What Video Games Have You Been Playing? #23: Lost in Shalebridge Cradle

[Sommerswerd]

Total War: Three Kingdoms - Defeated (but not eliminated) Northern Han and vassalized a few more factions, including Duo Si, a native/nomad faction. I'm not completely sure what the implication of entering/conquering native/nomad lands (referred to in the game as "Nanman") is, but whatever, I'm doing it. I also suffered a major loss where one of my best armies got isolated and obliterated. I'm trying to decide whether I should completely eliminate the Northern Han. I've already vassalized the Southern Han.

I discovered that Lu Bu's eldest child, a daughter that I married off apparently was executed at the age of 33, but I can't figure out by who. I also discovered that I am somehow a family member of numerous rivals, I am guessing through some complicated web of marriages.

The other complicating factor, is that I have my armies mostly committed in the north to destroy the Northern Han, with smaller groups in the west to fight another major rival along with the Nanman, the east is completely conquered and/or vassalized, but the south is totally undefended and I am getting absolutely wrecked in the south by a marauding Meng Ho. At some point I am going to need to divert to the south to deal with him, but I am overcommitted in the north at the moment. I want to just raise a new army to deal with the southern threat, but I am back in financial trouble, as beefing up my armies has expended my surplus money.

Something that I have discovered and been able to use to great effect, is the "coerce" ability, which allows me to expend "momentum" (from winning consecutive battles) to get opponents to agree to ridiculously unfavorable/unbalanced diplomatic deals... essentially it allows you to rob your opponents and demand tribute for little or nothing in exchange.

 

[Takhisis]

I also discovered that I am somehow a family member of numerous rivals, I am guessing through some complicated web of marriages.

This sounds surprisingly historical for a videogame.

 

[Sommerswerd]

This sounds surprisingly historical for a videogame.

If you haven't tried a "Total War" series game, I recommend giving one a try. They combine turn-based play with RTS for combat. Its a really good game-mechanic. Then they add in a bunch of royal/palace intrigue stuff like in-Court feuding, marriages, divorces, arguments, betrayals, assassinations, and so on...

 

[Takhisis]

If you haven't tried a "Total War" series game

Sir, I resent this accusation.

 

[Sommerswerd]

Sir, I resent this accusation.

You implied! Not my fault!

 

[Takhisis]

I most certainly did no such thing.

 

[EgonSpengler]

You should keep both hands on the wheel like any good driver!

I steer the truck with my mind.

 

[Kyriakos]

Played Dwarf Fortress.

No. This is the definition of a time sinkhole

 

[Moff Jerjerrod]

I've been on a nostalgic trip lately and have been playing Heroes of Might and Magic III, Fallen Haven, Star Wars: Rebellion [aka Supremacy], and of course Civilization III: Conquests.

I find that the old games have a certain charm and engagement that is lacking in modern video games. Or I'm just getting old and longing for my childhood to be restored somehow.

 

[amadeus]

I was playing a Civ4: Realism Invictus of Great Britain trying to rebuild the empire, but by the 1700’s I was ahead in some ways but also far behind on the crown jewels of the British Empire.

Now I’m playing as Russia, and this is going much better. 200 AD and I have gone as far as the Urals, Turkestan, and am probably the strongest power at least in Europe if not all of Asia. Their unique building combined with the right civics gives me a huge commercial advantage, as well as my leader’s lower civic update costs.

I’ve been at a constant state of war for the past … 600? 800 years? And I’m running on pacifism. We are peaceful, or else! The only problem stopping me from taking most of Siberia now is the barbarian camps located around the mountains, so I have to go south around them to get to the Siberian tribes who are big, but technologically (militarily) backwards.

 

[Akka]

It should at least be point and click (if you want it narrowed down to what I'd prefer). I don't mind if it's 3d, but 2d/2.5d is preferable. Any ideas?

Coming back to this, I suddenly remembered that there is actually a game fitting these criteria that I found pretty great and played somewhat recently : Disco Elysium (it's even on sale for still one day).

 

[Kyriakos]

I was playing a Civ4: Realism Invictus of Great Britain trying to rebuild the empire, but by the 1700’s I was ahead in some ways but also far behind on the crown jewels of the British Empire.

