Game Grumps' Steam Train just finished a speedrun of Skyrim, basically using glitches still around in the current game I think. Clocked in at 12-13 episodes, I think 3 hours in total. Some weeeeeeeird glitches still around for sure.
All nighter at the hotel. It's mostly just front-desk baby-sitting while we do a massive update to our operating system. Everything is done that we can do, and everything we can't has to wait until the system is up and running. That probably won't happen for another 5 hours or so.
I've already been here 12 hours, and I'm on salary; so I think I'm entitled to wasting a bit of time on my DS. Especially considering that when I leave here at 6-7am, I have to be back at 2pm for my next shift.
Link Between Worlds it is.
I really want to praise this game on all counts, but I think I'll hold off until I finish so I can give a complete review of the content.
I've already been here 12 hours, and I'm on salary; so I think I'm entitled to wasting a bit of time on my DS. Especially considering that when I leave here at 6-7am, I have to be back at 2pm for my next shift.
Link Between Worlds it is.
I really want to praise this game on all counts, but I think I'll hold off until I finish so I can give a complete review of the content.
Luckily I'm doing better than minimum wage. And I do appreciate my career. It can be a bit boring from time to time.Being salaried in a job that's not something you absolutely love sucks. I was a billing analyst and when I figured out what I was actually making per hour based on my salary vs actual hours worked, I was making minimum wage
Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Finally finished this game. I didn't do much of a speed run, and definitely dicked around a bit to explore and get as much extra stuff as I could find. And that's one of the many things I enjoyed about this game, was the ability to explore and do things at my pace. This game differs from the typical Zelda games in ways that not only give a refreshing feel to the series, but also really assist in game play. The first being that all of your equipment is essentially available to you right from the start. After you complete the first dungeon you will be introduced to an item merchant who will rent you pretty much every major item. If you die you'll have to rent the items you need again, but it's entirely possible to get through the game and never die. Other major items are attainable through world exploration, puzzle solving, and sometimes even just talking to the right person, and can typically be done in any order. All of these items together will be needed complete the dungeons. This leads to another important change which is that you can pretty much complete the dungeons in any order you like (with a few exceptions such as...
This level of freedom is definitely something we haven't seen for a while in a Zelda game and I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect.
Another awesome change is the removal of ammunition and magic meters. You no longer need to find ammo and magic powder or whatever in order to stock up for dungeons. They have both been replaced with a single timed meter that gives you infinite use of each item, but requires a short amount of time to recharge as you deplete it. This allows for more refined puzzles that use these items, but don't punish you for experimentation.
Speaking of puzzles, the wall merging feature that is a major plot element is hands down one of the greatest Zelda gimmicks I've ever seen. Early in the game you gain the ability to merge into any flat wall as a drawing. This allows you to travel along the wall on a fixed horizontal plane, letting you circumvent pits and other major obstacles. It's great in that way where it completely changes the way you approach puzzles in the Zelda universe. Where as most of us are used to the idea of using a hookshot to cross a gap, the wall merge allows us to get across them in a different manner, allowing for more nifty world design. Obviously it doesn't work in every situation, but that also just allowed the game creators to become more creative with how the traditional items work. As a result the dungeons feel new and exciting.
When it comes to the world it's pretty much like experiencing A Link to The Past again, but with new surprises around every turn. As this is a direct sequel, and takes place only centuries after ALTTP, the overworld is pretty much as you remember it. The village is in the same place, as is the Sanctuary, the castle, and Link's house. But this familiarity only builds into the enjoyment of the game, because it is especially fun to see how things have changed.
The Dark World aspect of the game, now called Lorule, is also very familiar, but definitely has changed the most as it seems to be falling apart. It is suggested by sites that Lorule and the Dark World are not the same place, but I disagree... (plot point spoilered)
Overall the game is amazing. Just amazing. I can't think of a better game to get a 3Ds (or a 2Ds even if you don't care about the 3D part) for so you can play it. I think it's the best game purchase I've made in a few years now. 10/10.
