Grounded

GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
I've started a shared save if anybody is interested in playing Grounded. It's kind of like a dedicated server, but not. It will let us all play in the same "world" even simultaneously, just with whoever happens to be playing at the time is the "server" and other people join them, and if nobody's playing when you play you become the server. The actual save file itself is stored in the cloud. It's an interesting way to do it.

The nature of this game's multiplayer is you'll have to register for an xbox online account (which is free and can be done from within the game client).

Then, if you want to join us in this world, I'll need to add you to the whitelist of xbox accounts allowed to share the save.

I don't know if more than 4 people are allowed to share a single save, though.

Overall, first impression of this game is its very good. Feels very, as Nick put it, Subnautica meets "Honey I shrunk the kids." Only I'd add too that combat feels very Valheim.

Death is very forgiving even on normal difficulty, and that's a good thing, because there's LOTS to kill you. Resource gathering is fast and easy, so it's trivial to set up multiple camps/bases. I also like the notification system for when you want to sleep through the night... one person tries, and it tells all the other players online "GasBandit wants to go to sleep" and then everybody can then use their respective (or the same) lean-tos to go to sleep, which are easy and quick to build anyway.

And yeah, I can see why they put in an "arachnophobia" mode that makes the spiders less... spidery... because unchanged, they're pretty fucking terrifying.
 
Tinwhistler

Tinwhistler

GasBandit said:
I've started a shared save if anybody is interested in playing Grounded. It's kind of like a dedicated server, but not. It will let us all play in the same "world" even simultaneously, just with whoever happens to be playing at the time is the "server" and other people join them, and if nobody's playing when you play you become the server. The actual save file itself is stored in the cloud. It's an interesting way to do it.

The nature of this game's multiplayer is you'll have to register for an xbox online account (which is free and can be done from within the game client).

Then, if you want to join us in this world, I'll need to add you to the whitelist of xbox accounts allowed to share the save.

I don't know if more than 4 people are allowed to share a single save, though.

Overall, first impression of this game is its very good. Feels very, as Nick put it, Subnautica meets "Honey I shrunk the kids." Only I'd add too that combat feels very Valheim.

Death is very forgiving even on normal difficulty, and that's a good thing, because there's LOTS to kill you. Resource gathering is fast and easy, so it's trivial to set up multiple camps/bases. I also like the notification system for when you want to sleep through the night... one person tries, and it tells all the other players online "GasBandit wants to go to sleep" and then everybody can then use their respective (or the same) lean-tos to go to sleep, which are easy and quick to build anyway.

And yeah, I can see why they put in an "arachnophobia" mode that makes the spiders less... spidery... because unchanged, they're pretty fucking terrifying.
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I bought Grounded back in November, according to my Steam purchase history. I haven't played it yet, but it looked super interesting at the time. I'd totally be on board with giving it a shot. I'll fire it up after work today. I don't have an x-box account, so far as I know, but I'll get those details worked out in short order.
 
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Tinwhistler

Tinwhistler

Edit: I must have made an account over a decade ago back when the boys were teens and played X-Box. So I do have an account..just let me know what info I need to send you for whitelisting, please :)
 
Shawn

Shawn

If a game is supposed to show up on my list I haven't seen it. I go to Multiplayer and "join game" but no luck with anything showing.

Edit: I tried hosting instead, and your save game file came up. Because I'm the only one online I guess as you said above? Weird way to do it but I guess that works.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Shawn said:
If a game is supposed to show up on my list I haven't seen it. I go to Multiplayer and "join game" but no luck with anything showing.

Edit: I tried hosting instead, and your save game file came up. Because I'm the only one online I guess as you said above? Weird way to do it but I guess that works.
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Yeah, if nobody else is on, the first person to play has to host.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
So yeah, it looks like I can share the save with as many people as I want, but a maximum of 4 can be playing simultaneously.
 
Shawn

Shawn

It's interesting so far. It took me a bit to figure out how to craft (you double click the selected item on the left when you have the materials). Aphids are little bastards and the hit mechanics using spears to target them is not reliable at all. I'm sure it will eventually be easier once I know what to look for, but finding sap is a pain in the butt.
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

Shawn said:
It's interesting so far. It took me a bit to figure out how to craft (you double click the selected item on the left when you have the materials). Aphids are little bastards and the hit mechanics using spears to target them is not reliable at all. I'm sure it will eventually be easier once I know what to look for, but finding sap is a pain in the butt.
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Handy tip: aphipds go down in one hit with a bow and arrow. Chase 'em up a blade of grass and shoot 'em down.

Also, you can shoot down water droplets with a bow and arrow if you can't reach it.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

Very, very tempted to pick this up. I may only be able to play from about 10 or 10:30 CST to 12:00am CST. Not sure anyone else would be on at that time except me.
 
