Poll of the Day > Stan By Geek

Topic List
Page List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Zeus
12/03/18 2:37:05 AM
#101:


WhiskeyDisk posted...
ParanoidObsessive posted...
. And he's in a universe were it would be pathetically easy for him to acquire tech that can subdue or stun rather than kill. Hell, he could probably straight up ask Spider-Man to use his connections to get someone like Tony Stark or Reed Richards to build him stuff like that if he was interested in taking prisoners.

Frank doesn't kill because he needs to kill. He kills because he wants to kill. Because, much like with Batman, every single criminal he deals with is just revenge for the one crime he couldn't prevent. He's basically a broken man who can't cope with his grief venting his frustrations against the world - and the only reason he isn't the subject of a massive manhunt is because there are just enough police and officials (and citizens) in the incredibly corrupt Marvel universe who agree with his methods that no one really goes looking for him as long as he just sticks to killing street criminals.


I certainly can't argue with that logic since Parker could have given him a "web fluid shotgun" and a warehouse full of web cartridges 30 years ago. I hear now in modern continuity that Castle actually has the War Machine suit...like seriously, wtf? Who made that call? We also apparently have Venom: Agent of SHIELD so I'm honestly at a loss as to why they don't just get it over with and let Carnage take Castle as a host at this point.


Pretty sure Carnage is more volatile than Venom.

WhiskeyDisk posted...
I hear now in modern continuity that Castle actually has the War Machine suit...like seriously, wtf? Who made that call?


idk, maybe President Doom?
---
(\/)(\/)|-|
There are precious few at ease / With moral ambiguities / So we act as though they don't exist.
... Copied to Clipboard!
ParanoidObsessive
12/03/18 9:45:41 AM
#102:


WhiskeyDisk posted...
I certainly can't argue with that logic since Parker could have given him a "web fluid shotgun" and a warehouse full of web cartridges 30 years ago. I hear now in modern continuity that Castle actually has the War Machine suit...like seriously, wtf? Who made that call?

Is that any more insane than the time when he was Frankenstein, though?

Or when he died, and was resurrected by angels and given magic guns to fight against demons?



WhiskeyDisk posted...
We also apparently have Venom: Agent of SHIELD

That actually makes more sense in context, though. Like, it isn't Eddie Brock Venom (though even he went through a long period of being a "hero" more than a Spider-Man villain), it's Flash Thompson post-military career wearing the symbiote, but it's also being drugged to the gills to keep it controllable. So it's a more trustworthy wearer with a more subdued suit. And he spends like half his time in space anyway.

At that point, it fits in pretty well with the premise that the government in Marvel is corrupt as fuck, and more than willing to do weird experiments on aliens or mutants or other super-powered beings, or exploit them and their powers for black ops purposes.

In terms of ethics, it's not even as bad as when Tony Stark was putting super heroes into an extra-dimensional prison simply for refusing to register their secret identities with the government, or when he and Reed Richards made a psychotic clone of Thor to enforce those rules without Thor's permission or knowledge, and then it straight up killed Bill Foster (something for which no one has ever been prosecuted, btw).


---
"Wall of Text'D!" --- oldskoolplayr76
"POwned again." --- blight family
... Copied to Clipboard!
Metalsonic66
12/03/18 9:50:18 AM
#103:


WhiskeyDisk posted...
I hear now in modern continuity that Castle actually has the War Machine suit...like seriously, wtf? Who made that call?

Frank did. Rhodey is dead
---
PSN/Steam ID: Metalsonic_69
Big bombs go kabang.
... Copied to Clipboard!
I_Abibde
12/03/18 8:58:05 PM
#104:


Zeus posted...
idk, maybe President Doom?


*facepalm* I wonder how many more signs we need that it is time to pull the plug on (non-indie) comic books as a medium?
---
-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.
... Copied to Clipboard!
ParanoidObsessive
12/03/18 10:24:17 PM
#105:


I_Abibde posted...
Zeus posted...
idk, maybe President Doom?

*facepalm* I wonder how many more signs we need that it is time to pull the plug on (non-indie) comic books as a medium?

At least that only happened in a parallel future universe in 2099.

Lex Luthor has been President multiple times in the mainline DC universe, though.


---
"Wall of Text'D!" --- oldskoolplayr76
"POwned again." --- blight family
... Copied to Clipboard!
Entity13
12/03/18 10:29:17 PM
#106:


So, with the second Captain Marvel trailer out now, and the Avengers 4 trailer supposing to be out Wednesday, I am recognizing that now would be the time to start avoiding the internet if you gave a damn about spoilers.
---
... Copied to Clipboard!
mooreandrew58
12/03/18 10:38:42 PM
#107:


ParanoidObsessive posted...
I_Abibde posted...
Zeus posted...
idk, maybe President Doom?

*facepalm* I wonder how many more signs we need that it is time to pull the plug on (non-indie) comic books as a medium?

At least that only happened in a parallel future universe in 2099.

Lex Luthor has been President multiple times in the mainline DC universe, though.



IDK alot about marvel but it always seemed fitting with luthor. Greasing the right palms and being a great charismatic public speaker seems to be his bag.

I'm saying that even though I thought it was dumb when I first saw it. But like some have said with marvel the DC American government is shown to be quite corrupt/shady so it fits.
---
Cid- "looks like that overgrown lobster just got served!" Bartz-"with cheese biscuts AND mashed potatoes!"
... Copied to Clipboard!
Zeus
12/03/18 11:14:15 PM
#108:


ParanoidObsessive posted...
I_Abibde posted...
Zeus posted...
idk, maybe President Doom?

*facepalm* I wonder how many more signs we need that it is time to pull the plug on (non-indie) comic books as a medium?

At least that only happened in a parallel future universe in 2099.

