OT: Video Games/Computers/Gadgets/Gizmos

[MikeIsGood]

After seven years, I finally did it (Mageblood hasn't been around that long but point stands).

[ReasonablySober]

Made a really, really dumb impulse purchase of an iPad on Sunday. I got it in my head that I might like to check out what Apple Arcade has to offer. Turns out I don't like touch screen games, and I have a Macbook Air that can run iPad games anyway. So it's going back to Best Buy.

But something else caught my today. I watched a couple reviews for the Raspberry Pi V and it does seem like a great little emulator. But one video mentioned how far emulation has come on Mini PCs, and that really made me perk up. I haven't been keeping up with emulation lately, but having watched some videos of emulators playing stuff from the PS3 and Switch, I think I'mma have to check this out further. I gave my Switch away, but if I can run prettier versions on my computer, that would be fun.

[jschligs]

Made a really, really dumb impulse purchase of an iPad on Sunday. I got it in my head that I might like to check out what Apple Arcade has to offer. Turns out I don't like touch screen games, and I have a Macbook Air that can run iPad games anyway. So it's going back to Best Buy.

But something else caught my today. I watched a couple reviews for the Raspberry Pi V and it does seem like a great little emulator. But one video mentioned how far emulation has come on Mini PCs, and that really made me perk up. I haven't been keeping up with emulation lately, but having watched some videos of emulators playing stuff from the PS3 and Switch, I think I'mma have to check this out further. I gave my Switch away, but if I can run prettier versions on my computer, that would be fun.

I bought the iPad Pro 12” with the Magic Keyboard, went all out spending like $2k total. I barely use it outside of notes and watching videos. Wish I hadn’t but I’ll keep using it sparingly.

I emulate a ton on PC and Steamdeck. Always liked the Pi’s, but just don’t have a need since I’m at my desk 99% of the time.

[MikeIsGood]

Watch on YouTube

Looks good. Not paying $50 for a metroidvania, but it's Ubisoft so it'll drop considerably. On my list to check out sometime.

[ReasonablySober]

Watch on YouTube

Looks good. Not paying $50 for a metroidvania, but it's Ubisoft so it'll drop considerably. On my list to check out sometime.

Demo dropped today.

[ReasonablySober]

But wow, that game looks great. Apparently it's about 25 hours so I don't really have any hesitation over the price. I was sold when I saw clips of the map.

I'm still really having fun with Phantom Liberty, though. I didn't do many of the side gigs the first time around, and this week I've done almost nothing but gigs. A lot of them are cookie cutter but there's still enough variety to keep me entertained.

[crkone]

Having a pretty good time with Backpack Hero. It's somewhat repetitive but has enough RnG to keep me interested.

[BMatt07]

After seven years, I finally did it (Mageblood hasn't been around that long but point stands).

Oh hell yeah, congrats!

I've been having a great time this league too. Decided this is finally the league that I hit 100, just hit 99 last night. Not buying any 5-ways, just mapping.

Playing a Corrupting Fever / Kinetic Blast Champion with Headhunter, it's been a blast. Atlas passive tree focused mostly on breach, beyond, and shrines.

[tydett]

I've joined the Bone Zone and it's the most fun I've had in PoE so far. Grats on the Mageblood, this is probably the best league ever.

[tydett]

On a different note, I made it about through probably 60-70% of Lies of P and just gave up. Their approach to boss fights is horrible and I cannot understand why they make 2 phase bosses instead of just having more bosses. I really like the whole vibe of the game, but just will not waste my time any more on finishing a boss just for it to regain all its health, turn into a different fight that I have to get through the first one in order to even learn again. Ruined a game that I thought had a lot of potential.

[MikeIsGood]

I have gone so hard in POE the past few weeks that I'm taking a break. Which is kind of hilarious after only having Mageblood for a few days, but at the same time I'm pretty motivated to come back and keep going in a week or two. Will probably still run a few maps here in there, but not going all-out as I had been until I pick it back up. There's a bunch of challenges I still want to get through, though, and I want to try out Penance Brand of Dissipation before it's nerfed.

I did TR totems and focused on Harbinger and bossing. Everything is selling for just silly amounts of currency this league because everyone is doing dedicated MF strats. I still have so much currency-in-waiting from all the maps, frags, and scarabs I'm yet to convert.

[BMatt07]

I have gone so hard in POE the past few weeks that I'm taking a break. Which is kind of hilarious after only having Mageblood for a few days, but at the same time I'm pretty motivated to come back and keep going in a week or two. Will probably still run a few maps here in there, but not going all-out as I had been until I pick it back up. There's a bunch of challenges I still want to get through, though, and I want to try out Penance Brand of Dissipation before it's nerfed.

I did TR totems and focused on Harbinger and bossing. Everything is selling for just silly amounts of currency this league because everyone is doing dedicated MF strats. I still have so much currency-in-waiting from all the maps, frags, and scarabs I'm yet to convert.

I tried to do Harbinger for a little bit but it seemed like the drop rate on Fracturing Shards was either brutally low, or I was just having terrible RNG. Did probably 250 maps before I specced out of it, think I had 3 Fracturing Shards drop.

[MikeIsGood]

I have gone so hard in POE the past few weeks that I'm taking a break. Which is kind of hilarious after only having Mageblood for a few days, but at the same time I'm pretty motivated to come back and keep going in a week or two. Will probably still run a few maps here in there, but not going all-out as I had been until I pick it back up. There's a bunch of challenges I still want to get through, though, and I want to try out Penance Brand of Dissipation before it's nerfed.

