Video games

[Shadowlander]

My mum has said the same thing about film special effects. They use to think those 80's one look so realistic but I use to think the early harry potter films looked so realistic. haha

You think that's bad, I was around when Atari 2600 was invented and at its peak. Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me at all if in 10 years or so we had photo-realistic graphics that make you feel like you're playing a game in real life. Now won't that be a game!

I beat Half-Life 2 a couple of days ago! Woot! I've already started on Episode 1 because I had to know what happened after that cliffhanger.

Yeah, talk about ending things on a downer! But it resolves itself quite nicely for Episode 1...which may actually have a bigger cliffhanger ending than the base game. I think Episode 2 was even better. Episode 1 will have you wetting yourself in a few select places. There's one spot where you'll have to fight off waves of Zombies....in the pitch black. I cannot wait for you to get there Hey, how did you like the Super Gravity Gun?? If you have Steam you can get Black Mesa Source for a free. It's officially recognized now by Valve so you can load her up and enjoy an additional quantity of time playing as Gordon Freeman.

Portal is a real blast. And it connects (believe it or not) to the Half Life universe. Wait till' you get your Companion Cube.

[IloveFauns]

Indeed I can see that coming. The graphics now on the xbox one/ps4 are amazing. Though gameplay always wins over graphics for me. A game may look amazing but if the game play is terrible than what is the point of the great graphics?

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

Ahh, Banjo Kazooie.... I often tend to be rather apathetic about graphic quality. I mean, it's great when they're very realistic and beautiful, but I really care more about when they take the time to put in little interesting details, something that shows they're passionate about the project they're working on. And even all of that takes a backseat to gameplay and story.

Yeah, talk about ending things on a downer! But it resolves itself quite nicely for Episode 1...which may actually have a bigger cliffhanger ending than the base game.

Oh no! I just hope my computer can run Episode 2.

Episode 1 will have you wetting yourself in a few select places. There's one spot where you'll have to fight off waves of Zombies....in the pitch black. I cannot wait for you to get there

Oh my gosh, that part is awful. I was playing it the other day and reached that part, and finally had to take a break because so... many... zombies. I'm trying to figure out some kind of strategy for it. Wish me luck.

Hey, how did you like the Super Gravity Gun??

It was awesome! I really enjoyed going around and pulling all of the consoles and monitors out of the walls. (Especially when Dr. Breen was talking to me. ) And then my brother told me that the whole place was going to blow up anyway and spoiled my fun. I was really sad when the Gravity Gun went back to normal in Episode 1. Took me a while to adjust.

If you have Steam you can get Black Mesa Source for a free. It's officially recognized now by Valve so you can load her up and enjoy an additional quantity of time playing as Gordon Freeman.

I mentioned it to him and he was having a hard time locating it on there... maybe I should take a look.

Portal is a real blast. And it connects (believe it or not) to the Half Life universe. Wait till' you get your Companion Cube.

Lol! I loved the Companion Cube. It was so nice to talk to and I was very sad when I had to throw it in the incinerator. Hopefully it's as good at getting out of fiery situations as Chell is.

I'm really curious about the plot of Portal (and how it relates to HL2 ) ... and I'm especially curious about this facility I'm stuck in. Wondering what's up with all of those observation rooms that no one's ever in. The place feels a bit deserted, or like it's on auto-pilot. It's tempting to just look it all up online and get spoiled, but I shall resist.

[Shadowlander]

Oh my gosh, that part is awful. I was playing it the other day and reached that part, and finally had to take a break because so... many... zombies. I'm trying to figure out some kind of strategy for it. Wish me luck.

If it helps I think that's probably the most nerve-wracking part of the whole game. You should shoot video of you trying to get past that, it even had me yelping every now and then.

I checked Steam myself and couldn't find it, which is odd because the wiki on it says it's there as a download. I'm afraid downloading it off the main site would be the only way until it does appear at some point. It's well worth the download though.

I'm really curious about the plot of Portal (and how it relates to HL2 ) ... and I'm especially curious about this facility I'm stuck in. Wondering what's up with all of those observation rooms that no one's ever in. The place feels a bit deserted, or like it's on auto-pilot. It's tempting to just look it all up online and get spoiled, but I shall resist.

It's not an overly long game, so just keep pressing on and you'll find yourself finding out all sorts of things before too long. You get more info in Episode 2 as well. Remember....the Cake is a Lie.

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

=)) If it helps I think that's probably the most nerve-wracking part of the whole game. You should shoot video of you trying to get past that, it even had me yelping every now and then.

Haha! I'm sure my brother would be very happy to upload that to the internet and watch it go viral.

I haven't yet had a chance to make another attempt winning that part, but my brother played through it again yesterday. He said it took him around five times to beat it. I'm not even sure how he originally managed to get through it because he said he was having frame rate issues at the time.

I checked Steam myself and couldn't find it, which is odd because the wiki on it says it's there as a download. I'm afraid downloading it off the main site would be the only way until it does appear at some point. It's well worth the download though.