Lex Luthor has been President multiple times in the mainline DC universe, though.



The 2099-verse was still awesome, though. And at least Doom had a good run there, unlike his treatment in Ultimates.
---
(\/)(\/)|-|
There are precious few at ease / With moral ambiguities / So we act as though they don't exist.
... Copied to Clipboard!
ParanoidObsessive
12/04/18 4:16:37 AM
#109:


Zeus posted...
The 2099-verse was still awesome, though. And at least Doom had a good run there, unlike his treatment in Ultimates.

SOME of the 2099 universe was awesome. Some... was not.

I still have all of the number 1 issues somewhere. Ravage 2099 was kind of crap, and mostly just sold on virtue of being the latest character Stan Lee had created (at the time).

And Punisher 2099 was so terrible it sort of came out the other side into being brilliant. Which is why it sort of became memetic in online comic fan circles.

http://static2.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Punisher-2099-interior-art.jpg

Doom 2099 was an interesting concept, but I don't think it ever really lived up to its potential.



mooreandrew58 posted...
But like some have said with marvel the DC American government is shown to be quite corrupt/shady so it fits.

Ehh, the DC government is rarely all that evil or corrupt, with the minor exceptions of the parts that sponsor stuff like Checkmate or the Suicide Squad.

Marvel's the one where pretty much every branch, department, and secret division is corrupt as hell and probably doing experiments on people or running black ops assassination programs.

In a way, it reflects the nature of the citizens in both universes (something that has actually been brought up in cross-company crossovers). The average human on DC Earth tends to be somewhat idealistic, optimistic, and trusting of most heroes (and willing to give reformed villains a chance to prove themselves), whereas in Marvel the average citizen is a cynical bastard, distrusts everything and everyone, tends towards pessimism, is jaded as fuck about super-hero property damage, and assumes that 90% of heroes are probably secretly bad (doubly so if you're a mutant or Spider-Man).

Or to paraphrase TV Tropes, in the DC universe "Rousseau Was Right", but in Marvel Rousseau was very, very wrong.



Entity13 posted...
So, with the second Captain Marvel trailer out now, and the Avengers 4 trailer supposing to be out Wednesday, I am recognizing that now would be the time to start avoiding the internet if you gave a damn about spoilers.

I think the best time to start avoiding spoilers would have been in the 1970s.

I can probably tell you 90% of the plot of the movie right now, based on knowing Ms. Marvel as a character and knowing who the alien races involved are.


---
"Wall of Text'D!" --- oldskoolplayr76
"POwned again." --- blight family
... Copied to Clipboard!
Entity13
12/04/18 4:28:41 AM
#110:


ParanoidObsessive posted...
I can probably tell you 90% of the plot of the movie right now, based on knowing Ms. Marvel as a character and knowing who the alien races involved are.


You and me both. It's why I acquiesced decades ago about not letting the existence or display of spoilers bother me, but instead judge the individual spoilers for how badly one may bode for a storyline.
---
... Copied to Clipboard!
The Wave Master
12/04/18 8:29:22 AM
#111:


Yeah, I've been reading comics since the early 90's. Nothing un these movies surprise me at all. I guess I should post The Captain Marvel trailer because reasons...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs28ulw81fA" data-time="

---
We are who we choose to be.
... Copied to Clipboard!
mooreandrew58
12/05/18 1:08:59 AM
#112:


ParanoidObsessive posted...
Zeus posted...
The 2099-verse was still awesome, though. And at least Doom had a good run there, unlike his treatment in Ultimates.

SOME of the 2099 universe was awesome. Some... was not.

I still have all of the number 1 issues somewhere. Ravage 2099 was kind of crap, and mostly just sold on virtue of being the latest character Stan Lee had created (at the time).

And Punisher 2099 was so terrible it sort of came out the other side into being brilliant. Which is why it sort of became memetic in online comic fan circles.

http://static2.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Punisher-2099-interior-art.jpg

Doom 2099 was an interesting concept, but I don't think it ever really lived up to its potential.

mooreandrew58 posted...
But like some have said with marvel the DC American government is shown to be quite corrupt/shady so it fits.

Ehh, the DC government is rarely all that evil or corrupt, with the minor exceptions of the parts that sponsor stuff like Checkmate or the Suicide Squad.

Marvel's the one where pretty much every branch, department, and secret division is corrupt as hell and probably doing experiments on people or running black ops assassination programs.

In a way, it reflects the nature of the citizens in both universes (something that has actually been brought up in cross-company crossovers). The average human on DC Earth tends to be somewhat idealistic, optimistic, and trusting of most heroes (and willing to give reformed villains a chance to prove themselves), whereas in Marvel the average citizen is a cynical bastard, distrusts everything and everyone, tends towards pessimism, is jaded as fuck about super-hero property damage, and assumes that 90% of heroes are probably secretly bad (doubly so if you're a mutant or Spider-Man).

Or to paraphrase TV Tropes, in the DC universe "Rousseau Was Right", but in Marvel Rousseau was very, very wrong.

Entity13 posted...
So, with the second Captain Marvel trailer out now, and the Avengers 4 trailer supposing to be out Wednesday, I am recognizing that now would be the time to start avoiding the internet if you gave a damn about spoilers.

I think the best time to start avoiding spoilers would have been in the 1970s.

I can probably tell you 90% of the plot of the movie right now, based on knowing Ms. Marvel as a character and knowing who the alien races involved are.



Them allowing luthor to be president shows corruption. Never said evil. And in a graphic novel I have luthor threatened captain atom with a charge of treason followed with you know if I do and the military gets there hands on you they'll cut into your tin can of a body and do all sorts of experiments which implies the military is shady too.
---
Cid- "looks like that overgrown lobster just got served!" Bartz-"with cheese biscuts AND mashed potatoes!"
... Copied to Clipboard!
The Wave Master
12/05/18 3:13:40 PM
#113:


I finished Dad of Boy this afternoon. It only took a few months, and a major surgery to my neck and chest, but it is done.

