The Miscellaneous PC & vidya Games Thread

[frunk]

After the first patch I picked up KSP 2.  It runs on my computer despite being well below the minimum.  If I don't look Kerbin performance is just fine. 

The improvements made are great, but they need to get to the point where it is no brainer better than KSP 1.

I think it will be well worth buying in 6 months to a year based on the pace of the first patch.  We'll see.

So 10 months on and I'm wrong about KSP 2 being well worth buying, but the latest patch is a huge improvement and should have been the first early access version.  The graphics are fantastic compared to unmodded KSP 1, the mission system is way more fun, performance is generally equal to or better than KSP 1 and science is better organized and not as cumbersome to pursue (while being harder since you actually have to leave the Kerbin system to max it out). 

It still has too many bugs though, ranging from annoying but ultimately harmless (sometimes you can't use 'm' in a name as it takes you to the map) all the way to rage inducing (it will mysteriously turn up the throttle on a ship, and I hope you notice it did that in time).  It's missing features that are in KSP and the improvements aren't enough to compensate.

I won't be going back to unmodded KSP, but after the mystery throttle stranded a ship in an ~Eeloo sized orbit I'll probably take a break until the next patch.  They hope to have the next big patch (Colonies) within 9 months.  This patch is the first that would include significantly new game elements to the series, so we'll see what happens.

I still can't whole heartedly recommend the game, but it is headed in the right direction and I've gotten enough fun from it that I don't regret buying it.

[Josquius]

Leave the system? It goes interstellar?

KSP was fun but it's big problem (it's big selling point to many) was you had to actually do science for most of the interesting stuff beyond the early game. Work out orbital trajectories and such. But then combined with this a bit of twitch play to fly your rocket... And every mission manual.
I was hoping with KSP2 there could be some rebalancing on this to make it more friendly to people without the time or inclination to do calculations.

[frunk]

Leave the system? It goes interstellar?

KSP was fun but it's big problem (it's big selling point to many) was you had to actually do science for most of the interesting stuff beyond the early game. Work out orbital trajectories and such. But then combined with this a bit of twitch play to fly your rocket... And every mission manual.
I was hoping with KSP2 there could be some rebalancing on this to make it more friendly to people without the time or inclination to do calculations.

Interstellar is further down the line.  As for KSP most of your complaints can be addressed by "there's a mod for that".  There's mods to calculate/create your flight and there's mods to actually execute the flight.

[Syt]

This might be an interesting one ...

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1857090/Norland/

Norland is a medieval kingdom sim inspired by Rimworld, Crusader Kings, and Caesar that generates complex stories.

Manage a noble family that owns a city populated by dozens of characters from different classes: peasants, slaves, soldiers, and criminals. Each citizen has their own needs and complex behaviors, which will depend on their social status and individual traits. And often, their behavior can be deadly to your family.

Key Features:

• Control your noble family by assigning tasks to all of its members.
• Witness how family members will build complex relationships between themselves through love, hatred, friendship, envy, jealousy, betrayal, and a lust for power.
• Punish criminals, take care of the citizens, and put down any bloody riots that may occur during your reign.
• Build your armies and defenses, then make decisions on whether to fight or ally with other kingdoms
• Oversee power struggles, plan out your intrigues and secretly assassinate dangerous enemies.
• Make ambiguous decisions during events on the global map.
• Absorb knowledge and technology from books, rewrite them, or create entirely new ones.
• Build the production chains, raise the population, pay wages, put prices on the domestic market, and trade with incoming caravans.
• Experience different starting conditions for a unique gaming experience every time you play.
• Navigate through a simple and accessible user interface.

COMPLEX STORY GENERATION

The game generates complex stories on a new level through unpredictable interactions in a large society made of numerous, unique individuals: things like social stratification, crime, riots, religious controversies, and struggle for the throne can all play a part in the story.

EACH AND EVERY PERSON IS AN INDIVIDUAL

They all have their own relationships, sex drive, beliefs, health systems, and backgrounds. Family members also have unique personality traits, and family traits can be passed on to their children.

