MikeB's recent activity
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
MikeB Link ParentOh thanks for the heads up! I'll leave it as-is for now then and enjoy the power trip while it lasts, haha.Oh thanks for the heads up! I'll leave it as-is for now then and enjoy the power trip while it lasts, haha.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
MikeB LinkLast week I restarted Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous for the third time, after abandoning it in the first act twice before because the game seemed incomprehensible and crazy difficult to me....Last week I restarted Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous for the third time, after abandoning it in the first act twice before because the game seemed incomprehensible and crazy difficult to me.
This time I have almost 300 hours of Baldur's Gate 3 under my belt, and I am loving this game now. When I played it before I didn't really bother with turn-based mode, because the RTWP (real-time with pause) mode was so much faster. This was a huge mistake -- it's incredibly difficult to learn how the combat system works in real-time mode because it's so damn complex, but turn-based mode makes it much more obvious how rounds, combat rolls, and the action economy work. (And I never even realized opportunity attacks were a thing before lol)
I'm in act 2 now, level 6, playing on normal and the game actually feels pretty easy now -- I'm thinking about cranking the difficulty up a bit.
The writing isn't the best, but the characters and plot are growing on me the deeper into the game I get. It's a crazy amount of reading though -- if nothing else I wish they broke up more of the text into incrementally displayed paragraphs, because the game really likes to just dump massive walls of text on you constantly.
I also played a couple rounds of Deadlock last night. I'm terrible at MOBAs, including this one, but I really like the in-game community build system in this one, that was a great idea. I'm going to try to stick with it and see if I get better, feels like now's a good opportunity to get into it while the hero roster is still reasonably small.
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Comment on €78 ($90) mount is now available for World of Warcraft - more than three times more expensive than anything else in ~games
MikeB LinkI'm not feeling much outrage over this one. First off, WoW is an MMO with a weird economy. The community repeatedly demonstrated that they wanted to pay real money for gold via ToS-breaking third...I'm not feeling much outrage over this one.
First off, WoW is an MMO with a weird economy. The community repeatedly demonstrated that they wanted to pay real money for gold via ToS-breaking third party transactions, which is really difficult to police, so about 9 years ago Blizzard added official support via the WoW Token. You can buy one for $20 USD and then either sell it to other players for in-game gold at the market rate or redeem it as game-time or $15 blizzard credit -- and that credit can then be spent on stuff like this mount. The token price fluctuates a lot, but it's currently going for around 276,000 gold in NA. So, if you've got the gold (enough for 6 tokens, which is 1.65 million gold currently), you can acquire the mount without spending a dime of real money.
Second, they released another version of this mount years ago for 5,000,000 gold, which is currently the equivalent of about $360. This one is both better and a steal in comparison, no matter how you're paying for it.
Third, this mount is most useful for players obsessively playing the auction house, i.e. players who get their fun by gold-making and likely can easily afford this with their current gold stash anyway.
I have enough gold to afford it but it's neither worth the gold nor the cash to me, so meh. The dozens (hundreds?) of $30 skins in Diablo 4 that can only be obtained with RMT annoy me a lot more than this one.
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Comment on Helldivers 2 peak player count almost triples following latest update in ~games
MikeB LinkI played a full operation last night, and the game feels much better. I think the Adjudicator AR may be my go-to primary now (I was punching through everything smaller than a charger no problem)...I played a full operation last night, and the game feels much better. I think the Adjudicator AR may be my go-to primary now (I was punching through everything smaller than a charger no problem) and the thermite grenades are amazing against chargers and titans. I feel like I can get much more creative with my loadout without handicapping myself now, which is exciting.
Also, the new orbital napalm barrage is hilariously OP (I can't believe I'm saying this, but it probably should be nerfed a bit...) but wow it's spectacular. Your capital ship rains literal fire on a massive area for about 20 seconds, it's glorious.
We were a duo and still got our shit kicked in trying to extract, but I think that was part goofing around, part being rusty after not playing for months. Great impressions of this update so far.
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Comment on Helldivers 2's crucial 01.001.100 update completely reworks weapons, adds new Galactic War feature, and changes much more in bid to make the game easier in ~games
MikeB Link ParentYeah, the game was really fun for the first couple months but despite the community constantly calling for buffs to the plethora of useless guns, all the devs did was nerf the handful of useful...Yeah, the game was really fun for the first couple months but despite the community constantly calling for buffs to the plethora of useless guns, all the devs did was nerf the handful of useful ones.
