Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A

[Noodle]

I knew what you meant, but clearly you're on the wrong platform. I'm not even sure which platform you're on, but if it's not PC, it's wrong. FPSes belong on PC, it's that simple.

[Satya]

Thinking about getting Skyrim. Dunno whether to get it for console or PC now that I have one that can run it if I want.

Just never that much of a PC gamer, but it's supposed to be better that way. Either way, thinking about it, and letting it take up 99% of my free time for the next few months since I'm pretty discouraged by the pony bans on /b/.

[Mich]

Thinking about getting Skyrim. Dunno whether to get it for console or PC now that I have one that can run it if I want.

Just never that much of a PC gamer, but it's supposed to be better that way. Either way, thinking about it, and letting it take up 99% of my free time for the next few months since I'm pretty discouraged by the pony bans on /b/.

My original plan to get Skyrim was to walk down to my Fred Meyer's on the day it came out and pick up a copy. No one ever bothers getting things from Freddie's, so I could count on it not being sold out. And I definitely want the physical, non-Steam copy, because otherwise I would miss out on a totally awesome map. Don't want to start a losing streak.

But, when it turned out that my local Freddie's doesn't, apparently, stock PC games anymore, I was downtrodden. I almost resolved to get it for 360 before remembering two vital things: 1) that, in all honesty, converting the Elder Scrolls games to be more console-friendly is probably the reason that I don't like Oblivion as much as I like Morrowind, and that's something that I never want to support, and 2) MODS.

I preordered on Amazon using my friend's Amazon Prime membership.

[Platypi007]

I want Skyrim! I haven't played any previous Elderscrolls games but it looks great! I'd have to get it for PS3, though, since my newest computer is a 5 year old laptop. The rig that used to be my gaming rig is 10 years out of date and I just can't put money into it right now...

[Satya]

Thinking about getting Skyrim. Dunno whether to get it for console or PC now that I have one that can run it if I want.

Just never that much of a PC gamer, but it's supposed to be better that way. Either way, thinking about it, and letting it take up 99% of my free time for the next few months since I'm pretty discouraged by the pony bans on /b/.

My original plan to get Skyrim was to walk down to my Fred Meyer's on the day it came out and pick up a copy. No one ever bothers getting things from Freddie's, so I could count on it not being sold out. And I definitely want the physical, non-Steam copy, because otherwise I would miss out on a totally awesome map. Don't want to start a losing streak.

But, when it turned out that my local Freddie's doesn't, apparently, stock PC games anymore, I was downtrodden. I almost resolved to get it for 360 before remembering two vital things: 1) that, in all honesty, converting the Elder Scrolls games to be more console-friendly is probably the reason that I don't like Oblivion as much as I like Morrowind, and that's something that I never want to support, and 2) MODS.

I preordered on Amazon using my friend's Amazon Prime membership.

Yeah... I took the map for Oblivion, put it on a background of charred brown paper and put it in a really nice frame. It's on my wall.

I'll probably get the PC version for potential mods. After checking the spec requirements and seeing I'm pretty well set, I'll just get the map and stuff later on ebay or something. Make a second framed version.

[Wind Swept]

Just finished Psychonauts, again. Holy crap, the end game is a lot easier at level 101.

Psychonauts remains the Best Game Ever Made.

[Wind Swept]

I borrowed Batman from a friend.

I am not as infatuated with this game as I hoped I would be.

I'm not sure what it is, but it's not pulling me in like I hoped it would.

[Satya]

I borrowed Batman from a friend.

I am not as infatuated with this game as I hoped I would be.

I'm not sure what it is, but it's not pulling me in like I hoped it would.

I was considering it, but that's the second statement like that I've heard. I'm re-considering.

[Jebus]

Yeah... I took the map for Oblivion, put it on a background of charred brown paper and put it in a really nice frame. It's on my wall.

I was gonna make fun, but honestly, that's f****** cool, I wish my girlfriend would let me do that s***.

[Dr. Mobius]

Psychonauts is only $10 on Steam and now runs on Macs! I've been wanting to play it again for years but have been unable to with my Mac and my Xbox 360 that refuses to play Xbox Originals.