FAMILY MEMBERS BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

They joke around, gossip, insult one another, fall in love, make friends, support each other, and sometimes even kill one another out of anger.

GLOBAL MAP

Initiate political intrigue with other kingdoms and religious leaders on the global map. Manage events that require intervention, such as blackmail, plague-infested refugees, natural disasters, and more.

COMPLEX ECONOMY

Build and upgrade buildings to create efficient production chains. Attract migrants with low prices for various goods on local markets and high wages, or use slaves to work in hazardous industries. Trade with caravans. And don't forget the ecological balance.

PLAN OUT YOUR BATTLES

Make use of seven weapon types, three different types of armor, unique combat skills, the body part damage system, and the morale of each member of your army!

CREATE YOUR OWN CULTURE

Survive in the non-stop competition with other kingdoms. Create complex scenarios by setting up an aggressive society built on a slave economy and a strong professional army or a wealthy society of free and happy city dwellers with high levels of technology.

There was a demo during one of Steam's events last summer, and PC Gamer seemed to like it:

https://www.pcgamer.com/in-this-mashup-of-crusader-kings-and-rimworld-i-spent-a-huge-amount-of-time-watching-people-vomiting-on-each-other/

The kingdom's primary boozehound turned out to be the wife of the king's brother. She was the daughter of a neighbouring monarch and her stats suggested she'd be a real boon to the dynasty. And she was very effective, until she got some drink in her. There were snide remarks, fights, and at one point she burst into the library where her husband and brother-in-law were researching new farming techniques, shouted at them and then spewed up all over them. Then she left.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

I played that demo a bit and it's been on my wishlist since. Didn't spend too much time on it since I don't want to spoil it too much

[Jacob]

Looks like it could be fun.

[Syt]

These two look interesting for fans of Disco Elysium:

https://www.pcgamer.com/sovereign-syndicate-review/

This game gets a solid 80 from them, which in their scaling denotes a good game. It's €1950 (currently 10% off at €17.55 on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1674920/Sovereign_Syndicate/ ).

SOVEREIGN SYNDICATE REVIEW
Actually the C in CRPG stands for Cogs, which you put on your top hat.

While playing as Atticus Daley, an alcoholic illusionist, I went through an opium dream to explore memories of the orphanage where I grew up. As Clara Reed, a courtesan sleuth, I found a famous doctor blindfolded in a bordello and impersonated his "nurse" to learn about his research. Sovereign Syndicate may be a steampunk CRPG, but it's not ballrooms-and-zeppelins steampunk. It's grubby gutter-fantasy, where you're more likely to meet a rat catcher or streetwalker than the Queen of England.

Sovereign Syndicate borrows heavily from Disco Elysium, both in terms of presentation—the scrolling text interrupted by internal voices—and play. Combat's de-emphasized to the point of barely existing, and uses the same rules as any other test of your abilities. It's not exactly the same game, using tarot cards instead of dice and with a setting that's closer to Arcanum or Shadowrun in a top hat, but it's one of the first RPGs to really build on Disco Elysium. Considering how excellent Disco was, inviting that comparison is as bold as combining a frock coat with fingerless gloves.

A Tale of One City

While the version of Victorian London in Sovereign Syndicate is gritty, it's not reality. Atticus is a minotaur, one section of the East End is a werewolf containment zone, and half the police force seem to be centaurs. The third playable character, Teddy Redgrave, is a dwarf engineer who moonlights as a monster hunter with a steam-powered automaton called Otto as his sidekick.

Having three player-characters lets you see this strange London from different perspectives—even if all of them are on the lower end of the social spectrum. Clara's trying to get together enough money to leave the city, but gets roped into investigating a murderer the papers have dubbed "the Courtesan Killer", while Teddy chases a less-circumspect killer through the sewers, and Atticus tries to hold off the gin bottle so he can find some missing orphans and his long-lost mother.

