Random Gaming Talk

[bork]

Because I’m stupid and bitter about missing out on a whopping $15 off for the Retroid 6, now I’m considering the Ayn Odin 2 Portal. But reading that the company is sketchy about delivery. It arrives whenever they feel like it. Or doesn’t. Who can say.

Why the Portal 2?  I know people still like it, but it's kind of dated now.

[Polident]

Because I’m stupid and bitter about missing out on a whopping $15 off for the Retroid 6, now I’m considering the Ayn Odin 2 Portal. But reading that the company is sketchy about delivery. It arrives whenever they feel like it. Or doesn’t. Who can say.

Why the Portal 2?  I know people still like it, but it's kind of dated now.

Base model is a relatively inexpensive $250 and, to my understanding, it has enough power for what I’m after. I don’t care much about Switch, PC games, or early (?) Wii U and PS3 android emulators.

And I’ve been on the fence about the size. Yesterday I was surprised to see the KONKR Pocket FIT in a store. That was another device I had on my mind. But it was honestly cramped for me and it’s said to be more comfortable than the retroid 6. So maybe the Odin 2 Portal is a better fit.

A few hours later…

I ordered. I go on Amazon to reorder the same 1tb microsd that’s in my steam deck. It’s well over 3x what I paid. What.

I have lots of 512s around. I’ll use those.

[Polident]

Update: there is no update. The money went somewhere and the handheld does or does not exist. My investment was for shenzen boys to go wild on bing chilling. If one day I get a suspicious package from China, that’s a bonus.

[benji]

The original version of Fortnite, that was initially the only version announced at all, is finally being dumped as F2P too:

[Nintex]

- RAM shortages, VALVE can't release Steam Machine
- GTAVI in eternal development hell
- PlayStation 6 will cost $2000
- Phil Spencer fired Xbox complete dumpster fire
- Ubisoft picked apart
- EA taken over by Saudis, Vince Zampella dead
- SEGA sales below target
- Square Enix LMAO
- Sony shutters Bluepoint
- Bungie game total flop
- Latest Call of Duty total boondoggle
- Xbox / PlayStation have to backtrack whorish multiplatform strategy

Meanwhile at Nintendo



- 1 billion copies sold of a Pokemon spin-off with a development budget of $50000. Early GOTY contender
- 8nm node no one even knows exists anymore immune to AI chip supply issues
- Super mario galaxy movie
- Mario Bros. level 1-2 is interesting lets turn it into a Donkey Kong game
- DLSS allows Switch 2 to run Resident Evil 9, Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring without a sweat
- Able to dominate without any heavy hitters like 3D Mario, 3D Zelda and Smash Bros. 
- Legal teams working to get tariffs back from Trump
- Everything exclusive, none of their games on any other platform, only have to develop for 1 platform

[benji]

[chronovore]

The original version of Fortnite, that was initially the only version announced at all, is finally being dumped as F2P too:

It's wild to see this finally going F2P; if BR wasn't making as much money as it does, this would have been sunsetted 2 years into its life. Instead, it's turned into a portal, but the original experience can't be abandoned. 

Unless April 16 version has a MAJOR overhaul, new users will be astonished at how backward and confusing the StW interface is.

[Polident]

If anybody uses Switch 2 portable, the new update lets you play Switch 1 games in docked mode.

The one example I’m aware of what Mario 3D World where it’s 30 fps in handheld mode. But I think that got a Switch 2 upgrade already.

[benji]

It's wild to see this finally going F2P; if BR wasn't making as much money as it does, this would have been sunsetted 2 years into its life. Instead, it's turned into a portal, but the original experience can't be abandoned. 

From what I understand they, at least to this point and maybe the F2P release will change this, never finished out the campaign episodes or whatever it is. It's only 75% or something of what they originally promised on a roadmap.

I almost want them to "finish" it by kitbashing stuff made for the BR together like those multiplayer maps in games where somebody sews together a bunch of random models, sounds and map pieces from like Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Unreal Tournament, etc. Grab like five random guys in the office and have them do this.

[Besticus Maximus]

It's wild to see this finally going F2P; if BR wasn't making as much money as it does, this would have been sunsetted 2 years into its life. Instead, it's turned into a portal, but the original experience can't be abandoned. 

From what I understand they, at least to this point and maybe the F2P release will change this, never finished out the campaign episodes or whatever it is. It's only 75% or something of what they originally promised on a roadmap.

I almost want them to "finish" it by kitbashing stuff made for the BR together like those multiplayer maps in games where somebody sews together a bunch of random models, sounds and map pieces from like Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Unreal Tournament, etc. Grab like five random guys in the office and have them do this.