Now I’m playing as Russia, and this is going much better. 200 AD and I have gone as far as the Urals, Turkestan, and am probably the strongest power at least in Europe if not all of Asia. Their unique building combined with the right civics gives me a huge commercial advantage, as well as my leader’s lower civic update costs.

I’ve been at a constant state of war for the past … 600? 800 years? And I’m running on pacifism. We are peaceful, or else! The only problem stopping me from taking most of Siberia now is the barbarian camps located around the mountains, so I have to go south around them to get to the Siberian tribes who are big, but technologically (militarily) backwards.

Reminds me of an ancient CivII game I played decades ago, on a map of the Earth, with Russia. I literally had more land/cities than the rest of the civs combined and imposed continental peace by threats.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Red Dead Redemption 2. Still looking absolutely amazing after 5 years. I'm starting to wonder if any game will ever match the graphics, mechanics, etc. from RDR2. I also wonder why the hell Rockstar doesn't release a VR version. It would be mind-blowing. (I tried a third party VR mod for 10 minutes and felt dizzy the rest of the day)

 

[Rambo919]

Duke Nukem 3D mods, then Ion Fury Aftershock, now Doom2 (most with the DN3DooM mod) mods.

Thinking about doing Civ5 Vox Populi again in a bit but the last few runs were disappointing, the AI just can't keep up the longer the game runs.

 

[Yeekim]

Red Dead Redemption 2. Still looking absolutely amazing after 5 years. I'm starting to wonder if any game will ever match the graphics, mechanics, etc. from RDR2. I also wonder why the hell Rockstar doesn't release a VR version. It would be mind-blowing. (I tried a third party VR mod for 10 minutes and felt dizzy the rest of the day)

On my first ever playthrough, trying to complete all sidequests and challenges as I go.

 

[Kyriakos]

I did end up playing (something like) 5 games of Dwarf Fortress.
And yes, my suspicion was correct, this game takes even longer to "complete" than paradox ones.
There is some allure in building settlements in tens of underground levels of a mountain, but it's also pointless. Besides, those dwarfs listen to the most horrid music in their taverns - yes, there are dwarf dancegoth pieces in the soundtrack when you go there.

PS, it's rather gimmicky that a simple door can hold a demon. Maybe they are just too discreet.

 

[danjuno]

Fallout: New Vegas has been an immense time sink for the last few months.

 

[Clubber Lang]

For the Red Dead Redemp' II Players -

Interactive map -

https://rdr2map.com/

Aiming/Settings etc... -

How To Remove "Mash X To Sprint" In RDR2/Other Important Control Tweaks For a Better Experience​

I created this account for one reason: The default controls and camera settings in RDR2 can be real bad, but with tweaking you can make the game feel much, much better. These tweaks did a lot for me to get rid of the frustration I had moving the camera around, and finally getting rid of tapping X to sprint on foot in R* games.
Edit: I will be continually updating this guide. Latest update is on 10/30/2018.

Getting Rid of Tapping X To Sprint:

1. Go to 'third person controls'
2. Change control scheme to 'Standard FPS'. This moves sprint from X/A to the left control stick and crouching to X/A. Ironically 'Standard FPS' is what makes moving in third person easier.
3. Now go to 'Accessibility', go to 'Running Mode' and change it to 'Toggle to Run'. No more holding down a button to run.
4. Now, instead of holding X to jog and mashing it to sprint, you click the stick once to jog, and click the stick twice to sprint. Click the stick while sprinting to go back into a jog, let off the stick a little and you go back to walking. After 17 years of having to master 'the claw' in Rockstar games I can finally not have to do it.

Some other important recommendations to improve movement/camera controls:

Third Person:

1. Turn 'Aim/Look Dead Zone' all the way down. This makes the joysticks more responsive. This is why you feel input lag in the game.
2. Crank 'Aim/Look Acceleration' all the way up. This will actually turn aim acceleration off, making moving the camera around much smoother.
3. Crank 'Aim Sensitivity' and 'Look Sensitivity' very high. I like to have look sensitivity a notch or two below aim sensitivity. Aim sensitivity a 2-3 notches below max. From here just experiment with what works for you.
4. As for 'Aim Assist', I like to keep it one notch above 0. This one kinda depends on your play style. Following steps 1-3 should get rid of the need for aim assist, I like it because it makes the shootouts a little snappier.

