All Things Videogame Related: EXTREME VS!!

[Gaijin]

got the ps4 20th anniversary in the mail today

NIce!! I wasn't able to get one, even at PSX in Vegas.

[MacrossJunkie]

Anybody picked up Elite: Dangerous yet?

I've gotten it this morning and finished installing it just now. Looks real pretty, and the tutorials (or places where you can screw up and it doesn't matter), are functional. Plus, it came with a profile for my X-55 built into the game.

So far, the controls are a bit "weird" for a space sim. The stick functions like an airplane control column, in that the X axis is for roll, and Y is for pitch. Yaw is handled by the Z axis (with the possibility of using rudder pedals). I'm more used to X-wing's Tie-Fighter, and Freespace's way of controlling the ship, with the Z axis being the roll.

Aim assist is kinda neat, with your visible guns gimballing slightly to help you hit your target, and lasers actually are undodgeable if your aim is true!

I have 2 days off from work, so I think I'll be zipping about the galaxy for a bit!

I had been hemming and hawing for weeks before the release on whether I should buy it or not. I had been following its development since its early days but never backed it. It looked interesting initially, but there was just something about it that never managed to convince me to pull the trigger. I watched tons of gameplay videos from people who were playing through the beta throughout the year. In the end, the final game just didn't seem to provide much that would keep me playing long enough to get my money's worth out of it. The impression I continued to get from the beta videos a mere couple weeks before the actual release was the gameplay was rather shallow once you looked past the actual flying. The exploration, grouping, and social functionality are particularly lackluster. The flying portion itself looked great. I like the beam weapons, heat and signature management which gives possibilities for sneaking past people or ambushing, and the manual station docking is cool.

They're going to continue to develop the game and add more features, but as it stands right now, it's rather disappointing, imo, since I was looking for another good space sim. That said, what's your impression of the game after playing it some?

Currently keeping an eye on No Man's Sky. It looks pretty promising, especially for people who like to explore.

[VF-19]

Well, now that I've figured out what does what (button map diagram was required for my X-55, but not included), I'm just having fun wandering around. I haven't put too much time into it, but I did go and do basic combat, and some exploration.

The features are supposed to evolve, so I think in a year, the game will be vastly different, kinda like how Diablo 3 is a very different (but still a quest for more loot) game now than it was at launch.

[technoblue]

I big THANK YOU, to MacrossJunkie for pointing me in the simpit direction six pages back or so. I ended up looking at both the R3volution and the VolairSim cockpit, but decided on the Ozone with a few upgrades. It took some time to gather funds for my new desk, and I sold a few of my figures once I had an inkling of the final total. I'm rocking just one widescreen monitor for now. My Ozone cockpit includes:

• The articulating Keyboard upgrade
• The flightstick/throttle upgrade
• My own little headphone hanger
• A USB hub to help with wiring and connections

Here are a couple of smartphone photos:

I still have some wires and speakers to clean up, so my presentation is not as clean as I would like it to be. Also, you can see the acrylic desktop still in its paper/bubble-wrap packaging. I'm trying to decide on the best way to mount it. Unlike the R3volution tabletops, the Ozone tabletop does not come pre-drilled. It's more of a DIY endeavor.

My HOTAS is an oldie but goodie: The Thrustmaster Cougar modified with hall-effect sensors throughout and re-engineered with third-party gimbals. I'm so stoked to be able to fly with this kit again, and do so in comfort! The first game I tried was the Freespace Port mod for Freespace 2. Awesome. Here's the HOTAS, naked :

Edited December 31, 2014 by technoblue

[frothymug]

I love the tag attached to the cozy. I have one of those on my laptop bag just for kicks. Yours is far more appropriate.

[MacrossJunkie]

Well, now that I've figured out what does what (button map diagram was required for my X-55, but not included), I'm just having fun wandering around. I haven't put too much time into it, but I did go and do basic combat, and some exploration.

The features are supposed to evolve, so I think in a year, the game will be vastly different, kinda like how Diablo 3 is a very different (but still a quest for more loot) game now than it was at launch.