Great game. A solid 10/10. My own illness just stopped me from enjoying it all sooner.
---
We are who we choose to be.
... Copied to Clipboard!
I_Abibde
12/05/18 5:56:44 PM
#114:


The Wave Master posted...
I finished Dad of Boy this afternoon.


I feel the urge to call it Master of Wave.
---
-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.
... Copied to Clipboard!
Entity13
12/05/18 8:27:27 PM
#115:


It's official. I've quite possibly overdone my research into Driders, if they were somehow real. In the past month I have looked into possible gestation times (10-11 months) and the amount of silk that can be produced in a day (roughly 3.5 ounces of spinneret protein fluid a day, not counting possible storage for a few days). <_<;
---
... Copied to Clipboard!
shadowsword87
12/05/18 8:32:04 PM
#116:


Yeah, the crazy deep research into fantasy things always was weird to me.
It never actually matters for the plot/characters and feels like the author masturbating about how hard they looked stuff up.
---
ImmortalityV, "I would like to kiss Icoyar to be honest in a non gay way though"
... Copied to Clipboard!
Entity13
12/05/18 8:51:07 PM
#117:


shadowsword87 posted...
Yeah, the crazy deep research into fantasy things always was weird to me.
It never actually matters for the plot/characters and feels like the author masturbating about how hard they looked stuff up.


On the other hand, when a writer doesn't look this stuff up, you're bound to get readers who bash you for being so inaccurate with your information. It's sort of a damned if you do, damned if you don't, deal, and I happen to like having the details there, in both the foreground and background. The details go just deep enough that the more pedantic critics will look all the crazier for digging any deeper, and the rest of us can simply enjoy the written works.
---
... Copied to Clipboard!
The Wave Master
12/06/18 9:45:06 AM
#118:


I did start Dragon Quest 11 yesterday. It's got some cute charm, and I did miss some turn based monster killing and pgrinding.

I still have a hundred more hours to go, but I think I will see this to the end. I realized that with being so sick that I have slacked off on my video game playing. It should not have taken me 6 months to finish Dad of Boy, and yes life does get in the way, but I totaled at least 23 ps4 games l need to start and finish. That is way too many, so the grind begins.
---
We are who we choose to be.
... Copied to Clipboard!
Entity13
12/06/18 5:19:25 PM
#119:


The Wave Master posted...
I did start Dragon Quest 11 yesterday. It's got some cute charm, and I did miss some turn based monster killing and pgrinding.

I still have a hundred more hours to go, but I think I will see this to the end. I realized that with being so sick that I have slacked off on my video game playing. It should not have taken me 6 months to finish Dad of Boy, and yes life does get in the way, but I totaled at least 23 ps4 games l need to start and finish. That is way too many, so the grind begins.


My one gripe with DQ11 is that it's so trope heavy that you can easily predict what will happen in the next few story events. Sure, a lot of games may follow tropes strongly, or I might be a writer that identifies the narrative from some distance away more often than not, but DQ11 just goes all of the way on that effect.

I will also admit that 17-21 year old me would have had a serious thing for Jade, because she's just designed that way.
---
... Copied to Clipboard!
Zeus
12/06/18 7:57:19 PM
#120:


After not getting a Switch or ps4 on Black Friday (still pissed about missing that rdr2 package), I started playing a new Skyrim game and it's been eating up a lot of my free time lately (interrupting some show binges). So, humorously enough, Pokemon Ultra SM is kinda suffering the same gate as Pokemon SM
---
(\/)(\/)|-|
There are precious few at ease / With moral ambiguities / So we act as though they don't exist.
... Copied to Clipboard!
ParanoidObsessive
12/06/18 9:59:35 PM
#121:


Zeus posted...
After not getting a Switch or ps4 on Black Friday (still pissed about missing that rdr2 package), I started playing a new Skyrim game and it's been eating up a lot of my free time lately (interrupting some show binges). So, humorously enough, Pokemon Ultra SM is kinda suffering the same gate as Pokemon SM

I kind of want to play another game where you can make your own character and your choices can influence the narrative of the story, but I think I already own most of those types of games that I know about, and have played most of them a few too many times to be super-enthusiastic about doing it again.

I mean, knowing me, there'll come a time when I'll suddenly be in the mood to play Mass Effect or Dragon Age again, or even another Saints Row run, but for the moment I just sort of want to find a new game along those lines and play a new story with robust character creation and dialogue choices. Meh.

Assasin's Creed: Odyssey would probably fit the bill, but I'm still holding off on buying that for DLC reasons, and I'm still wary of people describing it as being a bit too grindy to encourage microtransaction BS.


---
"Wall of Text'D!" --- oldskoolplayr76
"POwned again." --- blight family
... Copied to Clipboard!
Zeus
12/06/18 11:01:22 PM
#122:


ParanoidObsessive posted...
I kind of want to play another game where you can make your own character and your choices can influence the narrative of the story, but I think I already own most of those types of games that I know about, and have played most of them a few too many times to be super-enthusiastic about doing it again.


This is kinda my third time playing Skyrim, although the second time (starting on the ps3) really doesn't count because I quit relatively early.

At any rate, Skyrim is large enough and content-heavy enough that I've forgotten large chunks of the game (although I remember bits and pieces of the larger storylines, including pretty much all of the Dark Brotherhood story). In fact, I can't even remember if I played Imperial or Stormcloak -- although I instinctively assumed I probably went Imperial (although the Stormcloak Rebellion is a shorter -- and ironically less important -- storyline anyway). One of the big things is that I didn't play the DLC stuff the first time around, which is what I had intended to do on the ps3 Legendary edition. The other major thing is the fan mods (and console commands), which I'll probably get more into down the line.

