What are you playing?

[Fazor]

I'm currently playing Mario Galaxy 2. It took a minute to get used to it, but it's definately got that mario Charm. The next game on my list will be Castlevania: Lord of Shadows. But I want to try to get through Mario so it may be a while.

And Dragon Age 2 comes out a week from tuesday, so there's that too.

[NickW]

I just downloaded the demo for DA 2 last night, just haven't taken the time to install it yet, but that will probably be today.

[Moose]

Went shopping today. Picked up Scribblenauts, Kirby All Stars Ultra, and Logic Machines for the DS (was getting tired of RPGs and Pokemon when I was on the move, wanted something more "pick up and go"), and some titles the 360, too.

Not that anybody's asked, but I had to laugh earlier today at how rich Scribblenauts can be. It plays a bit like an Eddings book, where you write a common noun (nearly _any_ common noun) and will it into existence to solve puzzles. You get bonus points for elegance and creativity.

I played a level this morning where the goal was to satisfy Halloween trick-or-treaters. In a series of replays, I decided to explore the bounds of the mission. Deciding on the trick half of the Halloween bargain. My pirate avatar "egg"ed the trick-or-treaters. They immediately retaliated by beating me to within an inch of my life. Hehehe.

On the next replay, I gave them "floss", swiped their candy bags (and stashed them into my home), then drove them off with the shrapnel of my thrown jack-o-lantern. The game actually recognized this as a valid solution!

[Fazor]

Is it the first or second Scribblenauts? They both sound amusing but I've played neither. I know where my DS is, but I'd have to dig around to find the charger.

[NickW]

Just finished the demo for DA 2. If the game is anything like the demo, it is going to be a really good game. The battle system is more seamless and fluid. The new abilities are just awesome. Can't wait until the 8th now.

[Moose]

Is it the first or second Scribblenauts? They both sound amusing but I've played neither. I know where my DS is, but I'd have to dig around to find the charger.

First. Didn't know there was a second.

[Fazor]

First. Didn't know there was a second.

It's relatively new (November of last year, perhaps?) If you can believe it, they've increased the vocabulary and added adjectives (which I think are lacking from the first?) And also added direct control of your character. If I'm remembering the reviews correctly.

A study I'm participating in will give me a $75 gift card to Amazon.com in a few months and I might have to use it for a few DS games. Given what you say of scribblenauts, that might be one of them. I'm also thinking about pokemon white/black, as I've never given any of those games a try but I think the collection nature of it is something that I would enjoy.

[Fazor]

Just finished the demo for DA 2. If the game is anything like the demo, it is going to be a really good game. The battle system is more seamless and fluid. The new abilities are just awesome. Can't wait until the 8th now.

I'm definately looking forward to it.

[R.A.F.]

I'm playing Half-life on PS2. (yeah I know...I need to upgrade my gaming system. )

I'm "stuck" at the leap of faith ladders at the end of the "office" section.

[NickW]

I'm definately looking forward to it.

I was ohhing and awwwing over it while I was playing and drawing the strangest looks from my wife.

[Elukka]

I've been playing Anno 1404 again. Here's my town.
Also some Transport Tycoon (OpenTTD), Bloodline Champions, and a bit of occasional railroading in Railworks.

[Salty]

Lately I've been playing Sid Meir's Civilization IV. Enjoyed a pbem with a friend of a Civ4 Warlords variant.

[Fazor]

I've got Civ V installed right now, but I'm thinking of going back to IV instead. I think I liked it better (plus it runs much better.)

I finally downloaded the Torchlight demo from Steam in anticipation of it hitting XBLA next week. I love it! And it runs so buttery-smooth even on my laptop. I think I might skip the xbox version and just opt to play on PC. I prefer the mouse control, and it gives me one more game to play when Tara's watching TV.

[HenrikOlsen]

Taking a new run through Darwinia, it's one of those I can always come back to and still enjoy, like X-COM 3 - Apocalypse though I've gotten to where that one has to be on the hardest setting to be any challenge.
I've just realized that the X-Com series is available on Steam, it looks like some of the games companies are realizing that rather than letting them get pirated as abandonware, there is still money to be had from old games where gameplay meant more than graphics, especially on Steam where there's no up-front costs of stocking or distributing them.

ETA: at 5€($7) on Steam, buying X-COM 3 - Apocalypse was a no-brainer. I know I like playing it and the copy I had was pirated.

[Fazor]

Fond memories of playing X-Com while watching the Indians screw up 2 world series appearences in 3 years. Didn't like the newest one so much, though. The one I played the most took place mostly (all?) underwater. Forget which one that was.

[HenrikOlsen]

One of the first two I think.

[Paul Beardsley]

Fond memories of playing X-Com while watching the Indians screw up 2 world series appearences in 3 years. Didn't like the newest one so much, though. The one I played the most took place mostly (all?) underwater. Forget which one that was.

That was Terror from the Deep, the second one, and it wasn't written by Julian Gollop. I didn't get into it, probably because I started badly.

I loved the first one, Enemy Unknown. I was making a fortune on that while my work colleagues were finding it hard to make ends meet. But they were grateful for two bits of advice: 1. Analyse the hull material as early as possible, then capture as many ships as you can and sell the material, and manufacture and sell it as much and as early as possible. Then in no time you can build new bases around the world so you'll be able to intercept every UFO, thus keeping every funding nation happy, and acquiring even more hull material to sell. 2. Whenever you send a team to a terror site, arm two soldiers with stun rods, and use them on civilians. This stops them from getting in the way (blocking doorways etc) but doesn't increase their chances of being abducted. Plus, it's fun!

