WeekDAY gaming(11/23/09)- What are you (still) playing?

[Purple Santa]

Originally Posted by menage

My main problem with the first was that there was actually a lack of shit to do.

Originally Posted by Camel

For me, the problem was that the stuff that was there to do wasn't much fun. I liked the assassinations fine, but collecting 12 bajillion flags scattered around the cities was not my idea of a good time.

I know i'm weird. Stuff like that I really like to do. I can totally understand why so many thought it was repetitive and boring. I found it very therapeutic and even calmly...as I did the various quests over and over again. I really liked the way the game looked and the interactions of the quests. True, they were the same but it just never got old. Like I said...some of my gaming likes are a bit odd...

Originally Posted by Kelegacy

Exactly. Think Chewbacca with a bigger penis.

Dude, as much as I love you and all...i'm not getting banned because I have pics of your penis to show off

Originally Posted by kelegacy

I have this entire week off, so I think I will be playing all of the following (plus some):

GTA IV: The Lost and Damned (360) - I hope to beat it this week. Great so far.

Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard (PS3) - having some mindless fun with this one. It's not great, but it was $10 and I'm having $10 worth of fun with it.

I might also rent:

Brutal Legend (PS3) and another game I'm not sure of yet. But probably a short game, since that's what I usually rent. Maybe ODST or CoD6?
Make sure you finish the GTA DLC. It's a satisfying end to the game. And make sure you watch the end credits...some nice tip of the hat to those who played GTA IV ...

I have Eat Lead in my pile...this might be my "shooty" title for winter break. As for what else to rent, Yay to Brutal Legend but a coin toss with ODST and CoD6.
And don't forget planning for Black Friday!

Originally Posted by rein

I also need to spend some time with a good book. It's been well over a month since I put down the last one. Any suggestions?

Spigs will be in and have some interesting suggestions. I've looked into some of his books he's mentioned around here. Good picks I found...

[Spigot]

Originally Posted by Purple Santa

Spigs will be in and have some interesting suggestions. I've looked into some of his books he's mentioned around here. Good picks I found...

What kind of books are you looking for? Genre fiction? Non-fiction accounts of transvestite locksmiths? Research papers on the inner workings of the giant squid?

I'm in the midst of a few different books right now with the first Dragon Age book at the top of the pile. It's not bad but I'm reading it more for extra backstory for the game than anything. I'm also in the middle of Perdito Street Station, which is AWESOME but also very weird. And I read The Road not too long ago and that was depressing but in a good way... and also a pretty fast read.

If you're in an assassination mood, try out the Night Angel trilogy by Brian Weeks. I still have to read the final book but I really enjoyed the first two books. And The Name Of The Wind is a fantastic book... now if only Rothfuss would get the second book out! It was supposed to come out last year, if I'm not mistaken.

[menage]

I died about a million and a half times yesterday playing Dragon Age: Origins as I was in a section where my main character was isolated from the party and they kept throwing groups of pretty powerful enemies at me. One monster in particular just kept stacking stun magic on me over and over so there was nothing I could do while I watched it kill me. So far, this has been the most frustrating part of the game, so I'm glad I'm done, now.

Didn't you use the shapeshifter stuff? it got dead easy once I turned into a rockdude or phantom. And it was my first quest as well

[Banacek]

Demon's Souls: I'm getting pretty close to the end. I'm hoping to finish it this week. Man 5-2 was a pain in the ass.

[Nameless]

Originally Posted by menage

Didn't you use the shapeshifter stuff? it got dead easy once I turned into a rockdude or phantom. And it was my first quest as well

Yeah, I did use the shapes quite often, but I guess my base stats weren't very good, as I would still get killed as a golem. Obviously, the fire dudes were a cinch (just turn into Burning Man). Now that I think about it, becoming a spirit for that Desire demon that was giving me trouble might have actually worked. How much does magic resistance increase in that form?

[Gorvi]

Originally Posted by Banacek

Demon's Souls: I'm getting pretty close to the end. I'm hoping to finish it this week. Man 5-2 was a pain in the ass.

What level are you? I think I was around 80 when I finally beat the game, maybe a level or two less. Just a tip on the boss for 1-4: magic damage on him is nearly useless, and that includes the Lava Bow. You should get a White Bow in either 1-3 or 1-4 to use if you've relied on ranged attacks at all that works really well.

[Doctor Setebos]

I finally finished Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box yesterday on the way to a birthday party (one and a half hour drive north). Phenomenal game! Definitely just as good, if not better, than the first. Really looking forward to the next one. Not so much the 2+ year wait we will probably have to endure until it gets here.

Now that that's done, I can concentrate on making some progress in Muramasa: the Demon Blade.

[rein]

Originally Posted by Spigot

What kind of books are you looking for? Genre fiction? Non-fiction accounts of transvestite locksmiths? Research papers on the inner workings of the giant squid?

