The Miscellaneous PC & vidya Games Thread

[Zanza]

I started playing Anno 1800 again after buying the Season Pass 4. I dislike the DLCs that add the extra map regions and turned them off, kept everything else running. My goal is to see the newish content (skyscrapers, haciendas, airships, artistas) once.

I read that they are working on the next Anno. Looking forward to that. Maybe Middle Ages or the Ancient Mediterranean Sea as scenario... 

[Syt]

Greek colonies would be a suitable subject matter. Anno 540 BCE (to keep the tradition of the numbers adding up to 9 )?

Every time I want to play some Anno 1800 I see more new DLC and then get annoyed and end up not playing.

[DGuller]

Jagged Alliance 3 definitely going live in a week.  I really hope it's not going to be a letdown.

[Syt]

If anyone (Brain?) is still on the fence about Baldur's Gate 3.





https://gizmodo.com/baldurs-gate-3-druid-bear-sex-scene-d-d-larian-1850615741

Being a Dungeons & Dragons game, and therefore being about letting you make any choice you want, the scene could've played out multiple ways—the player can back out, scared off by Halsin's lack of control; they can comfort him and continue their romantic encounter; or they can... ask him to turn back into a bear. What do you think the audience picked?

"Have you ever considered the joys and pleasures of sexual congress with a wildshaped Druid?" Adam Smith, a lead writer on Baldur's Gate 3, said in a statement sent via press release. "Because at Larian, we have, and ultimately landed on the side of giving the people what they want: tender, consensual romance with a man temporarily transformed into a grizzly bear."

[Syt]

I played and finished Gorogoa. It's a very pretty, somewhat surreal/mindbendy puzzle game. I enjoyed it a fair bit, but I will not go hunt all the achievements, but I felt well entertained. Caveat: it took me ca. 90 minutes to play through, and I'm glad I picked it up on sale a while ago (or in a Humble Bundle? I forget.), because the regular price point of 13.99 is a bit steep. (It's currently €4.19 on sale which seems more reasonable.)

[Zanza]

So Jagged Alliance 3 is available now. Any first takes on it?

[Syt]

An Expanse game coming from Telltale (is it still "real" Telltale? Didn't they go bankrupt), set before the TV show, where you play as Drummer. Their website says they ran the story by the original writers who made some changes but otherwise gave their blessing. Tempting, but I think I'll wait for reviews, given some of the last TT games weren't so good (or maybe their model just outlived its popularity which peaked with Walking Dead and The Wolf Within).

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-expanse-a-telltale-series

Also, it seems a "Valheim but Tolkien" is also in the works:

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-lord-of-the-rings-return-to-moria-f01344

Set in a procedurally generated Dwarven realm of Moria, no two adventures will be alike, and every expedition is traversable either solo or online with companions. Players can mine to craft greater gear and resources, but beware mining makes noise, and noise created in the quiet deep threatens to awaken the dangers below: where there's clatter, there's combat. Excavate the mysteries of three legendary mountains, extract precious metals, scrape to survive, and battle unspeakable forces to learn the secret of the Shadow that lurks within.

Key Game Features:
-Feel the Fellowship: Experience the Fellowship of the Dwarves like never before, with the rich lore of the iconic fantasy world from J.R.R. Tolkien interwoven into the very fabric of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria.
-Survive the Dark: To survive the treacherous Mines of Moria players must conserve resources, hunt and gather for food and manage their sleep, temperature and noise levels. Utilize dynamic light systems for safety and to blaze a path further into the darkness. Battle unspeakable evils and survive hordes of monstrous Orcs in visceral combat, while uncovering the secret of the Shadow that looms within the mountain.
-Base Building: Find solace from the darkness. Reveal and clear new locations to create architecture on a grand scale. Get creative and construct bases from scratch or build upon the existing environment. Beware the evils which seek to destroy Dwarven progress.
-Rebuild and Reshape Moria: Restore the long-lost ancient kingdom of Khazad-dûm to its former glory, recovering Dwarven landmarks as the story progresses. Resurrect old mines and refire their forges to yield their untouched resources.
-Explore: Delve into the depths of the Mines of Moria. Procedurally generated environments are abundant with resources and fraught with mystery and danger, providing a unique experience each and every time.
-Co-op Multiplayer: Adventure alone or band together with friends in online cooperative multiplayer with up to eight players.
-Craft Dwarven Tools, Weapons and More: Craft and loot legendary Dwarven armor, tools, weapons and structures. Rebuild ancient forges to strengthen, repair and enchant gear. Upgrade and unlock new technologies and fantastical machines.
- Uncover Magic Artifacts: Discover ancient magic items including swords that glow when Orcs are near, maps of long-dormant Mithril veins, books with forgotten crafting plans and amulets that give strength or wisdom.
-Mine Ore and Jewels: Establish mines to unearth deposits of precious resources such as iron, gold, and quartz; and fantastical materials such as Mithril. Access crafting stations and forges to convert ore to ingots and upgrade gear. But be prepared, mining is loud and can awaken what lurks in the darkness.
-Comprehensive Dwarf Builder: Players become part of Dwarven Legend as they create their own Dwarf in the custom character creator. Dwarves can be customized in a variety of ways to create a unique Dwarven identity. Then, during gameplay, players can find and craft armor and weapons to further enhance their unique style.

[Habbaku]

I thought it looked more like Deep Rock Galactic, but Tolkien, but I'm pretty excited for it. Just hope it doesn't suck, per usual. 

[Jacob]

The big question for me is the degree to which they tap into post-Tolkien pop-culture Dwarves, vs lean into the mythical-golden-age-iron-age sensibility of actual Tolkien Dwarves.

[Syt]

Here's a gameplay trailer. I mean the graphics aren't exactly the best and latest, but the tone reminds me of the dwarves in Lord of the Rings Online.

[Syt]

Saw that the latest version of Power & Revolution (previously "Geopolitical Simulator") is out. I haven't bought any of their titles in a while, but every year it pops up in my discovery queue, and every year the comments seem to be, "same old bugs, plus some new ones, minor mechanics additions". Either way, it seems this is working for Eversim, because they've been making these games this game for over 10 years now:

[DGuller]

So Jagged Alliance 3 is available now. Any first takes on it?

All in all a good game, although very unpolished as of now.  It's a blend of JA2 and XCOM2, and to be honest it could use less of XCOM2.  I also had to lower the max frame rate, because apparently my 4090 GPU and 13900 CPU couldn't handle battles during rain at night without the old-fashioned blue screen of death.  My one impression is that the game mechanics have been streamlined a little too much, and some JA2 fans would consider them too dumbed down.

[Zanza]

I read some reviews in that direction too. I guess I'll wait a bit until I buy it at discount.

[Josquius]

I got a little free time and had a go at Ozymandeus...
I don't get the wars at all. Just can't beat the final tutorial.
More board game than strategy but still...I want to beat this much

[crazy canuck]

It's a fun game.  But watch it, time can fly by