Im amazed we don't see more of this anyway

[bork]

The original version of Fortnite, that was initially the only version announced at all, is finally being dumped as F2P too:

It's wild to see this finally going F2P; if BR wasn't making as much money as it does, this would have been sunsetted 2 years into its life. Instead, it's turned into a portal, but the original experience can't be abandoned. 

Unless April 16 version has a MAJOR overhaul, new users will be astonished at how backward and confusing the StW interface is.

I've only played Battle Royale- is the STW interface unchanged from when the game came out?

On the subject of Fortnite, getting tired of playing BR solo matches where it gets down to the final few people and then 2-3 folks are clearly teaming up and taking everyone else out. What is the point in doing this when you can do team matches?

[chronovore]

It's wild to see this finally going F2P; if BR wasn't making as much money as it does, this would have been sunsetted 2 years into its life. Instead, it's turned into a portal, but the original experience can't be abandoned. 

From what I understand they, at least to this point and maybe the F2P release will change this, never finished out the campaign episodes or whatever it is. It's only 75% or something of what they originally promised on a roadmap.
I almost want them to "finish" it by kitbashing stuff made for the BR together like those multiplayer maps in games where somebody sews together a bunch of random models, sounds and map pieces from like Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Unreal Tournament, etc. Grab like five random guys in the office and have them do this.

The game has a big battle with the same horned king that now appears as a final boss in the Lego mode finale, and it's a fight and a half, but then it drops the player into "there's more to come" and stays with a minimal menu that looks like a debug mode leftover. 

The UI for Save the World mode has changed a few times in the last 5 years, but nothing like the main UI for the game has. It looks like a PC game's UI, not something for consoles, let alone handhelds. 

Adding content for the mode means a resubmission, TRCs/LotChecks etc. It's something the cash firehose of BR makes compelling, but StW likely has to rationalize things under a more limited ROI. 

I've only played Battle Royale- is the STW interface unchanged from when the game came out?

On the subject of Fortnite, getting tired of playing BR solo matches where it gets down to the final few people and then 2-3 folks are clearly teaming up and taking everyone else out.  What is the point in doing this when you can do team matches?

Yeah, I've seen that occasionally. The game used to auto kick and even BAN Solo players who spent too much time near each other without damaging each other. That feature seems to be deprecated or disabled currently. 

Last season was long, nearly 3.5 months. It also had one of the least enjoyable meta strategies I've ever seen: Literally the endgame was "stockpile health items, then hide in the storm to see who dies last." The OP health items and Stick of Truth from the South Park collab brought this model for several weeks. "Battle royale" was more like "snack and wait" - indescribably annoying to people who showed up to, you know, fight. 

Lastly, the Battle Pass included participation in other game modes, each with specific conditions to unlock the next tier, instead of having a set of actions to meet in any order. These unlocked costume variants on the battle pass, so unless you wanted to own everything EXCEPT those variants, players had to play those modes and meet those conditions. 

I've been playing Fortnite for about five years now (holy shit) and I'm taking a fucking break for the first time in ages.

[bork]

Was definitely glad when the stick of truth mechanic went away.  Not a fan.

Initially I was skeptical about the rival thing they've added, but it has been fun.

Have won my fair share of BRs and can't say that I encountered people trying to hide out in the storm.  But then I always make sure to be in the circle at all times when it's down to the last couple of folks so that strategy wouldn't work- as a matter of fact a few days ago I won a match after the other two players left just seemingly died.  I bet they were trying to do that.

I miss some of the weapons from last season.  The MK-7 was just too good!

[chronovore]

I hopped on Fortnite to try the new chapter 7 season 2 additions. The Rival system is similar to the bounty-hunter mechanic from 3-4 years ago. I enjoyed it then, and now.  

I'm mostly playing Arc Raiders lately, but I made time every day to clear all three Daily Quests for the extra ~100K XP every day, AND all the extra-mode stuff for the locked cosmetics, and still only cleared the Battle Pass 1 day before the season closed. 

So I'm no longer buying the Battle Pass, because I don't want half of what I paid for. Game's still free, I'll still enjoy it, but I got other games to play now.

[filler]

I'm still playing metroid prime 3. wiimote nunchuk is still one of my favorite controllers. wish I could use it on switch 2


also playing the brilliant app to learn shid I should have went to school for. feels like a game at times

[Polident]

Update: there is no update. The money went somewhere and the handheld does or does not exist. My investment was for shenzen boys to go wild on bing chilling. If one day I get a suspicious package from China, that’s a bonus.

Arrived. Zero updates. Just appeared in the mailbox. Xi came through again.

