Grasamucor's recent activity
-
Comment on As digital innovation reshapes the toy market, Lego's chief executive Niels B Christiansen discusses why playing around is good for children, adults and business in ~finance
-
Comment on Ghosting isn't as cold-hearted as it seems, say psychologists — but people still hate it in ~life
Grasamucor Link ParentI was agreeing with you, and then just adding myself that -- in my opinion -- if after the mature response you give someone, if they continue to create drama or won't go away, then its fine to...I was agreeing with you, and then just adding myself that -- in my opinion -- if after the mature response you give someone, if they continue to create drama or won't go away, then its fine to ghost them after that point. You told them what's what, you don't really owe anything to them after that point (unless it was a longer term relationship, then that would be pretty low to ghost someone without further talking about it).
-
Comment on Ghosting isn't as cold-hearted as it seems, say psychologists — but people still hate it in ~life
Grasamucor Link Parentyea agreed. I dunno about all the mental gymnastics going on in this thread... This is all that needs to be said. If they try to say anything beyond that statement you give them that isn't "ok I...yea agreed. I dunno about all the mental gymnastics going on in this thread... This is all that needs to be said. If they try to say anything beyond that statement you give them that isn't "ok I understand" or "ok I see, good luck to you too" or other such closing reply, THEN you have all rights to ghost them.
It's very simple, actually.
-
Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
Grasamucor LinkI feel like I've had some bad luck with TV recently... So this most recent season of The Bear just hasn't really done it for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the other 2 seasons, like a lot. But this...I feel like I've had some bad luck with TV recently...
So this most recent season of The Bear just hasn't really done it for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the other 2 seasons, like a lot. But this season was just very slow, and outside of a couple episodes it just really felt like it didn't go anywhere or advance any of the characters. I don't know if they decided to use this season as a gap season maybe so they could plan out future seasons, but that is sort of what it feels like.
I am also slowly losing interest in House Of The Dragon as well. That one is a little harder for me to pin down as to why I feel that way about it. I don't know if is just because I have come to realize I don't really care all that much about the Targaryen's, or that I just don't particularly like any of them? Alicent and all the others that aren't the Targaryens keep me watching more than anything. I found myself many times this season thinking to myself while watching, "ok now I wonder what the other House is doing-- oh wait...", and remembering that this isn't full Game of Thrones its a specific off-shoot. Acting is good and the writing is good, it's just not grabbing me anymore really.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Grasamucor LinkSo I just finished Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice a couple days ago... If you don't like FromSoftware games, I think this is actually a great one to try because it plays much differently than its...So I just finished Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice a couple days ago... If you don't like FromSoftware games, I think this is actually a great one to try because it plays much differently than its siblings in terms of the combat. The difficulty and respawning enemies are still a thing, though. The combat is fantastic once you get the hang of it, but man the learning curve is certainly steep. It took me several hours to finally "get good", and then naturally the game recognizes thats about when the average person is going to get good, so it starts ramping up the difficulty in the regular enemies and bosses. This game though, it's earned a place in my top 10 of all time. Easy to learn hard to master combat, great level design (harkens back to DS1 interconnectedness), interesting lore and good story, captivating visuals and awesome representation of feudal Japan... It's just a really excellent game. I originally played it and gave up on it 2 hours in back in 2020 during COVID, as I wasn't in the mood for the difficulty. I am extremely glad I came back to it though, and would recommend it to anybody.
I have started and haven't gotten very far on The Last Descendant and Elden Ring (non-DLC, first-timer). The former is a F2P cross between Warframe and Destiny 2, and the latter, well, we all know what Elden Ring is. It was on sale for the Steam Summer Sale so I thought it would be a good time to jump in, especially coming off of Sekiro and wanting more FromSoft type games to play. Early impressions are that with Last Descendant, I see it as pretty fun, the gunplay feels neat and the movement is good. There are a lot of systems in the game to digest though, not unlike Destiny, and there is certainly grind. Like many games, it's more fun with friends. I don't think I'll play it very long without them playing, but for F2P you don't have much to lose so it's worth downloading and seeing if you'll like it.