This game is worth $10. If you don't believe me, there's a demo.

The game was worth the $50 I spent on it back when it first came out. As much as I'd like to play it again, I'm not sure I want to get it from Steam. Though, if I can't find my old Xbox copy or can't get it to work on my 360, I'll probably end up getting the Steam version anyway.

[zeroguy]

Just never that much of a PC gamer, but it's supposed to be better that way.

MODS.

Yeah, I was gonna say... plus, you know there's almost certainly going to be some kind of pony mods for this.

edit:

The game was worth the $50 I spent on it back when it first came out.

How long is a first playthrough of psychonauts, by the way? I know I'm going to play it sometime, but it's just a matter of "when", and knowing how long it's going to take would help figure that out.

[Mich]

How long is a first playthrough of psychonauts, by the way?

Hmm, maybe 20 hours? Depends on how much you do, goof around, backtrack for things, etc. Probably 15. It's been so long since I first played it. But you definitely need to.

I bought Bastion with Tuesday's sale. Such an awesome deal, I should have bought it at full price, but the demo didn't sell me. If only they had played this one particular song on the soundtrack, I would have been sold. It was so good. And then it turned out the story was a lot more awesome, intricate, and human than I would have thought. What's with all of these indie games having really awesome art, music, and story? Braid, Limbo, and now chalk Bastion officially up there.

Was real good, kid.

[Wind Swept]

I think you've just sold another copy of Bastion. The demo wasn't as awesome as the Internets had me thinking it would be. Perhaps I'll have to pick it up.

Also, I'm finally getting into Batman. Penguin's creepy, creepy museum did it for me.

Batman is such a complete dick to everyone, and I don't just mean he's a detective. "Oh, hey Freeze. You need this blue s*** to live? Let me just pour it all over the floor for you." I'm glad at least Alfred is incredibly condescending and sarcastic in return. "How do I get into this building, Alfred?" "Have you tried the front door?"

[Satya]

Just never that much of a PC gamer, but it's supposed to be better that way.

MODS.

Yeah, I was gonna say... plus, you know there's almost certainly going to be some kind of pony mods for this.

Ah yes. There are so many pony mods for TF2, I kinda regret that I can't stand the game long enough to bother trying them.

[Platypi007]

I bought Bastion with Tuesday's sale. Such an awesome deal, I should have bought it at full price, but the demo didn't sell me. If only they had played this one particular song on the soundtrack, I would have been sold. It was so good. And then it turned out the story was a lot more awesome, intricate, and human than I would have thought. What's with all of these indie games having really awesome art, music, and story? Braid, Limbo, and now chalk Bastion officially up there.

Was real good, kid.

Now you make me want it, but there is no PS3 version and I don't have a PC that will support it. Sad times.

[Wind Swept]

Finally. Unlocked. Flares.

[Wind Swept]

I had every intention to simply ignore Skyrim's existence. My plans on Saturday all fell through, however, so I decided to rent it. I ended up playing nine hours on Saturday, then purchased it and played another seven hours yesterday.

This was probably a poor life choice.

[Mich]

I have 20 hours so far, out of a weekend where I'd had it for 50. That's a large percentage.

So far: freaking loving it. So much better than Oblivion. So many minor improvements, or cool sidesteps. So few complaints thus far.

Proper response maybe once I've put a few dozen more hours in.

[Wind Swept]

Fantastic Skyrim Moments, #1:

I was wandering through the wilderness at night for the first time, staring up at the mountains silhouetted against the stars, thinking, "Man, I don't think they could have made that prettier if they tried."

Then the aurora kicked in and my jaw dropped so hard it nearly fell off.

[Bean_wannabe]

I went to a Skyrim launch party on Friday, which involved carrying my computer half-way across the city. Turned out no-one actually had the game yet due to pre-order problems, and we all ended up playing TF2 instead.

[Satya]

So far:

Standing on a parapet of a ruined castle/fortress, looking out at a snow-covered forest, watching the wind whip the snow around and thinking, 'wow, that's a great atmospheric effect.." and then a gust of wind blows me off the edge because I was standing too close and I fall to my death. I didn't mind.

