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Heran Bago posted:Absolutely fantastic writeup Mrenda. Your love of the game is dripping off this post. Thanks  I'm not always in the mood for Farm Sim, but when I find myself in that mood it fills a very special place in my gaming lineup. And FishMcCool is dead right, I haven't watched the competitive farming league but everyone says it's an absolute blast. Similarly, I could have written another half of that post on multiplayer shenanigans instead of mentioning it off-hand. It can be tough on the person managing the whole thing (as any actual management is) but it's absolutely hilarious to play as a group, especially on dedicated servers. The simple joy of one friend having a particular love for his "little yellow submarine" (a small, old, yellow forklift) and everyone working to put it on a top of shed then waiting for him to log in and look for it, then get it down, is absolutely worth the server rent.
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Mar 5, 2023 12:18
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I just bought Farming Simulator
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Mar 5, 2023 14:39
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I'm happy to see this thread back, I didn't think it would survive getting unstickied.
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Mar 5, 2023 14:59
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Cannot think about Farming Simulator without rewatching this (and, today, cringing at certain parts) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEJHrmliVQw
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Mar 5, 2023 15:02
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Jewmanji posted:I just bought Farming Simulator The tutorials on the official site are actually decent now. And as a bonus they're in quick, easy to read text instead of a thirty minute video that should take five minutes as is the way of what the youtubers put out. https://farming-simulator.com/newsArticle.php?lang=en&country=us&news_id=280 Starting on easy mode on a map, where they give you a farm and equipment isn't necessarily the easiest way to start, but it is if you don't know what equipment you want. It sorts you out with most of what you need for the land you have, then you can expand. The middle option just gives you some money lets you buy everything peacefully, albeit with less total value than the easiest mode, just more precision in what you specifically want. The hardest option (rightmost) starts you out with some money and debt that you have to pay off. Sometimes, because of this, leasing equipment you don't need very often is the right thing to do, returning it when you're finished, until you're ready to buy the exact piece of machinery you want. There's lots of videos to watch. The Farm Sim community is absoluvely massive with everything from Let's Plays to mod guides, map guides and gameplay guides. Just find someone you like, and explains things as you like, to look stuff up after you read the website tutorials. I'd recommend MrSealyP as an adult who just genuinely enjoys the game (and he plays on PS5.) I don't know about his guides but his Western Wilds Let's Play has him going nuts with mods, and workers, and generally making an insane farm that too many nerds complained about as "too easy." (It was actually just a hilariously massive and modded farm, that he put hundreds of hours into, because he might as well be an earnest goon.) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYWjATvxZ40TPlIx0uXjFnkJsPVw1RDsP My recommendation would be to figure out what you need to do straight away on your farm. There's usually a crop to be harvested (I'm guessing you're playing with "Seasons" turned on.) So do that. Get to know your farm and equipment. Then, very definitely much so, do contracts. They'll tell you what to do, and if you press the right button before you accept the contract you can accept the contract and also borrow the equipment you need to do it (you'll always make money if do it this way, so don't worry about that.) Contracts are a great way of trying out new equipment to find what you like, and trying out different aspects of farming. The downside is that you're not increasing the productivity of your farm, but the upside of figuring out gameplay (and some cash) is very much worth it, especially at the beginning. Finally, remember there's no correct way to play Farm Sim. There's a huge amount of "difficulty" options you can turn on or off. They technically are "difficulty" options, but for instance I don't like playing with crop destruction turned on because I drive like a drunkard (typically because I'm drinking) and don't want the hassle of precise movement between my fields. Play in the exact way you want to play. The developers have repeatedly said they're not going to introduce new mechanics unless they're optional, and approached this version of the game with that in mind, because they want everyone, of every age, inclination and ability, to be able to play the game how they want to. And I just want to say I am absolutely tickled pink that someone went out and bought the game after I did an effortpost on it. Thank you! 
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Mar 5, 2023 16:52
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Mrenda posted:And I just want to say I am absolutely tickled pink that someone went out and bought the game after I did an effortpost on it. Thank you! Oh, more than one someone…
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Mar 5, 2023 19:31
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Glad to see this is back! *checks list* Ugh, I should probably do something for Mount & Blade but inspiration isn't flowing right now. Leaving this here either as a reminder to myself or an encouragement to others if my slow butt can't get a detailed writeup posted in the near future.