You play these characters in alternating chapters, and while their orbits overlap, they do their own thing most of the time. There's no character creation, but you do get to personalize this trio of PCs by choosing from four versions of each, with different starting stats and a trait that unlocks different dialogue options. My Atticus may be defined by his wit while yours is dominated by animal instinct, and there's potential replayability in going back with another one.

You personalize them further through play, with choices that embody one of the stats bumping up the relevant bodily humor and eventually boosting its score. Though I chose to give Clara a high starting grace, which represents both physical and social agility, I picked a lot of cleverclogs dialogue that increased her "black bile" bodily humor, slowly making her intellect score go up as I played more like a detective. (Smoking cigarettes had the same result, though at the cost of hope points. More about that later.)

As someone who has never finished a Dragon Age without restarting because I don't like my first character and would actually rather be a mage and have a nicer face, I appreciate having character creation taken out of my hands like this. It sucks to get halfway through a huge RPG and regret a choice you made hours ago when you didn't know the Trickster archetype wouldn't be a fun way to play Wrath of the Righteous and you should probably have angled for the boring old Angel from the start. I know there are people on the internet who think if you don't get to roll up a bespoke PC it's not a real RPG, but if your definition of RPG doesn't include The Witcher 3, Disco Elysium, or Planescape: Torment your definition sucks.

And having three protagonists lets you play a little loose with them, making risky decisions or experimenting with immorality, safe in the knowledge the other two will probably turn out fine. This must be how parents of large families feel.

Parlour Music Elysium

To make the PCs unique they have different names for their stats, and each of those stats has its own voice. In a direct lift from Disco Elysium, the text scrolling down the right side of the screen is frequently interrupted by the voices of these attributes. When Clara steals a bag of cash her intuition suggests an escape route while her intellect counts the money. When Atticus finds an iron maiden his spryness complains that seeing this enclosed device gives it chills, while his animal instinct roars that the bloody thing's a hoax and was never a real tool of torture. Though the voices aren't quite as distinct as Electrochemistry or Shivers, the technique remains effective.

Another way Sovereign Syndicate resembles Disco Elysium is the absence of a combat system. When any action sequence begins, perhaps a chase or a brawl, it plays out in comic-style art with the consequences of your choices—whether you draw your derringer or try to run away, for example—illustrated by subsequent panels. Confrontations still feel noteworthy, but the absence of full-blown combat mechanics means they don't detract from the flow.

What Sovereign Syndicate doesn't take from Disco Elysium is the regular need to reload when you goof and end up dead in a dumpster. It's much more forgiving. Instead of hit points you have hope points, which I found easy to keep high once I dragged myself out of the early-game gutter. The climax suffered a little thanks to this lack of risk, and thinking positive thoughts whenever I saw some leaves on the ground or the coffin-shaped boxes homeless people sleep in kept my hope buoyed whenever my hope briefly fell. Interestingly, your temperament sometimes determines which options are available, and a no-hope run where I could make more vicious or cynical decisions would be an interesting second playthrough.

Sovereign Syndicate also replaces dice with tarot cards. The Major Arcana represents unlockable character traits, the Devil giving you the brutal trait while the Sun makes you confident, and you draw a numbered card from the Minor Arcana for skill checks. You're still generating a random number but in a way that accentuates the era, when occultism was a semi-respectable drawing-room fad while dice games were considered uncouth.

Though Sovereign Syndicate starts strong, the final chapters don't wrap up as neatly as I'd like. Some NPCs and storylines are written out abruptly, and Teddy ends up feeling like a guy who just happened to be there rather than an equal protagonist. The other two-thirds hit the mark, though. Even as someone with no affection for steampunk as a genre, I got caught up in this particular blend of Victorian London and mythology thanks to how well Sovereign Syndicate evokes a time and place. Hell, I even read the highlighted glossary words to understand all the references to historical characters and Cockney slang.


With its emphasis on roleplay rather than combat and borrowings from Disco Elysium, Sovereign Syndicate feels like another step forward for the CRPG.

