All Things Video Games Thread: II

[Uxi]

Warhawk is the closet game to BF2 in "combined arms" action, but the thing BF2 had going for it that no other game did was the most realistic and hierarchical system of communications, command, & control. Commanders talking to squad leaders, who talk to their squaddies. Well coordinated BF2 teams were a joy to be on.

Can't wait for BF3

Edited June 21, 2011 by Uxi

[BeyondTheGrave]

I hate BF games almost entirely because of vehicles. In every game I've played with vehicles, a normal match goes the same way every time. 3~5 guys on each team grab all the good vehicles and hog them for the entire game and the people who don't spend the rest of the game dieing over and over until the clock runs out or they rage-quit. Of course I don't like, nor am I any good at operating vehicles in non-driving/piloting games so even when I can snag a decent vehicle that lasts for all of for all of 5~30 seconds before whatever it is I'm driving explodes.

I've also never liked what vehicles do to map design either. Vehicle maps always end up as a massive open field with a hand full of postage stamp sized clusters of buildings scattered about the area. Again, if you don't have a vehicle you spend 90% of your time running huge distances trying to get from one tiny building cluster to another invariably being picked off by tanks, helicopters, and the occasional camping sniper

.

I agree 100%

My issue is with one team has the tank and 2-3 engineers who continuously repair the vehicle. Therefore I can not get close enough to fire the rpg that takes forever to fire.I also don't want to feel like I'm playing MAG.

the only game I've ever been even sort of ok with vehicles has been the halo series simply because you're such an overpowered one man army in multiplayer it's fairly easy to take out any vehicle single-handedly.

That and there are multiple ways to take out/disable a vehicle.

Another reason why I like the BF series is the emphasis on team play and composition. Too heavy a focus on certain aspects of classes will make your team vulnerable to something. Too heavy a focus on AT players opens you up to classes like assault and snipers. Too heavy a focus on classes with heavy emphasis on anti-pesonnel / small arms will make you vulnerable to armor and such. Then you've got the engineers to repair vehicles, repair bridges that have been destroyed / demolished, and the traditional support (resupply ammo) and medics.

That's where I think BF kinda falls short (not saying that COD is better in that dept). The reason I say that is b/c IF you don't have a group of ppl you know you can rely on and will communicate (ie have a mic and use it). Then your better off just not playing imo.

I'll put it like this: COD is a one-trick pony (infantry only) while the BF series offer more angles of combat in the games. In small, medium, or large maps, far more variety is offered in BF games than the small maps and tiny number of players that have become staple with the advent of MW2.

Hard to beat moments like being one of the last group of defenders holding a victory point and in the process of being overrun. In the last second, teammates arrive with a helicopter gunship laying down devastating fire all the while a transport helicopter drops off a squad of infantry teammates to join in and help out.

Sometimes that One trick pony is all I need after a long day of work.Beating certain levels in Spec Ops felt very rewarding.

[anime52k8]

That's where I think BF kinda falls short (not saying that COD is better in that dept). The reason I say that is b/c IF you don't have a group of ppl you know you can rely on and will communicate (ie have a mic and use it). Then your better off just not playing imo.

this is a problem with most online multiplayer games but particularly hurts a game that relies has heavily on teamwork and coordinated strategy as BF does. It's extremely rare to just jump in to a game with strangers and suddenly be able to effectively communicate. Unless you're coordinating gaming sessions with IRL friends or spend so much time playing online that you have a dedicated group that you always play with, you're almost never going to have that great team play experience.

[Keith]

this is a problem with most online multiplayer games but particularly hurts a game that relies has heavily on teamwork and coordinated strategy as BF does. It's extremely rare to just jump in to a game with strangers and suddenly be able to effectively communicate. Unless you're coordinating gaming sessions with IRL friends or spend so much time playing online that you have a dedicated group that you always play with, you're almost never going to have that great team play experience.

Unless you're playing MGO...

[Tober]

Armored Core V Trailer- Some of it looks rather familiar

Apologies if already posted.

[Uxi]

.

I agree 100%

My issue is with one team has the tank and 2-3 engineers who continuously repair the vehicle. Therefore I can not get close enough to fire the rpg that takes forever to fire.I also don't want to feel like I'm playing MAG.

lol that was me. If I wasn't driving the tank, I was being a mech for it, but really I tried to be a team player. I would be a sniper if we lacked one. Or I'd be a commander, too. I tried to fit in wherever, though I preferred to be in the tank (and later on the fighter). I still have some screenshots somewhere of my 67 kill / 3 death matches. "Commando out of the bush trying to put C4 on me... full reverse, and sweep with the m achine gun, yup, got him in the forehead ). Later on with the jet, i got REALLY good, though something like 90 kills and 2 deaths. All match I would be bombing fools and shooting down the other guy. Damn, I miss BF2.

this is a problem with most online multiplayer games but particularly hurts a game that relies has heavily on teamwork and coordinated strategy as BF does. It's extremely rare to just jump in to a game with strangers and suddenly be able to effectively communicate. Unless you're coordinating gaming sessions with IRL friends or spend so much time playing online that you have a dedicated group that you always play with, you're almost never going to have that great team play experience.