I'm in the midst of a few different books right now with the first Dragon Age book at the top of the pile. It's not bad but I'm reading it more for extra backstory for the game than anything. I'm also in the middle of Perdito Street Station, which is AWESOME but also very weird. And I read The Road not too long ago and that was depressing but in a good way... and also a pretty fast read.

If you're in an assassination mood, try out the Night Angel trilogy by Brian Weeks. I still have to read the final book but I really enjoyed the first two books. And The Name Of The Wind is a fantastic book... now if only Rothfuss would get the second book out! It was supposed to come out last year, if I'm not mistaken.

Perdito Street Station = Pedo Street Station the first time I read it. I'm not sure if my eyes are to blame or that your reference to transvestite locksmiths pushed my mind in that direction. Either way, I was worried for a half second while my eyes backtracked to see what I was actually reading.

Out of curiosity, I have thought about picking up the Castle book, Heat Wave. It's not my typical kind of read but it could be fun. Maybe that is one I can try to find in the library. I don't expect it to be the kind of book I want to hang on to.

[Spigot]

Originally Posted by rein

Perdito Street Station = Pedo Street Station the first time I read it. I'm not sure if my eyes are to blame or that your reference to transvestite locksmiths pushed my mind in that direction. Either way, I was worried for a half second while my eyes backtracked to see what I was actually reading.

Have you read the Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher? They're probably my favourite ongoing series of books right now. It's just such pulpy fun to have a wizard take on gangsters, vampires and other nasty things in the middle of downtown Chicago.

[Vigil80]

Originally Posted by Spigot

That said, has anyone managed to get that uPlay thingamy to work with AC2? I logged into the servers but then it basically kicks me back out saying that, sorry, we can't access the content, neener neener and I'm back at the title screen again.

It's been working fine for me on the 360. Pretty neat, too. Like achievements, only you can spend the points you earn on unlocks for the game, like a tomb to play through and extra throwing knife capacity.

And Spigot, if you think you're loving the game now, just wait. It never seems to level off, it just keeps getting better. I fully expect to see you over in the discussion threads dissecting plot details.

[rein]

Originally Posted by Spigot

Have you read the Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher? They're probably my favourite ongoing series of books right now. It's just such pulpy fun to have a wizard take on gangsters, vampires and other nasty things in the middle of downtown Chicago.

I have one of his books some place. I bought it some time ago and never read it. I watched the series on The Sci-fi channel though. Does that count for anything? I'm going to dig through the rubbermaid tubs of books and see if I can't find that one tonight.

[Spigot]

Originally Posted by Prizefighter

It's been working fine for me on the 360. Pretty neat, too. Like achievements, only you can spend the points you earn on unlocks for the game, like a tomb to play through and extra throwing knife capacity.

And Spigot, if you think you're loving the game now, just wait. It never seems to level off, it just keeps getting better. I fully expect to see you over in the discussion threads dissecting plot details.

I've been told that I need to resynch my trophies and then it should work. I hope.

Or maybe the servers were just kind of wonky last night. Who knows. I did get a uPlay achievement notice while playing the game though, so that was nice.

And yeah, they seem to have done exactly what I feared, which was to address the concerns people had with the first game and expand upon the parts that really, really worked. Once I climbed to the top of my first tower and synchronized the viewpoint, all of the love I felt towards the first game came flooding back and most of my grumpiness started to fade away. I haven't even really become an assassin yet and I think the game is stronger for that.

Oh, one more thing. Is Nolan North the voice of Desmond? Because if he is, man, he needs to get those lips of his bronzed. I think he's been in about 8 of my favourite games over the last year or so. If he isn't, whoever does Desmond's voice is doing a pretty good Nolan North impression.

[Spigot]

Originally Posted by rein

I have one of his books some place. I bought it some time ago and never read it. I watched the series on The Sci-fi channel though. Does that count for anything? I'm going to dig through the rubbermaid tubs of books and see if I can't find that one tonight.

No, the Sci-Fi series doesn't count. It actually did end up becoming an interesting take on Dresden and his wacky universe but the books are much, much better. Plus I don't remember them really playing up the whole "I'm an incorporeal spirit who likes smut" angle of Bob the Skull in the series and instead turned him into this stodgy English guy.

[Banacek]

Originally Posted by Gorvi

What level are you? I think I was around 80 when I finally beat the game, maybe a level or two less. Just a tip on the boss for 1-4: magic damage on him is nearly useless, and that includes the Lava Bow. You should get a White Bow in either 1-3 or 1-4 to use if you've relied on ranged attacks at all that works really well.

Thanks for the tip. I'm around level 75-76 I think. What is the best sword to use? I've been using the Meat Cleaver cause of the damage, but it is slow and leaves you open to attacks.