Shawn

Shawn

How does the save file work when it comes to the characters? Is your personal progress saved so that no matter which character you are playing at the time that all of your items and gear are available, or is gear and items saved to a specific character and whoever plays it has access to those items?
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

Shawn said:
How does the save file work when it comes to the characters? Is your personal progress saved so that no matter which character you are playing at the time that all of your items and gear are available, or is gear and items saved to a specific character and whoever plays it has access to those items?
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Progress like unlocking mutations only work on that saved game. So if you've leveled up on GasBandit's server but then start your own, separate save file, you'll need to start completely from scratch. Which kinda sucks.
 
Shawn

Shawn

ThatNickGuy said:
Progress like unlocking mutations only work on that saved game. So if you've leveled up on GasBandit's server but then start your own, separate save file, you'll need to start completely from scratch. Which kinda sucks.
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I figure things save specifically per game. What I mean is that since there are only 4 characters, and you can choose any of them that are not currently being used by someone else (at that specific time), is your personal gear that you have crafted swapped over to the character you are currently playing or do you just have to make do (or triumph) with the gear that someone else put on that particular character?
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

Shawn said:
I figure things save specifically per game. What I mean is that since there are only 4 characters, and you can choose any of them that are not currently being used by someone else (at that specific time), is your personal gear that you have crafted swapped over to the character you are currently playing or do you just have to make do (or triumph) with the gear that someone else put on that particular character?
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From my experience, you're locked into whatever character you choose when you join the server. So if you choose Hoops, you're always Hoops on Gas's server. And that's the same for whatever gear or inventory you have when you log out. Though I'm not sure how that works if other people on his list also choose Hoops. I haven't had a chance to really play with the shared worlds. Just joining someone else's saved game.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
You can also knock down dew droplets by throwing spears at them, and if the spear sticks in the grass blade, it will fall out after a few seconds.

R is the throw button. Throwing spears is a very good early game ranged solution until you can make a bow. It takes 3 spear stabs to kill a weevil, but only one hit with a thrown spear.
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

GasBandit said:
You can also knock down dew droplets by throwing spears at them, and if the spear sticks in the grass blade, it will fall out after a few seconds.

R is the throw button. Throwing spears is a very good early game ranged solution until you can make a bow. It takes 3 spear stabs to kill a weevil, but only one hit with a thrown spear.
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You can also knock down a droplet by just meleeing the grass blade. Any melee attack. Spear, axe, hammer, etc. I think punching it, too.
 
Tinwhistler

Tinwhistler

I played for 5-10 minutes...figured out how to get water. I evidently scared the food out of an aphid. I got killed by an ant, and rezzed in a 'house'. I got lost, killed a mite, and found my way back to the starting area.

It started out daylight, I thought, but it's been night-time every since, which I hate.
 
Tinwhistler

Tinwhistler

Oh, and the 2nd time I logged in, it let me pick my character again. I chose the same one, so I can't say what happens with a differing character.

I do know when I died, I got "Irish Whistler's Backpack" and not "Willow's Backpack", and when I quit, it was saving 'Irish Whistler's' state. So I think the avatars are just that, avatars. When you log on and choose an avatar, it's loaded up with whatever gear you had when you logged off with. That's my theory pending additional testing, anyway.
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

Man, I've largely solo'd Grounded for the past year or so, but it really is a different gane when playing with others. Especially when you have others helping you with killing bugs, gathering resources, and building bases.

Really hope I didn't come across as a pushy know it all or anything. It was weird being the experienced player in a multiplayer game for a change.

But I don't think I could play this solo again now after tonight.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Interesting trivia I just learned... the voice actor for Max is Luke Youngblood.

AKA, Magnitude from Community and Lee Jordan from the Harry Potter movies.

The voice actor for nerdy Pete is the english VA for Saitama from One Punch Man.

Hoops' voice actress also was D.Va in Overwatch.

Bigger names than I would have thought for such an indie game.
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

GasBandit said:
Interesting trivia I just learned... the voice actor for Max is Luke Youngblood.

AKA, Magnitude from Community and Lee Jordan from the Harry Potter movies.

The voice actor for nerdy Pete is the english VA for Saitama from One Punch Man.

Hoops' voice actress also was D.Va in Overwatch.

Bigger names than I would have thought for such an indie game.
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Not really an "indie" game, since it's made by Obsidian, who made The Outer Worlds, Pillars of Eternity, and Fallout New Vegas. And are owned by Microsoft. It was apparently made by a smaller team from the whole studio, but definitely not indie.

But that's really cool about the voice actors. Pop pop!

Whoa, you're right about the bigger names. Zachary Levi, who played Shazam in, well, Shazam, is Dr Wendell Tully (the voice of the guy on the taps you pick up).
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

Played around a bit on GasBandit's server. Didn't progress anything, but continued on the work Gas or someone else did on building the base. Collected resources, build a second dew collector so we'll never be wanting for water, a smoothie station, and some armor stands. And built armor to fit each one. The armor stands are handy for switching out to a different army without rummaging through chests to find armor pieces. Which is good if you want to, say, explore an ant hill without being attacked, so throw on some ant armor super quick.

And of course, being a good multiplayer guy, I made sure to leave as much bug meat on the spit and in the chests as there was when I logged on.
 
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