Also, realizing that upon walking into a bright room from a dark one it takes your characters eyes a moment to adjust.

Since this is now Skyrim general for a minute..

I'm playing a Breton Warmage-type -
Primary Skills:
One-Handed
Heavy Armor
Destruction
Restoration

Secondary Skills:
Alteration
Enchantment
Smithing
Alchemy

Not using: Light Armor, Two-Handed, Block, Illusion, Conjuration, Sneak, Archery

So far, thoroughly enjoyed.. And realized I'm glad I picked PC, if only for console commands. Not that I plan on using it to cheat, but I'm glad I can alter my appearance at any time if I want and bring back someone if I... er, accidentally kill them and realize later they were important.

While I do still miss some of Oblivion's style - the menus, the journal, even some of the leveling system, I'm okay with most of the changes, and feel like I'll be more apt to do multiple character playthroughs because of it. I like the idea of doing a pure-mage type, with dual-casting, and with the smithing changes I might do an Orc pure warrior.

My thoughts so far.

[Platypi007]

Anyone here playing this on the PS3? My computers are so out of date that they won't even play Oblivion, Skyrim would make them wet themselves and cower in fear. So my only option is PS3. I really can't afford it, but every day that goes by since the 11th it has been harder and harder to not buy Skyrim.

[Dr. Mobius]

I've got it for my 360 and my brother is playing it on his PS3. While I haven't seen it on PC, it looks identical and plays great on the two consoles. If you've seen the trailers and demo videos, those are supposedly from the 360.

I think I need to hide the strategy guide from myself until I've completed most of the major content once. I end up spending more time leafing through the pages and studying the map than I do actually playing the game!

[Satya]

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for console, if that's your best option - the differences are not going to be enough to cause you to notice much, or not enjoy it as much as someone on PC. It's really just console commands/resolution options/mods (in the future, at least).

[Wind Swept]

I told myself I wasn't going to look anything up on my first play through. I was going to just make decisions based on the information the game gave me and live with the consequences.

I've only failed once thus far. Possible spoilers:
I was very much torn on the decision to become a werewolf. I had no desire to be stuck a werewolf, but I really wanted to see where the Companions quest line would take me. So, I turned to the Internet to make sure there was a cure once the quest line completed. Apparently, there is a cure, so a werewolf I have become.

[Dr. Mobius]

I've surprised myself a bit by actually playing and caring about the main quest in Skyrim. In Oblivion, the most I ever did was take the amulet to Jauffre. They've done a much better job this time integrating the main quest into the world and making it relevant.

At least if you like using Shouts or slaying dragons since the best way to get Shouts is by playing the main quest and the freebie ones tend to be geared towards dragon fighting. There's also a repeatable miscellaneous quest available after you've completed the first act that points you toward random Word Walls you haven't visited yet.

[Platypi007]

Got it yesterday. Got home at 9:30 and after fixing some dinner I got to playing by 10. 11 hours later I went to bed. Woke up after 6 hours and have been playing it since, with a few breaks for food. :D

I realized at 6 this morning that I hadn't slept except for in-game.

[CezeN]

Guessed that current thread convo would be about Skyrim. Was correct.

I'm slightly jealous since I know everyone's obsessed with it, but don't have it or know what it is about. Well, except for yesterday's Cracked.com article. Which made it sound pretty damn awesome. =|

[Mich]

You've never played an Elder Scrolls game? Basically, they follow this plotline:

1. Character wakes up, either in jail, on his/her way to jail, or having just been released from jail. This is tradition and is not to be ignored.
2. Character has the plot pointed out to them or at least has a location goal that's some distance away in the giant fantasy world.
3. Character forgets what the plot even is supposed to be because it's seriously a giant sandbox fantasy world.

There's always a million people who give you quests, a billion books that actually exist in the game world for you to read, and a ton of skills to level up in, armor and items to equip, etc. The Cracked article really covered a lot of it. There are also always factions for you to do quests for and rise in rank with, if you like that, and almost always you can have an effect on the world as time goes on, sometimes in a small way like changing how a house is built, sometimes a larger way like helping revolutionaries take over a city, which permanently changes how it acts and reacts to the world around it.