Elden Ring so far, only being a couple hours in, is basically Just Dark Souls III: The Sequel except the most glaring addition is it being set in an open world. Can't get over how good the art and enemy designs are, though. Fromsoftware just always has an eye for quality when it comes to those areas, and it continues to be apparent in Elden Ring, too. Having completed Dark Souls 1 and its DLC and getting through 3/4ths of dark souls III, I don't know how long I'll stay with Elden Ring just because even being a couple hours in, its very much feeling "been there, done that" with the gameplay, but exploring and seeing all the amazing things in this world and like I said the art and enemies will keep me playing for at least a dozen or so more hours.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Grasamucor Link Parentyea my friends and I also play FC 24, but all of us only ever play Club mode on it like you mentioned. The game is just a mess and that is its only redeeming feature. the AI if you are playing...yea my friends and I also play FC 24, but all of us only ever play Club mode on it like you mentioned. The game is just a mess and that is its only redeeming feature. the AI if you are playing alone and offline is just otherworldly bad. I think AI in soccer games was better in the early 2000s honestly...
-
Comment on Gladiator II | Official trailer in ~movies
Grasamucor Link Parentstudios aren't afraid to stoop to lows to get people in the theaters. Its just a lot of lowest common denominator pandering. Video games do a lot of the same annoying crap these days as well.studios aren't afraid to stoop to lows to get people in the theaters. Its just a lot of lowest common denominator pandering. Video games do a lot of the same annoying crap these days as well.
-
Comment on What gaming genre could use a renaming? in ~games
Grasamucor Link Parentyea, agreed that soulslike is specific. The newer Jedi Knight games are a great example; they have bonfire mechanics and numerous, very challenging bossesyea, agreed that soulslike is specific. The newer Jedi Knight games are a great example; they have bonfire mechanics and numerous, very challenging bosses
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Grasamucor Link Parentthere is a follow up by the same dev, Golf on Mars. It adds a few things to the game, and is a bit more random in its level generation, but keeps its minimalist nature. It also goes on forever I'm...there is a follow up by the same dev, Golf on Mars. It adds a few things to the game, and is a bit more random in its level generation, but keeps its minimalist nature. It also goes on forever I'm pretty sure, vs Desert Golfing does eventually have an end level.
Both great games.
-
Comment on Decades later, John Romero looks back at the birth of the first-person shooter in ~games
Grasamucor Link Parentperhaps that explains the quality to their games, then! They have always been a gem in the gaming space and one of the most popular developers, ever since Dark Souls 1 really blew up and got more...perhaps that explains the quality to their games, then! They have always been a gem in the gaming space and one of the most popular developers, ever since Dark Souls 1 really blew up and got more people into their games.
-
Comment on Decades later, John Romero looks back at the birth of the first-person shooter in ~games
Grasamucor LinkI think the most important quote of that whole article, which really explains the difference between most games of today vs games from the past, is this : "We were making games that we wanted to...I think the most important quote of that whole article, which really explains the difference between most games of today vs games from the past, is this :
"We were making games that we wanted to play," he said. "We weren't worried about audience. We were the audience. We played every game on all the systems back then. We were consumers, and we knew what we wanted to make."
So many titles today seem so derivative of one another and don't seem to take a lot of chances. The industry has become too expensive and competitive to take that approach anymore, outside of the indie space. Guess it's no surprise then that a lot of the most popular games of the last 10 years have been games that came out as mods of other games. Battle Royale genre, has the mod for ArmA III to thank for its existence. MOBAs like DotA and LoL come from WarCraft III custom games. Overwatch was an evolution from Team Fortress 2, which came from Team Fortress Classic, which came from Quake Team Fortress which was a mod for Quake. Call of Duty is basically just new bells and whistles from their original formula all the way back to the first WWII Call of Duty game, which was basically a WWII skinned Quake 3. The game is still fast paced and feels a lot like Quake 3 even all these years later.