The other is this:

https://www.pcgamer.com/i-was-already-intrigued-by-this-disco-elysium-inspired-dandd-based-rpg-where-you-play-as-the-worlds-worst-cleric-but-its-demo-blew-my-expectations-out-of-the-water/

I was already intrigued by this Disco Elysium-inspired, D&D-based RPG where you play as the world's worst cleric, but its demo blew my expectations out of the water

Esoteric Ebb seemed like a game tailor-made for me, and that left me nervous. An irreverent, dialogue-focused RPG proudly announcing its Disco Elysium inspirations⁠—my mind jumped to all those soulslike games I've gotten my hopes up for that just don't quite have the FromSoft magic.

After trying the game's second draft demo, I'm happy to report that my fears were unfounded: Esoteric Ebb has that spark⁠—not merely an imitation of our 2019 game of the year, but using that familiar format to go on its own RPG adventure.

You play as the world's worst cleric, already maybe the dumpiest of Dungeons & Dragons' classes. Sorry, cleric fans, but the ecclesiastical fantasy just doesn't do it for me, though their healing magic is always welcome. As Obsidian design director Josh Sawyer once quipped, echoing the great Ronnie Coleman, "everybody wants a cleric in the party, but ain't nobody want to main one."

All of which is to say I kind of appreciate being forced into that role by the game, building out and reconstructing this archetype in a new way. Even though your class is set, you still have freedom to choose the cleric's stats and play them any which way, maybe leaning into that "world's worst cleric" bit by giving them booboo Wisdom and cranked up Strength to be a bully-priest, or maxing Dexterity and Charisma for a more flashy, self-involved man of the cloth.

Esoteric Ebb adapts 5th edition D&D to Disco Elysium's style of exploratory, dialogue-focused RPG, and the retrofit works. Your attributes talk to you in the manner of Disco's skills, but you're rolling D20s now instead of Disco Elysium's bespoke system of 2d6 rolls. Even with the changes, Esoteric Ebb nails the slapstick, jittery feeling of your first run through Disco, with failed checks and ill-advised decisions leading to situations you just don't see in other RPGs.

Taking a break from a Baldur's Gate 3 where I'm playing a bard who's good at everything, it felt invigorating to be a useless dope who gave himself a tummy ache trying to tunnel through a massive pile of apples by eating them. One memorably embarrassing faux pas saw my guy reflexively bite his tongue so hard he drew blood, spewing the red stuff out of his Esoteric Ebb seemed like a game tailor-made for me, and that left me nervous. An irreverent, dialogue-focused RPG proudly announcing its Disco Elysium inspirations⁠—my mind jumped to all those soulslike games I've gotten my hopes up for that just don't quite have the FromSoft magic.

After trying the game's second draft demo, I'm happy to report that my fears were unfounded: Esoteric Ebb has that spark⁠—not merely an imitation of our 2019 game of the year, but using that familiar format to go on its own RPG adventure.

You play as the world's worst cleric, already maybe the dumpiest of Dungeons & Dragons' classes. Sorry, cleric fans, but the ecclesiastical fantasy just doesn't do it for me, though their healing magic is always welcome. As Obsidian design director Josh Sawyer once quipped, echoing the great Ronnie Coleman, "everybody wants a cleric in the party, but ain't nobody want to main one."

All of which is to say I kind of appreciate being forced into that role by the game, building out and reconstructing this archetype in a new way. Even though your class is set, you still have freedom to choose the cleric's stats and play them any which way, maybe leaning into that "world's worst cleric" bit by giving them booboo Wisdom and cranked up Strength to be a bully-priest, or maxing Dexterity and Charisma for a more flashy, self-involved man of the cloth.

Esoteric Ebb adapts 5th edition D&D to Disco Elysium's style of exploratory, dialogue-focused RPG, and the retrofit works. Your attributes talk to you in the manner of Disco's skills, but you're rolling D20s now instead of Disco Elysium's bespoke system of 2d6 rolls. Even with the changes, Esoteric Ebb nails the slapstick, jittery feeling of your first run through Disco, with failed checks and ill-advised decisions leading to situations you just don't see in other RPGs.