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Mar 6, 2023 01:20
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Vookatos posted:Pathologic 2 Great write-up for a great game but definitely wanted to echo this.
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Mar 7, 2023 17:52
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La-Mulana La-Mulana is an experience like no other. If you've grown up with games from the 80s, you are familiar with titles like Zelda 2 and Castlevania 2 - needlessly obtuse weird RPGs that feature great exploration among some really horrendous puzzles. If you wish for a game that does those things well, look no further than La-Mulana. La-Mulana, aside from being fun to say, is a side-scrolling Metroidvania where you descend into the ruins and search for treasure. The big thing that sets this game apart are countless stones you come across with hints for progression written on them. They replace various NPCs from aforementioned games that would give you cryptic hints. For example, the first location presents you with some simple stuff, like saying that a courageous man will prevail. Nearby are a spike pit with an unreachable chest. Simple enough, jump onto the spikes, they disappear. Not even worthy enough to spoiler-tag this. The game grows in scope and complexity very shortly, so if you're not the type to read, think and write, this isn't the game for you. There are no simple puzzle rooms. A hint for a puzzle can be found halfway across the world, and some of them are loving Insane. However, that's the charm of this game. It's not shy about its inspirations and isn't afraid of being a dick. Platforming and battle difficulty is quite high, but puzzles are what make it an unforgettable experience. It's one of the few games that actually feel like you're going through an old temple filled with traps, and not just trekking through a bunch of video game levels. The game will throw everything it has at you, from non-euclidean spaces, hidden doors, and puzzle bosses, to hidden background details that you need to notice. It's filled with surprises. Every boss is so different that some of them feel like playing an entirely different game. Every location has its own gimmicks and an incredible soundtracks. Every single puzzle is memorable. It's a Metroidvania that keeps surprising you in ways you didn't think were possible. It's not just a game about obtaining double jump to go above a pit, it's a game where getting some items will result in confusion, until suddenly, you remember reading something about using that one thing in front of that one statue. And there are barely ANY games that do that. Too many of them are afraid of you being stuck, while La-Mulana prides itself on it. Just that simple thing made me feel like I was overcoming something unique, and not just going through the motions of solving a Portal Chamber or a Zelda dungeon room. Unfortunately, sometimes it might be a bit TOO ridiculous. However, I would still recommend experiencing it because there's nothing like it. Here's a spoiler of a puzzle that gave me hell my first time through as an appetizer: "Simply wandering will not lessen the illusion. Courage will grant thy wish--the courage to jump into the illusion. The courage to search on bended knee for a single fallen item." So, what the hell is this? Well, mercifully nearby, there are a bunch of vases you can break. Your usual Zelda-like pots that are all over the place in the game. One of them drops a shuriken. Not uncommon, it's your first sub-weapon, enemies often drop them to replenish your ammo. However, the game usually drops them in fives, and there's ONE there. Not that difficult when spelled out, but when you've been programmed to not care what comes out of the vases, it just doesn't register. Furthermore, if you haven't played the game, you're thinking, "oh, and then you duck?". Well, no. The game has no "duck" button, as down does something else. HOWEVER, just to gently caress with you, down actually works on that single tile, and it drops you through the floor! Like, yeah, it's kinda bullshit, but it's also unforgettable! Honestly, the closest video game experience that gave me this sort of rush when solving a puzzle was Outer Wilds, and personally, I'd say La-Mulana is better. Frankly, I could gush about this game for hours, and I'm not sure how to stop this recommendation before spoiling anything, so here, have some tunes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rfhi6I84hM
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Mar 9, 2023 12:16
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La mulana owns! I'm thoroughly spoiled on the first game from watching a let's play by deceased crab, but I was slowly making my way through la mulana 2 with a notebook open. Even the lore of the games is obfuscated and needs to be recorded to be pieced together, and those lore connections are also used for puzzles!
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Mar 9, 2023 13:05
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Jinh posted:La mulana owns! I'm thoroughly spoiled on the first game from watching a let's play by deceased crab, but I was slowly making my way through la mulana 2 with a notebook open. Even the lore of the games is obfuscated and needs to be recorded to be pieced together, and those lore connections are also used for puzzles! Still would absolutely recommend, but I hate when games do that.
