Video Games

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 1:02 am

Juton wrote:What I really like is that Blighttown is something you do only once. By that I mean is that after that you get the master key, then you can get to Quelaag without going through Blighttown. It has some nice loot though.

Is there another shortcut? I found the one from Valley of the Drakes, and I've been using it to go see Quelana to buff my pyromancy.

I also hit rank 2 in the Spider Covenant. Going to ditch it pretty soon when I find somewhere else.

I did that....okay, I'd been stockpiling humanity, since I found out my thing for loot drops also translates to being a damn magnet for other people invading. I'm usually trying to do something and don't need some fool popping in to me every hour. So I'd just been keeping them on tap, sometimes popping a couple to kindle a bonfire or something.

But a quick check of what was needed, a couple more points of humanity, and I got the spells from the covenant easy enough.

Juton · Post by **Juton** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 1:24 am

No, I was talking about the valley of the drakes shortcut. If other players are getting in your way you can always just disconnect your network cable until you've done what you needed to do.

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 3:28 am

Juton wrote:No, I was talking about the valley of the drakes shortcut. If other players are getting in your way you can always just disconnect your network cable until you've done what you needed to do.

Wireless router. But if I join an Xbox Live party, it puts me into offline mode, so I'm fine. I usually do that, to begin with. But walking around with a pile of humanity points on seems to be baiting me to lose them. I do better to leave them as the collectibles when I can.

It isn't like I shun PVP or co-op. But when ever hour I get invaded by someone--who I may or may not beat--well, it can be a pain.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 6:49 am

I'm trying to decide if there's anything left I want to pick up during the last 20 or so hours of GOG's holiday sale ( http://www.gog.com/en/page/xmas11 ) .

Is Witcher 2 worth 24 dollars? I hear it's good, but I've also heard some pretty negative stuff about the prior game.

Is Broken Sword 4 worth 5 dollars? I loved the first 2, just bought the 3rd, but the move to 3d has me concerned.

Zinegata · Post by **Zinegata** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 6:54 am

Witcher 2 is decent, but can be hard to "get" early on as the "tutorial" area leaves much to be desired. I would say it's worth it at that price.

Haven't played Broken Sword.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 7:06 am

Broken Sword 1 was one of my first adventure games, and I remember it with great fondness. I highly recommend it, with the caveat that one look up an FAQ if stuck for more than 5-10 minutes. Wonderful dialogue, and fewer crazy moon logic puzzles than many other adventure games of its time.

When I first got the game, I got stuck in Ireland trying to get past an extremely menacing goat. This was one of the big things that galvanized me into figuring out how to use the Internet for trivial research.

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 6:25 am

For the hell of it, I made a sorceror on Dark Souls.

Then I had a brain wave--I got some Homeward bones, a morningstar, then went to that imprisoned mage in New Londo, bought another casting of Soul Arrow, and then did a suicide run to Blighttown to get the crimson wizard robes and the Tin Banishment Catalyst.

It took me a few tries (forgot about one of the Toxin snipers), but I made it! Then used a Homeward bone to go back to Firelink.

Bootstrapping successful.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 8:33 am

Did my first serious attempt at Dungeons of Dredmor today. Nice roguelike. Died around floor 5 because I thought I could soak 1 more hit than I did. Next time I'll just use my potions as soon as I hit the danger zone.

Burglary is really useful. In the first 3 levels, you get unlimited lockpicks and 2 useful escape moves. Very handy in the early game, still useful later on.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:27 am

I picked that game out as an addictive side activity for Ess a few months ago, and it's become an obsession for him - especially after he learned the game is moddable. He's been going nuts learning how so he can build his own mods for it (and in the process found so many bugs the dev team named an item after him).

Unlike other games, though, I'm not complaining too much because fans of the game have been willing to pay him to make mods for them.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:46 am

Nice. Do these mods get posted on the official forums? I'm tempted to start experimenting now that I've played enough to know that I like the game.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:55 am

Yep! He's pretty noisy over there.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:10 am

Here we are:
http://community.gaslampgames.com/threa ... eady.1770/

Interesting. I may just have to do a new installation on my travel laptop so I'll have more opportunity to try DoD out.

Doom · Post by **Doom** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:48 am

I've been having fun with Dredmor, too. I mean, for a $5 game, it's an awesome deal.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 5:51 am

I got it as part of the Humble Introversion Bundle, so I'm definitely liking the deal. Since I already had Aquaria, it's my favorite new game out of the bundle so far. Defcon looks like I'll have to sit through a bit too much tutorial before I figure it out for my tastes.

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 6:41 am

Ornstein and Smough.

Ye. Fucking. God.

I took out Smough, then Ornstein powered up and I die three seconds after the cutscene ended.

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:03 pm

Okay, I won Round 5 (the aforesaid was Round 2).

And then downgraded that free Lightning Spear weapon you find into a +10 spear to make it into Ornstein's spear.