All that aside, the story isn't real the main draw for me. I like the exploration, customization, combat, etc. After I finish the big stuff,

My kinda big problem -- and the same thing I hit last time I restarted -- is just the fact that I enjoy a certain playstyle. I had a blast playing as a Khajiit rogue. I didn't want to do the exact same thing, so last time I tried to make a mage but... it wasn't all that fun. This time I was doing more of a generalist but I keep sliding into playing as a rogue because it's absurdly effective and makes the exploration a little more thrilling... and, I hate to say it, but I'm tempted to console command change my character into a Khajiit since I really like the night vision power, the unarmed buff (which iirc helps with werewolf mode), and the general look of the race. Granted, in general I tend to default to the least-human race when playing most RPGs. In Oblivion, I favored Argonians and might have gone the same route this time if their design was better.
---
(\/)(\/)|-|
There are precious few at ease / With moral ambiguities / So we act as though they don't exist.
... Copied to Clipboard!
ParanoidObsessive
12/07/18 12:12:21 AM
#123:


Zeus posted...
This is kinda my third time playing Skyrim, although the second time (starting on the ps3) really doesn't count because I quit relatively early.

My problem with Skyrim is that, while it has character customization, it's almost entirely shit, and you barely see your character face-on anyway. And then you're limited as hell when it comes to armor and clothing palettes. And then you start playing, and all of the quests are generic as fuck, and while you get to "choose" how you want to do lots of things, almost all of those choices wind up being relatively meaningless, because nothing really effects anything else and the writing is terminally bland.

It's the ultimate end-game of open world design - because they have no idea which quests you've done at any given point, or who you've spoken to, so every quest sort of has to be modular and disconnected from everything else. You can have quest threads (like the Mage College quests or the Thieves Guild quests), but for the most part almost nothing you do matters to anything else you do.

So it's sort of what I want, only in the most superficial and flavorless way possible.

I've actually done multiple runs through the game (to 100% it for achievements on both 360 and PS4), but I don't really have fond memories of any of my characters or their personalities, because none of it meant anything. Nor do I really give much of a shit about any of the NPCs or their issues, or otherwise fondly remember anything about the game. Unlike Mass Effect and Dragon Age, where my characters in different runs tend to have radically different personalities, and I find myself caring far more about them and their stories, and the people they meet, then I ever have in any game made by Bethesda.

The one exception to that rule sort of being New Vegas, but in that case it was barely Bethesda at all as much as it was Obsidian (aka what was left of Black Isle, aka the people who created Fallout in the first place and the only ones who apparently understand what made Fallout interesting in the first place). My Couriers encouraged me to come up with radically different and overly thought-out back stories, and each wound up doing things differently than the others not because I was in a "Well, I did this quest one way last time, this time I'll do it a different way to see how things turn out instead" mindset, but because I was literally in a "This is who this character is, and this is how they'd react in this situation, so this is how they're going to finish this mission because they couldn't possibly do anything different." That level of immersion has really succeeded when I hit the point where I'm willing to deliberately do sub-optimal or outright negative things because it's important to the characterization. I'm basically roleplaying, not rollplaying.

That's the same sort of problem I have with stuff like Conan Exiles or GTA Online, and why I'm kind of adverse to Red Dead Online (even though watching other people make characters and play the early missions in that is part of what prompted this mood in the first place). The customization looks relatively deep and interesting, but then there's little worthwhile or meaningful for your character to actually DO once you've made them (and then microtransaction grind makes the whole experience generally crap).


---
"Wall of Text'D!" --- oldskoolplayr76
"POwned again." --- blight family
... Copied to Clipboard!
mooreandrew58
12/07/18 6:09:31 AM
#124:


Zeus posted...
ParanoidObsessive posted...
I kind of want to play another game where you can make your own character and your choices can influence the narrative of the story, but I think I already own most of those types of games that I know about, and have played most of them a few too many times to be super-enthusiastic about doing it again.


This is kinda my third time playing Skyrim, although the second time (starting on the ps3) really doesn't count because I quit relatively early.

At any rate, Skyrim is large enough and content-heavy enough that I've forgotten large chunks of the game (although I remember bits and pieces of the larger storylines, including pretty much all of the Dark Brotherhood story). In fact, I can't even recall if I played Imperial or Stormcloak -- although I instinctively assumed I probably went Imperial (although the Stormcloak Rebellion is a shorter -- and ironically less important -- storyline anyway). One of the big things is that I didn't play the DLC stuff the first time around, which is what I had intended to do on the ps3 Legendary edition. The other major thing is the fan mods (and console commands), which I'll probably get more into down the line.

All that aside, the story isn't real the main draw for me. I like the exploration, customization, combat, etc. After I finish the big stuff, I'll go back to just randomly wandering and exploring (especially because one of the turn-offs is not being able to haul much loot in the early game)

My kinda big problem -- and the same thing I hit last time I restarted -- is just the fact that I enjoy a certain playstyle. I had a blast playing as a Khajiit rogue. I didn't want to do the exact same thing, so last time I tried to make a mage but... it wasn't all that fun. This time I was doing more of a generalist but I keep sliding into playing as a rogue because it's absurdly effective and makes the exploration a little more thrilling... and, I hate to say it, but I'm tempted to console command change my character into a Khajiit since I really like the night vision power, the unarmed buff (which iirc helps with werewolf mode), and the general look of the race. Granted, in general I tend to default to the least-human race when playing most RPGs. In Oblivion, I favored Argonians and might have gone the same route this time if their design was better.


If you like unarmed buff of khajhits. Also get steel fist perk. (Heavy armor perk)With that I've punched dragons to death with my orc. A khajhit would probably wreck shit.