First Person:

1. Crank FOV all the way up. The default setting is like tunnel vision, all the way up is closer to a standard FPS.
2. Copy over the third person controls to the first person controls, including the 'Standard FPS' control scheme. Cranking up the acceleration is especially key to making this mode feel 100% more intuitive.

Now To The 'Camera' Menu:

Disable auto-centering for third and first person cameras. By default, the camera 'corrects' you from looking up or down too long once you let go of the stick. You may not of even noticed this, but your brain did. Disable this.


Also Highly Recommended:

• Go into first person when looting a house, or when indoors in general. Your default walking speed in first person is faster, and it makes aiming for specific items much less of a slog. It's also weirdly atmospheric and kind of awesome.

These settings made general movement through the world so much less sluggish and more responsive. I didn't feel like I was constantly fighting with the controls to have fun in the world.
I can't wrap my head around why Rockstar made the decision to leave the controls as they were. Figuring out how to tweak the sprint settings felt like finding an easter egg the game was hiding from me. I don't get the feeling Rockstar would ever patch in tweaked movement controls like what happened with The Witcher 3, but I hope they do.

Related media -

Red Dead Related Media v1.1​

R* denotes media that Rockstar employees have mentioned in interviews; Rockstar likely drew inspiration from these entries |

Movies​

Fiction​

• 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
• A small-time rancher agrees to hold a captured outlaw who's awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. A battle of wills ensues as the outlaw tries to psych out the rancher.
• The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
• Robert Ford, who's idolized Jesse James since childhood, tries hard to join the reforming gang of the Missouri outlaw, but gradually becomes resentful of the bandit leader.
• A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
• A wandering gunfighter plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge. The first of the Dollars Trilogy (aka the Man With No Name Trilogy).
• For a Few Dollars More (1965)
• Two bounty hunters with the same intentions team up to track down a Western outlaw. The second of the Dollars Trilogy (aka the Man With No Name Trilogy).
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
• A bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery. The third of the Dollars Trilogy (aka the Man With No Name Trilogy).
• High Plains Drifter (1973) R*
• A gunfighting stranger comes to the small settlement of Lago and is hired to bring the townsfolk together in an attempt to hold off three outlaws who are on their way.
• The Proposition (2005) R*
• A lawman apprehends a notorious outlaw and gives him nine days to kill his older brother, or else they'll execute his younger brother.
• Unforgiven (1992) R*
• Retired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner and a young man.
• Westworld (1973)
• A robot malfunction creates havoc and terror for unsuspecting vacationers at a futuristic, adult-themed amusement park.
• The Wild Bunch (1969) R*
• An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them.

Non-Fiction​

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TV Shows​

Fiction​

• Deadwood (2004-2006)
• A show set in the late 1800s, revolving around the characters of Deadwood, South Dakota; a town of deep corruption and crime.
• Godless (2017)
• In the 1880s American West murderous outlaw gang leader Frank Griffin hunts for ex-protege Roy Goode. Frank's chase leads him to La Belle, New Mexico - a town inhabited, after a mining disaster, almost entirely by women.
• *Hell on Wheels (2011-2016)
• The Civil War is in the past, but former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon can't put it behind him. Fresh are the horrific memories of the death of his wife, killed at the hands of the Union soldiers, an act that sets Bohannon on a course of revenge. This contemporary Western tells the story of his journey, a story that rides on Union Pacific's construction of the first transcontinental railroad. Bohannon's westward travels take him to a lawless melting pot of a town called `Hell on Wheels', which moves with the construction of the railroad.
• Into the West (2005)
• Tales from the American West in the 19th century, told from the perspective of two families, one of white settlers and one of Native Americans.
• Klondike (2014)
• The lives of two childhood best friends, Bill and Epstein, in the late 1890s as they flock to the gold rush capital in the untamed Yukon Territory. This man-versus-nature tale places our heroes in a land full of undiscovered wealth, but ravaged by harsh conditions, unpredictable weather and desperate, dangerous characters including greedy businessmen, seductive courtesans and native tribes witnessing the destruction of their people and land by opportunistic entrepreneurs.
• Westworld (2016-)
• Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, explore a world in which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.