The last straw for me was when they radically increased the difficulty of duos. My buddy and I loved two-manning missions on difficulty 7, but for some reason the devs decided it's a good idea for duos to be constantly overrun with patrols spawning everywhere you turn.
This patch does seem like a big step in the right direction though, so... I'm tempted to reinstall.
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Comment on Hunt: Showdown 1896 | Official launch trailer in ~games
MikeB LinkThis game is by far my favorite “realistic” shooter. The sound design is the best I’ve ever heard, there’s really no other game that comes close. And maybe my favorite game design thing — if...This game is by far my favorite “realistic” shooter. The sound design is the best I’ve ever heard, there’s really no other game that comes close.
And maybe my favorite game design thing — if you’re playing on a team, the one hit kill headshots are balanced by letting your teammates revive you (at the cost of you losing a bit of max health). So if you get hit by a great shot, you’re not necessarily out for the rest of the game/round. The comeback potential adds so much tension to both sides of a shootout.
Despite its slower pace (lots of single shot rifles and slow fire rates), I don’t think I’ve ever played a shooter that gives me adrenaline rushes like this one does. Incredible game.
As for this update, it features an all-new UI that is extremely buggy and in a lot of ways less user friendly than the old one — hopefully that gets fixed quickly. But the new map, gameplay, and graphics engine updates are amazing. It’s never felt better IMO, had a blast playing with my friends last night.
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Comment on Everything announced at the Disney D23 entertainment showcase in ~movies
MikeB LinkThe most exciting thing for me is that Daredevil: Born Again seems to be be a direct continuation of the Netflix show. Foggy, Karen, Punisher, Bullseye, Fisk, and Vanessa are all back, all played...The most exciting thing for me is that Daredevil: Born Again seems to be be a direct continuation of the Netflix show. Foggy, Karen, Punisher, Bullseye, Fisk, and Vanessa are all back, all played by the original actors.
I was able to find a bootleg of the trailer and the tone looks pretty much the same too. Can't wait for next March.
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Comment on Marvel announces 'Avengers: Secret Wars' and 'Avengers: Doomsday' directed by the Russo Brothers in ~movies
MikeB Link ParentOn the other hand, there's a reason animated films are always casting high profile Hollywood actors -- even if you don't see their faces, they're still a draw. His name will be plastered all over...On the other hand, there's a reason animated films are always casting high profile Hollywood actors -- even if you don't see their faces, they're still a draw. His name will be plastered all over the promotions: "Robert Downey Jr. is DOCTOR DOOM".
And I disagree with turmacar that they'll "synth his voice to Latveria and back". I'm sure they'll do a bit of the standard Darth Vader/Ultron/Thanos-style modulation but Downey is an exceptionally talented actor, if he's playing the classic version of Victor Von Doom then he's not going to be using his cocky American Tony Stark voice.
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Comment on Marvel announces 'Avengers: Secret Wars' and 'Avengers: Doomsday' directed by the Russo Brothers in ~movies
MikeB (edited )Link ParentChaplin is another good example of how much range he has. I personally hope he's not simply playing evil-Tony-with-Doom's-mind (the MCU really doesn't need Tony Stark behind yet another...Chaplin is another good example of how much range he has. I personally hope he's not simply playing evil-Tony-with-Doom's-mind (the MCU really doesn't need Tony Stark behind yet another existential threat, lol), but even if he is I'm sure he'll do an incredible job with it.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
MikeB Link ParentYeah I can understand being underwhelmed with Inquisition. I think it caught me in the right mood where I've not been wanting to play anything too mentally taxing, I just want to chill with a good...Yeah I can understand being underwhelmed with Inquisition. I think it caught me in the right mood where I've not been wanting to play anything too mentally taxing, I just want to chill with a good fantasy story and some light adventuring/exploration.
