PC Bargains

[gundato]

I just realized that, with the Amazon $5 credit and a gift card I have, I can essentially get Dark Souls for $12 in Amazon credit (and 0 real money).

This leaves me with a conundrum. On the one hand, I'm intrigued by the thing. The hype is hard to totally ignore, and some aspects of the design sound intriguing. On the other hand, forced multiplayer gives me hives, and I don't think of myself as especially good at action games so the difficulty is potentially really offputting (challenge good, frustration bad, but twitch challenge rapidly becomes frustration for me). I'd really rather not add yet another game to the "to play" pile if it's not something I'm going to really enjoy, and more than just about any game in recent memory I have no sense of whether this is something I'd love (a rich, somewhat tactical action RPG with an expansive world and a great combat system) or something I'd shelve after 20 minutes and never touch again (a forced MP, frustratingly hard twitch action game with infinite respawn and insufficient checkpoints).

Dark Souls is not a twitch game outside of one or two bosses. And even those can be "tanked" if you just take a Tower shield.

It is more about the slow methodical circling and blocking as you wait for an opportunity to smack the living hell out of someone (sort of like "real" combat with melee weapons).

As far as "forced" multiplayer goes. Mostly we just mean you need to be online for the orange signs and for the option to summon a random stranger to make a boss fight go easier. The PvP and making yourself summonable are secondary and not as necessary (but really add a lot to the game).


This at 6:20 is about as twitchy as it ever gets (and is the hardest boss fight in the entire game if you ask me :p), and even then it is mostly being slow, methodical, and ready to get the hell out of the way at a moment's notice.

Also, I strongly recommend that guy's videos for tips and guides to bosses. He has a non-annoying voice and he tends to avoid exploits. Still more fun to do it yourself, but worth reading if you want to see how someone else did it.

[Rauten]

No! You're going to spoil the twin ar... oh. Wait. The gate is open. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA. He will know not what hit him.

But yeah, Anor Londo (the name of that area) is... ugh...

Edit: dodging IS completely based on timing, though. Just a heads up. Though you can easily learn the "moment" for each enemy with a bit of caution and observation.

[gundato]

Yeah, usually I wouldn't like to post a spoiler, but pretty much everyone should know who those pricks are by now. I am sure that if you asked your great grandmother who Smough and Ornstein were, she would say "Two pricks who deserve to die".

So yeah :p

And it is basically as twitchy as the game ever gets.

[johnki]

10 hours left to get Hacker Evolution Duality for a minimum of $0.25.

https://indiegamestand.com/

[alms]

10 hours left to get Hacker Evolution Duality for a minimum of $0.25.

Did you play any of the Hacker Evo games? I must have most of them already but everything I've read about them was along the lines of a big meh.

[vinraith]

I appreciate the feedback, folks. I'd not gotten a sense of how boss-centric the game apparently is. That's probably the final check in the "no" column for me.

[Rauten]

I tried untold and duality a few days ago, since I had both sitting on my Steam Library.
They are no longer installed.

Untold: to do anything, and I do mean ANYTHING you have to write it. It's all based on Unix console commands. ALL. Welcome to the tutorial, you want to connect to that server? type "connect tutorial.server.com". Now download the file tutorial.txt by typing "download tutorial.txt" and so on, and so on...
If I wanted to be constantly typing console commands, I'd be making a customized Linux installation, thanks.

Duality: once again, tutorial. This time, I can connect simply by clicking on the server on the map. THANK GOD. Ok, so I'm connencted. The tutorial now tells me I have to disable the enemy firewall by clicking on some "firewall" button before they trace me. Ok, firewall button, firewall button... where the hell is this firewall button?!
After dicking around and finding what apparently was a DDoS attack and an EMP attack (both of which were represented by grey bars advancing until they became green, at which point you could use them, and had NO TEXT whatsoever to tell me WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY) but still having found no sign of the firewall button anywhere, I quit the game.

Ugh.

[trjp]

I tried untold and duality a few days ago, since I had both sitting on my Steam Library.
They are no longer installed.

Untold: to do anything, and I do mean ANYTHING you have to write it. It's all based on Unix console commands. ALL. Welcome to the tutorial, you want to connect to that server? type "connect tutorial.server.com". Now download the file tutorial.txt by typing "download tutorial.txt" and so on, and so on...
If I wanted to be constantly typing console commands, I'd be making a customized Linux installation, thanks.