Highly suggest. All three of the latest games are playable. Morrowind is the old-school fan favorite, and runs on even older computers. It has the purest RPG system, in my opinion, and the coolest world. There's a city that was built out of the carapace of a gigantic dead bug, or a city where wizards grow mushrooms and live in them. Its story is also one of the more complex ones. Oblivion was a lot easier for people to pick up and play, though, and was optimized for consoles if you're into that sort of thing, although its plot is very boring and the way enemies leveled with you made it very frustrating for some play-styles (like people who main speech). Skyrim seems to have worked out almost all of Oblivion's shortcomings, but has also dropped a lot of RPG mainstays like attribute points.

Plus, if you get it for the PC, there's always a super-duper-awesome-possum modding community that makes literally anything.

Seriously, dude. I'm hoping that I'm preaching to the choir and you know what this all is.

[CezeN]

That sounds pretty awesome. I probably never heard of it because I don't pay attention to computer games, since my home computer was too old and s***** to support them.

However, the game is also available for a game console? PS3? I might look into getting it to play over the Summer.

[Platypi007]

Yep, I'm playing the PS3 version. The only thing you really miss out on is the lack of mods, but I, like yourself, don't have a PC that will play it (neither of my computers will even support Oblivion). I'm 15 hours in and enjoying it very, very much. First Elder Scrolls game I've played, but I'm not new to RPGs.

Well, I'm probably 20 hours in but I restarted from an earlier point to get my horse back and some other stuff I wanted to change. My horse has a really bad habit of attacking trolls...

[Dr. Mobius]

That sounds pretty awesome. I probably never heard of it because I don't pay attention to computer games, since my home computer was too old and s***** to support them.

However, the game is also available for a game console? PS3? I might look into getting it to play over the Winter.

Fixed that for you...

The Cracked article is hilarious because it's true. Although, I have to admit it's a lot funnier listening to my brother narrate it while we're both watching my other brother inadvertently do all the messed up things the article talks about. Particularly, butterfly catching and rearranging bookshelves.

[Platypi007]

Oh god the bookshelves... I... I have spent hours arranging the books in my house in Whiterun... Though, not as much time as I've spent trying to get fraking CUPS and TROLL SKULLS to sit on the shelves correctly. That is the most messed up thing about this game. And apparently Lydia goes around at night while I'm asleep knocking stuff off the shelves because I get down there in the morning and crap is all over the floor again.

Tempted to do this: "I am sworn to carry your burdens..."

[Satya]

I got new Dwarven armor and I outfitted Lydia with my old Steel Plate armor, enchanting it all and setting her up all badass was awesome.

Also, getting the Butterfly-In-A-Jar to sit just how I wanted it on a shelf, took some time. I'm not as into the books as I was with Oblivion; I would collect a bunch and spend a whole gaming session reading them sometime. And I'm still irked about the leveling changes. And SUPER irked that they removed the Spell Creation functionality. That was CASH. Creating a long-lasting paralyze spell that sets enemies ablaze for very minor damage (so as not to take up too much magick) and then just hacking at them while they're stuck (and taking extra damage from being weakened by fire) PLUS a weakness-to-fire effect, with a fire-enchanted weapon. AWESOME.

BUT, still can't complain too much.

[Platypi007]

Since I haven't played any other games in the series this one is great. I do wish you could fight from horseback... I guess I got used to that in RDR. Horses in RDR are freaking awesome and realistic. Horses in Skyrim are meh.

I've given Lydia dwarven armer that I refined since I wear robes. Haven't started on enchanting yet, I've been doing a lot of potion making most of which I sell. And a lot of veggie collection. Also I cleared out one of the Dwarf mines of all the metal. Took me like six trips using Lydia to lug stuff out too, but I got every last piece of anything that could be picked up out of that mine. Melted what I could and sold the rest. I have more dwarven metal than I could ever use. :D