Spaz's recent activity

  1. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Spaz
    Link Parent
    Yep it does. Initially I had a few problems with Proton 8 but Experimental worked fine at the time. Since Proton 9 was released its been smooth sailing. Steam should install Proton EasyAntiCheat...

    Yep it does. Initially I had a few problems with Proton 8 but Experimental worked fine at the time. Since Proton 9 was released its been smooth sailing. Steam should install Proton EasyAntiCheat Runtime automatically when you launch the game but sometimes it doesn't for whatever reason; if you have a problem launching the game then search for it in the Tools category of your Steam library and install manually.

    1 vote

  2. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Spaz
    Link Parent
    Official native Linux support would be very welcome but judging by how they've handled the game that's sadly never going to happen. For what it's worth the game has worked without issue for me via...

    Official native Linux support would be very welcome but judging by how they've handled the game that's sadly never going to happen. For what it's worth the game has worked without issue for me via Proton 9. Also not a fan of their usage of EAC either though at least on Linux as far as I've read it's run only in user space and not granted kernel level access.

  3. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Spaz
    Link Parent
    You're welcome. From everything I've read people have speculated that it could be a combination of scope creep and the main developers (the sole programmer) reluctance to let anyone else work...

    You're welcome. From everything I've read people have speculated that it could be a combination of scope creep and the main developers (the sole programmer) reluctance to let anyone else work with/on his code. It has been claimed that he previously stated it would take far too long to onboard another programmer and get them up to speed to work on what he has already done. This has lead others to assume his code is a mess of spaghetti without any descriptive commenting. Again this is all second hand information that I've heard on Reddit and from players in game so I can't verify those claims.

    Initially this big update was mainly supposed to focus on a major overhaul of the audio/sounds and their implementation but it has certainly grown substantially since then. Someone had compiled a document with sources on all the confirmed changes made so far.

  4. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Spaz
    Link
    Over the last year I've put more time into BattleBit Remastered than any other game but haven't wanted to post about it for a few reasons. The game is an arcadey Battlefield-esque FPS that...

    Over the last year I've put more time into BattleBit Remastered than any other game but haven't wanted to post about it for a few reasons.

    The game is an arcadey Battlefield-esque FPS that primarily focuses on large-scale 126v126 player matches but still offers smaller 8v8, 16v16, 32v32 and 64v64 variants. It has a handful of assorted game modes though many of them generally boil down to capturing/holding/defending certain points/objectives.

    When it first released into early access in June 2023 it gained quite a bit of attention as many Battlefield players were unhappy with the state of BF2042. As a result BattleBit became somewhat of an overnight success. At the time the more FPS oriented players of my circle had talked about it but decided against it for two reasons, first being an Early Access title and second was that the low-poly Minecraft-like style wasn't appealing to them.

    About nine months later someone suggested the game again as it was on sale for around $10 and at that price despite our reservations we all decided to give it a try. Many of us fell in love with the game immediately and we soon set aside a separate night of the week specifically to play it so that we wouldn't leave behind the few players that didn't really enjoy/do well in PVP FPS games.

    So why didn't I want to post about this game that I've been enamoured with? The main reason is that I normally avoid Early Access games like the plague and almost never recommend them regardless of my feelings towards the game as it's not entirely uncommon for them to be abandoned or "ruined" in some way.

    And why am I posting about it now? Well, as a cautionary tale to some degree I suppose. When I started playing in March 2024 I was aware that the last update the game had received was in December 2023, though I didn't think much of it as their update cadence prior to that was fairly consistent and they appeared to be very communicative with their customers. A few weeks later upon logging into the game players were prompted with a banner saying that a fairly large update was scheduled to be released mid-April (2024).

    Sadly that date came and went. Another month or so passed before information came out that the scope of the update had been increased substantially and it would be delayed for an unknown period of time. At this point the small three person development team communicated quite regularly via a weekly dev' stream, their Discord channel (I don't use Discord so I'm going off of what others have told me here), then occasionally on their subreddit and also Steam.