Glad you're having fun with it so far. I'll be continuing to keep an eye on the game's evolution. I know what features they've promised to add in so it will be interesting to see how the actual implementation goes.

I big THANK YOU, to MacrossJunkie for pointing me in the simpit direction six pages back or so. I ended up looking at both the R3volution and the VolairSim cockpit, but decided on the Ozone with a few upgrades. It took some time to gather funds for my new desk, and I sold a few of my figures once I had an inkling of the final total. I'm rocking just one widescreen monitor for now. My Ozone cockpit includes:

• The articulating Keyboard upgrade
• The flightstick/throttle upgrade
• My own little headphone hanger
• A USB hub to help with wiring and connections

Here are a couple of smartphone photos:

ozone_atrest.png

ozone_topview.png

I still have some wires and speakers to clean up, so my presentation is not as clean as I would like it to be. Also, you can see the acrylic desktop still in its paper/bubble-wrap packaging. I'm trying to decide on the best way to mount it. Unlike the R3volution tabletops, the Ozone tabletop does not come pre-drilled. It's more of a DIY endeavor.

Nice! Can't really go wrong with any of those. That's strange they they leave it up to the customer to figure out how to mount the tabletop. Is it supposed to go on top of the steering wheel platform?

I've had to change out my HOTAS. The stupid X-55 Rhino developed massive issues with static friction on the stick to the point where moving it to a direction would sometimes just get stuck there and just trying to make a tiny movement in a direction from center was impossible. It would be stuck until I applied enough pressure and then go way over because of all the pressure applied. I couldn't even modify it it to try to smooth it out because of the way it was built which prevented me from doing so. So I bit the bullet and got the Thrustmaster Warthog which Newegg had a sale on during cybermonday where they offered the warthog + saitek combat pedals together for $400 which was an amazing deal.

Here's mine as it is now.

I wish I could do better cable management but I'm finding most of my cables are too short to give me enough slack to hide them.

Also, where did you get the covers for your HOTAS?! Those are great. I really need something like that. I'm just using the clear plastic bags the warthog came packaged in to keep out the dust and it looks like utter crap.

My HOTAS is an oldie but goodie: The Thrustmaster Cougar modified with hall-effect sensors throughout and re-engineered with third-party gimbals. I'm so stoked to be able to fly with this kit again, and do so in comfort! The first game I tried was the Freespace Port mod for Freespace 2. Awesome. Here's the HOTAS, naked :

tm_stick.png

tm_throttle.png

Have you tried the Diaspora mod for Freespace 2? I thought it did a pretty good job getting the feel of combat in BSG.

Edited January 1, 2015 by MacrossJunkie

[technoblue]

I love the tag attached to the cozy. I have one of those on my laptop bag just for kicks. Yours is far more appropriate.

Thanks, frothymug. The covers are pretty handy.

Glad you're having fun with it so far. I'll be continuing to keep an eye on the game's evolution. I know what features they've promised to add in so it will be interesting to see how the actual implementation goes.

Nice! Can't really go wrong with any of those. That's strange they they leave it up to the customer to figure out how to mount the tabletop. Is it supposed to go on top of the steering wheel platform?

Thanks, MacrossJunkie! And yes, the tabletop does go on the steering wheel platform. It comes with some Velcro as a temporary solution, but I've been reading that most owners drill the holes and make a permanent mount. I have to set aside some time and get it done, along with the other things on my to-do list (like adding lighting to my two detolf cabinets).

I've had to change out my HOTAS. The stupid X-55 Rhino developed massive issues with static friction on the stick to the point where moving it to a direction would sometimes just get stuck there and just trying to make a tiny movement in a direction from center was impossible. It would be stuck until I applied enough pressure and then go way over because of all the pressure applied. I couldn't even modify it it to try to smooth it out because of the way it was built which prevented me from doing so. So I bit the bullet and got the Thrustmaster Warthog which Newegg had a sale on during cybermonday where they offered the warthog + saitek combat pedals together for $400 which was an amazing deal.

Here's mine as it is now.