Will set it up when I have time, but the comfort, controls, and overall size are nice. Not crazy about the full glass front. Also to be seen, maybe regret getting the grip. It is plenty comfortable on its own.

[benji]

lmao

[Nintex]

Switch 2 simple maxxing has so far worked wonders for my gaming.

Sometimes I don't have time to play for weeks or even months and all the sessions started with driver installs, charging controllers and all that and mostly while waiting for the installs to finish I just ended up watching YouTube videos or messing around with AI instead.

Now I just wake my Switch 2 from sleep and play a game without giving it much thought.

[who is ted danson?]

Didn't realise billy from the game chasers channel died :(

Loved that channel

[D3RANG3D]

[benji]

Pretty obvious basket interference imo.

[Nintex]

[Potato]

https://www.eurogamer.net/dead-space-creator-glen-schofield-ai

"I wish artists would take notice that this is a great time to learn some form of AI" - Dead Space creator Glen Schofield doesn't think controversial tech will replace human talent, but still believes it has its place

However, while he doesn't believe that AI as it is now is capable of the same nuance as human intervention, he wishes "artists would take notice that this is a great time to learn some form" of the technology.

"In five years, people will be coming out of school who know AI, while artists sit back saying, 'I'm not doing it'. People said the same thing about performance capture and motion capture," Schofield said. "I even had a couple of people quit because they were against it, which is the same thing I'm hearing now. They say it steals artists' work. Too late! It's out there now."

[Nintex]

It's a double edged sword.

For guys like my brother AI makes it easier. It can make the furniture, trees, trash bins and other random objects so he can focus on the actual gameplay and level design. However there is artists who mostly enjoy making those props and assets. They like the sculpting and the creating not just seeing the final result when everything comes together. But the workers of course don't understand how it doesn't make economic sense anymore to pay someone $75k a year to make a bunch of chairs. 

I like how Nintendo is always pretty realistic about the economics in their games and that's why they are still doing so well. Metroid Prime 4 came out the way it did because staffing took time and by the time they got production going some of the Marvel-esque ideas were outdated but they made it anyway because they weren't going to start from scratch again. 

Anyway games like GTAVI can be made a lot quicker with AI and something like the Matrix demo might actually be doable at scale. 

The Switch 2 is proof that the industry has completely stagnated though. I mean, you can play Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata, back to back on a handheld without delay or any cut content. I figured we'd get a portable PS4 Pro but in reality we got a portable PS5. In some cases and features even beyond a portable PS5.

[Straight Edge]

Anyone getting this? supposedly its a real chip, no emulation.

[simiansmarts]

 
 
The fifth Arkham game being a Lego title is a welcome surprise.

[Polident]

 
 
The fifth Arkham game being a Lego title is a welcome surprise.

I hold that if the VR released as a traditional game, people would call it a return to form and such. Especially after how Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad were received, and even Arkham Knight to an extent.

[bork]

Anyone getting this? supposedly its a real chip, no emulation.

There's a bit of concern over this reveal since they didn't show any footage of games running or what the back of the console looks like (regarding the port selection).  Possibly something sketchy going on here.  Not in the rip-off/scam sense but just that they may be over promising on what will actually be delivered.  They didn't show anything, in fact.  Just renders. 

On the positive side, Big Tournament Golf/Neo Turf Masters will be a modified cart and not just a straight repro.  They are adding the fifth course that was previously only the NeoGeo CD version of the game.  That's neat. 

Spoiler:  (click to show)(click to hide)

It's also something that homebrew modders did already

Not planning to get one of these myself, though. These games can easily be emulated perfectly or you can purchase pretty much perfect ports via the ACA games on PS4/Switch/Etc.

[Potato]

Masters of Albion has Peter Molyneux's paws all over it. The art style and arch British humor channels Fable, and it's even set in a place called Albion (not the same Albion as Fable, of course). It's all very gentle, very quaint, like I've just opened an Enid Blyton or Jill Barklem picture book.

But then my in-game mentor, who instructs me in all things being-a-god, goes hell for leather: "Fuck off it's a fucking zombie!" she cries. It's a response commensurate with the severity of the situation—midnight zombie attack—but it's the funniest case of tonal whiplash I've experienced in a game for a while. Imagine if Maru in Stardew Valley called you a cockhead every time you proffered a snow yam. That's how it felt.

https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/peter-molyneux-has-made-a-proper-game-again-rather-than-a-monetization-experiment-and-i-really-hope-he-finishes-it/

Peak video game writing.

If you were to take Peter Molineux and every other "respected" video game writer and shoot them into the sun, absolutely nothing of value to the human race would be lost.

[benji]