That was what made BF2 so much better. It made it easier to coordinate by encouraging and facilitating the coordination. Sure, every now and then there were lone wolves, sure or guys who wouldn't join squads even if invited. And there were times you had noone willing or able to step into the Commander spot (usually when the other team kept infiltrating and killing the Commander, who had to concentrate on surviving more than commanding, etc) but I never found it too hard to take the commander spot and start giving orders to squad leaders. The increased k/d rates usually convinced them, but even so the lone wolf served a useful purpose as a bullet/spawn sponge unless they were really effective in which case it didn't matter.

Edited June 22, 2011 by Uxi

[Gui]

Armored Core V Trailer- Some of it looks rather familiar

Apologies if already posted.

Maybe not this one has already been posted but a rather similar one...

Yet, it looks really good: something tells me this one will be better than most of the previous ones in the series – I'm really eager to put my hands on it.

[Warmaker]

this is a problem with most online multiplayer games but particularly hurts a game that relies has heavily on teamwork and coordinated strategy as BF does. It's extremely rare to just jump in to a game with strangers and suddenly be able to effectively communicate. Unless you're coordinating gaming sessions with IRL friends or spend so much time playing online that you have a dedicated group that you always play with, you're almost never going to have that great team play experience.

Here was the funny thing with the BF crowd.

Though not everyone spoke, quite enough did, especially Commanders and those filling in as Squad Leaders. Enough communication to get a bunch of strangers to fight together. The game also gave incentive that performing actions according to your Commander and Squad Leaders' orders netted you more points. You got quite a bit of points if your squad members or squad leaders working for you carry out your orders. On the flip side, you don't net much points if you've shown a trend as being a bad Squad Leader or Commander. Or simply poor squad leaders saw their members leave their squad. A good one? People will flock to your squad. The games rewarded competent leaders if successful.

Not to mention nifty points for "Teamwork": Resupplies, Healing, Rez, etc., on top of following orders. Match leaders quite easily were done by players that not only had respectable K/D numbers, but because they had tacked on a sh*tload of Teamwork / assist points. Or were good leaders and netted alot of points because the directions they gave were deemed good enough that their subordinates followed them.

As for the complaint about a Tank being kept alive by 3 engineers or such... what are you guys thinking? Shoot the engineers, call artillery, or any other combination to do the basic tactic of stripping protective infantry away from armor.

I guess the big difference between COD & BF is that BF isn't about the Killstreak to get even more kills. It's about Teamwork.

Edited June 22, 2011 by Warmaker

[mikeszekely]

I know I'm a minority here, but I really prefer my games, even shooters, as single player affairs. To that end, I picked up the new F.E.A.R. Solid game that seems to be tying the first two together, although it's lacking the atmosphere that the first two had. It's hard to find the game frightening when one of the early levels has you gunning down Armacham soldiers on what appears to be a sunny Mexican street, but it's still fun. I'd recommend it, especially if you're a fan of the previous games in the series.

[BeyondTheGrave]

As for the complaint about a Tank being kept alive by 3 engineers or such... what are you guys thinking? Shoot the engineers, call artillery, or any other combination to do the basic tactic of stripping protective infantry away from armor.

I guess the big difference between COD & BF is that BF isn't about the Killstreak to get even more kills. It's about Teamwork.

Hard to use what I don't have. When they're using the terrain to their advantage it's kinda hard to take someone out.

[Warmaker]

Hard to use what I don't have. When they're using the terrain to their advantage it's kinda hard to take someone out.

That's the thing. It's not about not being able to kill something because you don't have the proper class / weapon / vehicle or not in the right position and its too dangerous to approach to get a better angle. Let your team know. Even with random drop in players, they will react to distant threats if you call them out.

Example: I do love playing a sniper, even with vehicle heavy maps. I'll venture a bit more off from the squad to better observe enemy approaches and pick off any AT teams or Engineers that threaten my side. I'll pick off people as they run with glee to that cool looking tank to drive it. Anything else I can't handle, and in particular something that looks dangerous (like the Tank + 3 engineers or any other combination), BF has a very simple system to let you broadcast the threats to the rest of the team. Teammates can then see the threats. A gunship can go in and a**rape the Tank with accurate rocket salvoes and cannon fire to strip away the engineers / infantry. If you're one of the Squad Leaders for your team, you can mark them and call for artillery support from your Commander (if arty is not on cooldown). If you are the Commander, you're likely just staring at the overall tactical map looking at the flow and progress, and you can call down artillery on major threats or clusters that your side finds.