Taking a break from a Baldur's Gate 3 where I'm playing a bard who's good at everything, it felt invigorating to be a useless dope who gave himself a tummy ache trying to tunnel through a massive pile of apples by eating them. One memorably embarrassing faux pas saw my guy reflexively bite his tongue so hard he drew blood, spewing the red stuff out of his unremovable helmet the next time he opened up his mouth to speak.

Instead of waking up to a lynching investigation with a legendary hangover, Esoteric Ebb's hapless cleric finds himself in a morgue, resurrected after having been fished out of the river. A tea shop has exploded on the eve of this fantasy city's first election, and you're charged with assisting the local goblin tribe in an investigation as to the cause.

I'm interested to see how the political angle will pan out in this vastly different setting, but Esoteric Ebb's already showing off a sense for worldbuilding that impressed me. It has that sense of "as you already know" constructed history I really loved in Disco, and this fantasy world seems like it might be a little bit grimmer and weirder than it first appears. Esoteric Ebb combines that sensibility with a cheeky, Shrek-like banality in its treatment of magic and the fantastic.

One of my favorite characters in the demo is a little imp who's taken his innate tendency toward Evil of the Lawful variety in stride by offering legal advice, including a delightful aside on the case history of resurrection magic: What does the law say about reviving someone executed for murder? If you kill someone and they're resurrected, is it murder or assault?

This small section of city in the demo already feels grungy and tactile, and the cel-shaded art style has really won me over as well⁠—its bright pastel colors and uncluttered textures remind me of 2021's Sable. Esoteric Ebb is very much a Disco Elysium-like, but it feels like it's got something cooking, and I'm excited to see more of it. Esoteric Ebb currently has no set release date, but you can check out the demo for yourself and wishlist it on Steam.

Coming "soon" but you can wishlist it: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2057760/Esoteric_Ebb/

[Josquius]

Persona 5.
I was a late comer to the persona series. Only borrowed 3 and 4 for ps2 15 years ago or so when the Ps3 era had already begun. Had never heard of them before but wow, they were brilliant.

Persona 5 came out in 2016 and I bought it soon after. But... I just never got around to playing it. Life has been busy and it just seemed such a commitment. I could never bring myself to crack open this fresh one off wonder.

I came close to playing it 4 years ago... But heard an extended edition called royale was coming out which stopped that. Then came kids.

Royale came out on switch last year and I made sure to buy a physical version. But still it sat unplayed for a long time. I just couldn't bring myself to take advantage of the pickup and play advantages of the switch with what was sure to be an experience.

I finally took the plunge a few days ago. Everyone went to bed early and... I don't know. New years resolution or something. It was stupid of me to wait like so. It is grand as one of the most highly rated rpgs of recent years should be but obviously not world shattering.

The opening is cool. Vibes of ff7. But the overall flash back framing I'm unsure on.
It is shocking quite how on rails the early game is. It's many hours in before you start to be set free with open gameplay. I'm honestly surprised it's review ratings are so high due to this - many will be fine, rpgs be rpgs, but a lot will hate it.

One thing that is cool is that though the place where the main character lives is a fictionalised version of Yongenjaya also in the game is shibuya station which is pretty accurate to reality and I remembered where to go for the ginza line (it's in a weird seperated upstairs place despite being a metro line).
Also funny is that the character goes to school at aoyama itchome which is where I've done some work in the past. Not too recognisable there though.

[Sheilbh]

I absolutely loved that game

[The Minsky Moment]

Atari 50: Anniversary Celebration

Collection of Atari-related content presented in several timelines: one for Atari arcade cabinets, two for their 80s consoles (2600/5200/7800), one for their computer unit, and one for their 1990s consoles.  Each timeline is full of interviews from that time and from the present day, ad copy, marketing materials, art, TV spots, internal memos, and even the source code for Combat. 

There are also a bunch of games.  Much the game collection has been released before in many different forms and formats, but this collection is nicely curated - each game includes access to original manuals and customizable display and control options.  As usual key third party titles from Activision and Imagic are not included but some recent homebrews are, as well as a series of "reimagined" classics with updated graphics and gameplay.  Some unreleased but a few completed prototypes are also included in the collection. 