    Leading up to Gamescom 2024 the team announced that they would be postponing the dev' steams until after the update was live. Surely this meant that the update was nearing release, right? Unfortunately no. A month passed before the art developer made a post on Reddit highlighting some of the assets and maps that they had been working on. As expected the Reddit community wasn't very receptive in response. Another month later the art developer made a post again highlighting stuff that he was doing but the community again was in disbelief that an update was ever going to happen.

    Since then it's been mostly radio silence outside of some very occasional posts on their Discord reassuring people that they are indeed still there, though much of the community has left. The subreddit has very little real activity outside of sour users that no longer play but feel like they have a duty to obsessively post "dead game".

    So what is the state of the game now? Despite having received no updates over the last 16 months it's very playable, mostly bug-free, has a myriad of guns, attachments, gadgets, classes, vehicles (land, sea and air) and maps. The gunplay is tight, movement is fast, the gameplay overall is very satisfying and even better if you have a squad that communicates well. What's left of the community (disregarding the non-playing Reddit users) is generally quite nice compared to the vast majority of FPS communities. I play as a combat medic so I'm often reviving/bandaging people and am surprised by just how thankful people are over proximity chat when I save them... many whom have expressed their rather explicit love for my deft healing hands. The game also runs exceptionally well even with a full 254 person server worth of chaos happening on the most ancient, potato-like computers.

    Naturally the user count has steadily declined over the year as games like this often live and die by their update schedule, doubly so when the game is in Early Access. Suffice to say that you will only find full 128/254 populated servers during prime time in NA and EU. CN/JP/AU/SA servers are all but dead I'm told. Though I've spoken to some players from those regions that say they are able to play fairly well on either NA or EU servers, but I should mention that servers have a hard 200ms ping limit.

    Update or not I feel like the games population will last for the rest of this year but not much beyond that, though I hope I'm wrong. As of now we have a pretty solid core of regular players on the Hardcore server (a 64v64 server with more realistic damage/settings) so who knows. Sometimes a relatively small group of dedicated players can keep a game going far beyond what one would reasonably expect.

    Again I'm not going to say whether I recommend the game or not, but if it's something you're interested then proceed with caution especially if you're not from the NA or EU regions. Ultimately I can't complain much after having gotten 500+ hours of fun from a $10 purchase.

    My final thought is that it's quite perplexing how the developers managed to capture lightning in a bottle and then allowed the scope-creep of a single update to grow so much that the game has effectively been abandoned.

    6 votes

  5. Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of April 13 in ~games

    Spaz
    Link
    SteamDB: Upcoming free promotions on Steam SteamDB has this free promotion tracker and it's a very handy way to quickly see if there are any giveaways or free weekends on the horizon. With regards...

    SteamDB: Upcoming free promotions on Steam

    SteamDB has this free promotion tracker and it's a very handy way to quickly see if there are any giveaways or free weekends on the horizon. With regards to free weekend games it's been very useful for my multiplayer group so that we can plan our weekend game night in advance and allows the few people with slower connections to get games downloaded beforehand.

    I'm looking forward to this weekend as we have No More Room In Hell 2 and Barotrauma lined up.

    The group has put a lot of time into the original No More Room In Hell but none of us were particularly intrigued by what we saw being offered at the Early Access release for the sequel. Barotrauma on the other hand is a game I already own and enjoy but wasn't able to convince the others to buy in, now with a free weekend I'll finally be able to get them into the game as we mostly have a "try anything if it's free" attitude towards games.

    4 votes

  6. Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of April 13 in ~games

  7. Comment on Microsoft launches generative AI-powered, Quake II “inspired” tech demo in ~games

    Spaz
    Link
    I'm of two minds on this. From a pure technological progress point of view it's intriguing and amazing that this is even possible but from an ex-gamedev perspective every fibre of my being says...

