What Video Games Have You Been Playing, Part 10: Or; A Shameful Display!

[Mouthwash]

There is a very small mod that displays enemy level in-game. Try that. Also, you can definitely look up the "leveled areas", they're called encounter zones and you can find them in the Creation Kit or via TES5Edit. You can also manipulate them, which is one part of the mod I'm making If you want to know anything else just hit me up.

One of the things I don't get about Skyrim is the mix of low and high level enemies. I've found them in random encounters (e.g. Dawnguard attacks) and in dungeons. One enemy is suited to your level, but another might be level five or one. There doesn't seem to be a reason for this, but no mod fixes it.

And I can't find a mod which makes skeletons level up either!

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Just make sure you save often. That game has a nasty habit of crashing for no damn reason whatsoever... and Sim City is the kind of game where a well timed crash that erases all your progress is enough to make you quit the game for a year

I had this problem with the steam version when I got it but there was some fix. I don't remember cus it was years ago, some kind of launch option. I think it had to do with issues with memory on 64 bit systems.

Add -CPUCount:1 to the shortcut. It gets crashy on multicore processors.

Graphics Rule Maker is also useful, the game sometimes has trouble detecting newer video cards so this will allow the game to run at better graphics quality

 

[Ajidica]

but I prefer to see Shepard's face during conversations, so it's a tough decision

Why every RPG doesn't include a 'toggle helmet visibility' feature I will never know. It isn't like Bioware is unaware of the concept, they did it in Dragon Age.
Nothing like spending an hour working on your character's face, and then never being able to see it.

 

[Imaus]

I got my hands on Creativerse and Space Engineers. The latter is really helping me flesh out my space operas; the former is just a more polished minecraft.

 

[Phrossack]

Why every RPG doesn't include a 'toggle helmet visibility' feature I will never know. It isn't like Bioware is unaware of the concept, they did it in Dragon Age.
Nothing like spending an hour working on your character's face, and then never being able to see it.

At least a flip-up visor would be nice. Armor should look and act like armor. The Kestrel's a nice helmet but it's weird not being able to see Shepard's eyes.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I finally beat a scenario I've tried a few times in Sword of the Stars. The scenario is called Upstart Apes and you play as humans with entry-level technology against a major Tarkasian empire that's decently advanced. You basically have to survive a set number of turns and you are helped by political instability in the Tarkasian empire that essentially causes the AI to lose a bunch of productive turns due to infighting. The way the scenario plays out is that you begin expanding, run into a few scouts, then get hit with a couple of waves of reconnaissance-in-force by the Tarkasians. If you survive this initial wave, they will later follow up with a big invasion on a couple of focused fronts.

Normally, that is the point where I lose. This time, I bee-lined straight for AI and cruiser merchant fleets which gave me a massive economy. The build-up of my merchant fleet sucked a lot of my resources and made things pretty dicey as the initial recon-in-force waves took a couple of planets and nearly pushed me over the edge. However, I was able to recover a lot faster than I had in the past and pretty soon my ships were outclassing the Tarks in every respect. I threw together a couple of fleets that struck deep in Tarkasian space and dislodged them from a few worlds. Then I dug in and began building up the final fleet to take the fight all the way to their homeworld. During this time, the Tarkasians were stuck in a loop where they broke their main fleets trying to retake their worlds and then were reduced to just sending small harassing fleets to my borders which were easily repelled.

Then the game ended on the set turn before I could deliver the finishing blow. I thought I'd be able to continue playing past that point but unfortunately the game had a hard-stop on the scenario and it just ended. It was very anti-climactic and disappointing to say the least.

 

[Lexicus]

Sword of the Stars is still sitting unplayed in my Steam Library. I will play it someday

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Sword of the Stars is still sitting unplayed in my Steam Library. I will play it someday

Oh dude you definitely need to give it a try. Get all the expansions if you can, but probably play the base game first. The expansions add a lot of mechanics like merchant fleets that can be a bit overwhelming if you don't understand the base game but they are a lot of fun. The combat is a ton of fun as is researching technologies and designing ship types.

