What are you playing? (Redux)

[crazy canuck]

I usually play it enough each season to fill up my storage panes with rares.  I have way too much crap that, if I ever go back to the regular league, it'll be an exercise in vendor time.

I'll usually get through normal and into cruel before wanting to try a different character (sometimes earlier if I get bored).  I'm impressed with the changes that they've made, but I would kill for a good skill gem management screen.  The fact that these little doodads not only are tiny but also have two possible properties that aren't visible without mousing over (experience and quality) drives me nuts.  It's even worse when they are socketed, and all you can tell is color.

The experience gain and pacing seems designed to be more of a grind the further you go.  Early on levels come quite quickly, by merciless it'll be a few maps before you gain a level and it's easy to lose healthy chunks of experience.  Diablo 3 does it better in this regard, leaving the grindy bits to after max level (and letting you customize the speed of level/difficulty as you go).

I agree.  PoE wants to position itself as the hardcore ARPG but in the end it is more being the most grind intensive with a bod  IU for loot.  I also like the game up until the point in Cruel when you need optimal gear to progress.  Watching chat I get the sense that a lot of the players that get beyond that point are playing this game like its their job.

[frunk]

I agree.  PoE wants to position itself as the hardcore ARPG but in the end it is more being the most grind intensive with a bod  IU for loot.  I also like the game up until the point in Cruel when you need optimal gear to progress.  Watching chat I get the sense that a lot of the players that get beyond that point are playing this game like its their job.

I think you can get through Cruel without too much optimal gear.  A couple of 4 link items and decent synergy in your item attributes should get you through (I do try to hit the last bosss fight just after leveling though).  They've added a bit of crafting beyond the orb/random process of changing items in there now.

One weird thing I've noticed is that it seems like I get a unique item within an hour of playing a character who I haven't picked up in a while (say 3-4 weeks).  I don't know if that is just perceptual bias or a little goose to encourage picking up unused characters.

[Scipio]

Shadowrun Unlimited. It's a Steamworks mod for the game. Basically, you have an overarching quest and make side runs. Pretty decent. Scaled much less Monty Hall than vanilla.

[Sophie Scholl]

Making my way through a bit of my Steam backlist has yielded two enjoyable play throughs:  The Banner Saga and The Wolf Among Us.  I'm hoping both stories continue on.

[garbon]

I think it was in December that they announced Banner Saga 2.

[Razgovory]

I could never get into that one.

[Scipio]

Banner Saga has a steep difficulty curve for the combat, and if you make the wrong decision in the non-combat portion of the game, you're effectively fucked. It's very unforgiving. I loved it.

[Scipio]

Darkest Dungeon got released in beta for backers. After an unpromising CTD shortly after startup, I restarted. This game is bitch-ass hard, and fun, in a side-scrolling dungeon crawler Cthulhuiana sort of way.

[Grey Fox]

Any idea how much it's going to be?

[Razgovory]

Black Sea was released.  I've comically failed to keep the Russians out of Ukraine.

[11B4V]

Black Sea was released.  I've comically failed to keep the Russians out of Ukraine.

What's your verdict on it?

[mongers]

Black Sea was released.  I've comically failed to keep the Russians out of Ukraine.

So historically accurate?

[Razgovory]

Black Sea was released.  I've comically failed to keep the Russians out of Ukraine.

What's your verdict on it?

Have only played a little bit so far.  It's Combat mission if the Future!  Fighting modern battles at WWII distances comes off as a bit absurd though.

[Grey Fox]

Received a Heroes of the Storm beta invite. Not sure how I feel about yet another MOBA.

[Iormlund]

Received a Heroes of the Storm beta invite. Not sure how I feel about yet another MOBA.

It also seems to be much simpler than Dota 2.