That's the thing: Call out the threats to your team. Use the ingame target marking at the very least, use voice, or if you have no mic but need to get specific (2 tanks 1 apc coming down road NW of refinery), type it and throw it out on team chat.

In BF you can never kill everything yourself. But as a team? You can. If you can't kill it yourself at that moment, someone on your team can. Random unknown players believe it or not will come in to help. Until then, get away from such danger or continue to harass them (give them something to think about until help arrives), or hold your fire to follow and observe them, call out to your team what you think they're gonna do.

BF games are one of the few FPS games I frequently send thanks to teammates that come in and save my bacon. It's all because of the very heavy team-based mechanics. If in sight of the enemy, there's always something positive to do for the sake of your team, even if you don't fire.

[Uxi]

Hard to use what I don't have. When they're using the terrain to their advantage it's kinda hard to take someone out.

That stuff didn't work against me in the tank. If I was on a roll they would have divert a good chunk of their team to take me out if I had a good mech with me (and I usually played a mech, too). Artillery wasn't doing anything to me, that's for sure.

That's the thing: Call out the threats to your team. Use the ingame target marking at the very least, use voice, or if you have no mic but need to get specific (2 tanks 1 apc coming down road NW of refinery), type it and throw it out on team chat.

another great feature on PC... mouseover, was it Q and then right click and select the appropriate option. Easy to call out specified guys even without a mic (though I ended up getting a headset later).

[Uxi]

ah all this reminiscing... found some screenshots.

[Warmaker]

Your first one? BF2, Wake Island

As far as spotting a target, yeah, just hold down 'Q" then a pop up menu comes up in the center of the screen. There's a very simple, small set of menus you can quickly go through. Anything from marking targets to calling supply drops and artillery. Very quick to go through.

For the vehicles, in BF2 and BF2142, I was real good with the tanks. I was quite accurate with long ranged cannon shots.

[Uxi]

Hell yeah, I've loved Wake ever since BF:1942. Even though I had hundreds of hours of great fun with BF2, I still look back with the most fondness of BF:Vietnam. Something about that game. I loved Khe Sanh. I remember hoping DICE would do a "BF:Vietnam Mod" like they did with the WWII mod for BF:Vietnam, but they never did. I tried to go back to it once but just couldn't take the retrograde in graphics and controls. The doppler effect on Vietnam-era music from a jet or helo flying by still makes me laugh, though.

[Ghost Train]

Changing the topic 180 degrees... I was recently stuck in a really bad traffic jam and made a mental list of awesome games I never finished (in contrast to the much longer sh!tty games that I started but just didn't feel like finishing list) . Topping the list was definitely Zelda: A Link to the Past, so I fetched the GBA version of the game. Thus far have obtained 2/3 pendants before I yank the master sword . The farthest I got last time was the first dungeon of dark world... I think my cartridge just stopped saving after that.

Second on the list is Resident Evil 2 ....

Have you done a similar thought exercise? Do you have a log to clear before the 2012 Zombie Maya Nibiru Planet X Budget Crisis Catastrophe? Pleas share.

[mikeszekely]

Changing the topic 180 degrees... I was recently stuck in a really bad traffic jam and made a mental list of awesome games I never finished (in contrast to the much longer sh!tty games that I started but just didn't feel like finishing list) . Topping the list was definitely Zelda: A Link to the Past, so I fetched the GBA version of the game. Thus far have obtained 2/3 pendants before I yank the master sword . The farthest I got last time was the first dungeon of dark world... I think my cartridge just stopped saving after that.

Second on the list is Resident Evil 2 ....

Have you done a similar thought exercise? Do you have a log to clear before the 2012 Zombie Maya Nibiru Planet X Budget Crisis Catastrophe? Pleas share.

That depends. What if the game was considered a great game, but I personally didn't like it enough to finish it? I've got a huge list of games like that (highlights include The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and The Legend of Zelda: All of Them Since the SNES).

Now, as far as games that I just got sidetracked on but would like to complete one day, that list is a bit more manageable. A few immediately spring to mind.

Fallout: New Vegas

Uncharted 2

The Witcher

Enslaved

Bulletstorm

[BeyondTheGrave]

Now, as far as games that I just got sidetracked on but would like to complete one day, that list is a bit more manageable. A few immediately spring to mind.

Fallout: New Vegas

Your not missing much from what I understand. I haven't even finished it. Just so unmotivated to complete it.

Games I've purchase and haven't started playing yet.

MGS 4

Heavy Rain

Uncharted 1& 2

[PetarB]

I've never purchased a game I didn't finish except for MGS4: Guns of the Patriots. The bits I got to play were a LOT of fun, but I was sick of just watching an interactive movie, rather than playing a game.

[Keith]

But what an epic interactive movie/perfect stealth game. Finish it, you won't be dissapointed. Then play Metal Gear Online!

