Any gamers around here?

[Baruch]

Yes, the inner child is important ... don't kill it.

[Hijiri Byakuren]

Recently started a new playthrough of No Man's Sky. Almost immediately found a paradise planet. I love this game.

[Mike Cl]

Recently started a new playthrough of No Man's Sky. Almost immediately found a paradise planet. I love this game.

Steam has abut 50% bad reviews.  What has your experience been with the game so far?  Since you are playing thru again, I assume you like it.  What don't you like about it?

[Hijiri Byakuren]

Steam has abut 50% bad reviews.  What has your experience been with the game so far?  Since you are playing thru again, I assume you like it.  What don't you like about it?

Other than the odd bug, I have honestly had nothing but positive experiences with the game. It's had three major content updates since it was released with a fourth due to land this summer, all free. It's like a sci-fi version of Minecraft with borrowed elements from Skyrim. Aside from the three major races, there are now guilds that you can improve your standing with and accept quests from. The main quest known as the Atlas Path still exists, and a second main quest called the Artemis Path is now playable. You can purchase a capital ship (the game calls them freighters) and store a small fleet of starships you've acquired; starships come in four types, with each type having four classes, and specialize in different tasks, so naturally most people begin stockpiling them as soon as possible. I'm glossing over a lot of stuff, obviously, but that's the basic gist of it.

Most of the negative reviews are from people who are still butthurt about the disastrous launch the game had. I get it, it wasn't all it was cracked up to be at launch, but it's been two years: I'm over it, and so should every sensible person by now. The game has been fixed; more than fixed, actually, since it now has features above and beyond what were teased pre-launch.

If I really had to voice one gripe I have about the game, it's that the oceans are still quite underdeveloped. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's one of the things they touch up in the upcoming update.

[Mike Cl]

Thanks for the info.  It actually sounds like a game I'd like.  I did read that many of the bad reviews are based on the start-up.  If that's fixed, and it sounds like it has been, then get over it.  I'll have to try it, I think.  thanks.

[Cavebear]

I call it the learning curve.  When it is too steep, I have a hard time motivating myself to keep at it.  If the curve is too shallow, then I lose interest.  But when a game has a hard, but do-able, curve I play on and on.  After I thrive on the regular level, I then max out all the levels I can, and then set up different challenges. I love the feeling of mastering the game mechanics.  But I do reach a place with all games that I do become   bored with the game.  Like Skyrim, I'll let the game rest for upwards of a year.  Then I go back and replay it, but with a slightly different slant on it.  It's sort of like a child who loves to go back (and back and back) to that favorite book.  It guess having a childlike mind helps in some instances. :)

That's close to how I think about games, but only games I really like.  Like Civ.  And I think I will give it another try right now.

[Cavebear]

I think I suddenly realized something a few hours ago playing Civ5.  Understand that I have my mouse buttons reversed for personal convenience (right=left), but I suddenly caught on to right=selection, left =movement.  Whew, that helped. 

I suddenly found Queen Elizabeth (I am Nebuchcadnezzer  II- some letters are uncertain).  She was actually afraid and gave me some good trade deals AND I got Open Borders.  Hiawatha of the Iroquios is starting to get friendlier.  I have most of the Barbarians wiped out in my territory (though they sometimes show up like pesky mosquitos), I have Fortified Bowmen at strategic locations near penninsulas, and I have 6 cities  in 600AD. 

It won't last.  There are 6 civs more advanced than I am, and I expect ships hitting my coast at weak spots soon.  I doubt I will win this game, but I've improved my understanding greatly.  The next one will be much better.  It sure beats my first few attempts where I just got killed in an hour or 2!

I think I will study the different Civ characteristics closely before the next game.  Nebuchcadnezzer  II seems to work well enough for my style of play, but I bet there is a better one.

[Baruch]

In honest civ simulations, it is all about control of resources and development of technology ... and growth of population.  At some point a virtuous circle is created and the power level goes exponential.  Think Europe circa 1600.  Unless you are graced with good resources and population, you have to get some .. that means colonization.  Warfare for warfare's sake (Mongols) isn't a long term plan.  Loss of population, diversion of development money to war making outweigh the gain on resources (that you are less able to exploit).

[GrinningYMIR]

Our words are backed with NUCLEAR weapons. Also my 64 bit still runs doc 2 though it’s in a windowed mode, not sure what the difference is. But I also Have a couple spare XP and 7 comps lying around in various states of upkeep, my xp one still runs just fine and I used it a couple months ago to play HOMM2, panzer general and allied general again. Fun games

[Mike Cl]

Our words are backed with NUCLEAR weapons. Also my 64 bit still runs doc 2 though it’s in a windowed mode, not sure what the difference is. But I also Have a couple spare XP and 7 comps lying around in various states of upkeep, my xp one still runs just fine and I used it a couple months ago to play HOMM2, panzer general and allied general again. Fun games

Panzer General one of my all time favs.

[Baruch]

"Patton And Rommel" by Dennis Showalter is a parallel biography that reveals how it actually was.

Fury, the movie, was a good reminder that being in a tank was not much fun at all.

[Cavebear]

In honest civ simulations, it is all about control of resources and development of technology ... and growth of population.  At some point a virtuous circle is created and the power level goes exponential.  Think Europe circa 1600.  Unless you are graced with good resources and population, you have to get some .. that means colonization.  Warfare for warfare's sake (Mongols) isn't a long term plan.  Loss of population, diversion of development money to war making outweigh the gain on resources (that you are less able to exploit).

How often have you Played any Civ game.  Just curious.

[Cavebear]

I'm still having problems moving my Settlers.  I click on them to move them, and they seem to wander away.  Is that a failure on my part or a part of the game?  Civ3 was like that.

[Hydra009]

I'm still having problems moving my Settlers.  I click on them to move them, and they seem to wander away.  Is that a failure on my part or a part of the game?  Civ3 was like that.

My memory's hazy, but when you tell a unit to move a long distance (a journey that takes multiple turns), it'll move between turns or at the very beginning of your turn.  How things are timed in that game was really strange.  That's normal, no fault on your part.

[Hydra009]

In honest civ simulations, it is all about control of resources and development of technology ... and growth of population.  At some point a virtuous circle is created and the power level goes exponential.  Think Europe circa 1600.  Unless you are graced with good resources and population, you have to get some .. that means colonization.  Warfare for warfare's sake (Mongols) isn't a long term plan.  Loss of population, diversion of development money to war making outweigh the gain on resources (that you are less able to exploit).

That's the boomer strategy.  It works when you're far away from enemies or you have excellent natural barriers.  Otherwise, you're going to want to divert at least some funds to protecting your borders.  It's way less costly than watching your territory get overrun.

Though, the other extreme is going full rush and neglecting resourcing.  That might work if you can destroy or cripple your opponent early on.  If you can't, that's pretty much a guaranteed loss.

Most strategy games require a mix of resourcing and militarism.