I've lost count of my playthroughs of Skyrim. I've at least started a file of every race and some both male and female counter parts.
---
Cid- "looks like that overgrown lobster just got served!" Bartz-"with cheese biscuts AND mashed potatoes!"
... Copied to Clipboard!
The Wave Master
12/07/18 9:18:00 AM
#125:


Don't like the title, but I do like the teaser.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA6hldpSTF8" data-time="

---
We are who we choose to be.
... Copied to Clipboard!
I_Abibde
12/07/18 9:24:47 AM
#126:


Skyrim tends to turn into a slapstick comedy when I play it. I am hilariously bad at the game, but that somehow still makes it enjoyable for me.

Entity13 posted...
My one gripe with DQ11 is that it's so trope heavy that you can easily predict what will happen in the next few story events. Sure, a lot of games may follow tropes strongly, or I might be a writer that identifies the narrative from some distance away more often than not, but DQ11 just goes all of the way on that effect.


That, for me, is a big part of its charm. There is nothing "edgy" or pretentious about DQXI. It's just an open invitation to sit down and have a good ol' time playing an old-fashioned JRPG.

I will also admit that 17-21 year old me would have had a serious thing for Jade, because she's just designed that way.


... 38-year-old me thinks she's very attractive.
---
-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.
... Copied to Clipboard!
Zeus
12/07/18 10:27:05 PM
#127:


ParanoidObsessive posted...
My problem with Skyrim is that, while it has character customization, it's almost entirely shit, and you barely see your character face-on anyway.


That bugs me (although it's not as bad as Fallout 3?), but the face designs are also kinda dodgy so... meh.

ParanoidObsessive posted...
And then you start playing, and all of the quests are generic as fuck, and while you get to "choose" how you want to do lots of things, almost all of those choices wind up being relatively meaningless, because nothing really effects anything else and the writing is terminally bland.


...although it's more realistic that way. The majority of choices have micro-impacts rather than macro-impacts. And, depending on what you do, it's possible to kill less important NPCs which either make some of the smaller (and non-radiant) quests either impossible to start or to finish. Plus you're not gated with a lot of quests so you can fulfill objectives before starting.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

So it's sort of what I want, only in the most superficial and flavorless way possible.


idk, it's actually pretty flavorful given that there's a tremendous amount of lore and many of the quests touch upon it, in addition to the scattering of books, etc, throughout. You're not going to get a single, engrossing story, though. The two biggest storylines are relatively short and almost entirely segregated (despite literally being tied together in the beginning, between your character waking up captured and a dragon attack facilitating your escape). I had logically assumed that the two would tie together eventually, but that never really happened.
---
(\/)(\/)|-|
There are precious few at ease / With moral ambiguities / So we act as though they don't exist.
... Copied to Clipboard!
mooreandrew58
12/08/18 2:11:18 AM
#128:


Zeus posted...
ParanoidObsessive posted...
My problem with Skyrim is that, while it has character customization, it's almost entirely shit, and you barely see your character face-on anyway.


That bugs me (although it's not as bad as Fallout 3?), but the face designs are also kinda dodgy so... meh.

ParanoidObsessive posted...
And then you start playing, and all of the quests are generic as fuck, and while you get to "choose" how you want to do lots of things, almost all of those choices wind up being relatively meaningless, because nothing really effects anything else and the writing is terminally bland.


...although it's more realistic that way. The majority of choices have micro-impacts rather than macro-impacts. And, depending on what you do, it's possible to kill less important NPCs which either make some of the smaller (and non-radiant) quests either impossible to start or to finish. Plus you're not gated with a lot of quests so you can fulfill objectives before starting.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

So it's sort of what I want, only in the most superficial and flavorless way possible.


idk, it's actually pretty flavorful given that there's a tremendous amount of lore and many of the quests touch upon it, in addition to the scattering of books, etc, throughout. You're not going to get a single, engrossing story, though. The two biggest storylines are relatively short and almost entirely segregated (despite literally being tied together in the beginning, between your character waking up captured and a dragon attack facilitating your escape). I had logically assumed that the two would tie together eventually, but that never really happened.


Bethesda rpgs are great for those who like to role play more than just what the game provides story wise. I come up with back stories for chars and habits/personalities I stick to unless given no other choice. Also because of this I see plenty of my characters face. I change into clothes while in town and will sometimes sit down at the bar or something similar while in third person and hang out for a coupe of minutes
---
Cid- "looks like that overgrown lobster just got served!" Bartz-"with cheese biscuts AND mashed potatoes!"
... Copied to Clipboard!
ParanoidObsessive
12/08/18 7:42:34 AM
#129:


Zeus posted...
...although it's more realistic that way.

I don't really play games with magic and elves and 8-foot long swords and undead dragons and time travel for realism, though.



Zeus posted...
And, depending on what you do, it's possible to kill less important NPCs which either make some of the smaller (and non-radiant) quests either impossible to start or to finish.

I consider that far more negative than positive. Especially when the game's shit coding can result in dragon or vampire or giant attacks killing quest-giving NPCs when you have zero ability to do anything about it.

I get the appeal for some people to have your actions leave a lasting impact on the world, but when the only significant impact you can really make is denying yourself content as if the game is punishing you for being reckless or ruthless, then that's not really a selling point in any way to me.

And the fact that quest-crucial NPCs can't be killed almost makes it worse to me in some ways. Because they tend to be the only people I've ever really motivated enough to want to kill in the first place.

It's like the ability to get married in the Fable games. Sure, you CAN do it... but the game gives you almost no reason to CARE enough to want to do it. All the samey generic NPCs with about four different voices all sort of start to blur together to some degree after a while.