<snip>

Sweet! A friend of mine has TM's Warthog too, and I was able to spend some time with it. Comparing the out-of-the box improvements of the new HOTAS to the out-of-the box Cougar...well, it's no contest. The x-y transition in the stick is almost non-existent (like my modded stick) and the dual throttle set up is very, very nice. I like your Simped combat pedals too. The toe-breaks are tempting. My old Elite rudder pedals are fixed and haven't been modded for breaks. The get the job done, though, so I'm not in a rush to change them out at the moment.

Anyway, how do you like your new kit? It looks like quite the upgrade from your X-55 set up.

Also, where did you get the covers for your HOTAS?! Those are great. I really need something like that. I'm just using the clear plastic bags the warthog came packaged in to keep out the dust and it looks like utter crap.

The Cougar HOTAS covers are something I picked up years ago. A kind husband and wife team put them together for those of us on furgalsworld.com back when the site was still around. I think there was someone doing Warthog covers too when it first was released, but he seems to have stopped production. When he stopped, taobao started making copies:

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.5.w4002-3465520864.31.cLBDgr&id=16836799552

The covers are made out of fleece, so if you are good with a needle or a sewing machine then DIY may also be an option.

Have you tried the Diaspora mod for Freespace 2? I thought it did a pretty good job getting the feel of combat in BSG.

Not yet, but it is on the list. HeeHee, I have a lot of catching up to do.

[anime52k8]

so, has anyone else tried the halo 5 beta yet?

[MacrossJunkie]

Sweet! A friend of mine has TM's Warthog too, and I was able to spend some time with it. Comparing the out-of-the box improvements of the new HOTAS to the out-of-the box Cougar...well, it's no contest. The x-y transition in the stick is almost non-existent (like my modded stick) and the dual throttle set up is very, very nice. I like your Simped combat pedals too. The toe-breaks are tempting. My old Elite rudder pedals are fixed and haven't been modded for breaks. The get the job done, though, so I'm not in a rush to change them out at the moment.

Anyway, how do you like your new kit? It looks like quite the upgrade from your X-55 set up.

You probably wouldn't miss the toe break pedals anyway. I can't find a good use for them because of the way games seem to see the axis. For example, star citizen and other games don't see the left and right toe brake axis as a 0-100 scale, but as a -50 to 50 scale and at resting position, it's at -50 instead of 0, so whatever I try to assign it to is unusable. I can't even get them to work right in Microsoft Flight Simulator X. I also wish it was a bit smaller (it's huge!). At any position than the one I have it at right now, it bangs against the frame. Even now, there's maybe a few millimeters of clearance on either side when I slide the pedals back and forth.

That aside, I'm loving my current setup. Things that require subtle movements like the Murray Cup races in Star Citizen or just aiming at ships is so much easier now compared to the X-55 with all its stiction problems. Took me a couple days to get used to it. The stick is a solid metal casing and with enough heft that I could unscrew the handle and easily bludgeon someone to death with it if someone were to attack me. The centering tension is much higher than even the heaviest spring for the X-55. Even some of the buttons require some finger strength to push. My right hand was hurting and my arm was tired after just 40 min of using it on the first day. Now it's not so bad.

The Cougar HOTAS covers are something I picked up years ago. A kind husband and wife team put them together for those of us on furgalsworld.com back when the site was still around. I think there was someone doing Warthog covers too when it first was released, but he seems to have stopped production. When he stopped, taobao started making copies:

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.5.w4002-3465520864.31.cLBDgr&id=16836799552

The covers are made out of fleece, so if you are good with a needle or a sewing machine then DIY may also be an option.

Hmm, I guess I'll have to figure out how to make my own. I'd probably need to get a sewing machine though I can't use a needle worth a crap. I think one made out of black leather or leather-like material and red stitching would look great.

[BeyondTheGrave]

so, has anyone else tried the halo 5 beta yet?

Maybe tonight. Need a break from destiny

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

Playstation Now: the netflix type streaming service of ps3 games for PS4

announced it's pricing:

20 per month.

