General Game Chat

[Moonface]

That's definitely a double-edged sword that Hoyo have given themselves with that claim, since it's good nobody will get prevented from completing anything if they only have the base characters, but at the same time I don't know if it limits how fun things can be when no challenge can be harder than anything already present. I had more to say on the power creep but it covers a lot more than just that so I put it in the Genshin thread.

I don't have much to say on Arknights other than it sounds a little similar to killers and survivors in DbD, in that nobody becomes bad because of additions to the game but either some newer characters just do something similar to another but better, or a character was just always bad. Then there's the Nurse who will just forever remain overpowered compared to anyone else in the game but that's it's own problem.

[Moonface]

If anyone wants to feel old or just hear something funny, yesterday in class these two kids were talking about games, and these were two of the highlights I overheard:

• One of them thought Dead Space was an action series because they had only played Dead Space 3, and went into the recent remake expecting an action game instead of a horror game. They'd never bothered with the first two games because the third entry was the first they played and thought it would just be playing an inferior experience by going backwards. XD
  
• They both thought Black Ops came out for the PS2, and that the Modern Warfare reboot was the first and only MW. When I informed them of the OG MW and that it came out before Black Ops, they thought that was for PS2 and I had to tell them no, and that the PS2 didn't really have a notable online gaming scene. They seemed a little taken aback hearing that online console gaming didn't really take off until the PS3/360 era and that the 360 did most online stuff before and/or better than Sony did.
  

I just found it funny hearing these two kids talking about games from a perspective where neither are old enough to have experienced a lot of the things we all have and don't even seem to realise that the reboot isn't the only version of one of the most notable Call of Duty games.

[Mr EliteL]

Just got to love the younger gamers who tend to think older entries in a series are lesser than the newer games. How they've missed so much.

[Dragon Lord]

This is why parents should make their kids start with the Atari 2600 and earn their way up to modern consoles. Make them damn kids appreciate the origins of gaming.

[Moonface]

Yeah, I actually feel like anyone who was into gaming in the 90's got to experience the best progression of gaming, since that was when 3D started to show up and things were really kicking off. PS2/Xbox/Gamecube gen is probably what I'd say was the absolute last call to hop on board; after that I think kids who were born into the 7th generation of consoles missed out on a lot of stuff and didn't get to see the degree of advancement in games that we all did. The jumps between generations up until like the 7th or 8th gen were so much more notable I think because the advances were so much bigger, sorta like how earlier smartphones had bigger differences for each new model compared to now where it's more like refining things and incremental improvements rather than those big leaps.

[Maniakkid25]

So, for the third time in a year, someone committed treason and leaked classified documents to win an internet argument.

So War Thunder is a military vehicle simulator game where you can duel people in land vehicles (not just tanks), air vehicles (both planes and choppers), and ships. What makes the game different from its Wargaming rival is that it has a far more realistic damage system. Rather than abstracting your health into HP, you can only damage the modules and crew, and you must kill the crew in order to knock out the vehicle.

One of the main draws of the game is that it's more true-to-life than, say, World of Tanks, and uses vehicles all the way to the modern day. Which is a slight problem, because this past year the War Thunder community has been noted for being willing to use any information it can to say that their favorite tank of choice is underpowered. Including documents which are actively classified because they are about current-day munitions and vehicles! The first time, it was the UK's Challenger 2. Second time was the French Leclerc. This time, it's the actual tungsten penetrator that the Chinese Type 99 is using RIGHT NOW to defeat enemy armor! Each time, War Thunder has quickly deleted the post, saying "PLEASE do not post classified documents here!" It's honestly getting to the point that countries might start banning it on grounds of national security.

Heh. Haha! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!

So, yeah, this happened again. 5 SEPARATE TIMES IN JANURARY! I think this is starting to get out of hand. It's gotten so bad, Raytheon (a Defense Contractor) has had to publicly deny rumors that people are getting asked if they play War Thunder during background checks for security clearance. And that, to me, is hilarious.