Zeus posted...
idk, it's actually pretty flavorful given that there's a tremendous amount of lore and many of the quests touch upon it

Almost none of that really means anything to YOU as the character in the game, though. It's more like "Man, a lot of interesting stuff happened in this world, in the past, when you weren't around. And if you're willing to sit around reading books about it, you can learn about it. YOU'RE mostly going to be doing a lot of stupid radiant fetch quests, though."

At that point, I'd almost just rather go read actual books. Most of which are much better written.



mooreandrew58 posted...
Bethesda rpgs are great for those who like to role play more than just what the game provides story wise. I come up with back stories for chars and habits/personalities I stick to unless given no other choice.

Oh, I agree. Like I said, I made something like seven different Couriers, and each had relatively distinct personalities, and for most of them I came up with a fair amount of backstory of what they were doing before the game started. For some, I came up with a LOT of backstory.

But while "Hey, you're a blank slate, make up your own story and personality" is a great thing, to some degree you have to give that character something to do that actually matters in some way, otherwise the whole thing just becomes a bit masturbatory. If I'm doing 90% of the work to come up with my personality and look and backstory and current story and after story, I'd almost be better off just writing my own stories or playing D&D or something.

And I acknowledge it's a difficult balance to strike. Skyrim is an example where I feel like the narrative is relatively weak, but the flip-side of that coin is Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, where I feel they go too far with telling you exactly who your character is an what they want, to the point where I feel locked in to someone else's story and stop caring. Bioware always seemed to be good at balancing leaving enough gaps for you to decide who your character is, while still giving you enough story to make it matter. Bethesda, not so much.


---
"Wall of Text'D!" --- oldskoolplayr76
"POwned again." --- blight family
... Copied to Clipboard!
I_Abibde
12/08/18 11:29:12 AM
#130:


I don't really know how I feel about open-ended RPGs. It's kinda like what mooreandrew98 said above: I mentally fill in the gaps when I'm playing, though I have a hard time being a bastard to NPCs. I don't know why. Maybe I don't think they deserve to have me do awful things to them? ... Unless they did awful things to me first. Then, it's fair game.

ParanoidObsessive posted...
It's like the ability to get married in the Fable games. Sure, you CAN do it... but the game gives you almost no reason to CARE enough to want to do it. All the samey generic NPCs with about four different voices all sort of start to blur together to some degree after a while.


"Oh, you're being norty!"
---
-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.
... Copied to Clipboard!
mooreandrew58
12/09/18 11:02:46 AM
#131:


ParanoidObsessive posted...
Zeus posted...
...although it's more realistic that way.

I don't really play games with magic and elves and 8-foot long swords and undead dragons and time travel for realism, though.

Zeus posted...
And, depending on what you do, it's possible to kill less important NPCs which either make some of the smaller (and non-radiant) quests either impossible to start or to finish.

I consider that far more negative than positive. Especially when the game's shit coding can result in dragon or vampire or giant attacks killing quest-giving NPCs when you have zero ability to do anything about it.

I get the appeal for some people to have your actions leave a lasting impact on the world, but when the only significant impact you can really make is denying yourself content as if the game is punishing you for being reckless or ruthless, then that's not really a selling point in any way to me.

And the fact that quest-crucial NPCs can't be killed almost makes it worse to me in some ways. Because they tend to be the only people I've ever really motivated enough to want to kill in the first place.

It's like the ability to get married in the Fable games. Sure, you CAN do it... but the game gives you almost no reason to CARE enough to want to do it. All the samey generic NPCs with about four different voices all sort of start to blur together to some degree after a while.

Zeus posted...
idk, it's actually pretty flavorful given that there's a tremendous amount of lore and many of the quests touch upon it

Almost none of that really means anything to YOU as the character in the game, though. It's more like "Man, a lot of interesting stuff happened in this world, in the past, when you weren't around. And if you're willing to sit around reading books about it, you can learn about it. YOU'RE mostly going to be doing a lot of stupid radiant fetch quests, though."

At that point, I'd almost just rather go read actual books. Most of which are much better written.

mooreandrew58 posted...
Bethesda rpgs are great for those who like to role play more than just what the game provides story wise. I come up with back stories for chars and habits/personalities I stick to unless given no other choice.

Oh, I agree. Like I said, I made something like seven different Couriers, and each had relatively distinct personalities, and for most of them I came up with a fair amount of backstory of what they were doing before the game started. For some, I came up with a LOT of backstory.

But while "Hey, you're a blank slate, make up your own story and personality" is a great thing, to some degree you have to give that character something to do that actually matters in some way, otherwise the whole thing just becomes a bit masturbatory. If I'm doing 90% of the work to come up with my personality and look and backstory and current story and after story, I'd almost be better off just writing my own stories or playing D&D or something.

And I acknowledge it's a difficult balance to strike. Skyrim is an example where I feel like the narrative is relatively weak, but the flip-side of that coin is Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, where I feel they go too far with telling you exactly who your character is an what they want, to the point where I feel locked in to someone else's story and stop caring. Bioware always seemed to be good at balancing leaving enough gaps for you to decide who your character is, while still giving you enough story to make it matter. Bethesda, not so much.



I was just getting at is it's not for everyone. But to someone who really enjoys doing that it's a great game.

I will agree I hate not being able to kill story important NPCs. Sure make it so they can't die from dragons vampires or anything else but if I actively try to kill them I should be able to
---
Cid- "looks like that overgrown lobster just got served!" Bartz-"with cheese biscuts AND mashed potatoes!"
... Copied to Clipboard!
Zeus
12/10/18 2:03:11 AM
#132:


ParanoidObsessive posted...
I don't really play games with magic and elves and 8-foot long swords and undead dragons and time travel for realism, though.