The game also has 'grand menaces' which are superpowered alien forces you have to deal with in addition to random smaller menaces like asteroid monitors*, booby trapped derelicts and a bunch of other stuff. I have thrown many a fleet at the Von Neuman homeworld which is one of the grand menaces.

*monitors in the sense of armored, slow moving bases, not watchful

Edit: The sequel is pretty horrible and I can't get into it

 

[Akka]

The main problem I have with Sword of the Stars is the ATROCIOUS art. I mean, seriously, it's honest-to-god 10-years old sketches.
I might, one day, manage to get over it and play the game, but I'm shallow for now.

 

[Sommerswerd]

Oh dude you definitely need to give it a try. Get all the expansions if you can, but probably play the base game first. The expansions add a lot of mechanics like merchant fleets that can be a bit overwhelming if you don't understand the base game but they are a lot of fun. The combat is a ton of fun as is researching technologies and designing ship types.

The game also has 'grand menaces' which are superpowered alien forces you have to deal with in addition to random smaller menaces like asteroid monitors*, booby trapped derelicts and a bunch of other stuff. I have thrown many a fleet at the Von Neuman homeworld which is one of the grand menaces.

*monitors in the sense of armored, slow moving bases, not watchful

Edit: The sequel is pretty horrible and I can't get into it

I looked it up and it sounds like a souped up version of Spaceward Ho!... is it basically Spaceward Ho: The Remix?

 

[civvver]

I tend to take Mordin or Jacob and Miranda in the early game for bio/tech support since I have the shooting handled. Just got Shock Trooper, with reservations--I appreciate the +100% Paragon/Renegade boost, but the damage boost to weapons and powers is tempting. Also tempted to switch to the Kestrel helmet for stats, since every bit of shield and damage boosting helps and I don't land headshots as much as I'd like for the visor, but I prefer to see Shepard's face during conversations, so it's a tough decision. I will have to set aside some time to agonize over that and the color scheme adequately.

I haven't used AR nearly as much as I should, but I have switched from Flashbang to Geth Shield Boost, which helps now that I'm on Hardcore. I notice everyone and their varren is shielded and targeting me specifically. And I'm burning through ammunition at an alarming rate in each firefight. It's not always that easy wearing down their shields and picking them off one by one while avoiding getting shot to ribbons, but I suppose that's why it's called Hardcore!

All class are equally effective, they just have different playstyles. Well, with one caveat, boss fights. Some bosses are just really hard to kill with powers vs weapons or at close range. Soldier and infiltrator seem to do the best on bosses but it doesn't rule out stuff like adepts or vanguards entirely.

Soldier is all about rush, let a squad mate level the ammo powers. Then which squad dudes you take is up to you, but I usually like them to compliment me in some way. If I can strip armor well then I take jacob with fire ammo or mordin with his fire ability iirc.

The thing about weapons on harder level is it's not really about dps, it's about ammo efficiency. Ammo is your only limited resource in the game since you recover health by just waiting behind cover and abilities don't run out, they just have cooldowns. It's tricky too because it's not just about the damage of a full clip. Like I don't like the phalanx pistol thing because it's overkill for most bad guys. I haven't played in a while and don't remember the specific numbers but I think it gets like 6 shots a clip or something horrible like that while with some of the sniper rifles you get more and still kill with one head shot. Then you have straight up comparisons like the second level assault rifle you get does more dmg on a full clip that the starting one which is pretty bad.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I looked it up and it sounds like a souped up version of Spaceward Ho!... is it basically Spaceward Ho: The Remix?

I've never heard of that game unfortunately

 

[Dachs]

I tend to take Mordin or Jacob and Miranda in the early game for bio/tech support since I have the shooting handled. Just got Shock Trooper, with reservations--I appreciate the +100% Paragon/Renegade boost, but the damage boost to weapons and powers is tempting. Also tempted to switch to the Kestrel helmet for stats, since every bit of shield and damage boosting helps and I don't land headshots as much as I'd like for the visor, but I prefer to see Shepard's face during conversations, so it's a tough decision. I will have to set aside some time to agonize over that and the color scheme adequately.