Finally finished this game. I didn't do much of a speed run, and definitely dicked around a bit to explore and get as much extra stuff as I could find. And that's one of the many things I enjoyed about this game, was the ability to explore and do things at my pace. This game differs from the typical Zelda games in ways that not only give a refreshing feel to the series, but also really assist in game play. The first being that all of your equipment is essentially available to you right from the start. After you complete the first dungeon you will be introduced to an item merchant who will rent you pretty much every major item. If you die you'll have to rent the items you need again, but it's entirely possible to get through the game and never die. Other major items are attainable through world exploration, puzzle solving, and sometimes even just talking to the right person, and can typically be done in any order. All of these items together will be needed complete the dungeons. This leads to another important change which is that you can pretty much complete the dungeons in any order you like (with a few exceptions such as...
The Desert/Mire dungeon which you need to complete the Thieves' Hideout dungeon to get the Sandrod unlocked as a rentable item. And yes there is an in-story reason for that).
Another awesome change is the removal of ammunition and magic meters. You no longer need to find ammo and magic powder or whatever in order to stock up for dungeons. They have both been replaced with a single timed meter that gives you infinite use of each item, but requires a short amount of time to recharge as you deplete it. This allows for more refined puzzles that use these items, but don't punish you for experimentation.
Speaking of puzzles, the wall merging feature that is a major plot element is hands down one of the greatest Zelda gimmicks I've ever seen. Early in the game you gain the ability to merge into any flat wall as a drawing. This allows you to travel along the wall on a fixed horizontal plane, letting you circumvent pits and other major obstacles. It's great in that way where it completely changes the way you approach puzzles in the Zelda universe. Where as most of us are used to the idea of using a hookshot to cross a gap, the wall merge allows us to get across them in a different manner, allowing for more nifty world design. Obviously it doesn't work in every situation, but that also just allowed the game creators to become more creative with how the traditional items work. As a result the dungeons feel new and exciting.
When it comes to the world it's pretty much like experiencing A Link to The Past again, but with new surprises around every turn. As this is a direct sequel, and takes place only centuries after ALTTP, the overworld is pretty much as you remember it. The village is in the same place, as is the Sanctuary, the castle, and Link's house. But this familiarity only builds into the enjoyment of the game, because it is especially fun to see how things have changed.
The Dark World aspect of the game, now called Lorule, is also very familiar, but definitely has changed the most as it seems to be falling apart. It is suggested by sites that Lorule and the Dark World are not the same place, but I disagree... (plot point spoilered)
I noticed such similarities (areas, dungeons, bosses) that I can't help but think that Lorule IS the Dark World that Link encountered in ALTTP, but without Ganon's influence. When Ganon claimed the Triforce in the Sacred Realm he corrupted it and turned it into the Dark World. At the end of ALTTP Link restores the Sacred Realm. But is it possible that the Sacred Realm was Lorule all along? Lorule, supposedly a mirror world of Hyrule, is a miserable place because their Triforce was destroyed in an effort to keep it out of the hands of those who would corrupt it. Since then the world has reverted to a dark state and is falling apart. Could this have happened in the centuries after the events of ALTTP? They unseal Gannon, which I would assume they could have only done in the world he was sealed up to begin with (Dark World). The locations are the same, including the thieves' village, misery mire, etc. The bosses are all very very very similar to ones faced in the original Dark World (but changed enough that they are exciting battles). I think it's more than possible that what Hyrule only knew as The Sacred Realm was actually called Lorule by the people who lived there.
What I like most about A Link Between Worlds is part of what makes A Link to the Past my favorite game of all time: the pacing. You never feel like you're needlessly stuck somewhere doing pointless busy work, and yet almost everything you do is memorable, to the point where 8 dungeons in I remember the locations, puzzles and bosses for all 8.
Did I mention that work required me to be in a different state from my wife for 4 days?
This was me the first night. I didn't go to bed until 6am.
Then I had to work for 16 hours after I was up.
Was it worth it?
Does the Hulk smash?
Ok, so I'm trying to make my way to High Hrothgar in Skyrim, and along the way a snowy saber cat kept killing me. Like, 20+ deaths to it. It would three-shot me, while I would be unable to do enough damage to it in the same amount of time. In the end I managed to get it stuck on some terrain, then shot it to death with my bow. Is this supposed to happen? Cause that's a hell of a difficulty curve.
