Acid07

Finally got the time to read the final chapters of the rewrite. Like all of the other updates that were made, they really helped flesh out what was already an excellent base. Kudos to you both for undergoing such a thorough project of updating what was already an awesome story without taking away any of the original feeling. No complaints on getting to read an enhanced version all over again. The bits including Trevor a bit more (even though he's often away from the main story), as well as fleshing out some of the other Alphas at the congress (especially the pair's main friends) stuck out to me as positives in the last bit, but the whole story was a great reread. I'm still left curious about who was betraying Dorian though haha. Heck, maybe I should start over Probably read the second story first though... Anyway, thanks for making such a great universe to enjoy!

It all comes down to what I'm looking for when I choose to buy a new game. I absolutely love a good single player game (especially RPGs). I also enjoy the social aspect of working with a few friends to beat a game. I don't usually go for multiplayer PVP, but enjoy being able to team up with friends for PVE (though I will admit to playing a decent amount of Apex Legends which is purely PVP). I'd never played the Borderlands games before, but this one is pretty fun. And it has a character that reminds me of the Biotics from Mass Effect, so that's a plus haha. Considering how much I've played other shooters, it fits my trend as of late. Star Wars will very likely be one of my next ones (so ready for that).

I contemplated this game when I saw some of the trailers for it. Most of my friends got Borderlands though, so ended up following suit. Apparently I cave into peer pressure easily & also can't resist looter shooters. But at least it's pretty fun haha.

So much fun in there. Though considering that I'm running original release consoles, even the elite/pro versions of the current generation have nicer specs than what I'm running now haha. I do think it'll be curious how they differentiate themselves this round when so many of the initial release info seems comparable. Xbox One was a much better media center than PS4, but who knows what they'll do this round. E3 2020 (among other conferences) should be quite a showcase...

I feel like pipedream might be an exaggeration. Given what Microsoft is already saying Scarlett will do (8K/120fps), I think they'd have a rather large fallout if they completely recanted on the things they announced at E3. And if they didn't think it would be feasible to build, I can't imagine they'd be rushing to announce a console when Sony hasn't yet. Now, whether game developers are utilizing it at launch is another story, but I feel like a downgrade from the early promises would not go over well, forcing Microsoft to build a machine capable of what they've announced. And I'd expect the new Halo title, which is set to be the big launch title, stands a chance to be one they use to showcase whatever they can.

Although I put more time in on my PS4, I definitely prefer the way an Xbox controller handles (so much so that I spent almost the same amount on my SCUF that feels like an Xbox controller as I did the console itself haha). I don't recommend that for anyone just playing casually, but the extra paddles can be nice. As @Myr mentioned, there are rechargeable options for Xbox controllers (though I've had the same recharge pack since I bought it 5+ years ago without any failure, but that's splitting time with my PS4). Ultimately, it's a lot about how you like a controller to feel. The Dualshock is compact, but the analog stick placements have never felt as good to me as an Xbox design (and I've had PS consoles since my childhood & the PS1). I can use both controllers without issue, but definitely prefer the larger & different format that Microsoft uses. All this talk about 4K does not have me looking forward to the massive wave of upgrades I'll need to make on the next generation. I skipped upgrading to 4K, but if all of the new consoles are pushing 8K, it might be time to finally upgrade my system when the new generation emerges...

Learn something new everyday. I'd never even heard of the genre. Gotta love the digital era that allows for all sorts of forms of entertainment for different tastes. And you'll always find someone who decides to act as if they didn't know what they were playing. Between general trolls and misguided individuals, you get to see some...interesting rants at times. Guess that's one of the drawbacks of the digital era haha.

I wouldn't say that they have gone to the extremes to throw in little bits just to act like they're conscientious about things (at least in what I play, although I'm sure there are plenty of examples that probably would fit that). Most of the games I favor don't center around romance or these types of issues in general. They provide options, have stories, and allow the player to choose who they're interested in (to a certain extent, as it's unrealistic to think that EVERYONE should be interested in romancing the main character). In my experience it isn't the LGBTQ elements that are afterthoughts so much as the romance element to the game itself, which doesn't really bother me since that's not the primary reason I'm playing. We all have different reasons and expectations for escaping into video games. I guess I just don't see it as too much of a problem because I only think of that element as a small component of the game. If I'm trying to save the planet/universe/kingdom/whatever, I might play some of the romance angles (or learn more about the lore that's shoved into games) along the way, but it's rarely more than a branch from the main story. A step forward is better than a step backward at least haha.