    I'm of two minds on this. From a pure technological progress point of view it's intriguing and amazing that this is even possible but from an ex-gamedev perspective every fibre of my being says throw this junk right in the bin and let it rot.

    10 votes

  8. Comment on What lesser-known alternative would you recommend as a substitute for something more popular? in ~talk

    Spaz
    Link Parent
    I've always been on the fence about trying a safety razor but... Sold.

    I've always been on the fence about trying a safety razor but...

    The Henson is designed, machined and packaged at our aerospace facility in Ontario, Canada

    Sold.

    6 votes

  9. Comment on What keeps you up at night? in ~talk

    Spaz
    Link Parent
    Your country's actions have also been keeping me up at night. For what feels like an eternity now I've had the ever present thought that my future could very well end defending my homeland in an...

    Your country's actions have also been keeping me up at night. For what feels like an eternity now I've had the ever present thought that my future could very well end defending my homeland in an unwinnable war against those that we previously considered our closest ally.

    18 votes

  10. Comment on Official Sonic the Hedgehog game timeline as recognized by Sega in ~games

    Spaz
    Link Parent
    Also on Linux, using FF 136.0.1. It took about 30 seconds before the translate finished. Did it say it couldn't translate the page or did it just not give you the option at all?

    Also on Linux, using FF 136.0.1. It took about 30 seconds before the translate finished. Did it say it couldn't translate the page or did it just not give you the option at all?

  11. Comment on Official Sonic the Hedgehog game timeline as recognized by Sega in ~games

    Spaz
    Link Parent
    Strange, Firefox translated it for me without issue.

    Strange, Firefox translated it for me without issue.

  12. Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of March 9 in ~games

    Spaz
    Link
    The Steam Spring Sale has started today and runs until March 20th. My personal recommendations based on playtime over the last year: Noita (60% off): A rogue-lite all about experimentation and...

    The Steam Spring Sale has started today and runs until March 20th.

    My personal recommendations based on playtime over the last year:

    Noita (60% off): A rogue-lite all about experimentation and exploration. Plunge into the depths beneath the mysterious mountain on a quest to gain true knowledge, crafting wild spells, solving puzzles and growing more powerful along the way... until you accidentally vaporize yourself and have to start again. This game quickly became one of my most favoured of all time.

    Getting Over It (75% off): Try to climb a mountain with a hammer, fall down, get frustrated, get back up, centre yourself, say no to anger, try again, never give up, believe in yourself, triumph. Simple.

    Golf It (50% off): Mini golf that uses mouse swing mechanics instead of a power-meter like Golf With Your Friends. For a long time now it has been my groups staple backup game when we want to jump into something quick and have a few laughs. Has a course editor and workshop support with many great community made courses available.

    6 votes

  13. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Spaz
    Link Parent
    See, now my nephew doesn't cheat at tag, it's just that when I tag him he explains to me why my tag was invalid. Apparently tagging someone while standing on carpet doesn't count because that type...

    See, now my nephew doesn't cheat at tag, it's just that when I tag him he explains to me why my tag was invalid. Apparently tagging someone while standing on carpet doesn't count because that type of flooring, of course, is lava and I shouldn't be standing on it, so I'm still it. I guess it's my own fault for being ignorant of the rules.

    7 votes

  14. Comment on Godot 4.4 release - A unified experience in ~games

    Spaz
    Link

    Look forward to plenty of quality of life improvements hidden within this release. Faster load speeds, reduced stutter, streamlined processes — spotting all the optimizations that have been applied in the background will take some time.

    On top of that, long-awaited comfort features like embedded game windows and interactive in-game editing will feel more in line with other software on the market, making transitioning between them an even smoother experience. The editor overhaul alone takes up a big chunk of this release, after all.

    11 votes

  16. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Spaz
    Link Parent
    That's a good point about the lack of a real story. Adding to that I feel like the world is also simply not interesting enough to explore for reasons beyond hoarding supplies. Each time I've...