Also, vampires are attacking townspeople in Whiterun. I'm afraid they'll take out a shopkeeper or a quest giver. I read that if I complete Dawnguard, the vampire attacks will stop, so is Dawnguard suitable for a low level character? I'm around level 10 right now.
Also, vampires are attacking townspeople in Whiterun. I'm afraid they'll take out a shopkeeper or a quest giver. I read that if I complete Dawnguard, the vampire attacks will stop, so is Dawnguard suitable for a low level character? I'm around level 10 right now.
Dawnguard starts at level 10. It's leveled content (in fact, most content is leveled content) so it should be completable at any difficulty level.
Animals are not leveled. Saber cats are going to be tough early on, especially if you're playing a more fragile, finesse character. A heavy armor warrior swinging a two handed sword will probably be able to power attack and kill a saber cat in one or two swings, regardless of what level he's at. A mage will have to have access to higher level spells, or just be able to kite properly. What kind of character are you playing?
You can also make use of a follower. There's plenty of people who will follow you around after you help them out, and mercenaries that will do it for a fee. If they die, though, they're dead for good. As a part of dawnguard, you get an unkillable companion to follow you around that is good at taking the heat off of you, though she can still get beat down and faint leaving you by yourself.
Also, I -highly- recommend getting the run for your life mod. It makes shopkeepers and other npcs run indoors whenever vampires or a dragon attacks, instead of trying to attack it themselves. The guards will still stand and fight, that's what they're there for. I got this mod after I got tired of reloading after every vampire attack because some important npc died.
I'm aiming for a stealthy archer mainly, who's also capable of pulling out a mace and whacking things to death when enemies close to melee range. This was my favorite build in Oblivion.
And I've managed to get Lydia as a companion, but I left her behind because I find companions tend to interfere with my stealthy archer approach. I did regret it though, against the saber cat, because I'll bet having Lydia tank the thing would've made things a lot easier.
And I want one unmodded playthrough before I start modding the hell out of the game. This way I have a baseline experience to compare to, and I have a better idea of what sort of changes I want to make.
And I've managed to get Lydia as a companion, but I left her behind because I find companions tend to interfere with my stealthy archer approach. I did regret it though, against the saber cat, because I'll bet having Lydia tank the thing would've made things a lot easier.
And I want one unmodded playthrough before I start modding the hell out of the game. This way I have a baseline experience to compare to, and I have a better idea of what sort of changes I want to make.
Yeah, a stealthy archer is going to have a tough time early on in open combat against a saber cat. You could maybe add in some conjuration to be able to summon a minion to help tank things for you, or just pump your archery a ton to get the perk that causes arrows to stagger things. Eventually you'll be one shitting things with super powered sneak attacks.
If you like archery, I recommend dawnguard asap, because crossbows are pretty baller.
If you like archery, I recommend dawnguard asap, because crossbows are pretty baller.
Yeah, the Improved Dwarven Crossbow is basically the best archery weapon in the game. Armor penetration, can fire enchanted bolts, and the crossbow itself is also enchantable. Just make sure you take the Dwarven and Magic smithing perks to improve it.
I wonder: I'm a big Total War fan, but due to "my pc cries like a little baby when I try to play it", I hardly played Shogun II.
Now I have a pc perfectly capable of running it - bit I also have Rome II. Which one should I play? I hardly if ever play the battles myself - I mostly stick to the campaign level. Anyone any thoughts? Is one a great deal better than the other (nobody in their right mind will advise Napoleon over Empire for example), are they just "different", are they "the same in a slightly different setting",...?
Now I have a pc perfectly capable of running it - bit I also have Rome II. Which one should I play? I hardly if ever play the battles myself - I mostly stick to the campaign level. Anyone any thoughts? Is one a great deal better than the other (nobody in their right mind will advise Napoleon over Empire for example), are they just "different", are they "the same in a slightly different setting",...?
The enhanced dwarven crossbow is definitely a beast, but it isn't the best archery weapon. A daedric bow will do more dps. It's base damage is slightly lower than the dwarven crossbow, but crossbows are slow to fire. And the ignore armor aspect is certainly nice, but most enemies in the game are lightly armored (and everything that isn't a human has no armor whatsoever).