Ah! That's weird. Well, I'll pass that along and see if he can download it off the main site.

It's not an overly long game, so just keep pressing on and you'll find yourself finding out all sorts of things before too long. You get more info in Episode 2 as well. Remember....the Cake is a Lie.

I do hope that Chell gets some cake eventually, though. She's been put through so much stress.

*is now trying to decide whether she'll play HL2 or Portal when she has free time again* I don't usually like doing more than one game at once, but it's nice to be able to switch between the high intensity of HL2 and the calculating calmness of Portal. I guess it'll depend on how I'm feeling when I get around to having a couple of free hours.

[Shadowlander]

Rosie, I've been honestly sitting here the past couple of days and wondering if you were able to get past that really tough part. I've been half tempted to load up Black Mesa and run through that and then HL2 all over again. You've inspired me.

If anyone else reads this specific thread I've dug out my old copy of Age of Empires III and enjoy running my Dutch troops through the New World as I conquer the other colonial superpowers. If anyone has a copy of this (or would like one as it's going for very cheap on Steam right now!) please let me know. I'm not expert by any means and would love to try out some multiplayer.

Rosie, if you get around to trying out Team Fortress 2, which is bundled in with Orange Box, you let me know. I'd love to meet up and we can tackle the opposing team with a vengeance. See the awesome trailer for this wonderful little multiplayer game here. (PS: I'm almost always the Engineer. )

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

Rosie, I've been honestly sitting here the past couple of days and wondering if you were able to get past that really tough part.

I just had a chance to take another shot at it today! I died a few times and then suddenly made it to the elevator quite easily, to my surprise.

You know that chain link fence that is near the elevator, where the zombies will come at you from if you're waiting nearby? Well, I just sprinted down to the elecator and ran around past it first thing (I wanted to figure out where they were coming from to see if I could get the upper hand somehow), and ran down the length of it until Alyx and I came to an alcove with a few supplies at the back. The zombies/zombines would come after us, but they'd have to walk/run quite a ways before they reached the area, so it was easy to pick them off/ and recharge the flashlight in between attackers. It was actually fairly relaxed. Then Alyx started running off because the elevator was finally open and I ran after her. We just sprinted past the zombies and made it inside easily with plenty of health to spare. I couldn't believe it.

I've been half tempted to load up Black Mesa and run through that and then HL2 all over again. You've inspired me.

Go for it! Let me know if you find any good tips and tricks, too. (With HL2, that is. No Black Mesa spoilers. )

Rosie, if you get around to trying out Team Fortress 2, which is bundled in with Orange Box, you let me know. I'd love to meet up and we can tackle the opposing team with a vengeance. See the awesome trailer for this wonderful little multiplayer game here. (PS: I'm almost always the Engineer. )

Lol, the trailer! Those soldiers could make a very nice ballet troupe. I think my brother's mentioned it to me; if we give it a try, I'll have to let you know what we think of it.

[Ryadian]

If anyone else reads this specific thread I've dug out my old copy of Age of Empires III and enjoy running my Dutch troops through the New World as I conquer the other colonial superpowers. If anyone has a copy of this (or would like one as it's going for very cheap on Steam right now!) please let me know. I'm not expert by any means and would love to try out some multiplayer.

Hmm, maybe I'll have to dig out my dad's copy and see if it still runs on his computer. The AoE games (especially II and Mythology) have been a big part of my childhood (all of us kids played them a lot ), thought I don't think any of us liked III all that much. We weren't really a fan of the experience system. Then again, I don't think I've played it since I was 14-15, so I really should give it another shot. ...Sometime when I'm not playing AoE II or KotOR II.

Have you played the other games? If so, which one's your favorite? I do love AoE II, but personally, I'm going to have to go with Mythology. I'm a sucker for those myth units. Besides that, I like the campaign storylines, even if I used to cheat code my way through them. I'm trying to play them legitimately, but unfortunately, I haven't gotten the Steam copy yet, and our original copy often causes the computer to crash.

[Shadowlander]

I have AOE II on Steam, but it's not really my cup of tea. I really didn't like AOE III the first few times I played it. It's very different from its predecessors and the experience system you refer to can seem a bit odd. You do get used to it though and perhaps, like me, get to a point where you come to love it. The more buildings you construct and enemy units you neutralize nets you XP. With that XP you can select new cards to upgrade your culture. I've accumulated so much now I can send factories to my colony (a factory can mass produce any single commodity: wood/gold/food, and produce Heavy Cannon in addition to that), order mercenary troops (which are far more powerful than anything I can build), get perks to my resource gathering, combat prowess/power, and many other things. Then you can make customized "decks" of these cards for specialized purposes, like Naval warfare, or for laying siege to your opponents, or cavalry-heavy ones, or infantry-heavy ones, etc. I've been meaning to mess around with the Ottomans...they have this ginormous cannon they can produce called the Grand Bombard which looks like someone's dragging an enormous railroad tunnel around the battlefield.

