edited May 2011
    the idea that people who review games for a living haven't developed gaming-related reflexes strikes me as ridiculous

    I'm sure most have, but if it's not at BlackDove's level it's not good enough.

    UnbrokenEva on
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    Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    edited May 2011
    I think I read a gamepro once

    like, 15 years ago maybe

    Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
    NREqxl5.jpg
    it was the smallest on the list but
    Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
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