[Purple Santa]

Originally Posted by Spigot

What kind of books are you looking for? Genre fiction? Non-fiction accounts of transvestite locksmiths? Research papers on the inner workings of the giant squid?

I knew you wouldn't disappoint What book have you read that has transvestite locksmiths? I need to read that one...

Originally Posted by Spigot

Have you read the Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher? They're probably my favourite ongoing series of books right now. It's just such pulpy fun to have a wizard take on gangsters, vampires and other nasty things in the middle of downtown Chicago.

Adding these to the "must read" pile...

Originally Posted by Spigot

Oh, one more thing. Is Nolan North the voice of Desmond? Because if he is, man, he needs to get those lips of his bronzed. I think he's been in about 8 of my favourite games over the last year or so. If he isn't, whoever does Desmond's voice is doing a pretty good Nolan North impression.

You have a golden ear. That is Nolan North. I looked it up. I didn't notice that yet...i'll have to listen more carefully...

[Gorvi]

Originally Posted by Banacek

Thanks for the tip. I'm around level 75-76 I think. What is the best sword to use? I've been using the Meat Cleaver cause of the damage, but it is slow and leaves you open to attacks.

I'm the wrong person to ask that question, I was a mage then an archer after that for the majority of the game, I rarely used my sword. When I did it was a Kilij +6, not exactly something to envy.

[Nameless]

Just going to chime in with more Dresden Files love, I'm at the 6th book right now, and I'd say that while not all the books are great, they've always been fun, and the better ones have been fantastic!

In many ways, Butcher reminds me of Tarantino but for Fantasy literature. He's devoid of originality, but the ideas he takes, he uses well. He blends them together and adds his own off-kilter take on them, and then throws in some witty dialogue to glue it all together. Definitely some good stuff!

[Spigot]

Originally Posted by Purple Santa

I knew you wouldn't disappoint What book have you read that has transvestite locksmiths? I need to read that one...

You have a golden ear. That is Nolan North. I looked it up. I didn't notice that yet...i'll have to listen more carefully...

I wish I knew of a good transvestite locksmith book. I might have to write that if they don't exist. I just wanted to make sure that wasn't what he wanted to read

And of all the voices currently in action in games these days, Nolan's is probably my favourite. He's like buttah...

I'm still trying to pin down the voice acting in Dragon Age. The IMDB page is lacklustre at best and I haven't bothered to sit through the credits. Morrigan sounds a lot like Claudia Black and Alistair sounds suspiciously like Steve Valentine, aka Nigel from Crossing Jordan and Snarky McSnark-Snark from Uncharted 2.

Originally Posted by Nameless

Just going to chime in with more Dresden Files love, I'm at the 6th book right now, and I'd say that while not all the books are great, they've always been fun, and the better ones have been fantastic!

In many ways, Butcher reminds me of Tarantino but for Fantasy literature. He's devoid of originality, but the ideas he takes, he uses well. He blends them together and adds his own off-kilter take on them, and then throws in some witty dialogue to glue it all together. Definitely some good stuff!

That's probably a great description of Butcher's style. It's just so absolutely joyous and fun while being tongue in cheek.

[Kelegacy]

Originally Posted by rein

I also need to spend some time with a good book. It's been well over a month since I put down the last one. Any suggestions?

I just finished Crake and Oryx by Margaret Atwood and it was great. I'm a bit lost as to what to read now as well. So I took the third book of Pullman's trilogy (The Amber Spyglass) and I am going to try that. The first two books were awesome, I don't know why I didn't immediately jump into the third.

As for gaming, I beat The Lost and Damned today. I was a bit disappointed with the way the story turned out.

A major character apparently dies near the end but we never see it, I didn't like the story resolution, Ashley was a pretty useless character (though she's a catalyst for some of the shit happening)...blah blah blah. I thought the story had lots of potential, but it came up short. I think it all started with the mission where you try to sell the Chinese their heroin back. After you take charge of the chapter, it all feels really strange.

[Xydarc]

Originally Posted by Banacek

Thanks for the tip. I'm around level 75-76 I think. What is the best sword to use? I've been using the Meat Cleaver cause of the damage, but it is slow and leaves you open to attacks.

I upgraded the Dragon Long Sword to +5 and used it my entire first game, it seemed to work pretty well (you find it in 2-2). I'd also summon a blue phantom if you're playing online.

Dragon Age will be played. A lot. I'm loving this game. The lore is very well written, the dialogue is great (I just recruited Zevran and he's friggin' hilarious), and I'm liking all of my party members so far. Except for Sten, he's just an ass. I'm slowly, but surely, wooing Leliana. I've got the Dalish Elves on my side, and just started the quest to get the Circle Mages.

I may also get in some Persona, Torchlight, or other PSP game whilst feasting on Turkey and diabetic-friendly Pumpkin Pie.