Still, that was the hardest boss fight. I tried looking for player help, but no signs were appearing. I ended up whistling up Solaire, who sadly died like RIGHT before I did the final attack.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 7:33 pm

Some dredmor highlights:

My first and last attempt at a dedicated fighter. I was reliant on turret traps for killing unique monsters.

Fireball + Blood magic is astonishingly good against crowds. You get back more mana than you spend.

1 skill for invincibility, one to take out enemies, one to get out of the coffin (teleport). Monster fountains are no longer scary

Battlefield control from golemancy and promethean magic is good for more just sealing yourself in a tomb. You can channel enemies along a certain path.

Count Arioch the 28th · Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:01 am

Skyrim question here:

Can someone explain to me how wards work? And take it very slow, because I literally don't have the faintest clue. When I use them, it seems to be up for a few seconds, then when I use it again it makes a weird sound and doesn't seem to go up.

Is it like Healing where I have to hold the button down to keep it up? Or is it a buff that just takes a long initial charge time?

Parthenon · Post by **Parthenon** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:27 am

Bit of both. It takes a second or so to start protecting you, then you need to hold the button down to keep it protecting you. It very quickly drains your magicka and so I find it nearly useless, used only in two places where there is stationary magic defences that repeatedly shoot spells at you.

It also only protects you from spells coming from your front like shields do.

name_here · Post by **name_here** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:44 am

Wards are a bit screwy. They take a bit to raise, during which supposedly they do nothing but I think actually counter the first incoming spell, and if they're hit by a spell during that period they make a funny noise and collapse. Once up, it's channeled like healing. They also have some sort of limit to how much damage they can take, but I'm not really sure what said limit is; the listed ones are too low to account for how much pounding they can take.

They do eat through your magicka like it's buffet night, but I find a second-tier ward will block half of a full Fire Breath Shout from a dragon. They seem to work tolerably well when combined with Restoration perks and equipment plus a deep pool of magicka.

Vnonymous · Post by **Vnonymous** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 3:29 am

Maxus wrote:Okay, I won Round 5 (the aforesaid was Round 2).

And then downgraded that free Lightning Spear weapon you find into a +10 spear to make it into Ornstein's spear.

Still, that was the hardest boss fight. I tried looking for player help, but no signs were appearing. I ended up whistling up Solaire, who sadly died like RIGHT before I did the final attack.

You're going to love Bed of Chaos.

By the way, if anyone is playing a sorcery character, a few things:

MAKE SURE TO RESCUE GRIGGS FROM THE LOWER UNDEAD BURG
MAKE SURE TO RESCUE BIG HAT LOGAN FROM SEN'S FORTRESS
DO THE DUKE'S ARCHIVE THE MOMENT YOU PUT THE LORDVESSEL DOWN(unless you're doing the four kings early to talk to Kaathe)
And finally, cut the fuck off of Seath's tail. Seath's tail is the Moonlight Greatsword, one of the best weapons in the game and the best weapon for intelligence characters.
After that, buy all of Logan's spells, save and quit the game, and then go back to where you first fight Seath - you'll get the best catalysts in the game, the best PVE spell and some pimp clothes.

I've played the shit out of dark souls, so if you have any questions ask me and I'll do my best to answer you.

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 3:46 am

Heh.

I was fucking around with Quelaag's Furysword.

Oh. Dear. God. That thing is fun to use. When I try a dex-based character, that is so going to be my main weapon.

Also, love how I got about 20 Titanite chunks from the Darkwraiths in New Londo, but haven't seen the first Darkhand.

Fuckers.

Vnonymous · Post by **Vnonymous** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 3:58 am

You can get the Dark hand for free if you kill the 4 kings before placing the lord vessel down or talking to Frampht at all, and if you throw thirty humanities into Kaathe you get the Darkwraith sword and armour set.

Also, the Lifehunt Scythe is probably my favourite boss weapon. God damn that thing is fun, especially in pvp. Looks fantastic, too.

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 4:54 am

Vnonymous wrote:You can get the Dark hand for free if you kill the 4 kings before placing the lord vessel down or talking to Frampht at all, and if you throw thirty humanities into Kaathe you get the Darkwraith sword and armour set.

Also, the Lifehunt Scythe is probably my favourite boss weapon. God damn that thing is fun, especially in pvp. Looks fantastic, too.

Knew it. Debated back and forth. Decided not to on this file. I'll do it on another. This character sort of went all over the place.

And, funny enough, I'm just not comfortable with attacking Priscilla. It's weird, I know. I went through the Painted World, got a ton of loot, and then walked right by her.

I think my next move is the Tomb of the Giants. I have some things to clear and want to have it out with Leeroy.

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:30 am

Woohoo! I did the Tomb of the Giants! I got the silver serpent ring, Leeroy's whole gear set, and has the presence of mind to put the ring on before I went to fight Nito. So 60k souls became 72k.