OT: Video Games/Computers/Gadgets/Gizmos

[MikeIsGood]

Good succinct summary. I was too dejected last night.

Actually curious to get any updated MS/Xbox takes from y'all. I think Sauce was more into this side of things than others and I know he posts less now - it seems like they've essentially confirmed they're becoming a game distributor over a hardware maker now. This was expected I think, but never explicit. They said they're not giving up on hardware and want to 'beat' Playstation next gen, but it will be interesting to see how they plan to do that if they just send their games everywhere.

This feels like the right move for them for sure. I'm curious to see where this leaves Sony next mid-next-gen cycle as we approach next-next-gen. Sony is already starting to send their games to PC (and have removed PSN sign-in requirements). Someone needs to keep making a console outside of Nintendo to make these things playable on a couch without a gaming PC, but I wonder if broader game distribution vs. console exclusivity starts to change the calculus at all on where resources are spent.

[averageposter]

I think an underrated announcement is Microsoft pledging to work on optimizing windows toward the handheld gaming platforms. There is kind of an explosion of those devices, MSI, ROG, ONEXPLAYER, GPD, Steamdeck, Lenovo Legion GO, Ayaneo, and on and on. A few more in the micro laptop with built in controller world. Steamdeck was kind of all alone as recently as 2022, and over the past two years their OS was pretty unique in it's console like simplicity. They are allowing the licensing of that this year on a Lenovo device. And Bazzite works great on the Windows 11 machines as well is you prefer the steam OS experience.

But if Windows had a decent console dashboard type application or some basic features streamlining the fiddling for performance experience, the everything is an Xbox campaign could be the winner. Especially for people who want all their games to go with them anywhere.

The couch play is what had made me kind of stick to console, plus the fiddling, the upgrading etc. After being out of the current console gen just based on time to actually play. I got back into some gaming with a steamdeck and a Lenovo Legion go. I liked the Legion go enough that I bought a travel GPD1 External GPU. I can dock the legion go, detach the controller, slap it together in a Xbox style controller configuration and game pretty comfortably from the couch. Pack it back up and go pretty easily. With the external GPU playing a new AAA Like cyberpunk at 1200P medium setting is still hitting around a 100 FPS, even without in game frame gen. Off GPU and medium 1080 maybe 70 FPS still pretty enjoyable.

[ReasonablySober]

I don't expect to put Nioh 2 down anytime soon. I think I play it throughout February too. But Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 looks like it'll be a must play.

[MikeIsGood]

KCD2 reviewing super well. Sounds like all the jank has been solved, with a super engaging world and great story.

Civ 7 reviewing all over the place. Civ launches are always a mix of 'I love the new thing!' and 'they ruined my game!'.

With me being just a fan and not a super fan of Civ, guess I'll hold off and pickup KCD2 instead. Not what I was expecting - thought I'd play Civ off-and-on until Avowed came out - but I'm really itching for something big so I'm jumping in.

[Ayt]

Yeah man, with you. While we may not agree on POE2, but I'm totally with you on POE1. I'm super, super bummed out and they pretty much stole all my hope/trust in their word for how they're going to treat POE1 moving forward. Incredible how quickly that trust was lost.

I think POE2's unexpected sales success left them swimming in cash and changed the calculus for them. And I guess I get it from the busine$$ perspective, but it sucks so much as someone who has loved a company for doing F2P the right way for so long.

Big sigh.

Can you guys give me the very quick and short version of what happened? (not because I'm not interested, it's because I don't want you to waste your words on me).

GGG long promised both POE1 and POE2 games would be maintained indefinitely. There will be separate teams working on each game.

Fast-forward years, anticipated news on a new POE1 league is instead news that it will be delayed to get POE2 EA out; POE 1 team will support POE2. Fanbase copes that it's just to launch EA. GGG promises POE1 league news will come EOM January.

POE2 EA is a resounding, almost unprecedented sales success. 3x POE1 player base, almost all needing to spend $30 to access.
It's announced POE1's next league would be delayed to get POE2 EA fixes out. Still some coping, but starting to lose trust.

EOM January - today. GGG announces POE1 won't be worked on until several weeks following the next round of POE2 EA fixes, wanting to get to a true 2.0. Continued promises that this won't happen again, but the message in between the lines seems to be that the new POE 1 league has barely even begun development. Coping over, trust lost.

It sucks there is no league for a while, but I don't think there is any chance in hell they give up on POE1 overall so things will be fine long term. In the end, it will be a blip that happened because of the massive launch of POE2.

[machu46]

After giving up on it literally 3 years ago, I finally went back to Ghost of Tsushima and finished the main story. That was such a fun game and a heavy ending. Can't wait for Ghost of Yotei.

[Gianstoppable]

Wife's been in the hospital since last Tuesday. I flew down to Texas Thursday and she had surgery (happened while on a work trip) so I'm just sitting around in her hotel room for probably 2-3 more days. That said, are there any actually fun mobile games anymore? I do the words with friends stuff but looking for something fun to pass time.

[StickeeFingaz]

Wife's been in the hospital since last Tuesday. I flew down to Texas Thursday and she had surgery (happened while on a work trip) so I'm just sitting around in her hotel room for probably 2-3 more days. That said, are there any actually fun mobile games anymore? I do the words with friends stuff but looking for something fun to pass time.

Could probably kill several hours playing Balatro.