Only games I can think of that are popular today that didn't have a modding predecessor are extraction shooters and Soulslikes such as Elden Ring. Those have become quite popular, but not sure if they have any roots in small-studio/independent passion projects.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Grasamucor Link ParentI really enjoyed wine farming in Stardew. I don't know why because after a certain point there really isn't much to progress or earn outside of money, but something about making my farm look nice...I really enjoyed wine farming in Stardew. I don't know why because after a certain point there really isn't much to progress or earn outside of money, but something about making my farm look nice and make and sell quality wines was satisfying to me for a good 70 or 80 hours.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Grasamucor LinkSekiro It was game of the year from quite a few outlets in 2019 for a reason. Typical souls formula; respawning enemies once you die or rest at a checkpoint, difficult bosses, obscure but...Sekiro
It was game of the year from quite a few outlets in 2019 for a reason. Typical souls formula; respawning enemies once you die or rest at a checkpoint, difficult bosses, obscure but interesting lore, amazing levels and atmosphere. Where it really differs is the combat. If you've played Souls or souls-likes, you know its mostly dodging or blocking your way through enemies and bosses, waiting for their attacks to end so you can get in 2 or 3 attacks yourself. Sekiro totally changes that format, and for the better in my opinion.
Instead of dodging and being counter-active in combat, you are very much an active participant. Aggression and defense must be equally considered, and the result is a faster, more satisfying combat that feels more like actual sword combat. The issue however -- in the eyes of some players -- is you can't really circumvent the system. In souls, and especially Elden ring, there is typically a best Strat, or you can use magic or a different weapon, or summon AI or actual players to help you to make the boss fight much easier. In Sekiro, you really do just have to learn the combat system because thats all you really have -- your katana that can strike and defend -- outside of some limited use special attacks.
The hardest of the souls games for that reason, but man is it a polished game. I've got 23 hours in it and it's shaping up to be in my top 5 games of all time already.
-
Comment on <deleted topic> in ~games
Grasamucor LinkI used to think the best philosophy was to buff everything/everyone so that eveything/everyone is OP, so you get something like Street Fighter 2 Rainbow like he talking about in the video....I used to think the best philosophy was to buff everything/everyone so that eveything/everyone is OP, so you get something like Street Fighter 2 Rainbow like he talking about in the video. However, the problem is unless the characters all do the exact same thing (street fighter 1 in his example), there will always be a character or characters that stand out because of something about their design that is different than the others. Even in Street Fighter 2 rainbow, there was still probably a character or two that stood above the rest.
There always has to be a best and worst character, depending on the type of game and what the gameplay entails. Chess, for example, doesn't need to buff or nerf either side, because each player gets the same pieces to play with. The difference comes in how you position your pieces and your plans for the pieces. It's not about the pieces themselves, it's about the strategy of using them.
So since there has to be a best and worst character inherently, unless you plan on making every character do the same thing and act the same way (uninteresting to players), the only other option is to change the meta every once in awhile. Let the meta characters be meta, then when people start getting tired/bored of it, nerf them and buff others if necessary to let new characters be meta.
I think thats the path you see a lot of game devs taking -- or trying to take -- when they make buffs and nerfs, but it's a hard balance to try to strike. Sometimes buffing or nerfing one thing, unintentionally really buffs or really nerfs some other unrelated thing. Its not uncommon to see a big patch come out with buffs and/or nerfs, then people figure out how figuratively broken (or even sometimes literally) the changes made things, and an updated patch comes as fast as a week after the big patch.
So in summary, it's not as easy as choosing to buff vs nerf. It's definitely contextual and depends on what the buffs/nerfs do unintentionally to other characters or mechanics in the game.