[Dragon Lord]

Yeah, I actually feel like anyone who was into gaming in the 90's got to experience the best progression of gaming, since that was when 3D started to show up and things were really kicking off. PS2/Xbox/Gamecube gen is probably what I'd say was the absolute last call to hop on board; after that I think kids who were born into the 7th generation of consoles missed out on a lot of stuff and didn't get to see the degree of advancement in games that we all did. The jumps between generations up until like the 7th or 8th gen were so much more notable I think because the advances were so much bigger, sorta like how earlier smartphones had bigger differences for each new model compared to now where it's more like refining things and incremental improvements rather than those big leaps.

Starting with the SNES era at the very least is definitely the best way to go. SNES games will always be top-tier and you can always tell who the real gamers are and the Xbox360/PS3 "gamers" are by how they talk about SNES games.

[Moonface]

So, for the third time in a year, someone committed treason and leaked classified documents to win an internet argument.

So War Thunder is a military vehicle simulator game where you can duel people in land vehicles (not just tanks), air vehicles (both planes and choppers), and ships. What makes the game different from its Wargaming rival is that it has a far more realistic damage system. Rather than abstracting your health into HP, you can only damage the modules and crew, and you must kill the crew in order to knock out the vehicle.

One of the main draws of the game is that it's more true-to-life than, say, World of Tanks, and uses vehicles all the way to the modern day. Which is a slight problem, because this past year the War Thunder community has been noted for being willing to use any information it can to say that their favorite tank of choice is underpowered. Including documents which are actively classified because they are about current-day munitions and vehicles! The first time, it was the UK's Challenger 2. Second time was the French Leclerc. This time, it's the actual tungsten penetrator that the Chinese Type 99 is using RIGHT NOW to defeat enemy armor! Each time, War Thunder has quickly deleted the post, saying "PLEASE do not post classified documents here!" It's honestly getting to the point that countries might start banning it on grounds of national security.

Heh. Haha! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!

So, yeah, this happened again. 5 SEPARATE TIMES IN JANURARY! I think this is starting to get out of hand. It's gotten so bad, Raytheon (a Defense Contractor) has had to publicly deny rumors that people are getting asked if they play War Thunder during background checks for security clearance. And that, to me, is hilarious.

If all the cases of these classified document leaks involve people in positions to have access to them, surely they should know that it isn't remotely a good idea to share any of that stuff, especially in public. Reminds me of an episode of "King of the Hill" I watched yesterday where Khan shows Hank a militarily classified golf club just to brag he has a better job, only for Hank to share that information off-hand for it to spread through town and get Khan fired for leaking government secrets.

Yeah, I actually feel like anyone who was into gaming in the 90's got to experience the best progression of gaming, since that was when 3D started to show up and things were really kicking off. PS2/Xbox/Gamecube gen is probably what I'd say was the absolute last call to hop on board; after that I think kids who were born into the 7th generation of consoles missed out on a lot of stuff and didn't get to see the degree of advancement in games that we all did. The jumps between generations up until like the 7th or 8th gen were so much more notable I think because the advances were so much bigger, sorta like how earlier smartphones had bigger differences for each new model compared to now where it's more like refining things and incremental improvements rather than those big leaps.

Starting with the SNES era at the very least is definitely the best way to go. SNES games will always be top-tier and you can always tell who the real gamers are and the Xbox360/PS3 "gamers" are by how they talk about SNES games.

Can't say I've ever seen people talking about SNES games besides those who played them.
Amusingly, I've barely touched any SNES games myself actually. But I admit that's more down to just not having enough interest to go out of my way to play any, and not because I view them in a negative manner at all. I'm behind with Nintendo games as a whole in general though, since I didn't even touch a Mario game until....2012? @Mr EliteL and @ShiraNoMai will remember this because we were in London at HMV and they had a TV with either NSMBWii or NSMBU on it and I gave it a go and didn't know I could kill enemies by sliding into them down a slope which exposed just how little I truly knew about Mario games.

[Dragon Lord]

That's okay, there's plenty of time for you to make up for lost time and get some SNES games under your belt! Thankfully SNES emulators are super easy to run, so you just need to get a list of games together to try out and you can start your journey to experience one of the best, if not still the absolute best, eras of gaming!

If you're ever interested in diving into the wonderful world of SNES games, I can give you some recommendations.