I got really far into Origins awhile back but I got so frustrated with the random bugs and crashes that I ended up quitting (maybe 40 or so hours in?). I was looking into it recently and saw there's some kind of community patch out there you can apply that supposedly helps, so I might start over and give that a try after I finish up Inquisition. I definitely liked Origins' gameplay more overall.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
MikeB LinkI've been playing Dragon Age: Inquisition (PC). I first tried it when it released almost 10 years ago, back when my old PC was rocking a GTX 750 Ti (and struggling to hit 60 fps in the Hinterlands...I've been playing Dragon Age: Inquisition (PC). I first tried it when it released almost 10 years ago, back when my old PC was rocking a GTX 750 Ti (and struggling to hit 60 fps in the Hinterlands lol). At the time I didn't really know what I was doing and found my sword and board warrior kind of boring to play, so I didn't get much farther than that. Veilguard looks pretty great though and I had a blast playing through the Mass Effect trilogy a couple years ago, so I figured I'd give it another go.
I'm about halfway through it now and I'm enjoying it a lot more now than I did then. It has a lot of MMO DNA in its veins (I seem to remember that being controversial at the time?), with a frankly absurd amount of side fetch quests, but the nice thing is I don't feel at all compelled to do everything -- the main reward for doing them is XP and "Power" points to spend to do the main missions, so I just kind of follow my nose and do what's close until it's time to push the story forward. It's... surprisingly chill and relaxing. Even ten years later I think the environments are really beautiful and atmospheric, and wandering around exploring is just good vibes.
I think my main disappointment with it are the keyboard/mouse controls. The tactical view is so hilariously clunky that I've given up trying to use it and just trust the AI to do its thing. It makes the combat not particularly interesting, but I'm playing a mage this time so I at least get to sit back and watch the chaos unfold while teleporting around the battlefield. I also turned on damage numbers for the whole party, which strangely made battles feel a lot more satisfying. Maybe it makes me feel like I'm playing more of a macro role? I dunno. I just know flying numbers make brain happy.
That said, the balance feels a little odd -- mages can cast some stunningly devastating-looking spells, but the actual damage they do is pretty underwhelming. Granted I'm not paying as much attention to resistances as I should, but... still. I'm running two warriors in my party and they do by far the bulk of the damage -- while also tanking everything. Mages feel more like supports, doing chip damage, inflicting status effects and crowd control, and keeping barriers up. The animations are so satisfying though that I don't mind the lack of damage output too much.
The storytelling is pretty good and keeping me engaged, though it is (so far) not my favorite from BioWare. I am surprised by how big the scope and scale feels though, even compared to newer games like Baldur's Gate 3. You get a huge map of the country to explore, a stronghold full of supporters and soldiers that grows over the course of the game, and story missions that range from leading assaults on castles to political intrigue at the royal court. It's got me hooked and I think I'm actually going to finish it this time.
Last note: I'm not sure I could play this game for very long without the mod that makes looting instant. By default your character kneels down to pick things up, and there are so many things to pick up that it makes looting way more tedious than it needs to be. Thankfully the mod resolves this by removing the animation entirely, so you can just run around and hit the F key to grab stuff without stopping.
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Comment on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond | Announcement trailer in ~games
MikeB Link ParentThe Switch successor is almost certainly coming sometime in 2025, possibly as early as March. The president of Nintendo has said that they'll reveal the console before the end of this fiscal year.The Switch successor is almost certainly coming sometime in 2025, possibly as early as March. The president of Nintendo has said that they'll reveal the console before the end of this fiscal year.
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Comment on Disney's new Star Wars series The Acolyte is excellent in ~tv
MikeB Link ParentIMO Andor has been the only good Star Wars live action show, but I actually enjoyed the first two episodes of The Acolyte and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season. I thought the trailers...IMO Andor has been the only good Star Wars live action show, but I actually enjoyed the first two episodes of The Acolyte and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season. I thought the trailers were horrible and I was fully prepared to hate it, but it’s fun.
It’s not Andor though, don’t expect that. It’s occasionally very stupid on mundane things (as in… fire in space? Inexplicably lax security measures? etc.), but instead of annoying me I just rolled with it, because in general the characters themselves are likable and the plot is interesting. It’s basically just a fun YA Star Wars show.
Manny Jacinto’s role looks also like it could be juicier than they’re letting on, which has me excited. He’s been great so far.
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Comment on The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power | Season 2 official teaser trailer in ~tv
MikeB Link ParentI see Tolkien's Middle-Earth stories in general as a mythology, and the movies and Rings of Power are simply a retelling/different version of it. Kinda like Norse or Greek mythology. There are...I see Tolkien's Middle-Earth stories in general as a mythology, and the movies and Rings of Power are simply a retelling/different version of it.