45 for 3 months (15 a month)

http://www.polygon.com/2015/1/5/7493499/playstation-now-all-you-can-play-subscriptions-hit-next-week-for-19

i think it's too much money for rent a backwards compatibility, i'll just keep my ps3.

Edited January 5, 2015 by davidwhangchoi

[mikeszekely]

Playstation Now: the netflix type streaming service of ps3 games for PS4

announced it's pricing:

20 per month.

45 for 3 months (15 a month)

http://www.polygon.com/2015/1/5/7493499/playstation-now-all-you-can-play-subscriptions-hit-next-week-for-19

i think it's too much money for rent a backwards compatibility, i'll just keep my ps3.

I agree, more or less. I mean, it's not a totally unfair price, and better than the regular rental prices, sure. But my PS3 is still hooked up, I have a decent library of PS3 discs, and I'm still buying PS3 games. I'm not really inclined too pay $20 a month to stream games I already own for one console onto a different one.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

anyone getting majora's mask 3ds limited edition?

edite: deleted link: it's sold out now at gamestop and amazon...

Edited January 6, 2015 by davidwhangchoi

[mikeszekely]

anyone getting majora's mask 3ds limited edition?

edite: deleted link: it's sold out now at gamestop and amazon...

I'm getting the game when it comes out, but just the standard edition. My house is cluttered enough with Transformers and Gundams; I don't need a random skull kid laying around.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

update the bundle is exclusive to gamestop, amazon and frys for those still looking it's only 10 bucks more for the skull kid. lol

https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/552587130808320000/photo/1

local gamestops will start pre-orders tommorow for those who missed out online, better call your local gamestop to confirm

gamestop online just re-opened w/ a bundle deal. lol

http://www.gamestop.com/nintendo-3ds/games/the-legend-of-zelda-majoras-mask-ultimate-limited-edition-bundle/119701?utm_source=linkshare&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=deeplink&cid=afl_10000087&affID=77777&sourceID=FKSJxY2VJAk-r607zMdZbe7B79mjYaoo8A

Edited January 7, 2015 by davidwhangchoi

[Dangard Ace]

Just came in the mail. Thanks PS Canada Twitter!

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

Just came in the mail. Thanks PS Canada Twitter!

congrats

[Hoptimus]

so, has anyone else tried the halo 5 beta yet?

Yes and its more like classic Halo 1-3 than Halo 4 was(no Load outs or Item drops or specialization abilities.) . It is Halo 2/3 gun play minus Duel Wield but add the new much needed Spartan abilities. I think it will be a winner as far as competitive play.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

wow, this is a useful 3rd party attachment. an adapter letting you use 3.5 hdd's in a ps4. cheaper larger and faster drives. sounds interesting... est since space is prob going to run out on all of us ps4 owners bc of mandatory game installs for current gen systems:

http://www.polygon.com/2015/1/7/7505477/nyko-data-bank-ps4-hard-drive

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

as of 10pm EST it's up on best buy right now!!!!

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/the-legend-of-zelda-majoras-mask-3d-limited-edition-bundle-nintendo-3dsnintendo-3ds-xlnintendo-2ds/9507142.p?id=1219020252303&skuId=9507142

after GCU it comes out to 42 bucks after taxes shipped for me.

update: just sold out... nevermind

Edited January 8, 2015 by davidwhangchoi

[azrael]

Witcher 3 system requirements:

Minimum System Requirements

Intel CPU Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz/AMD CPU Phenom II X4 940

Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX 660/AMD GPU Radeon HD 7870

RAM 6GB

OS 64-bit Windows 7 or 64-bit Windows 8 (8.1)

DirectX 11

HDD Space 40 GB

=========

Recommended System Requirements

Intel CPU Core i7 3770 3,4 GHz/AMD CPU AMD FX-8350 4 GHz

Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX 770/AMD GPU Radeon R9 290

RAM 8GB

OS 64-bit Windows 7 or 64-bit Windows 8 (8.1)

DirectX 11

HDD Space 40 GB

[MacrossJunkie]

Witcher 3 system requirements:

That's pretty comparable to Dying Light. If memory serves, the requirements, particularly in the minimum category, used to be higher but they lowered it for the game a little while later. The RAM reqs were double in both the min and recommended categories what they are now. I don't know if it was because the initial specs were mistaken or because people were going "wtf?"