Non-Fiction​

• Hatfields & McCoys (2012)
• Dramatization of the bitter blood feud between the two families on the West Virginia/Kentucky border in the years after the Civil War.
• The West (1996)
• The West, sometimes marketed as Ken Burns Presents: The West, is a 1996 documentary film about the American Old West. It was directed by Stephen Ives and featured Ken Burns as executive producer.
• Wild West Tech (2003-2005)
• Wild West Tech was a documentary series for the History Channel that featured in depth interviews with historians and authors, as well as action packed recreations, to tell the story of the technology that drove the history of the American West. The series was created by Dolores Gavin (History Channel) and supervising producer Louis Tarantino.

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Books​

Fiction​

• The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford by Ron Hansen
• Jesse James was a fabled outlaw, a charismatic, spiritual, larger-than-life bad man whose bloody exploits captured the imagination and admiration of a nation hungry for antiheroes. Robert Ford was a young upstart torn between dedicated worship and murderous jealousy, the "dirty little coward" who coveted Jesse's legend. The powerful, strange, and unforgettable story of their interweaving paths—and twin destinies that would collide in a rain of blood and betrayal—is a story of America in all her rough, conflicted glory and the myths that made her.
• Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy R*
• Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West is a 1985 epic Western novel by American author Cormac McCarthy. The majority of the story follows a teenager referred to only as "the kid," with the bulk of the text devoted to his experiences with the Glanton gang, a historical group of scalp hunters who massacred Native Americans and others in the United States–Mexico borderlands from 1849 to 1850 for bounty, pleasure, and eventually out of nihilistic habit. The role of antagonist is gradually filled by Judge Holden, a physically massive, highly-educated, exceptionally multi-talented member of the gang, depicted as completely bald from head to toe. Although the novel initially generated only lukewarm critical and commercial reception, it has since become highly acclaimed and is widely recognized as McCarthy's masterpiece as well as one of the greatest American novels of all time.[3] Time magazine included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005.

Non-Fiction​

• The Ladder of Rivers: The Story of I P Olive by Harry E. Chrisman
• A true account of what cow poke saw on the cattle drives. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible.
• Pistol Pete: Veteran of the Old West by Frank Eaton
• The name "Pistol Pete" was given to a 15-year-old boy for his shooting prowess. This story is about his experiences as a cowboy, scout, Indian fighter, trail rider and Deputy United States Marshall.

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Music​

• Red Dead Redemption Original Soundtrack (Spotify Album)
• The music for the 2010 action-adventure western video game Red Dead Redemption was composed by musicians Bill Elm and Woody Jackson. Recorded at Jackson's studio in Los Angeles, the soundtracks were produced by David Holmes. The music was intended to imitate soundtracks of 1960s Western films, such as Ennio Morricone's work on the Dollars Trilogy. In collaboration with each other, Elm and Jackson produced over fourteen hours of music across fifteen months. The composers used unconventional instruments to create unique sounds, and worked with artists such as Tommy Morgan during production. Four supplementary vocal recordings were also produced for the game.
• Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Original Soundtrack (Spotify Album)
• Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Original Soundtrack, the soundtrack for the downloadable content Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare, features compositions from the game, composed and produced by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson. It also features works from bands Kreeps and Misterio. Rockstar Games first published the album digitally via iTunes and Amazon Music on 23 November 2010, simultaneous with the release of Undead Nightmare.
• Ennio Morricone (Artist, Spotify) R*
• Ennio Morricone is often regarded as one of the most influential composers of all time. He has produced countless songs for western media, including the score for the Sergio Leone film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. One of his most well-known songs is Ecstasy of Gold (Spotify Song).

​

Mods -

Top mods at Red Dead Redemption 2 Nexus - Mods and community

www.nexusmods.com

Best free horse -
(Note - you must complete Hosea’s mission to unlock the stables and make the white Arabian spawn)

How to get one of Red Dead Redemption 2’s best horses early, for free

This is an upgrade worth your time

www.polygon.com

 

[Akka]

Fallout: New Vegas has been an immense time sink for the last few months.

Better late than never.

 

[Somebody613]

I was playing a Civ4: Realism Invictus

I keep hearing that RI is even better than C2C (which is partially built on RI), even from fans of the latter.
Can you elaborate on that?
I'm pretty sure I've played RI in the past, but since it's a "maybe", it definitely didn't register as a "cool mod" for me (unlike, say, RFC, especially the newer version, which I do recall).