[Moonface]

That's okay, there's plenty of time for you to make up for lost time and get some SNES games under your belt! Thankfully SNES emulators are super easy to run, so you just need to get a list of games together to try out and you can start your journey to experience one of the best, if not still the absolute best, eras of gaming!

If you're ever interested in diving into the wonderful world of SNES games, I can give you some recommendations.

Thanks!

I do have access to a SNES console since @ShiraNoMai owns one, but I can't recall all the games she has for it. I know she also has a NSO subscription so I can play SNES games that way too, and since that is a defined list what games would you suggest I should/shouldn't look into on that service?*

*Probably best to just do whichever list (play or don't play) is shortest since there's quite a lot.

[Maniakkid25]

So, Twitter is being interesting right now. And in a very rare situation, I mean that in a good way. See, now that the Baten Kaitos remasters have been anmounced, people are dragging video game opinions that have aged like milk out of the woodwork, and talking about how, not that long ago, JRPGs were utterly shit upon for a good decade.

And never in my life have I felt so vindicated.

They thought I was crazy! They thought I was just making it up! Well SOMEONE SHOULD PICK UP THAT PHONE, BECAUSE I CALLED IT!

[ShiraNoMai]

I actually saw someone make the world's strangest take on JRPGs: That the term was coined to "other" Japanese RPGs from standard western ones?

[Maniakkid25]

I'd buy that, but at the same time there is evidence that the term was used since the 90's, which is well before JRPGs got their stigma that they had to take damn near a decade to shake off. Though, what I think they were getting at is not that it's the origin of the term, but rather the reason why it was widely disseminated. This is the exact same thing that I think happened with JRPG hatred: it didn't START with the people I blame, but I blame Ben "Yahtzee" Crowshaw and Noah "The Spoony One" Antwiler for the wide dissemination of this opinion into the cultural zeitgeist. They didn't start the fire; they just dumped gasoline on a fire already burning.

[Dragon Lord]

That's okay, there's plenty of time for you to make up for lost time and get some SNES games under your belt! Thankfully SNES emulators are super easy to run, so you just need to get a list of games together to try out and you can start your journey to experience one of the best, if not still the absolute best, eras of gaming!

If you're ever interested in diving into the wonderful world of SNES games, I can give you some recommendations.

Thanks!

I do have access to a SNES console since @ShiraNoMai owns one, but I can't recall all the games she has for it. I know she also has a NSO subscription so I can play SNES games that way too, and since that is a defined list what games would you suggest I should/shouldn't look into on that service?*

*Probably best to just do whichever list (play or don't play) is shortest since there's quite a lot.

There's quite a few good options to pick from on NSO. I would personally recommend the following:

• Donkey Kong Country
  
• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
  
• Kirby Super Star
  
• Star Fox
  
• Star Fox 2
  
• Super Mario All-Stars (can play Super Mario Bros. 3 via this)
  
• Super Mario World
  
• Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
  
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
  

For general games. Then, I HIGHLY recommend these games if you like or are interested in diving into a few really amazing RPGs: 

• Breath of Fire
  
• Breath of Fire II
  
• Earthbound
  

If you're wondering why I left off Donkey Kong Country 3, it's because I personally feel like it's more of an insult to the series than anything. In my opinion, the quality dropped like a rock in water from DKC2 to DKC3, and I wouldn't recommend playing it. However, if you feel like you'd want to play the entire trilogy instead of leaving one out, go for it. Some people do like the game and perhaps you would be one of them as well. Overall though the opinion on DKC3 is that it's pretty trash and I have to agree. 

Super Metroid is also one that most people would recommend, however it's not a game I've ever played, so I cannot personally recommend it. I know a lot of people who would vouch for it pretty heavily though. I would have also recommend Kirby's Dream Land 3, but I cannot recall if I've ever played it, so I left it off of the list as well. 

If you ever want a list of games I'd recommend looking into that aren't on NSO, let me know. There's a LOT of goodness to dig into on the SNES, and the best thing about them all is that even all these years later, SNES games just hold up.

[Moonface]

...now that the Baten Kaitos remasters have been anmounced, people are dragging video game opinions that have aged like milk out of the woodwork, and talking about how, not that long ago, JRPGs were utterly shit upon for a good decade.