Yeah, in the end, I'm sure I'll end up with both consoles in the next gen. Unless they ever fully embrace crossplay (which isn't likely). Guess I should finally plan to upgrade the TV for the next round too. Sigh... I'm not quite as against Google. I'm less interested in games as a streaming service, but not simply based on Google's involvement. I've been a fan of a lot of their products (both as an ISP and some of the physical products they manage), but I know not everyone has the same feelings on them. I will be curious how it works out though. It theoretically would work well with their Fiber infrastructure, as it would likely need solid speed and no data caps. I'll probably watch it for a bit to see how it seems to be going before even considering the idea of buying in.

I have to laugh at how badly they have handled the franchise. It keeps me from crying about it haha.

The gameplay they showed at E3 looked pretty solid. They did answer the question about it being pure hero (yes), as the story is fairly rigid since it is apparently considered canon in the Star Wars universe. Still plenty of time for things to go bad, but I'm cautiously hopeful at this stage haha.

As you seem to be a Microsoft fan, what are your thoughts on the early details of Project Scarlett? With a holiday 2020 release, we'll begin the new generation (though some could argue the Switch has already started that, but Nintendo tends to operate outside of the Sony/Microsoft battleground...to me at least). Microsoft is going back to its roots with a Launch Halo title, and the specs look fairly impressive (on the surface). Curious to see what Sony has in its next gen console, as well as the evolution of Google Stadia hitting the market this year. Here's hoping for a successful new wave of hardware!

I think I have Gone Home downloaded on a console. Never actually played it though. For the most part, I think most relationship elements in games are mostly in the form of "side quests". Most of the time it feels like it's there to allow for a little depth, but isn't an essential focus (which is fine to me, as adding an inclusive element is better than not having it). That isn't really the main reason I'm playing anyway, but to have the option to choose from a variety of "interests" is a nice touch.

This is pretty much what I've been hoping for. A single-player campaign set in one of my favorite universes of all time. Although I love the Old Republic era, I think this could be fun (though I'm curious if you can progress towards the Dark Side or if it's a pure hero game). Either way, I'm really hoping they do well here. I've liked what I've played from Respawn (a lot of the original Titanfall & a bit of Apex), and the founders were from one of my favorite eras of Infinity Ward, which was during the MW period. While EA does generally make me nervous, hopefully they don't botch this one too badly. A lot of recent titles have been disappointing (Fallout 76 & Anthem having mediocre launches). But hey, maybe a dedicated campaign can be sorted out better than a constantly online game. Here's hoping! Probably won't preorder it, but it's not like that puts a player at a disadvantage compared to those who had the game from Day 1.

Been enjoying getting to read these updated versions as they get released. Hope to someday see a new story in this universe, but not upset to have an excuse for rereading this story for the umpteenth time!

I honestly can't say I have a major preference at this point. I usually buy games on Xbox & PS4 depending on where friends plan to play. Recently that's mainly been on PS4, so I have mainly been on that, but my (paid) game library is fairly balanced between the two. Never owned a gaming pc, but in my very limited experience I'm not a very good keyboard/mouse player.

I'm not sure if you're familiar with SCUF, but their Vantage controller is very similar to an Xbox layout. They also have additional paddles that you can map on the back of the controller. They aren't cheap by any stretch, but might be worth checking out if your biggest complaint with PS4 is their controller style. I know there are other 3rd party controllers as well, but I'm not overly familiar with the market. I still haven't played this game, but will probably pick it up at some point...

While gaming companies have tried to innovate and still draw in players, recent years have featured the rise of Battle Royale. PUBG & Fortnite drew much of the early attention, with the newest addition being EA/Respawn's Apex Legends. These offer a rather different take than previous models, and feel much closer to mobile mindsets than traditional console games. The free to play + micro-transactions to get things system has dominated mobile gaming for as long as that's been a thing. However, by making most of it cosmetic-based, it does keep the playing field fairly simple (at least in Apex, but I didn't try any before then). Like mobile gaming, these play on the few spending massive amounts, as well as the casual "what's a few bucks here and there" type players to make up for the lack of an initial price tag. Anyone have any thoughts on the rise of these games? I find it to be an interesting model to change, but it seems to be working (and with some major AAA titles floundering, it's not like it's simply all video games doing well). Do you all love them? Hate them? Ignore them? I'm late to the game since I never looked at these in the past, but I can see some of the draw. Just curious what others' experiences have been.

