What are you playing at the moment?

[Mohorovicic]

I think I'm too stupid to grasp what you mean by that. Care to elaborate a bit?

Alyx is a stupid annoying groupie bitch that should never be in any part of HL2 and you spend half of Ep. 2 hauling your ass to save her life. And then she tags along for the rest of the game?

Fuck that.

[kstress71]

Checking out the first Witcher game now, FINALLY. I'm far more interested in the sequel, but it hurts my soul to play a game and not have experienced the preceding entries in the series.

And now I'll go wash my hands exactly 5 times with 5 separate brand new bars of soap...

[Juan Carlo]

Checking out the first Witcher game now, FINALLY. I'm far more interested in the sequel, but it hurts my soul to play a game and not have experienced the preceding entries in the series.

Witcher is so awesome, though, so I don't think you'll have to suffer through it much. The beginning is a bit slow, but once you get to the "good" side of town and things get all political it really picks up. If you like "Game of Thrones" you should be pleased.

[Drake Sigar]

I'd tell you to skip it and go straight to Witcher 2, but forum goers have been lynched for less.

[Nalano]

I'd tell you to skip it and go straight to Witcher 2, but forum goers have been lynched for less.

I skipped it and went straight to Witcher 2. Not because I didn't like the story, but because the gameplay was impenetrable.

[Anthile]

Witcher 1? I hope you like swamps. Also, it's still one of my favourite stories in gaming and the finale is amazing. Sure, the combat is quite dull and it's generally a bit too long but you're missing out, even if it doesn't have that much to do with the sequel.

[Internet]

Checking out the first Witcher game now, FINALLY. I'm far more interested in the sequel, but it hurts my soul to play a game and not have experienced the preceding entries in the series.

And now I'll go wash my hands exactly 5 times with 5 separate brand new bars of soap...

I haven't played 2 yet, but found the first one to be moderately enjoyable, but no better.

[squareking]

Dark Souls, Dredmor, Sine Mora and dipping into Skyrim when my fiancee isn't skipping gleefully through the world and harvesting everything.

And in the game.

[ado]

Alyx is a stupid annoying groupie bitch that should never be in any part of HL2 and you spend half of Ep. 2 hauling your ass to save her life. And then she tags along for the rest of the game?

Fuck that.

Viscous, arn't you?

But I guess that you could categorize this one under different strokes... Still, I actually enjoy her company and think that she contributes tremendously to my enjoyment of not only Ep.2 but HL in general. Especially because having her around doesn't mean enduring an overblown "protect the NPC" escort mission and because she never gets in my way or in the way of the action.

She also proves to be quite an effective emotional resonator in HL2 and the episodes, and, sue me, I like my FPS to be a bit more than just mindless run and gun. In fact some of my favorite moments in HL are the more quiet bits where you get to explore the levels and where the atmosphere takes over.

[Nalano]

Viscous, arn't you?

But I guess that you could categorize this one under different strokes... Still, I actually enjoy her company and think that she contributes tremendously to my enjoyment of not only Ep.2 but HL in general. Especially because having her around doesn't mean enduring an overblown "protect the NPC" escort mission and because she never gets in my way or in the way of the action.

She also proves to be quite an effective emotional resonator in HL2 and the episodes, and, sue me, I like my FPS to be a bit more than just mindless run and gun. In fact some of my favorite moments in HL are the more quiet bits where you get to explore the levels and where the atmosphere takes over.

This. Gordon Freeman is, by definition, wooden. Alyx Vance and her father are the only sense of urgency in the game offered by people who don't immediately die.

(Also, it's vicious, unless you actually meant viscous like Moho is gelatinous)

[ado]

This. Gordon Freeman is, by definition, wooden. Alyx Vance and her father are the only sense of urgency in the game offered by people who don't immediately die.

(Also, it's vicious, unless you meant actually meant viscous like Moho is gelatinous)

Both (vicious and viscous) works in a sense. :P

I also agree that Alyx is kind of indispensable because of Gordon's silent nature. Sure they could have done what they did in HL1 and have all that story stuff be exposed and happening to nameless scientists and guards again... But why would they? It's so much more natural to have a cast of regular characters and a sidekick like Alyx that actually interacts with and cares about that wider cast. And by mere extension so do you - like when her dad dies in ep.2 it actually affects you...

Also, on a different note I saw an extended gameplay clip of Bioshock Infinite where the player character talks, and holy shit does it seem annoying. Not because it doesn't work by design but because they totally overwrote the guy... He comments on EVERYTHING. I really hope that they dial that shit down in the final game.

