PC Bargains

[trjp]

OK - Transformed then, a good single-player challenge as well?

Multiplayer cart games often rely on the 'luck of the draw' weapons for their entertainment value - the original SSAR's single player wasn't really that great (on lower levels you could ignore weapons - on the higher level they broke the game)

The last cart game which offered a brilliant single player was probably Crash Team Racing - yes, that long ago but it's levels were so well designed that finding 'the perfect line' was a game in itself...

[Sketch]

Crash Team Racing is truly excellent and I salute your mention of it.

[Ravelle]

Crash Team was also great but lacked the sense of speed for some reason.

[sabrage]

Speaking of bargains, CTR goes for about $5 on ebay.

[Rauten]

Racing Transformed is pretty well balanced in the weaponry department. Unless shot at point blank, pretty much everything can be dodged, even the game's version of the dreaded Blue Shell as well as the version of the red shell.

But it takes skill or ridiculous luck.

[gundato]

Speaking of bargains, CTR goes for about $5 on ebay.

Its also on the PSN if memory serves. So unless you actually are still using your PS1/PS2, that is probably the best way to grab it.

[mashakos]

Its also on the PSN if memory serves. So unless you actually are still using your PS1/PS2, that is probably the best way to grab it.

All iterations of the PS3 are Playstation BC. Also, the PC has been able to emulate PSX games since the Dreamcast era so... a netbook can do it fine by now.
judging by how Nintendo has handled the Virtual Console on their new console, I'd rather get the physical copy TYVM ;)

[The JG Man]

OK - Transformed then, a good single-player challenge as well?

About 15, maybe a bit more, hours on SP content alone it's taken me so far. Although, you can also play that split-screen and still contribute towards progress. Weapons are necessary, but not overpowered. The most 'powerful' ones, the all-stars, are also well balanced and tend to stick towards promoting personal benefits over hindering enemies. This isn't always the case, but you're given a warning with this and many weapons.

Having played CTR, this is definitely of that calibre. I can't say if it's better or not simply because of how long ago it's been, but it's definitely excellent.

[sabrage]

All iterations of the PS3 are Playstation BC. Also, the PC has been able to emulate PSX games since the Dreamcast era so... a netbook can do it fine by now.
judging by how Nintendo has handled the Virtual Console on their new console, I'd rather get the physical copy TYVM ;)

Precisely. The PSN version is actually surprisingly reasonably priced, though.

[elephant god]

words on Unity of Command please.

I am currently trying to wrap my head around Crusader Kings II via this thread, and I'm struggling. I'd love a tactical strategy game. (I know CK2 barely is one.) Is UoC for me?

[arathain]

There's a demo of Unity of Command. It should give you a pretty good idea.

[internetonsetadd]

wrong effing thread

[Kelron]

words on Unity of Command please.

I am currently trying to wrap my head around Crusader Kings II via this thread, and I'm struggling. I'd love a tactical strategy game. (I know CK2 barely is one.) Is UoC for me?

I've only played it a bit but I like what I see. The rules are simple enough to grasp, but the AI won't give up easy victories, and the importance of supply lines makes the game much more than who has the biggest army. In the first campaign mission the attack of my superior german force stalled and almost failed because the soviet AI kept punching through weak points and cutting the roads, leaving my units out of supply and easy targets.

[Vetron]

Oh good, maybe the new version of REFUELED won't just crash at the first menu. I always thought it had enormous potential, but could never get it to work...

If you (or anyone) were to ever send me a PM on here or ModDB then I'd of happily helped you out if your having problems running my mod or FUEL in general.

There's a setup tutorial video (it's simple, but this is the only documentation I found). I had no trouble running REFUELED, and the improved vehicle handling makes a world of difference. My gamepad works via x360ce, and the mods I enabled with JSGME are Patch #5, Refueled 2013.1, disable shader compile (faster loading, but you must have run the game once previously), and REFUELED Menu.

A tutorial for installing it was added here. (not that it needs it... but user friendliness and all that...xD)

[trjp]

So, Unity of Command then?

I've been playing a few strat. games recently but I've never been interested in anything above Advance Wars level. I like 'clever puzzles' rather than 'grand battles' and so I headed into the demo thinking "this won't be for me"

2 hours later I bought it :)

Why? Three reasons leap out

1 - it's lovely to look at - there's some real care about it's appearance and that matters when you'll be staring at it for hours (Advance Wars gives me a headache after a while)
2 - It's tutorials are fantastic - they show rather than telling - the AI even demonstrates tactics to you - I've never seen anything quite that well done before - ever!! It also has a proper manual which appears to have been written by someone with a clue rather than as an A-Z to the fucking obvious!!
3 - I love it's almost "pocket puzzle" approach to massive battles - I love that there's detail and depth but it's hidden or designed not to confuse

I've spent a lot of time recently looking at iOS stuff - mainly because there's some fantastic design work being done on that platform in terms of making games look different and appealing (and not Zyngafied shite). I'd actually started to lament the lack of design on PC titles with far too much "LOOK AT THE SHINIES" and not enough "but you can't see the fucking UI". This is the first game in eons which changes for that me - worth the admission price alone.

and I've spent so long writing this that you've missed the sale now - sorry!! :(

p.s. No, I don't want to play online - I keep losing at the tutorial FFS! :)

[Bobtree]

@Vetron: It does need it. The distribution should include a README file or manual that says where to put the files, how to use the mod activator, and what the different mod options do. For example, what are the revised vs reworked menus and revised gamepad controls?