-
Comment on The illustrated encyclopedia of sleeping positions on a plane in ~travel
Grasamucor LinkI think the hoarder would work well. I used to do that position in school on the desk before 1st period when everyone would gather for attendance and morning announcements. Actually pretty...I think the hoarder would work well. I used to do that position in school on the desk before 1st period when everyone would gather for attendance and morning announcements. Actually pretty comfortable if you top your stack with a hoodie or sweater.
-
Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
Grasamucor LinkI watched Seven Samurai last night for the first time, after having finished Ghost of Tsushima and still being very much in the mood for samurai content. Went for Seven Samurai as it's usually...I watched Seven Samurai last night for the first time, after having finished Ghost of Tsushima and still being very much in the mood for samurai content. Went for Seven Samurai as it's usually regarded as Kurosawa's best, and his samurai movies had such an impact on the GoT game makers that they included an entire black and white mode to the game in his honor, explicitly calling it "Kurosawa Mode".
I think the movie really holds up for a movie made in the mid 50s. Considerable amount of action, no really long stretches of not much happening or no meaningful dialogue (oddly a thing with really old movies), good characters, nice cinematography in quite a few scenes, and a thoughtful ending. Not to mention it really set the formula for a lot of other action/superhero movies to come (eg: good entity is at risk from evil, unfamiliar heroes band together one by one and assemble as a group to protect good entity).
-
Comment on The Ten Commandments must be displayed in all public Louisiana classrooms under requirement signed into law in ~humanities
Grasamucor Linkso much for separation of church and state. I would be surprised if this doesn't get overturned or abolished after lawsuitsso much for separation of church and state. I would be surprised if this doesn't get overturned or abolished after lawsuits
-
Comment on Sekiro vs Elden Ring design philosophies in ~games
Grasamucor LinkI thought this was an interesting YouTube, maybe a little repetitive, but I liked the main discussion it was presenting: which is the more appealing game design philosophy in your opinion/to your...I thought this was an interesting YouTube, maybe a little repetitive, but I liked the main discussion it was presenting: which is the more appealing game design philosophy in your opinion/to your preference --
A game like Elden Ring which allows you to circumvent the difficulty some with the use of summons or cheese tactics by way of certain weapons or abusing the level design, but allows you to play in more ways overall with greater weapon variety, magic, ranged attacks, which allows for more freedom but less nuance to all those different ways to play, or...
A game like Sekiro that there is really only one intended way to play, but that way is very nuanced and thought-out as the main game system? (In Sekiro's case, it would be the "dance" of knowing when and how many times to parry, when to dodge, when to attack in a given moment)
Nevermind stuff that might put you off From's game design in general that carries over to both games (having to restart at checkpoints each death, unclear direction on what to do or where to go, ambiguous quests, to name the more common complaints), lets talk about the idea of more options; less depth, vs less options; more depth
-
Sekiro vs Elden Ring design philosophies
6 votes -
Comment on The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom | Announcement trailer in ~games
Grasamucor LinkDid the Link's Awakening remake sell well? I'm guessing so for them to continue to use the isometric view and same art design in a totally new installment. Don't get me wrong, I also agree with...Did the Link's Awakening remake sell well? I'm guessing so for them to continue to use the isometric view and same art design in a totally new installment.
Don't get me wrong, I also agree with sentiment here that LOZ feels most at home in its 2D roots, but I figured Nintendo would continue to cater to its younger audience that have only grown up with 3rd person 3D games. Perhaps they just see room for 2D and 3D offerings, which is even better, cause it just means more LoZ for everyone.
My friend recently gave his son all his legos he had stored in the attic, circa 1994-1998 timeframe, and mixed in with all his new sets, they are honestly indistinguishable from one another. Just as solidly made still and totally compatible with one another. No other company has that kinda quality control outside of probably very life-critical medical materials/supplies.