[Black Valkyrie]

All the news about HD MGS, what about Snatcher.

[anime52k8]

Have you done a similar thought exercise? Do you have a log to clear before the 2012 Zombie Maya Nibiru Planet X Budget Crisis Catastrophe? Pleas share.

umm... I still need to finish:

fallout 3 (as in complete 1 play through)

dead space (the first one)

Red Dead redemption

half life 2 episode 2

[Shadow]

Your not missing much from what I understand. I haven't even finished it. Just so unmotivated to complete it.

Games I've purchase and haven't started playing yet.

MGS 4

Heavy Rain

Uncharted 1& 2

I would certainly recommend giving Uncharted, especially the second game a go when you have the time.

Games I possess that I haven't touched yet or beaten. Abit older but ohwell.

Infamous

Xenogears

Chrono Cross

Lunar Silver Star

Lunar 2

Final Fantasy V

[kanedaestes]

Mine are:

Metal Gear Solid 3 and 4

Final Fantasy 13

Resonance of Fate

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2

Red Dead Redemption (which I am currently trying to 100% but never finished it for as long as I have had it)

Xenogears (which i have started replaying on PSP)

[Lynx7725]

For those of you on Xbox looking to kill time, you might want to look at the arcade game Trenched. It's essentially a mecha Tower Defense, quite fun. Quite a bit of replay value since there's two ways to complete things and then the middle way.

[Wanzerfan]

For those of you on Xbox looking to kill time, you might want to look at the arcade game Trenched. It's essentially a mecha Tower Defense, quite fun. Quite a bit of replay value since there's two ways to complete things and then the middle way.

Hopefully that game will be a step up form Brutal Legend. Shaeffer tried to mix an action game with a real-time stategy genre, and unlike Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, he it failed to come up to the bar set with his other games.

[Keith]

All the news about HD MGS, what about Snatcher.

If we actually got a remake of Snatcher at this point, I think the world would explode. I imagine a hybrid between L.A. Noire, & MGS4.

[Lynx7725]

Hopefully that game will be a step up form Brutal Legend. Shaeffer tried to mix an action game with a real-time stategy genre, and unlike Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, he it failed to come up to the bar set with his other games.

To be honest I didn't get Brutal Legend; saw the reviews for Trenched, tried the demo, liked it enough to get it. It's no full blown game by itself, and at the heart of it, it's still a 3D tower defense game, About 2 to 5 days of casual gaming would get you through the campaigns, but some levels are tough enough to make it hard to go past on the first try with the wrong mech setup.

Best part is that once you beat the game, you can go back and try things with different mech setup. Of course, going back to beginning levels with end-level gear is a bit of a self-satisfaction trip, but testing out how various chassis and weapons combination is quite fun for a while. Not to mention if you are a loot hunter and want the rarer weaponry for your loadout...

I'm just thinking that a little bit of tuning would make this game at the very least a decent mech shooter. Enough customization, the weaponry are sufficiently different from each other to suit players' needs. Dropping cluster munitions down on 'bots from arty tubes is nice, but I prefer double-tapping with sniper cannons myself.

[twich]

Is there any Love for the upcoming Warhammer 40000 games? There is Warhammer 40000: Kill Team that looks good and then Warhammer 40000 Space Marine. I am very excited for both and can't wait to buy and play them

Twich

[Gui]

Edited June 28, 2011 by Gui

[Nicaragua]

Is there any Love for the upcoming Warhammer 40000 games? There is Warhammer 40000: Kill Team that looks good and then Warhammer 40000 Space Marine. I am very excited for both and can't wait to buy and play them

Twich

Im a 40k fan but i think Space Marine looks pretty bland. Kill team looks interesting for what it is but i cant seeing it keeping my attention long term.

When it comes to 40K then i think Dawn of War 2 is the best game going.

[Beltane70]

After four years, it finally happened. My Xbox 360 Elite just decided to die. However, it did so without a RRoD. Instead, the system just freezes after about two minutes or less of operation.

Originally, I thought it was an issue with Dungeon Siege III, as the first time it froze was in the middle of playing, but the system continues to freeze even with DS III removed from the drive.

[raptormesh]

Just got into Star Trek Online (found a copy for $3) and it's actually quite decent now. Enjoying it immensely.

[mikeszekely]

Just got into Star Trek Online (found a copy for $3) and it's actually quite decent now. Enjoying it immensely.

In a store, or online deal? I played the free trial, and I liked the game but there wasn't enough to do (at the time) to rank up without doing missions that were above your level or doing pvp, which kind of turned me off.

[Warmaker]

All the news about HD MGS, what about Snatcher.

Heh, there was, it was called "Policenauts" in the mid 1990s but it never came across the Pacific. H.Kojima has left behind the Snatcher series long ago, unfortunately.