All that said, crossbows will definitely carry you through the midsection. And they're powerful enough to carry you throughout the entire game if you decide you want to specialize in only them.
Crossbow Pros:
- Stronger than Daedric, with much less investment. Daedric bow is base 19, Dwarven Crossbow is 22.
- With exploding bolts, you will outperform Dragonbone and Daedric arrows (which are much harder to make).
- Enhanced versions penetrate 50% armor, making heavy enemies like Bandit Chiefs much easier.
- Crossbows stagger 50% of the time. With the perk, it's 75%.
- Crossbows don't effect movement speed when drawn like bows do without the Ranger perk.
- Crossbows have higher velocity, making it easier to hit moving targets.
Cons:
- Exploding bolts don't get sneak attack damage. Dragonbone or Daedric bow with similar arrows will outperform a Dwarven crossbow on a sneak attack.
- Reloads slower than most (though not ALL) bows. This does effect DPS.
- Bolts aren't easy to find, especially if you don't join the Dawnguard. You can only buy them at Fort Dawnguard, pick them up off dead Dawnguard members, or get them off of Dwarven Spheres.
- Bolts are crafted in stacks of 10, arrows get 24. Can only make bolts if you are a Dawnguard member.
So it basically boils down to if you want to spend time smithing or not. If you don't want to grind up to Daedric or Dragon weapons, the Dwarven Crossbow is the next best option and it only takes minimal smithing skill to make it. A crossbow will out damage a bow in direct combat, but only with exploding bolts.
God damn that game. The pirate stuff is incredibly fun. Whaling? Fun. Ship battles? Fun. Storm naval fortresses? Fun. Steering through a storm? Fun.
Fucking staying within eavesdropping distance of some asshole for 20 straight minutes? Fuuuuuuuuuck off.
Strip off those TERRIBLE Assassin's Creed trappings and just make a gigantic super pirate game.
Fucking staying within eavesdropping distance of some asshole for 20 straight minutes? Fuuuuuuuuuck off.
Strip off those TERRIBLE Assassin's Creed trappings and just make a gigantic super pirate game.
So, I read online that you can power-level your sneak, archery, and weapon skills in Skyrim by abusing the Greybeards at High Hrothgar, since they don't turn aggressive if you attack them.
So I sit there for a while, sneak attacking poor Borri, until I gain about fifteen sneak levels. And then I figured, as long as I'm abusing an exploit anyway, why not just give myself the skill points with console commands? So I used the console to max out my sneak skill.
And then I figured why stop with sneak, since I was leveling my archery and one-handed skills too, so I consoled them up to max as well.
And then I realized by giving myself all these skill points, I've accidentally leveled up a whole bunch, which means enemies will probably now be really tough, and I've still only got basic iron/steel gear. That would put me at a huge disadvantage, so I consoled myself some Dragonbone gear.
And then I felt really bad, and loaded a save from before I started attacking the Greybeards.
So I sit there for a while, sneak attacking poor Borri, until I gain about fifteen sneak levels. And then I figured, as long as I'm abusing an exploit anyway, why not just give myself the skill points with console commands? So I used the console to max out my sneak skill.
And then I figured why stop with sneak, since I was leveling my archery and one-handed skills too, so I consoled them up to max as well.
And then I realized by giving myself all these skill points, I've accidentally leveled up a whole bunch, which means enemies will probably now be really tough, and I've still only got basic iron/steel gear. That would put me at a huge disadvantage, so I consoled myself some Dragonbone gear.
And then I felt really bad, and loaded a save from before I started attacking the Greybeards.
There are lots of ways to cheese up high levels of skills, either using game exploits or just outright cheating with console commands. All you do is ruin the fun for yourself, especially since you artificially inflate the enemy levels to compensate, making it overall harder for yourself.
Trust me. Earn that stuff the right way, you'll feel better for it. Skyrim is about the journey, not the destination.
Eventually your character will become awesome anyway. And you'll be able to do stuff like this (including making a corny montage video set to music)