    That's a good point about the lack of a real story. Adding to that I feel like the world is also simply not interesting enough to explore for reasons beyond hoarding supplies.

    Each time I've played Zomboid solo I can't help but think about switching to Kenshi instead. Another game which also has a substantial amount of stat-grind/supply scavenging but the vast, unique world and intriguing lore beg me to continue exploring and surviving the trials of its harsh wasteland.

    2 votes

  17. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Spaz
    Link
    Over the last week I've given Project Zomboid a third and most likely final chance. I purchased the game a few years ago primarily to play with a group of friends. Three of the six players quit...

    Over the last week I've given Project Zomboid a third and most likely final chance.

    I purchased the game a few years ago primarily to play with a group of friends. Three of the six players quit within the first couple sessions, two because the difficulty of survival was too much for them and the other because the game was simply too slow for their taste. The remaining three and myself continued on for a bit longer.

    With the four of us being fairly proficient zombie survival players having spent quite a few hours playing the old DayZ mod meant that thriving in the world and getting a base established wasn't a very tall order. After that nobody really was itching to jump back into the world of Zomboid as there wasn't much more to do beyond loot, expand our base and grind out skills. Whenever it was suggested for game night it was always met with a resounding "meh" and so it sat on the shelf collecting dust.

    With the recent news of build 42 it felt like the right time to give the game another try, this time with the first goal of spicing up the gameplay by using a silly amount of mods. I thought if I could give the game a bit more of an action oriented flavour that maybe I could convince the others to give it another whirl.

    I raided the workshop like it was a cupboard filled with canned pineapple, grabbing everything that seemed like it might help. More maps, more cars, more clothes, more traits, more zombies, more QoL, and a lot more America (guns)...

    I entered the world for a trial run and in about a dozen hours was able to get a small, somewhat safe house locked down and set out from there to start collecting/fixing cars and prepping to build/secure a larger more permanent compound.

    Despite the additional guns and weapons the combat of the game still left a lot to be desired. I feel like the melee is far too monotonous and devolves into doing the three-step swing/push/stomp combo over and over again.

    On a particularly successful supply run I found myself having to hunker down in a random house for the night as the zed activity was far too high to safely navigate back home through the pitch black. So I began the usual nightly routine, eat, read, watch some TV, disassemble all the tables/chairs and then get a bit of exercise. As I was instructing my character to do some push-ups I thought "I've been playing for a couple hours, I should actually do some push-ups myself while my avatar is busy doing the same".

    With that thought I closed the game and got some real exercise. I get why many people love this game, but I don't believe I'll be coming back.

    5 votes

  18. Comment on Canada wins the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament, 3-2 OT in ~sports.hockey

    Spaz
    Link Parent
    That's a wild thought, time really flies. It's hard to believe it was 15 years ago that Sid the kid scored his golden goal at the Olympics.

    Crosby was a delight to watch in the whole tournament despite being the oldest player.

    That's a wild thought, time really flies. It's hard to believe it was 15 years ago that Sid the kid scored his golden goal at the Olympics.

    4 votes

  19. Comment on Canada wins the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament, 3-2 OT in ~sports.hockey

    Spaz
    Link
    Have to give a preemptive 'Sorry, bud' to my American friends for being a bit obnoxious today but.... Canada 🍁️ Canada 🇨🇦️ CANADA 🦫️ We're good still, right?

    Have to give a preemptive 'Sorry, bud' to my American friends for being a bit obnoxious today but.... Canada 🍁️ Canada 🇨🇦️ CANADA 🦫️

    We're good still, right?

    19 votes

  20. Comment on What are your favourite time-loop based books, movies and video games? in ~talk

    Spaz
    Link
    Russian Doll was quite enjoyable, though everyone I've talked to about it couldn't get over it being mostly an alternate version of Groundhog Day.

    Russian Doll was quite enjoyable, though everyone I've talked to about it couldn't get over it being mostly an alternate version of Groundhog Day.

    8 votes