I haven't used AR nearly as much as I should, but I have switched from Flashbang to Geth Shield Boost, which helps now that I'm on Hardcore. I notice everyone and their varren is shielded and targeting me specifically. And I'm burning through ammunition at an alarming rate in each firefight. It's not always that easy wearing down their shields and picking them off one by one while avoiding getting shot to ribbons, but I suppose that's why it's called Hardcore!

There are several ways to improve ammo expenditure rates as a Soldier:

1. Fire in AR as much as possible. It's a straight damage boost, for one. For another, the time dilation can make it easier for less experienced players to track moving targets and repeatedly get headshots. Get into a rhythm with your weapon of choice.

2. Improve aim. (I know, I know.) Fewer missed shots are one thing. Repeatedly nailing headshots with all arms is another. Once you get to the latter, you will start to sail on Hardcore/Insanity.

3. Kill protections with the things best suited to eliminate them. Fire damage or Warp for armored enemies, electrical damage for shielded and synthetic enemies, Warp and Reave for barriered enemies. As a Soldier, this can be accomplished through judicious use of squad offensive cooldowns. It can also be accomplished through judicious use of ammo powers. Set up your ammo powers on your various weapons at the beginning of the mission, and switch between them during combat if necessary. Which ammo powers those are depends on which weapons they are and what kind of play style you intend to use. Synergy should be the key word.

4. If you can, and if it won't get in the way of your headshot spree, use physics damage against enemies after they have been stripped of their protections. They take double damage when ragdolled for whatever reason: Singularity, Pull, Concussive Shot, and so on. Save this for elite and boss type enemies - e.g. Blue Suns Centurions, Blood Pack Warriors, Eclipse Vanguards - so as not to waste cooldowns on mooks easily slaughtered with firearms.

5. Be aware of sneaky tricks with your squad's cooldowns. Using Overload or Energy Drain on a Blood Pack Pyro will detonate the fuel pack for its flamethrower and cause AoE fire damage. Knocking a Husk off its feet instagibs it. With few exceptions, AoE versions of powers are generally more useful than high-damage versions because of how much the AI loves to bunch up.

6. Use your squad's cooldowns on...well...cooldown. The more damage they take off your hands, the less ammo you'll expend. Since AR is the only offensive cooldown the Soldier really needs, you've got plenty of hotbar space to put your squad's other powers. Use it.

Soldier is all about rush, let a squad mate level the ammo powers. Then which squad dudes you take is up to you, but I usually like them to compliment me in some way. If I can strip armor well then I take jacob with fire ammo or mordin with his fire ability iirc.

A Soldier can level AR extremely quickly (especially on a save import file, to say nothing of NG+), at which point she has basically nothing else to dump points into save ammo powers and the passive. Jacob should get Squad Incendiary but there's simply no reason for the Soldier not to get Inferno Ammo and Squad Disruptor Ammo too.

 

[Ajidica]

I looked it up and it sounds like a souped up version of Spaceward Ho!... is it basically Spaceward Ho: The Remix?

No idea.
It basically is the build-your-own-ships from GalCiv combined with a Total War real time battles with turn based campaign setup. Each race also has their own travel setup* and various strengths, such as the engines of human ships being vulnerable to damage due to their delicate Node Drives, and the Morrigans being able to locate their command module behind the mission module, protecting it from damage.

*Humans can travel very fast along preset routs, the Liir travel very fast in deep space but slow down as they near planets, and the Hivers can only travel sublight but can set up jump gates that provide instant travel anywhere in the universe.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

No idea.
It basically is the build-your-own-ships from GalCiv combined with a Total War real time battles with turn based campaign setup. Each race also has their own travel setup* and various strengths, such as the engines of human ships being vulnerable to damage due to their delicate Node Drives, and the Morrigans being able to locate their command module behind the mission module, protecting it from damage.