[Fazor]

I thought the first one was X-Com: UFO Defense?

[Paul Beardsley]

Not in the UK. ("Defence" is spelt with a C here.)

I've just checked Wiki - I didn't realise it was renamed UFO Defense for the US and Japan release. Enemy Unknown was its original name.

[TJMac]

Just finished the demo for DA 2. If the game is anything like the demo, it is going to be a really good game. The battle system is more seamless and fluid. The new abilities are just awesome. Can't wait until the 8th now.

I have not finished playing through the first DA. Somehow got caught up in guild/alliance politics in Guild Wars, which ate up a tremendous amount of my time, even though I have avoided politics for years in that game.

With that disclaimer, I work with two guys who are enthusiastic players of DA, having played through multiple times, with different character classes. They have both played the DA2 demo, and express some concern that it will all take place in one city. Does that sound like it is a minus at all? I couldn't see it, but they both thought it was a negative.

TJ

[Fazor]

@TJMac - I don't think it only takes place in one city. It centers around one city, but from what I've read, you'll still be questing in various areas of world. For instance, I know for a fact that an early part of the game takes you on an expedition back to the deep roads. The real differnce is that, if I understand it correctly, there's no world map that lets you go explore wherever you want. Instead, the framed narrative style puts you in whatever part of the world is relevant to the current point in the story line. I believe, however, that there are still side-quests and what not, so I'd assume at least some level of freedom of travel.

@Paul Beardsley - Ah, I hadn't realized they were two names for the same game either, but now that you mention it, that sounds familiar. I was debating on getting the whole collection from Steam, but decided even though it was a better deal (5 games for $15usd, or $5 each), that I don't like the other three anyway. It's like I try to tell Tara all the time - a savings is only a savings if you were going to buy the item anyway. Otherwise, you're not saving money, you're just spending less.

Anyway, I instead purchased TftD, and will probably purchase UFO Defense at some later point. Man is this bringing back memories! But boy is it difficult! I started out by shooting down an enemy sub. I the proceeded to lose four of my 10 man crew while attempting to (and thankfully finally succeeding) erradicate the survivors and recover the tech. There were a few more sub sightings, but I failed to down them before they escaped and landed, and I certainly wasn't going to send my depleted and under-equipped crew after a fully manned alien craft.

Then, the day DARPA pulled their funding (or would have, if it was real life.) Aliens launched an attack on the port of Oslo. By then, my new guns and crew had arrived, so I filled up the transport ship and headed out. Now, I always start by securing the area outside the craft. So I sent two heavily armed troops to take up position on the front end, and two near a building near the tail of the ship. I ended my first turn without touching the other six troops. I wish I could say the same for the alien threat.

Some green jerk that was near the back of the ship opened fire with a large rocket launcher, killing all six crew on board and sending three of my four survivors into a panic. The one survivor who still had his (her?) witts returned fire with an AP draining aimed shot. And missed. Everyone survived the volley of incomming fire on their turn, but by then all four were paniced. I had no choice but to return my ship to base, minus the crew. Not a very good point score on *that* mission. Yikes.

. . . oh, and did I mention I'm playing on "beginner" difficulty level? Sheesh! Adding to the difficulty is that these games pre-date opening with tutorials or even hover-tips for the HUD. I need to see if this came with an e-manuel or if I can find one online.

[baric]

man, I am totally sucked into the new Rift MMO. I was a WoW raider back in BC, but most of us quit when the LK expansion came out (way too easy).

Since then I've puttered around occasionally with LOTRO, but I have to admit that Rift is a very good MMO and very addictive. STAY AWAY!

[Fazor]

I played the Beta and really liked it; I just can't afford another monthly subscription fee right now.

[Solfe]

I am back to Gemstones IV but my kids picked a cool game for 4-7 year olds and another for 8+. Nickelodeon's Fit for the Wii is far more entertaining than the regular Wii Fit. I tried it out myself, but it isn't very challenging for an adult. My older son is playing Blazing Angels which I happen to love too. The controls are very interesting - you use both the joysticks and tipping the controller to control the planes. Tough game.

[NickW]

Back to Guild Wars now. The update they released earlier this month made a lot of the stuff I was trying to do easier (without the need of a PUG). I usually play on the weekends, unless people I know get on during the week, then I will play for an hour or two during the week.

[TJMac]

I have mixed feelings about that update in GW. I literally got my God Walking Amongst Mere Mortal title, the Saturday before the update. It is SO much easier to get several of the titles now.

Ah well. It happens.

TJ

[NickW]

I am not really a title hunter. The only titles I have gotten are the ones that are needed for my prestige armor. Acquiring the items for hero armor is much easier now.

[streather]

A combination of the following:


COD: Black ops and COD4 multiplayer
Team Fortress 2 beta
Dragon age Origins
monday night combat
Stalker Shadow of chernobyl
fallout 3/new vegas
bad company 2
and minecraft

I switch around a lot >.>

[HenrikOlsen]

Sounds like they are going the same way Blizzard did with WoW when they started coming out with expansions, they made the low-level part of the game so easy that it became uninteresting and made the item-munchkin'ery at the top level be the only thing that mattered.
Since I was playing it for the challenge of the lower levels I dropped it after the first expansion ruined the game for me and I haven't been back since.

[NickW]

Yeah, I didn't enjoy the beginning part of Factions all the much. Once you get out of Kaineng City in Factions, the game got much more interesting.