[ReasonablySober]

Wife's been in the hospital since last Tuesday. I flew down to Texas Thursday and she had surgery (happened while on a work trip) so I'm just sitting around in her hotel room for probably 2-3 more days. That said, are there any actually fun mobile games anymore? I do the words with friends stuff but looking for something fun to pass time.

Vampire Survivors is probably fun on mobile.

[crkone]

Wife's been in the hospital since last Tuesday. I flew down to Texas Thursday and she had surgery (happened while on a work trip) so I'm just sitting around in her hotel room for probably 2-3 more days. That said, are there any actually fun mobile games anymore? I do the words with friends stuff but looking for something fun to pass time.

Slay the Spire is fun but may be jank right now on mobile.

[neiLz]

Just pre-ordered a legion go S as ill be flying around traveling this spring and summer. What are some good FPS/3rd person/RPG shooter types to play on a handheld? I am a 100% mouse and keyboard so i know this will be an adjustment. But i am looking for some fun shooter/rpgs that aren't souls-like and hard as ****. I just want to casually play. How is diablo on controllers? I love D4 or POE2 but not sure how controllers would be using those. I am waiting for Avowed and will be getting that.

Any recommendations?

[Gianstoppable]

Wife's been in the hospital since last Tuesday. I flew down to Texas Thursday and she had surgery (happened while on a work trip) so I'm just sitting around in her hotel room for probably 2-3 more days. That said, are there any actually fun mobile games anymore? I do the words with friends stuff but looking for something fun to pass time.

Vampire Survivors is probably fun on mobile.

I'll check this, gives me a Heroes of Hammerwatch vibe

[KidA24]

Wife's been in the hospital since last Tuesday. I flew down to Texas Thursday and she had surgery (happened while on a work trip) so I'm just sitting around in her hotel room for probably 2-3 more days. That said, are there any actually fun mobile games anymore? I do the words with friends stuff but looking for something fun to pass time.

Vampire Survivors is probably fun on mobile.

I'll check this, gives me a Heroes of Hammerwatch vibe

Quadrata is a free puzzler that picks the brain a bit. Not actiony at all.

If you like tower defense games, the older Kingdom Rush series is really solid.

[ReasonablySober]

Vampire Survivors is probably fun on mobile.

I'll check this, gives me a Heroes of Hammerwatch vibe

Quadrata is a free puzzler that picks the brain a bit. Not actiony at all.

If you like tower defense games, the older Kingdom Rush series is really solid.

Co-sign on all the Kingdom Rush games. Really the only phone/iPad games I've ever played.

[MikeIsGood]

Ok, I might try and hold out for Avowed. As soon as that comes out I'll be dropping everything to play, and I'm so bad at going back to games after I set them down that I think I'd be shooting myself in the foot picking up a 100 hour game 10 days before then. May stick it out with POE1 (Pohx's league) and PGA Tour before then, or may pick up Civ 7 on a whim (which I never have problem going back to). Or I may change my mind again because I'm weak.

Hope your wife's better soon, Gianstoppable.

[ReasonablySober]

Ok, I might try and hold out for Avowed. As soon as that comes out I'll be dropping everything to play, and I'm so bad at going back to games after I set them down that I think I'd be shooting myself in the foot picking up a 100 hour game 10 days before then. May stick it out with POE1 (Pohx's league) and PGA Tour before then, or may pick up Civ 7 on a whim (which I never have problem going back to). Or I may change my mind again because I'm weak.

Hope your wife's better soon, Gianstoppable.

I don't think you've said you're a Game Pass subscriber, but maybe give that a shot? Avowed is going to be available on Day 1 and in the meantime I'm sure you can find other stuff to check out.

[MikeIsGood]

Ok, I might try and hold out for Avowed. As soon as that comes out I'll be dropping everything to play, and I'm so bad at going back to games after I set them down that I think I'd be shooting myself in the foot picking up a 100 hour game 10 days before then. May stick it out with POE1 (Pohx's league) and PGA Tour before then, or may pick up Civ 7 on a whim (which I never have problem going back to). Or I may change my mind again because I'm weak.

Hope your wife's better soon, Gianstoppable.

I don't think you've said you're a Game Pass subscriber, but maybe give that a shot? Avowed is going to be available on Day 1 and in the meantime I'm sure you can find other stuff to check out.

Good looking out. I've subscribed a month at a time in the past for things I was unsure of. I'll be buying Avowed for many, many future replays, but yeah maybe there's a new $1 deal out there for me for the next two weeks...

[ReasonablySober]

I've been chasing Nioh 2 builds for a literal month. There are probably dozens I could make, but the specific ones I've wanted just haven't dropped. Finally today I decided **** it, I'm just going to make a basic Ryu Hayabusu build. It's not the most powerful endgame anything, but it looks cool, you use the Dragon Sword, and Hayabusa is my favorite videogame character ever. It's just fantasy roll playing.

Somehow, despite playing this game for a **** thousand hours, I didn't have most of the set, and you can't craft it. So I start grinding. It means I have to beat this ungodly fast ninja and pray for drops. I've been going non stop for three hours on this prick and I've been literally one piece away for 90% of the time. I technically don't even need it. I have all the set bonuses. It's the goddamn principle!

I know a couple hours doesn't seem like much compared to a thousand hours, but goddamn I just wanted to make something easy and this ninja prick is making me lose my mind.

ETA: Literally got it on my next run. I knew that would happen. I had to put my anger out into the universe.

[MikeIsGood]

My god, KCD2 is incredible. Witcher 3-level side quest content.

[ReasonablySober]

Think I'm gonna download it on Xbox. PSN being down all night is **** up my universe.