I’m not amazing at these games, particularly the faster ones, but I’m pretty good to the point I tend to play thematic builds or and actively eshew OP stuff because it’s funnier to kill a dragon with a dagger than a big sword.

I think elden ring is almost flawless until after leyndell. Going from one of the best levels they’ve ever made, filled with thoughtful design to bats that 2 hit your 60 vigur build in the flat, empty snowfields is… A decision.

It’s basically tradition that the bottom falls out of these games in the last bits. I think elden ring is just too big, even the levels with great design like elphale end up becoming tedious slog fests because there’s just nowhere for them to take it. Hey look it’s those basic soldiers, but they’re umm golden now and they hit like a truck and umm explode and uhhh 8 Royal revenants. Hmm game design!

The broken scaling of everything means that a lot of the boss fights end up either you wombo combo them, they wombo combo you, or it’s a tedious scratch and run away event. There’s no epic genichiro or owl level toe to toe lightning duels. Even malania, a boss with absolutely stunning design, becomes dying to waterfowl dance in one/two hit/s over and over till you learn to dodge it or just snap and pull out the blasphemous greatsword and chain pancake her to death.

Yeah. I am not a Buddhist but I’ve always found something rings true in the reflections on impermanence. When we bond with someone we accept the pain of loss, and when we feel it most people seem to describe relief once able to “let go” an accept it being over.

It seems to me that encouraging clinging and reminiscening stunts you a bit and only really provides temporary relief of the loss while drawing out the time it takes to process it.

Idk though, maybe I’ll have the misfortune to feel differently some day. It’s hard to judge someone hanging out with their spouse watching death creep closer each day. I have approximately zero idea what my opinions would be in the face of that.

My wife is fortunately still alive so maybe that colours my view. However when I’ve lost other people the blessed anaesthesia of forgetting has been essential in being able to function.

From the short quote it seems like she maybe has a healthy-ish attitude but idk… I feel like this would be a shallow simulacrum that prolongs grief.

whimper was a dovecot and postfix machine. Email isn’t very fun

I don’t have many now, just minstrel (it plays music) but previously they’ve always just be sounds. Rawr, groan, whimper, bark, moan, growl etc.

Except minstrel (it plays music) :p

I hate how difficult it is to find games I like when it used to be so trivial.

2010: “I want to play another game like rogue”

“Ok try these 10 games which are all excellent, and then there’s these 50 which stretch the definition but rhyme with it if you like”

2020: “I want to play a game like rogue”

“Here’s a 3d looter shooter with multiplayer and 9 currencies for upgrades between short runs”

triumph of the will was good actually 🙄

are you actually serious?

🔥

9/10 installs malware

You stay away from my tatsu!

It would be nice, I wouldn’t bet on it though and don’t recommend buying something in the chance it gets better later. I’m enjoying myself atm and wont be mad if it never becomes more than it is.

Hopefully it’s at least a signal to other devs that there is real market interest in base building + monster collection or just open world monster collecting

Idk, it’s definitely not some sort of life changing experience or high art or whatever. It is however kinda cute, a little bit funny, has an enjoyable gameplay loop, adequate exploration, and satisfy combat. It’s also pretty cheap.

The monster mechanics are surprisingly well integrated into the world. Just basic shit like pulling out a burny fox to see when in a cave is pretty immersive. Then discovering special mechanics like the boar that rapidly mines by charging rocks has you throw out your pick and start careening around like a loon.

It only really has legs during the discovery phase I think, but that’s fine. Games aren’t bad if they end.

Idk, it’s pretty difficult to get my peers to check out black and white film, let alone silent, and yet most enjoy what they see.

I came to gaming after the NES (although I was alive at the time) and have recently been emulating games and have been surprised by how good some are.

There are still modern games that expect you to read a manual before playing, there are still modern games where it takes about 2 hours to learn the UI. There are older games with 3 page manuals and simple controls too.

You’ve got to remember you’re not immune to marketing tactics either. Like part of the resistance to checking out older stuff has been placed in us all by gaming companies training us to interpret stuff like low framerate as bad, or controls that aren’t fluid as bad.

Best game doesn’t necessarily mean most enjoyable now, or even an enjoyable experience at all. Some of the greatest art is difficult, unpleasant, and challenging. Some of the greatest video games are those that set trends, or do something unique despite rough edges, or are even straight up hostile to their player.

Basically everything old. There’s such massive recency bias in game discussions. It’s very much an explicit marketing strategy to promote the new thing as more everything but somehow it’s infected almost all discussions.

Sure ok, playing an old game requires a bit more investment and effort than watching an old film or even reading an old book but mostly it’s just about lack of familiarity. Especially outside of fps style games where I’ll admit prior to halo 1 things were pretty all over the shop many older games are still approachable.

Coupled with the general dismissal of strategy and simulation genres (which were comparatively bigger in the past) and many things get forgotten outside of cult classic status.

Better than most but I couldn’t find mention of anything that prevents them from complying with secret requests to begin data monitoring.

Potentially where they’re based that’s unconstitutional or something but I didn’t see evidence of such.

how do they prove that they both don’t and can’t?

Just use any old proxy either paid for in cash in the mail, or in a country that absolutely won’t cooperate with yours legally when you need it.

Your VPN will absolutely fold under the slightest legal pressure.