Considering Skyrim is STILL (unfortunately) the most recent standard RPG in elder scrolls, I would highly recommend it. It was popular enough that they redid it for the new generation of console...and then VR...and then, I'm sure there's something they'll redo it for haha. If you liked the Dragon Age games, it's a very in-depth option that will play for ages. If you like sci-fi style, the Mass Effect series remain one of my favorite sets of games (they have "bionics" that are similar to mage play). Karpyshyn, who did a lot of writing for Bioware including KOTOR, was the lead writer on this. If you like to dabble in shooters, The 3x COD Modern Warfare games remain one of my favorite stories for a shooter series (which I know may seem strange since shooter games having stories seems odd, but my nostalgia at least still remembers it as great).

I've been keeping my eye on it, but it has been disappointing to hear about thus far. The streamers have had some decent material, but overall, not sure the game is at a point that I'm interested yet. Lots of load time and glitches really slow down the ability of the game to make its way in the RPG world. I didn't preorder it, but I will give it a shot at some point. A bit of a shame that so many games that were in the pipeline have ended up fairly disappointing. Fallout's move to online (and we all saw how that went), as well as this endeavor makes me miss the days of a pure RPG to buy. I have to hope that those style games make a resurgence at some point...

I'm not a fan of either team, but I would like to see the juggernaut add one more ring to add yet another chapter to the greatest pairing in football. There are growing cracks in the unity that has dominated the last 18 years in New England. Win or lose, I think there's a solid chance that there will be some change by next year. I respect Bellichick as one of the best football minds in my lifetime and would like to see him get one more before the end. I also have no love for Philadelphia. Some of it may be exaggerated, but their fans have earned their place as being highly antagonistic towards others (and their own) over the years. In the end, I have no personal investment in this one. I hope for a good game and would generally prefer a Patriots win, but won't be bothered if that doesn't happen.

Your opponent had one heck of a lineup. Gurley & Kamara were a great fantasy RB duo (one that I used as well hehe). Add in Brown and that would be a great trio (until Brown got hurt). Looking back on the original post, Gurley out-performed pretty much everyone in there and will likely be considered a high draft option next season unless something happens between now and then (though Bell had a great season too). There were also solid years from some veterans like McCoy & Ingram. It definitely turned out to be an interesting season. Rookies emerged (Kamara, McCaffrey, Fournette, Hunt, Cohen) and others looked great before injury (Watson, Cook). The juggernaut offense in New Orleans made stars out of Thomas, Ingram, and Kamara. Injuries hit draft favorites hard, with Johnson and Beckham going down fairly early (and Brown late in the season). Lynch didn't look awful coming out of retirement, but Cutler didn't do much with his return. Luck sat out the season and the remaining Manning got benched. Then again, the NFL season has been an interesting one, even as ratings took a hit. The Eagles looked impressive under Wentz. The Rams and, probably more notably, the Jaguars put together impressive season. As the regular season wraps up, I look forward to seeing the playoffs this year. Game time!

I think that "It is very very South Park" might be the best summation I can imagine of what the game looks like. I can't say that it's on my play list (at least not until it's fairly discounted), but there's something fascinating about a franchise that has mocked almost anything it can. I'm not sure if the game can maintain its relevance like the show (which can create episodes so quickly that it can touch on major issues while they're still headlines), but that won't likely stop it from having some cringeworthy (and if no one knows you're laughing, hilarious) moments.

I've been playing it a good bit. The story is decent, but having to play it for each character got old partway into the 2nd round. I definitely have no intention of doing the "meditations" after playing the entire thing 3 times. Unfortunately, going from a game that was up and running for several years (and all of the expansions) to a base level limits how much there is to do. Didn't play Destiny 1 until later in its life, so never experienced it at the basic shell level. I look forward to the first expansion in December (I think). I like that you don't have to grind for tons of random resources, but the farming did keep you active. Nowadays it's play until the weekly reset and then go after the powerful engrams again. One of my characters is max level and the other two are 1 item away from it. Once I get that final item on those, I have no idea what I'll do. It also seems kinda pointless since I assume the light cap will rise for each expansion. Overall, I'd call it enjoyable. I've played it for almost 2 months at this point, but definitely look forward to having more to do. There are some elements that feel like a downgrade from D1, but nothing that forced me to put the controller down.

Nice to see them continuing to work things out. I'm sure that everything won't be smooth sailing, but they obviously feel that something is worth fighting for. Looking froward to the next!