Magic and undead dragons are fine, having a snippet of dialog said in a small village radiate out to outcomes made in a town on the other side of the game world is not. The vast majority of your decisions should logically be segregated. When you have characters magically knowing information, it's immersion-breaking.

Of course, if you don't like realism in your fantasy, you might be okay with your 8-foot sword hitting enemies 20 feet away without any explanation for the effect so all of this might be a moot point >_>

ParanoidObsessive posted...
I get the appeal for some people to have your actions leave a lasting impact on the world, but when the only significant impact you can really make is denying yourself content as if the game is punishing you for being reckless or ruthless, then that's not really a selling point in any way to me.


So basically you want your decisions to matter while not actually mattering? >_>

ParanoidObsessive posted...
Almost none of that really means anything to YOU as the character in the game, though. It's more like "Man, a lot of interesting stuff happened in this world, in the past, when you weren't around. And if you're willing to sit around reading books about it, you can learn about it. YOU'RE mostly going to be doing a lot of stupid radiant fetch quests, though."


Except most does matter to YOU as the character and you as the player. Lore and thematic elements make a world of difference. For instance, the Falmer as a monster type are relatively dull, but the history of the snow elves makes them intriguing. Then you have the way that it all ties into the Dwemer ruins as well.
---
(\/)(\/)|-|
There are precious few at ease / With moral ambiguities / So we act as though they don't exist.
... Copied to Clipboard!
The Wave Master
12/10/18 1:15:24 PM
#133:


Has anyone watched the new season of Doctor Who?

I cannot tell if it's bad, good, or average because of the sexist hatred and rhetoric I see in every discussion. (I cannot believe the doctor is a woman, and random period jokes. The internet is not very optimistic, understanding, or forgiving.)

The season just ended, and the responses are all over the place, and you fellow geeks are smarter than the average bear, and I want to know what you all think.
---
We are who we choose to be.
... Copied to Clipboard!
Metalsonic66
12/10/18 1:37:08 PM
#134:


It's different therefore it sucks
---
PSN/Steam ID: Metalsonic_69
Big bombs go kabang.
... Copied to Clipboard!
shadowsword87
12/10/18 1:39:16 PM
#135:


I think it's just Entity that watches Doctor Who here.
---
ImmortalityV, "I would like to kiss Icoyar to be honest in a non gay way though"
... Copied to Clipboard!
Entity13
12/10/18 4:35:38 PM
#136:


I haven't watched the latest episode yet, but the general consensus is that the episodes directly written by Chibnail are only so-so at best, while the ones not written by him are more or less what you'd want out a DW episode.

There isn't really anything like period jokes--a few gender related cracks are made, but that was all--and there was only one (also justified) episode that tackled the idea of her being at a disadvantage due to physical gender, for socio-cultural reasons. Aside from that, her performance is good, albeit a smidge lacking in moments where we get to say "A-hah! That is the Doctor." Ironically the best moment to that effect is also the one episode that tackled her disadvantage.

The companions are mostly good, though Yaz feels like she's just there in every episode but one, but at least she doesn't outright take anything away from any episode or scene she's in. There's no companion romance with the Doctor; just good people traveling together and working off one another's strengths and weaknesses... mostly.
---
... Copied to Clipboard!
ParanoidObsessive
12/10/18 6:48:14 PM
#137:


The Wave Master posted...
Has anyone watched the new season of Doctor Who?

I cannot tell if it's bad, good, or average because of the sexist hatred and rhetoric I see in every discussion. (I cannot believe the doctor is a woman, and random period jokes. The internet is not very optimistic, understanding, or forgiving.)

I gave up on it completely because Moffat's run disillusioned me so much it broke my 40-year long love of the show and left me not caring what happens.

At this point I don't really care if she's a woman or not. I just don't think the show is worth caring about any more.


---
"Wall of Text'D!" --- oldskoolplayr76
"POwned again." --- blight family
... Copied to Clipboard!
CyborgSage00x0
12/11/18 3:13:24 PM
#138:


I might get back into the Smash competitive scene. Really feeling the changes of the game. It's been a non-stop thing playing it at my house.
---
PotD's resident Film Expert.
... Copied to Clipboard!
shadowsword87
12/11/18 3:16:00 PM
#139:


It looks really fun, but then again I really like the people I watched play it, so I don't think I have a good perspective.
Also, Smash was always just a good game.
---
ImmortalityV, "I would like to kiss Icoyar to be honest in a non gay way though"
... Copied to Clipboard!
Zeus
12/11/18 10:18:03 PM
#140:


Finished the first 13 episodes of Be Cool, Scooby Doo!, which were generally really good (although the first episode was possibly the funniest). As previously mentioned, it mixed classic elements with the more modern tongue-in-cheek humor. While this has included some nods to the original, the biggest surprise was episode 13 which was a remake of "A Night of Frights is No Delight." Interestingly, there were far fewer relatives this time around and it kinda dampened the fun somewhat.

Debating on whether to just buy the rest of the show or wait for it to pop up on a platform I use.

The Wave Master posted...
Has anyone watched the new season of Doctor Who?

I cannot tell if it's bad, good, or average because of the sexist hatred and rhetoric I see in every discussion. (I cannot believe the doctor is a woman, and random period jokes. The internet is not very optimistic, understanding, or forgiving.)

The season just ended, and the responses are all over the place, and you fellow geeks are smarter than the average bear, and I want to know what you all think.


I stopped after the last Matt Smith season. I probably should have just stopped when Tennant left the show and avoided Smith altogether.
---
(\/)(\/)|-|
There are precious few at ease / With moral ambiguities / So we act as though they don't exist.
... Copied to Clipboard!
ParanoidObsessive
12/13/18 12:00:43 PM
#141:


Here's a question that occurred to me yesterday:

If you could create a new home, based on an existing fantasy/sci-fi/etc style, with money being no object, what would you choose to be the template?