*Humans can travel very fast along preset routs, the Liir travel very fast in deep space but slow down as they near planets, and the Hivers can only travel sublight but can set up jump gates that provide instant travel anywhere in the universe.

I have never ever played a game as a Zuul. That play style just doesn't interest me.

 

[Ajidica]

Yeah, I've played as everybody but the Zuul also. My favorite factions are either the Humans or Tarka.
Though I do like playing as the Liir and unleashed biological weapons against my enemies, totally depopulating their planets. "You thought we were nice giant psychic space dolphins! Think again, for we wield steel and fire!"

 

[Akka]

I've been very surprised to see it, but Diablo has come to GOG
I think I'm going to jump back a bit into the game that made me discover the Internet and is the reason why I have a mage avatar to begin with.

 

[Hygro]

Oh. Ok.
Don't worry too much about the esper bonuses on lvl ups once you get access to them.
Like, just using the early game espers bonuses is fine enough, they're just smaller.
You don't have to purposefully [not level] or anything.

Naw fthat BREAK THE GAME AND BE GODS

 

[Arakhor]

I've been very surprised to see it, but Diablo has come to GOG
I think I'm going to jump back a bit into the game that made me discover the Internet and is the reason why I have a mage avatar to begin with.

Sadly, Hellfire hasn't arrived with it. The monk was my favourite class.

 

[Phrossack]

There are several ways to improve ammo expenditure rates as a Soldier:

1. Fire in AR as much as possible. It's a straight damage boost, for one. For another, the time dilation can make it easier for less experienced players to track moving targets and repeatedly get headshots. Get into a rhythm with your weapon of choice.

2. Improve aim. (I know, I know.) Fewer missed shots are one thing. Repeatedly nailing headshots with all arms is another. Once you get to the latter, you will start to sail on Hardcore/Insanity.

3. Kill protections with the things best suited to eliminate them. Fire damage or Warp for armored enemies, electrical damage for shielded and synthetic enemies, Warp and Reave for barriered enemies. As a Soldier, this can be accomplished through judicious use of squad offensive cooldowns. It can also be accomplished through judicious use of ammo powers. Set up your ammo powers on your various weapons at the beginning of the mission, and switch between them during combat if necessary. Which ammo powers those are depends on which weapons they are and what kind of play style you intend to use. Synergy should be the key word.

4. If you can, and if it won't get in the way of your headshot spree, use physics damage against enemies after they have been stripped of their protections. They take double damage when ragdolled for whatever reason: Singularity, Pull, Concussive Shot, and so on. Save this for elite and boss type enemies - e.g. Blue Suns Centurions, Blood Pack Warriors, Eclipse Vanguards - so as not to waste cooldowns on mooks easily slaughtered with firearms.

5. Be aware of sneaky tricks with your squad's cooldowns. Using Overload or Energy Drain on a Blood Pack Pyro will detonate the fuel pack for its flamethrower and cause AoE fire damage. Knocking a Husk off its feet instagibs it. With few exceptions, AoE versions of powers are generally more useful than high-damage versions because of how much the AI loves to bunch up.

6. Use your squad's cooldowns on...well...cooldown. The more damage they take off your hands, the less ammo you'll expend. Since AR is the only offensive cooldown the Soldier really needs, you've got plenty of hotbar space to put your squad's other powers. Use it.

A Soldier can level AR extremely quickly (especially on a save import file, to say nothing of NG+), at which point she has basically nothing else to dump points into save ammo powers and the passive. Jacob should get Squad Incendiary but there's simply no reason for the Soldier not to get Inferno Ammo and Squad Disruptor Ammo too.

I've been slow to level everyone up. Still don't have Level 4 AR. I tend to bring Miranda on most missions because of her squad damage bonus and her powers, and then usually Mordin, Garrus, or Jacob. I'll have to use more combo attacks. Cutting down enemy shields with powers and following up with multiple headshots from an incendiary Phalanx hand cannon while wearing the visor works well. But I would like to get away from only using Miranda.

What's your favorite heavy weapon? I tend to forget I have one, since I save the ammo for emergencies that never come.