As for AOE II I will usually play either the Celts or the Mayans. AOE I is a game I miss terribly and played lots of. I usually played the Minoans, who had great farming ability. But the Phonecians with the war elephants and mighty fleet units were my preferred cup o' tea.

Rosie, have you gotten anymore HL2 game done? I've been waiting impatiently for you to report!!

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

Lol, sorry that I've been tardy on my updates! I finished Half Life 2: Episode One a couple of weeks ago, if I remember correctly. I've really been liking Half-Life 2: Episode Two so far; I think it might end up being my favorite. I love how a lot of it takes place in the rugged countryside and I like how most of my enemies are zombies, antlions and Synth. And those Hunters, dang. Oh, and Griggs and Sheckley were hilarious.

Right now, I'm trying to defend the rocket from the Striders and Hunters, and it's driving me crazy. There are only a few more Striders to take down, but I've been having a heck of a time finishing the job. I took another shot at it a few minutes ago and managed to take down a Strider one second after it fired the fatal shot at the silo. GAH.

[Shadowlander]

That's a really tough part of the game. I read a strategy piece someplace that said that there's really only 3 Striders you have to look for, that the defenders will off the remainder. But for the life of me I cannot recall which ones they are. I think they're the ones that crouch before they fire. I loved Episode 2! They were supposed to release Episode 3 six months later...and here we are...what? 6 or 7 years later? @ Valve. I believe they're working on the next part, but the end of Episode 2 leaves you at a serious cliffhanger, at least plotwise. Then you're just going to have to go ahead and get Black Mesa Source to keep your addiction going .

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

I did it! Took down all of the Striders myself, too. By far, the worst part was taking out the Hunters; I finally just ended up running most of them down with the Muscle Car and finishing the rest off with whatever rockets I had on hand. Poor Eli, though!

They had better release that Episode Three soon. This is just cruel. I saw this on Reddit a few months before starting the game... suffice to say, I understand the pain of the artist a little better now.

Now, time to work on Portal soem more. Annnd to pester my brother about downloading Black Mesa Source.

[Shadowlander]

You'll like Black Mesa Source, methinks. And don't forget, Team Fortress 2!!! We can get a multiplayer game going You think the ending of Episode 2 is bad, *some* of us have been waiting 7 years for the next installment. It was supposed to be just 6 months. I think "Prepare for unforeseen consequences" was Valve's way of saying "It'll be 8 years, not 6 months". @ the HL3 poster!

In other news I've been fooling around with an older game this past week that has been a beloved favorite of mine since it came out. Tron 2.0! Lots of fun running the main character, Jet Bradley (son of Alan Bradley from Tron), through the computer world. The graphics still seem to be just as pretty today as they were back in 2003 (or so) when the game was released, probably for the very same reasons the film is still lovely. It's techno-modernism...lots of flat surfaces and cool neon lines. Did I mention Light Cycles? If you can find this wonderful title and are a fan of the original Tron film then you will love this game. Love it. I would not lie to you!

[fantasia]

/interrupts the Half-Life discussion with a brief update of her own.

So, I've actually been playing a new-to-me video game. My brother lent me his 3DS and I've been playing Fire Emblem: Awakening. It's pretty fun though I enjoyed Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Wii) a bit more than this one so far. But I am not far into the game at all so I probably shouldn't judge. If you're not familiar with this game, it's a turn based strategy RPG.

Anyways, so yeah. Actually have a game to talk about.

Meanwhile, my husband downloaded a SNES emulator on his old phone to play Earthbound. That game is HILARIOUS. Hubby described it best... it's like some creative person built the framework for the game, but then had his six-year-old and four-year-old fill in the details. It's just so weird and random.
For example, if one of the kids drinks a cup of coffee, you get this big ol' monologue, you get a several minute lecture on how awesome you are because you're trying to save the world and then gives you a pep talk on the challenges ahead.
Enemies include Violent Roaches, Mini-Barfs (yes, exactly what it says), Cranky ladies, Unassuming Local guy. Yeah...
Your weapons are frying pans, toy pop guns, and baseball bats.
Yeah, it's hilarious. Anyone else play this back in the day? (Since half the people on this forum probably weren't even born when it came out. )

[Shadowlander]

I played Earthbound many years ago and thought it was a fun little game. Finding a copy of it for your SNES can be a bit pricey because apparently everyone who plays this game loves it and wants it and unfortunately there were only a limited number of copies made for distribution in the US. I remember the "Unassuming Local Guy"! I have an SNES but a super tiny collection of games for it. Maybe I should start looking for a copy, eh?

[IloveFauns]

Talking about retro gaming, I was thinking about purchasing an N64, I spent many hours playing games on it in my childhood, but it hasn't worked for at least 4 years and my mum gave many of the games away. Though I will wait to the uni semester is over, so I have more time to replay old games. I will have to see how much people are selling them for now.