Keep in mind, I'm talking physical appearance only, so if you choose the Enterprise from Next Generation you don't get to zip from planet to planet in a starship, nor do you get holodecks, replicator tech, or any of the other goodies. If you pick Rivendell from LotR you don't get magic or elves, and if you pick the Death Star from Star Wars you don't get to blow up planets.

We're just talking the aesthetic look of classic geek-related sets and locations from across all media. Which look really sums up what you would consider an ideal sort of place to live, if you had total freedom of design and construction?


---
"Wall of Text'D!" --- oldskoolplayr76
"POwned again." --- blight family
... Copied to Clipboard!
WhiskeyDisk
12/13/18 12:45:24 PM
#142:


I would be quite cozy and content in a Hobbit hole (built human sized of course).
---
https://imgur.com/4fmtLFt
http://s1.zetaboards.com/sba/ ~there's always free cheese in a mousetrap.
... Copied to Clipboard!
Zeus
12/14/18 1:12:19 AM
#143:


ParanoidObsessive posted...
Here's a question that occurred to me yesterday:

If you could create a new home, based on an existing fantasy/sci-fi/etc style, with money being no object, what would you choose to be the template?

Keep in mind, I'm talking physical appearance only, so if you choose the Enterprise from Next Generation you don't get to zip from planet to planet in a starship, nor do you get holodecks, replicator tech, or any of the other goodies. If you pick Rivendell from LotR you don't get magic or elves, and if you pick the Death Star from Star Wars you don't get to blow up planets.

We're just talking the aesthetic look of classic geek-related sets and locations from across all media. Which look really sums up what you would consider an ideal sort of place to live, if you had total freedom of design and construction?


The exterior would likely be a castle of some sort (probably an imposing one set atop a hill or mountain... preferably a little spooky-looking). The interior would be a mix of fantasy and scifi, because I like stone corridors and fully furnished dungeons but I like fancy indoor plumbing, comfortable accommodations, and high-tech electronics/appliances. I'd also likely have themed sections... although I guess that part doesn't fit into an existing mold?

Location-wise, I'd want it to be near rivers and a forest.... although I like eating out and also hate driving, so maybe a castle in the middle of a city (possibly in a forested area) would be cooler. Kinda like some of the things done in comics.

Of course, if we're going strictly something from media, possibly a non-supernatural version of Rose Red.
---
(\/)(\/)|-|
There are precious few at ease / With moral ambiguities / So we act as though they don't exist.
... Copied to Clipboard!
ParanoidObsessive
12/14/18 7:02:42 AM
#144:


Zeus posted...
The interior would be a mix of fantasy and scifi, because I like stone corridors and fully furnished dungeons but I like fancy indoor plumbing, comfortable accommodations, and high-tech electronics/appliances.

An old pretentious artist friend of mine I stopped talking to years ago painted his room when he was a kid with some sort of gravel-y paint that looked like stone, so the walls looked like castle walls. And he had lamp sconces that looked like torches. It was actually kind of cool.


---
"Wall of Text'D!" --- oldskoolplayr76
"POwned again." --- blight family
... Copied to Clipboard!
I_Abibde
12/14/18 9:22:04 AM
#145:


Snake Mountain from classic He-Man. Tons of space, no neighbors, and all of the amenities, plus a dungeon for any salespeople who come to my door.
---
-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.
... Copied to Clipboard!
The Wave Master
12/14/18 6:04:11 PM
#146:


Christmas gifts ordered for the wife. Not happy having to use Amazon for all my shopping, but I don't have a right leg so I cannot get out and drive to the store. My brother works at night so our schedules do not add up, and everyone else is at work so online shopping for me.

I ended up getting her a new giant purse and a steering wheel cover. Not the sexist gifts, but very practical. Plus I got her a Sea Salt Pearl ring last weekend so with all those gifts the shopping is done.

A giant purse is great because we can sneak snacks into the movie theater very easily. Plus her other purse strap broke and she is carrying her purse by the handles but not the strap. The steering wheel cover is for the blazing hot Mussissippi sun during the summer.
---
We are who we choose to be.
... Copied to Clipboard!
Zeus
12/14/18 10:52:18 PM
#147:


The Wave Master posted...
I ended up getting her a new giant purse and a steering wheel cover. Not the sexist gifts, but very practical.


What? Buying a woman a purse isn't sexist? How many men have you bought purses for? =p
---
(\/)(\/)|-|
There are precious few at ease / With moral ambiguities / So we act as though they don't exist.
... Copied to Clipboard!
shadowsword87
12/15/18 1:35:30 AM
#148:


I am a human purse, thank you.
---
ImmortalityV, "I would like to kiss Icoyar to be honest in a non gay way though"
... Copied to Clipboard!
WhiskeyDisk
12/15/18 2:03:27 AM
#149:


I carry an EDC bag every day, and I'm the first guy to tell you outright that it's a glorified manpurse, but it's a yukon tactical scout sling bag so it's totally ok and not at all a purse.

Now granted, it is an assortment of tools, grooming, first aid, and cutlery that would allow me to fix a great many things or build a 3 day shelter in an emergency, but it's totally not a purse.
---
https://imgur.com/4fmtLFt
http://s1.zetaboards.com/sba/ ~there's always free cheese in a mousetrap.
... Copied to Clipboard!
The Wave Master
12/15/18 9:17:37 AM
#150:


Zeus, I honestly have never bought another man a purse. I guess I am part of the problem, but how do I change? I have bought my wife tampons and pads, do j get them for my male friends too? But if I do buy them tampons and pads will they ever use them? I don'twant to be that guy that gets his friends terrible and useless gifts.

I'm so confused.

What should I do?
---
We are who we choose to be.
... Copied to Clipboard!
Topic List
Page List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5