At the peak of the 2600s success, Atari launched an ambitious series of adventure type games called Swordquest.  There were supposed to be four of them, each including a companion comic book and a puzzle contest.  The winner of the puzzle contest would win a valuable prize like a jeweled goblet or crown.  The video game crash occurred between the release of the first and second games, Earthworld and Fireworld. The third game (Waterworld) saw a very limited release through Atari's Club, and Airworld was never made.  The Atari 50 collection tells the full story and includes all the games, including the limited release Waterworld and an "imagined version" of Airworld.

As a someone who childhood was shaped by the 2600, I enjoyed going through the timelines; it may also have some interest for those interested in early video game history or the history of the Valley in 70s and early 80s.  The videos discuss many topics, including aspects of console and game design, clashes between the engineers and the suits, and whether drug use occurred on company premises (it did).  There are several video appearances from the core programming team that left for Activision, as well as Howard Scott Warshaw, who enjoys the distinction of having designed one of the 2600s best original games (Yar's Revenge), one of its most successful film spinoffs (Raiders of the Lost Ark), and its most notorious flop (E.T.).

The timelines tell both directly and indirectly the story of how a company that once dominated the video game industry like no other before or since, was wiped out within a decade. The original sin of the sale to Warner Communications - a necessity to fund the capital costs of the initial 2600 production run definitely caused future problems, as the Warner suits drove away key talent, and aggressively milked Atari's cash flow by pushing for unrealistically fast development times - e.g. the ET disaster likely resulted from the fact that Warshaw had only 5 weeks from start to release, as opposed to the 8+ months of development time for Yar's Revenge.

However, I don't buy the implication that Atari could have been saved with better management and a better understanding of the console product cycle, which some in the collection suggest. As is clear from the timelines, at its core Atari was a developer of arcade games.  The 2600 was explicitly conceived, designed and marketed to bring Atari arcade properties into the home.  The company struggled to develop compelling software properties outside its arcade wheelhouse and Nintendo (and to a lesser extent Sega) cleaned Atari's clock by developing strong character based games. Against Mario, Zelda, and Sonic, the best Atari had to offer was Bentley Bear from Crytal Castles.  That was not tenable.

The last gasp in the 90s was the flawed Jaguar console and a well designed handheld, the Lynx. Although the Lynx crushed the Gameboy in hardware specs, it failed because of lack of competitive software.  The most successful titles for the 90s era hardware were Alien v Predator, a film spinoff using IP Atari didn't control, and  . . .reboots of Tempest, Missile Command and Asteroids. 

[Syt]

Thanks for that Minsky, that was a good read.


I feel this might be of interest to a few here:

Oh, and this:

Not going to lie, this looks quite decent and plenty pulpy.

[Maladict]

I'm on board for both of those 

[Syt]

Game devs in the 80s didn't worry much about infringing copyrighted works in the games. Whether it's music that was, uhm, "borrowed" (up till the SNES era), or cover art that was very obviously "inspired" by other IPs.

As in completely copy/pasting art.









Now, I was aware that Turrican's title screen was an obvious homage to Manowar's Kings of Metal cover art:






What I wasn't aware of was that Chris Hülsbeck straight up stole two tracks from the animated Transformer movie from 1986 (mostly because the movie was not big over here). And not as in "oh, you can recognize a few chords", but straight up creating chiptune versions.

The title song is a copy of "Escape" from the Transformer soundtrack:

While the end titles are a copy of Death of Optimus Prime (it's less obvious; play the Transformer track at 2x speed and it lines up):

It's amazing when you consider that nowadays devs who use assets from other games without permission get (rightfully) tarred and feathered.

[celedhring]

Turrican! This takes me back.

I'll add the cover of "Navy Moves" a Spanish game from 1988 (that actually was pretty damn good for the era)

[Josquius]

The headline made me smile but the prospect of a discworld remaster does sound grand.

https://metro.co.uk/2024/02/08/king-charles-owns-half-discworld-video-game-rights-20248365/amp/