The one weird issue I had is that I started the game (basic setup, x360ce gamepad config, won a race) before installing the mods, and can't use the FUEL Bonus Codes because you removed the menu option, but the unlocks aren't added automatically as I assume they would be on a fresh mod-installed start. I tried removing the mods entirely to access the menu option, but this makes the game crash, presumably when it first loads my modded save. It's not important, but this still stumped me.

[neema_t]

Very late to be posting this but you can get SSV8NC Superstar V8 Next Challenge on GMG for free right now. It's made by Blackbean, those responsible for the most recent three WRC games (the third of which was actually quite good) and the SBK games, so it's probably mediocre at best but hey, it's free. If you link your GMG account to some gaming social network thing. But you can turn off emails so it doesn't really change anything if you do decide to sign up for it.

Linky link:
http://www.greenmangaming.com/s/gb/e...ext-challenge/

[trjp]

Very late to be posting this but you can get SSV8NC Superstar V8 Next Challenge on GMG for free right now. It's made by Blackbean, those responsible for the most recent three WRC games (the third of which was actually quite good) and the SBK games, so it's probably mediocre at best but hey, it's free. If you link your GMG account to some gaming social network thing. But you can turn off emails so it doesn't really change anything if you do decide to sign up for it.

Linky link:
http://www.greenmangaming.com/s/gb/e...ext-challenge/

I though V8SC used the TOCA engine - looks and feels a bit like that? I know v8 Supercars 2 was just Toca 3 in some countries (TOCA being mostly a UK thing??) but I don't know if they're related.

I downloaded it earlier and whilst I thought it was a bit basic and the AI was "dumb as cheese" I then discovered that turning-off all driving aids and enabling 'wet track' is the most fun I've had in ages.

Yeah, the other cars are slow and stupid but you're driving on ice - it's quite, quite the most fun I've had in days :)

p.s. it's loading times are epic tho - I mean "go make tea and cakes" epic

[neema_t]

I though V8SC used the TOCA engine - looks and feels a bit like that? I know v8 Supercars 2 was just Toca 3 in some countries (TOCA being mostly a UK thing??) but I don't know if they're related.

I downloaded it earlier and whilst I thought it was a bit basic and the AI was "dumb as cheese" I then discovered that turning-off all driving aids and enabling 'wet track' is the most fun I've had in ages.

Yeah, the other cars are slow and stupid but you're driving on ice - it's quite, quite the most fun I've had in days :)

p.s. it's loading times are epic tho - I mean "go make tea and cakes" epic

I have no idea about the relationship with TOCA, I kind of assumed Codemasters just ate it because they prefer their Ego engine bullshit.

So it's one of those 'racing' games that's actually a driving game because the AI doesn't compete at all? That's a shame I guess but if it's free I can probably get over that! GT5 was the same, after all, and I played that for a good few hundred hours.

When you say make cakes; do you mean you have time to actually bake them or do you mean take pre-baked cakes out of a packet/container? There's a subtle difference.

[sonson]

words on Unity of Command please.

I am currently trying to wrap my head around Crusader Kings II via this thread, and I'm struggling. I'd love a tactical strategy game. (I know CK2 barely is one.) Is UoC for me?

No idea on UOC but just a quick word on CKII-it's not a tactical strategy game at all, it's a build your own hamlet simulator. The only strategy you need to get your head round with any level of finesse is how to make and press claims and personal goals. Those are really the only things you need to game, and get right, to give your narrative some propulsion and context. They are the reasons why your family are doing nefarious things to enemies and each other. You can game it to try and get the "right" results all throughout, and obviously if you marry off heirs to poor wives your dynasty will suffer, but the drama won't, and that's what you should be playing it for, the stories and relationships and political intrigue. If you want to play a game about beating other political powers into the ground and expanding it's a very poor game for it, you're doing it wrong, and there are some excellent ones such as Shogun out there which do that brilliantly.

Frankly speaking CKII, from the ground up, doesn't need all that strategic UI in my opinion. It works with it-it really is a brilliant game-but it is not intuitive or the best solution for it nonetheless. There is really no reason that a game about relationships and dynastic politics should have two thirds of the screen covered in a map of the known world, the majority of it being entirely irrelevant to you on most games you'll play.