I did TR totems and focused on Harbinger and bossing. Everything is selling for just silly amounts of currency this league because everyone is doing dedicated MF strats. I still have so much currency-in-waiting from all the maps, frags, and scarabs I'm yet to convert.

I tried to do Harbinger for a little bit but it seemed like the drop rate on Fracturing Shards was either brutally low, or I was just having terrible RNG. Did probably 250 maps before I specced out of it, think I had 3 Fracturing Shards drop.

The sextant for bosses being accompanied by an additional harbinger is key, because those harbis also have a higher drop rate of higher quality shards. Combined with running multi-boss maps (for multi-harbis), and a lucky shard > orb conversion on one of my drops, I got to 4 total and have 8 shards leftover IIRC. I am guessing I did under 200 maps in total, but I didn't keep track and could be off on that. I also easily sold over 20D of ancient and annul orbs.

[BMatt07]

I have gone so hard in POE the past few weeks that I'm taking a break. Which is kind of hilarious after only having Mageblood for a few days, but at the same time I'm pretty motivated to come back and keep going in a week or two. Will probably still run a few maps here in there, but not going all-out as I had been until I pick it back up. There's a bunch of challenges I still want to get through, though, and I want to try out Penance Brand of Dissipation before it's nerfed.

I did TR totems and focused on Harbinger and bossing. Everything is selling for just silly amounts of currency this league because everyone is doing dedicated MF strats. I still have so much currency-in-waiting from all the maps, frags, and scarabs I'm yet to convert.

I tried to do Harbinger for a little bit but it seemed like the drop rate on Fracturing Shards was either brutally low, or I was just having terrible RNG. Did probably 250 maps before I specced out of it, think I had 3 Fracturing Shards drop.

The sextant for bosses being accompanied by an additional harbinger is key, because those harbis also have a higher drop rate of higher quality shards. Combined with running multi-boss maps (for multi-harbis), and a lucky shard > orb conversion on one of my drops, I got to 4 total and have 8 shards leftover IIRC. I am guessing I did under 200 maps in total, but I didn't keep track and could be off on that. I also easily sold over 20D of ancient and annul orbs.

Ooooh ok that makes sense. You were running City Square then I presume?

[MikeIsGood]

I tried to do Harbinger for a little bit but it seemed like the drop rate on Fracturing Shards was either brutally low, or I was just having terrible RNG. Did probably 250 maps before I specced out of it, think I had 3 Fracturing Shards drop.

The sextant for bosses being accompanied by an additional harbinger is key, because those harbis also have a higher drop rate of higher quality shards. Combined with running multi-boss maps (for multi-harbis), and a lucky shard > orb conversion on one of my drops, I got to 4 total and have 8 shards leftover IIRC. I am guessing I did under 200 maps in total, but I didn't keep track and could be off on that. I also easily sold over 20D of ancient and annul orbs.

Ooooh ok that makes sense. You were running City Square then I presume?

I didn't do dedicated boss rushing, so I didn't need just ease of access. I was doing some multi-boss maps - City Square (which is my favorite anyways), Racecourse, Plateau - along with some otherwise profitable maps - Crimson Temple, Burial Chambers - and ones I like running. I was not super optimized; was doing wildwood, full maps (T16, not the T7 strat), etc. But Maven's Writs were selling for so much that I added that to my strat and it felt like some added value to make up for not skipping the map. And I did get a bunch of shards in general, and a few fracturing, from non-boss harbis.

City Square rushing bosses 200 times in a row is definitely the way to go if you want to be totally optimized, though.

[ReasonablySober]

Playing some Fire Emblem Fates on emulation. I own it and the DLC on the 3DS, but playing it on a monitor with an Xbox Controller and save states is really nice.

Finished Birthright and Conquest, but never finished Revelations so that's what I'm going with. Nice game to play while rewatching True Detective and the playoffs.

[MikeIsGood]

Welp, my POE break lasted about 2 days

I wanted to play a cozy game I could just veg out with. I thought I'd finally try Planet Zoo, which I hadn't even activated and downloaded yet. I did, but it seems a lot more complex to get into than I thought, and I'm kinda brain dead from a couple long weeks at work. May chip away at it, but otherwise back to mapping. Maybe POE kind of is my cozy game

[KidA24]

Ic0n Gaming put out some nice tutorials for Against the Storm. I learned a lot and I'm an addict.

Watch on YouTube

[ReasonablySober]

Extremely jealous over not being able to play Against the Storm. Looks so good.

But there's some more smoke that Shadow of the Erdtree is going to drop in the next month. It's about all I'm looking forward to in gaming this year, so that would be pretty swell if it does.

[MikeIsGood]

Extremely jealous over not being able to play Against the Storm. Looks so good.

But there's some more smoke that Shadow of the Erdtree is going to drop in the next month. It's about all I'm looking forward to in gaming this year, so that would be pretty swell if it does.

Really? It's not as unrelenting as 2023, but there's quite a bit I'm excited for this year. Especially on the RPG front. FF7R2, Unicorn Overlord, Dragon's Dogma 2, Hundred Heroes, Avowed. Got my eyes on Hades 2 and Black Myth Wukong, too.