Kinda like Norse or Greek mythology. There are hundreds (thousands?) of different versions of the stories out there, and seeing all those different spins is incredibly fun. From Marvel's takes on Norse mythology to Supergiant's take on Greek mythology in the Hades games.
To me, getting wrapped up in the "this isn't canon!" or "this isn't accurate!" or "you have to treat the source with reverence/respect!" thing is boring. I just like to be told a good story. Rings of Power wasn't as well-told as Tolkien's books, but I still enjoyed it a lot and I'm really looking forward to season 2.
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Comment on Oh dear, George Lucas! Why the Star Wars universe is going from bad to worse in ~tv
MikeB Link ParentI dunno, I loved Rebels and TCW but Ahsoka really doesn’t feel like a continuation of either of those shows to me. The characters don’t feel the same at all beyond their costumes, and all the...I dunno, I loved Rebels and TCW but Ahsoka really doesn’t feel like a continuation of either of those shows to me. The characters don’t feel the same at all beyond their costumes, and all the issues raised in this thread have stuck out like a sore thumb to me.
Something that stood out to me in Andor was how practically every character is interesting and compelling, no matter how short their screentime. Yet Ahsoka can’t do the same for its leads across four episodes — a whole movie’s worth of screentime. I don’t blame the cast, it’s just poorly written.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~movies
MikeB Link ParentI never saw the sequels but I loved the first Spy Kids, completely wore out that VHS stale as a kid haha. Your last point is one of the reasons I love the Star Wars prequels too — yes, 1 and 2...I never saw the sequels but I loved the first Spy Kids, completely wore out that VHS stale as a kid haha.
Your last point is one of the reasons I love the Star Wars prequels too — yes, 1 and 2 included. My siblings and I would just fast forward through the boring parts (for us that was basically just the romance scenes in 2) and enjoy the hell out of the amazing action set pieces.
Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, SLJ, et al were so freakin’ cool that even when they were just walking around gravely talking confusing politics and midichlorians it was awesome.
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Comment on Baldur’s Gate 3 is causing some developers to panic in ~games
MikeB (edited )Link ParentI'm sorry but... ...who else are we meant to believe bought these unnamed critics? I agree that the bot farms generating fake Amazon/Walmart reviews are a huge problem (and something there's real...I've claimed critics are bought, not implying larian did it.
I'm sorry but...
[Baldur's Gate 3], despite what many rabbid fans and bought for critics will say, has flaws.
...who else are we meant to believe bought these unnamed critics?
I agree that the bot farms generating fake Amazon/Walmart reviews are a huge problem (and something there's real evidence of) but I hardly see how it's relevant to Baldur's Gate 3 -- there's absolutely no evidence that Larian themselves are engaged in buying fake customer reviews en masse.
Regarding everything else... I'm just going to keep it short and say that art and entertainment is wonderfully subjective, and there doesn't have to be some nefarious conspiracy to explain why one group of people liked something that another group didn't. And frankly with how quick the internet is to jump to harassing developers and journalists, I think confidently spreading unsubstantiated claims like this is wrong. I recommend reading up on the awful gamergate fiasco.
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Comment on Baldur’s Gate 3 is causing some developers to panic in ~games
MikeB Link ParentYou've claimed Larian "bought" critics a couple times in this thread. That's a serious accusation so I assume you have proof -- which ones?You've claimed Larian "bought" critics a couple times in this thread. That's a serious accusation so I assume you have proof -- which ones?
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Comment on iPhone 14, 14 Pro owners complain about battery capacity that’s already falling off in ~tech
MikeB Link ParentInteresting, I’m also 9 months in and my 14 Pro is somehow still at 100% battery health. I mostly use it for reading social media (mostly apollo before it died) and discord, no gaming and limited...Interesting, I’m also 9 months in and my 14 Pro is somehow still at 100% battery health.
I mostly use it for reading social media (mostly apollo before it died) and discord, no gaming and limited video.
I played through the whole trilogy a couple years ago (the legendary edition). I loved it but ME1's gameplay feels especially dated. 2's is a step up, and 3's was a blast. It's actually kinda cool seeing how they improved and built upon their gameplay systems with each sequel. The whole trilogy was released within a 5 year span which is pretty unheard of nowadays.