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Mar 9, 2023 13:41
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Ah. i finished the LP and went "drat I wanna play this but I already know a lot of the secrets" so it suited me fine lol
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Mar 9, 2023 15:11
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It's also 75% off on steam, I just paid £2.74.
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Mar 9, 2023 19:36
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La-Mulana's one of those games I don't think is good so much as I think it's "Interesting," and I don't mean that in an underhanded way. A lot of its ideas are fascinating from a design perspective, and it takes risks that no AAA game would dare, but the implementation of some of those ideas can be incredibly frustrating in the moment, and while that's arguably the point (what self-respecting ancient ruin would guard its treasures with "Easy" traps and riddles), there's definitely some diminishing returns (and at least one puzzle that's blatantly unfair). La-Mulana 2 is the better game IMO, albeit at the cost of settling for refining its predecessor's ideas without hatching too many of its own. It's an overall smoother experience however, with better signposting, though there are still a few spots that will make you yank your hair out if you're trying to beat it without a guide.
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Mar 12, 2023 16:10
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Both of those games are great but they aren't for the faint of heart, and they definitely aren't for everyone. And to be honest, I basically ended up following a guide all the way through for 1 and for the back third of 2 (although I did give it the old college try for 2 at least).
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Mar 12, 2023 16:29
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Feldegast42 posted:Both of those games are great but they aren't for the faint of heart, and they definitely aren't for everyone. And to be honest, I basically ended up following a guide all the way through for 1 and for the back third of 2 (although I did give it the old college try for 2 at least). I might've cracked already if it felt more impenetrable, but it's fallen into that sweet/sour spot where it feels like I'm missing something minor, despite all my notes, and if I look it up I'm going to feel like an idiot.
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Mar 12, 2023 17:37
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Bad Seafood posted:La-Mulana 2 is the better game IMO, albeit at the cost of settling for refining its predecessor's ideas without hatching too many of its own. It's an overall smoother experience however, with better signposting, though there are still a few spots that will make you yank your hair out if you're trying to beat it without a guide. To each their own, though. It's still a great game, but I gravitated way more towards the first one, as the whole "mantra" gimmick didn't click for me, since quite a lot of it felt like samey execution. I also felt like there were a few "puzzles" where you just talk to the NPCs after some events that weren't explained at all. Vookatos fucked around with this message at 14:28 on Mar 13, 2023 |
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Mar 13, 2023 14:23
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I have tried a lot of new games because of this thread, and I have yet to be disappointed.
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Mar 16, 2023 06:48
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Metroidvanias aren't my genre but I respect La-Mulana because everything I've ever read about it suggests it really commits (As Vookatos' spoilered part shows) and I will always respect a game that gives its fans exactly what they want.
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May 20, 2023 04:19
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Fear & Hunger 2: Termina I first learned of Fear & Hunger because Steam was shoving it into my face, and I promptly ignored it because tags made it seem like some awful sex game. However, it became somewhat popular in certain parts of the internet, so I've decided to check it out. Thank God for the refund feature, I thought. I proceeded to waste hours upon hours in Fear & Hunger. Fear & Hunger is a survival horror game made in RPG Maker. Unlike other PRGs you earn no experience and instead have to rely on everything you can to survive while the dungeons of Fear & Hunger try to grind you into dust. It's legitimately a scary game that loves to kill you, but its unfairness is what makes it fun. There are tons of secrets, randomised items a-la Pathologic (who would've thought I can compare something to Pathologic where the latter is MORE popular?), and some incredible monsters. So, why am I talking about the original? Well, the thing is, it's a good game. If you like cruel stuff and dark fantasy it's a treat, and at times it feels like one of those incredibly gotcha platformers like Cat Mario. Thankfully its various ways to kill you make things interesting throughout. However, there's a reason why I thought it was a sex game at first. F&H series isn't ashamed of sex, and that's fine. If there are games where you blow up people's heads in glorious HD, why shouldn't there be a game where a monster hangs dong or where you can have a weird hosed-up orgy? Not like the game shows anything too up-close and it's definitely not