• MINIMUM:
  • OS: Windows® 7 64-bit / Windows® 8 64-bit / Windows® 8.1 64-bit
  • Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-2500 @3.3 GHz / AMD FX-8320 @3.5 GHz
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM DDR3
  • Hard Drive: 40 GB free space
  • Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560 / AMD Radeon™ HD 6870 (1GB VRAM)
  • DirectX®: Version 11
  • Sound: DirectX® compatible
  • Additional Notes: Laptop versions of graphics cards may work but are NOT officially supported.

• RECOMMENDED:
  • OS: Windows® 7 64-bit / Windows® 8 64-bit / Windows® 8.1 64-bit
  • Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-4670K @3.4 GHz / AMD FX-8350 @4.0 GHz
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM DDR3
  • Hard Drive: 40 GB free space
  • Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 780 / AMD Radeon™ R9 290 (2GB VRAM)
  • DirectX®: Version 11
  • Sound: DirectX® compatible
  • Additional Notes: Laptop versions of graphics cards may work but are NOT officially supported.

[mikeszekely]

Witcher 3 system requirements:

I'd have been worried (although still meeting the minimum) if I hadn't just upgraded my video card to a GTX 970.

[anime52k8]

I don't fully get why modern games need 40~60GB of hard drive space to install.

[dizman]

I don't fully get why modern games need 40~60GB of hard drive space to install.

Because laziness. High def texture packs that aren't really high def, sound files that are uncompressed, all sort of fun things. So far they seem to be getting away with it. It's better to aim high when installing and have the extra room.

[Archer]

Gotta love Titanfall's 30 GB of uncompressed audio

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

Gotta love Titanfall's 30 GB of uncompressed audio

that's like all the languages. lol

i think they should have the option to take them out. i think there's a mod on some games to skip installing some languages.

[anime52k8]

Gotta love Titanfall's 30 GB of uncompressed audio

which is especially dumb because it's only 18GB for the entire game on console.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

which is especially dumb because it's only 18GB for the entire game on console.

damn... that is crazy.

i want to get titanfall for pc but i don't want to install origin on my laptop. also the reason i'm waiting and hoping for mass effect 3 (trilogy) to come out remastered on ps4/xone

[Dynaman]

I watched the following opening cutscene for some game and wish I could UNSEE it. Then a couple of comments on the scifi website are positive. We can't have seen the same thing, all I saw was a bunch of idiots jumping around shooting at a big bad thing for no apparent reason (the worst is the lady with the SMGs firing at it at close range when the guy with the heavier weapons did squat). Am I just getting old and grumpy and letting things like common sense get in the way?

http://www.blastr.com/2015-1-9/watch-stunning-cinematic-intro-2k-games-new-sci-fi-shooter-evolve

[anime52k8]

You're just getting old and grumpy, because clearly Evolve is the greatest genre redefining multiplayer experiance in the history of forever and is totally not massively over-hyped it's totally not going to end up up being buggy, short lived, or otherwise disappointing like every other game in the last year upon release.

#hypetrain

[dizman]

Here are a few interesting indie games still in early development for you guys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GUz_L-s-vM

You can buy Sky Rogue in a sort of early access thing, I haven't yet but the game reminds me of ace combat 2 and 3 which isn't a bad thing.

http://nihilocrat.itch.io/sky-rogue

Drift Stage has an alpha demo up if you want to try it. My best time so far is around a 1:24.

http://www.driftstagegame.com/

[renegadeleader1]

What is that music in the Sky Rogue trailer? Its very familiar... Top Gun?

[dizman]

What is that music in the Sky Rogue trailer? Its very familiar... Top Gun?

Now that you mention it yeah I can hear little bits of Top Gun in there, neat! From what I've seen they have someone making all new music for the game.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

reminds me of the Macross game that came on the DYRL blu ray hybrid disc

Edited January 12, 2015 by davidwhangchoi