I actually saw someone make the world's strangest take on JRPGs: That the term was coined to "other" Japanese RPGs from standard western ones?

I'd buy that, but at the same time there is evidence that the term was used since the 90's, which is well before JRPGs got their stigma that they had to take damn near a decade to shake off. Though, what I think they were getting at is not that it's the origin of the term, but rather the reason why it was widely disseminated. This is the exact same thing that I think happened with JRPG hatred: it didn't START with the people I blame, but I blame Ben "Yahtzee" Crowshaw and Noah "The Spoony One" Antwiler for the wide dissemination of this opinion into the cultural zeitgeist. They didn't start the fire; they just dumped gasoline on a fire already burning.

As someone who didn't really touch anything in the RPG genre until probably PS4/Switch, what was the stigma JRPG's had over western ones? I'm surprised JRPG's would have even been viewed in any negative light (except perhaps for being too anime, but that doesn't have to exclusively sit with JRPG's) since I thought JRPG's were always generally good quality and also tend to do things a lot different to notable western RPG's like Skyrim or whatever.
I can somewhat get the want for a distinction between Japanese and Western game development, particularly if a given genre has very notable differences between regions like RPG's could or just have a particular cultural feel to them in terms of writing or characters. It's like how anime tends to be exclusively to refer to only that which is produced in Japan, while something like Avatar which to me feels like an anime isn't really labelled as such because it wasn't produced in Japan.

That's okay, there's plenty of time for you to make up for lost time and get some SNES games under your belt! Thankfully SNES emulators are super easy to run, so you just need to get a list of games together to try out and you can start your journey to experience one of the best, if not still the absolute best, eras of gaming!

If you're ever interested in diving into the wonderful world of SNES games, I can give you some recommendations.

Thanks!

I do have access to a SNES console since @ShiraNoMai owns one, but I can't recall all the games she has for it. I know she also has a NSO subscription so I can play SNES games that way too, and since that is a defined list what games would you suggest I should/shouldn't look into on that service?*

*Probably best to just do whichever list (play or don't play) is shortest since there's quite a lot.

There's quite a few good options to pick from on NSO. I would personally recommend the following:

• Donkey Kong Country
  
• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
  
• Kirby Super Star
  
• Star Fox
  
• Star Fox 2
  
• Super Mario All-Stars (can play Super Mario Bros. 3 via this)
  
• Super Mario World
  
• Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
  
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
  

For general games. Then, I HIGHLY recommend these games if you like or are interested in diving into a few really amazing RPGs: 

• Breath of Fire
  
• Breath of Fire II
  
• Earthbound
  

If you're wondering why I left off Donkey Kong Country 3, it's because I personally feel like it's more of an insult to the series than anything. In my opinion, the quality dropped like a rock in water from DKC2 to DKC3, and I wouldn't recommend playing it. However, if you feel like you'd want to play the entire trilogy instead of leaving one out, go for it. Some people do like the game and perhaps you would be one of them as well. Overall though the opinion on DKC3 is that it's pretty trash and I have to agree. 

Super Metroid is also one that most people would recommend, however it's not a game I've ever played, so I cannot personally recommend it. I know a lot of people who would vouch for it pretty heavily though. I would have also recommend Kirby's Dream Land 3, but I cannot recall if I've ever played it, so I left it off of the list as well. 

If you ever want a list of games I'd recommend looking into that aren't on NSO, let me know. There's a LOT of goodness to dig into on the SNES, and the best thing about them all is that even all these years later, SNES games just hold up.

Sorry for the late reply, but thanks for the list!
I'd probably try DKC3 just to see what it's like, since it'll probably be interesting to go through the first two blind and then jump into that one blind and see what my take on it is.

Mario is going to be the real interesting one for me though because I have barely touched any of the old-school 2D Mario stuff. @ShiraNoMai once got me to try playing what I think was a rom-hack on her Analogue Pocket and I struggled just with the controls, mostly because they felt really unintuitive for me in terms of button placement. Some stuff like running felt like it belonged on a shoulder button rather than a face button, especially when jump and spin are also face buttons. It could have also just been that the button layout on the Pocket wasn't really spaced out good enough for me too, so it's hard to say if the issue was the controls or the controller. XD