Duality: once again, tutorial. This time, I can connect simply by clicking on the server on the map. THANK GOD. Ok, so I'm connencted. The tutorial now tells me I have to disable the enemy firewall by clicking on some "firewall" button before they trace me. Ok, firewall button, firewall button... where the hell is this firewall button?!
After dicking around and finding what apparently was a DDoS attack and an EMP attack (both of which were represented by grey bars advancing until they became green, at which point you could use them, and had NO TEXT whatsoever to tell me WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY) but still having found no sign of the firewall button anywhere, I quit the game.

Ugh.

At this point someone has to say "Uplink"?

[johnki]

Did you play any of the Hacker Evo games? I must have most of them already but everything I've read about them was along the lines of a big meh.

Nope. I've had the first one on Steam for ages but never played it.

You get the other two games as bonuses with Duality, by the way.

[Rauten]

At this point someone has to say "Uplink"?

Nope. Also deleted.

"Hrm, I'm not gonna make this in time, better disconnect and upgrade a bit before retrying".
I disconnect. The trace was below 50%. The password has NOT been revoked. All is well.

"Oops, the authorities are on to you because of that last connection. We have deleted ALL you have done. You have to restart."

Uninstalling, please wait...

[alms]

"Oops, the authorities are on to you because of that last connection. We have deleted ALL you have done. You have to restart."

Permadeath pisses me off in Uplink. Thanks for the feedback on Hacker Evolution.

[trjp]

Nope. Also deleted.

"Hrm, I'm not gonna make this in time, better disconnect and upgrade a bit before retrying".
I disconnect. The trace was below 50%. The password has NOT been revoked. All is well.

"Oops, the authorities are on to you because of that last connection. We have deleted ALL you have done. You have to restart."

Uninstalling, please wait...

I never found it to be THAT bad - it is modelling a version of 'hacking' which has been out-of-date for decades tho :)

[johnki]

In just over 7 hours, Flatspace 1 and 2 hit IndieGameStand for the regular $0.25 minimum.

http://indiegamestand.com/

http://www.lostinflatspace.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY2fUac4-po

Credit to this guy on the Steam forums.

[alms]

In just over 7 hours, Flatspace 1 and 2 hit IndieGameStand for the regular $0.25 minimum.

I really wish IGS changed their switch over time. Anyone played this?

[Thermal Ions]

I've noted that Tropico 4 Vigilante DLC is 66% off on Gamersgate at present. Does anyone know if the GG purchased DLC for this game is compatible with the base game (previously) purchased via Steam? The GG store page indicates Other DRM but not sure if this refers to Steam or the Kalypso account login and whether it matters regardless.

http://www.gamersgate.com/DLC-T4V/tropico-4-vigilante

[johnki]

I really wish IGS changed their switch over time. Anyone played this?

Paid minimum. Played the first one for about five minutes. I already have some things I noticed.

1. The graphics options on the first one, at least, are absolutely horrible. The highest resolution I was allowed was 1280x960.

2. The controls are abominable. Rebind them as soon as you start the game up.

3. Combat is incredibly simple. Given it was described as a "roguelike" of sorts, though, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

4. Combat training doesn't do much...training. It's pretty much just a shooting gallery with what I can only assume is the game's weakest ship.

[Heliocentric]

I've noted that Tropico 4 Vigilante DLC is 66% off on Gamersgate at present. Does anyone know if the GG purchased DLC for this game is compatible with the base game (previously) purchased via Steam? The GG store page indicates Other DRM but not sure if this refers to Steam or the Kalypso account login and whether it matters regardless.

http://www.gamersgate.com/DLC-T4V/tropico-4-vigilante

It won't be, Tropico 4 is not steam works. It has its own stupid login system which secures for DLC.

[Fanbuoy]

I've noted that Tropico 4 Vigilante DLC is 66% off on Gamersgate at present. Does anyone know if the GG purchased DLC for this game is compatible with the base game (previously) purchased via Steam? The GG store page indicates Other DRM but not sure if this refers to Steam or the Kalypso account login and whether it matters regardless.

http://www.gamersgate.com/DLC-T4V/tropico-4-vigilante

What Helio said. If it's steamworks it says so on DRM info.

[Thermal Ions]

Thanks guys - I suspected as much but hoped otherwise. I haven't yet fired it up to see just what the Kalypso account bit was all about, but given it's existence I'd waited until a recent discount on Steam before picking it up, and of course Vigilante's wasn't on sale at the time.

[sabrage]

I never found it to be THAT bad - it is modelling a version of 'hacking' which has been out-of-date for decades tho :)

Never!