Edit: this is the Bioshock clip I mention above. Does it bother anyone else that Booker talks so much?



Game looks awesome otherwise...

[Caddybear]

Playing NWN2. Drow Favored Soul this time. This is going to be fun.

[elephant god]

Both (vicious and viscous) works in a sense. :P

I also agree that Alyx is kind of indispensable because of Gordon's silent nature. Sure they could have done what they did in HL1 and have all that story stuff be exposed and happening to nameless scientists and guards again... But why would they? It's so much more natural to have a cast of regular characters and a sidekick like Alyx that actually interacts with and cares about that wider cast. And by mere extension so do you - like when her dad dies in ep.2 it actually affects you...

Also, on a different note I saw an extended gameplay clip of Bioshock Infinite where the player character talks, and holy shit does it seem annoying. Not because it doesn't work by design but because they totally overwrote the guy... He comments on EVERYTHING. I really hope that they dial that shit down in the final game.

Edit: this is the Bioshock clip I mention above. Does it bother anyone else that Booker talks so much?



Game looks awesome otherwise...

Geology pun!

The Bioshock games have always been riddled with bad design decisions, I still don't like either of the games, but there's also been very beautiful stuff in there..

[Nalano]

Playing NWN2. Drow Favored Soul this time. This is going to be fun.

Still playing NWN2. My Red Dragon Disciple/Weapon Master is fantastically overpowered.

So overpowered, in fact, that I have full freedom to choose companions based on their personality rather than their usefulness as companions, since I don't actually need them.

Forced to take stock of all the companions, it's become clear that the vast majority of companions are really, really annoying to deal with.

Fun companions:
Neeshka (I like stealing things)
Khelgar (I like punching things)
Sand (I like being snarky)
Ammon Jerro (I actually matter)

Not-fun companions:
Elanee (I don't like your friends or most of the locations we go to)
Qara (I don't like your friends or for anyone to tell me what to do)
Grobnar (I won't shut up)
Bishop (I go out of my way to be a dick)
Casavir (I'm a paladin and therefore humorless)
Zhjaeve(I'm a cleric and therefore also humorless)
Shandra (I'm a glorified pet, except I whine more)

I understand NWN2 is something of a satire of D&D sessions, but you don't have to convince me that D&D players are annoying by actually making their characters annoying.

[alms]

For the record Amnesia is not a relaxing game

I'm gonna assume you missed that necro about relaxing games a few weeks ago.

[Casimir Effect]

Still playing NWN2. My Red Dragon Disciple/Weapon Master is fantastically overpowered.

So overpowered, in fact, that I have full freedom to choose companions based on their personality rather than their usefulness as companions, since I don't actually need them.

Forced to take stock of all the companions, it's become clear that the vast majority of companions are really, really annoying to deal with.

Fun companions:
Neeshka (I like stealing things)
Khelgar (I like punching things)
Sand (I like being snarky)
Ammon Jerro (I actually matter)

Not-fun companions:
Elanee (I don't like your friends or most of the locations we go to)
Qara (I don't like your friends or for anyone to tell me what to do)
Grobnar (I won't shut up)
Bishop (I go out of my way to be a dick)
Casavir (I'm a paladin and therefore humorless)
Zhjaeve(I'm a cleric and therefore also humorless)
Shandra (I'm a glorified pet, except I whine more)

I understand NWN2 is something of a satire of D&D sessions, but you don't have to convince me that D&D players are annoying by actually making their characters annoying.

You've actually had to worry about companion choices in that game before? After Act I you should be tough enough to take anything regardless of companions, especially with the broken-as-all-hell resting system. Otherwise I pretty much agree with your list, except Shandra is in my fun companion list as she kicks back well if you play as an evil bastard, and the game flatout denies you one of the best items for annoying Shandra - no pandering to both good and evil. Plus I love how her whole character is there to mirror the typical RPG experience: home under attack, mysterious stranger shows up to rescue you, find out you have a higher purpose etc.

[Drake Sigar]

Elanee (I don't like your friends or most of the locations we go to)

She's like the wife you never had.

[Nalano]

You've actually had to worry about companion choices in that game before?

My powerbuild doesn't starting kicking into overdrive until level 12 or so. Also, I'm extremely lazy and will never roll a caster in a D&D game.

[Kaira-]

After a good 4-month pause I went back to Space Chem. I have no idea what I'm doing, and how I'm supposed to solve this deceivingly simple Double Bonds-task. And my brain hurts.

[Jams O'Donnell]

I just lost four colonels and two majors in my Classic Iron Man game, so I guess I'm not playing XCOM any more :'(