horny. It's a sprite-based game that uses nudity for horror. However, the first title had some parts where sexual violence could happen, which makes it hard to recommend. If you don't care about pixel people getting raped (which, to be fair, I have not seen in my playthrough), I'd still recommed it but it's a big "if", I know. That said, Fear and Hunger 2 is the developer embracing criticisms of the first game and making a geniunely great survival horror experience. Personally, if we only count gameplay, I think it is the BEST survival horror game I've ever played. You have multiple characters to choose from, and they all arrive to a sudden stop on their journey, finding themselves in a mysterious foggy town. All of them have the same vision, telling them about the festival of the moon, and it soon becomes apparent that they're engaged in a battle royale situation in what's effectively Silent Hill.  F&H2 is still an RPG Maker game, yet it manager to unnerve me more than once because it still remains cruel and unforgiving. Saving moves time forward, and once 3 days are up... You're not gonna like it, let's say that. I had to learn how to save to not move time, and it was an eye-opening experience that shaped my playthrough. Throughout the game you'll explore the town of Prehevil, fight its various inhabitants, solve puzzles and try not to die. In the original, this was accomplished via meters of hunger and sanity, and here that feels a little less important, with more emphasis on combat. The combat is a farily basic turn-based RPG affair with one addition: you can cut off limbs from enemies. See a man with a sickle? Cut that arm off before going for the body! Just remember that another arm might have some tricks. It's a bit like Shin Megami Tensei in that enemies can get multiple turns per turn, but it's always fun to see what they do. You can also go for legs, which makes it easier to crit their head off, targeting which otherwise will likely result in a missed attack. Or, if you want, just pummel their bodies for a DPS race between you and them. Oh, and the enemies can do the same to you. You can lose your limbs which affects how fast you walk, what you can hold and so on. It's a fascinating system which I really enjoy. You need to learn your enemies to feel comfortable. For example, you know how I said cutting their legs off makes them vunerable? Well, there is one rear end in a top hat who's got a different method of balance: you need to cut off his ballsack for him to stumble, which makes the fight easier and faster. Some enemies might have no legs, or no head, too. There's still nudity in the game, but it feels much more horror-related a-la Silent Hill and there's no random rape happening. Many more enemies are clothed, but the ones who aren't are always a treat. I do love me some body horror, and horror doesn't usually incorporate dongs, so that feels new and fresh. However, even enemies without dicks are top-tier designs!  The game IS a survival horror, so it also allows you to go about killing and avoiding your enemies in more ways than a standard RPG would. For example, you can find bear traps you can set which will cut off enemies' legs allowing you to kill them. There are ranged weapons you can use on the overworld to weaken or finish off enemies before even fighting them. Of course, usual RPG equipment menu also helps with that. See a ghost? I won't spoil you as to how to kill them, but you will immediately discover that your weapons likely won't, so you do need to change up your loadout. The story is told in a very lore-heavy Dark Souls way, and it's an enjoyable one. Central hook of 14 people being stranded in a town on the verge of... something is better than the original's "go to dungeon". I've gotten the best ending and I barely understand what I did, but I'll likely replay this game to see all the alternatives, because I've not even gotten to day 3. The screenshot below is something that I've not seen, for example. Apparently you can make a new hub for your buddies? News to me!  The name and the 3 day limit might imply this, but effectively this game is a weird and perverted Majora's Mask parody, even including a hosed-up moon. And much like Majora's Mask, one thing you'll need is knowledge of what to do next. The hardest part of this game is the fact that you don't have any songs of time, and you'll need to return to saves again and again, trying out new things and seeing where to go next. Personally, I don't find it boring as the town is big enough. The only time I felt restricted was right at the end where I needed to trek from my save into the final area, which was just kinda boring. That said, it is the only game in recent memory that made me scared so much I needed to quit it. A certain door closing behind me as I was playing for 30 minutes made horror so much more tense than any survival horror game I've played. I straight-up went "no" and quit the game, deciding to reload and not go into the spooky zone. I've heard the game described as an immersive sim, and I guess it's not incorrect? Hell, it took me way too much to realize how the skill tree works, so instead of learning engineering I went with my party of 4 bashing in every metal door, which you can do! The amount of options and secrets is insane! It's no Deus Ex but it's a loving RPG Maker game! If it was released a month later, it would probably be my GOTY of current year, and that's saying a lot.
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Jul 16, 2023 10:14
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