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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

I can't take it any more

Discussion in 'Archive: Games' started by zacparis, Sep 26, 2011.

  1. SoloCommand

    SoloCommand Manager Emeritus & GTA Coruscant Developer star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 15, 2001
    What's better than to complete a game, then play through it again with loads of cool, new, free stuff? Are you saying that adding enhanced, free longevity to a game ruins it? If yes, then you're the most backward person in the world. Fact.
     
  2. timmoishere

    timmoishere Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 2, 2007
    I don't know about you, but I like re-playing games from the beginning, even if there is nothing new to be done in that game. I've played games like Ocarina of Time dozens of times, for example.

    Unofficial mods do ruin games, because those mods are, well, unofficial. Sure, you can say that the mods add cool new stuff to the game, and you may be right, but then you're not actually playing the real game anymore.
     
  3. SoloCommand

    SoloCommand Manager Emeritus & GTA Coruscant Developer star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 15, 2001
    Here's an example.

    I play through Dark Forces 2 Jedi Knight (an excellent game) once.
    Then play through it again with Saber Battle X, which makes everything look better and improves the lightsaber handling massively.
    Then play through it again with Spork and A GRAPPLING HOOK.
    Then I download a new campaign and play through a completely different set of levels.

    I've just played the same game several times, but added fun new elements (which I downloaded off the internet - for free) to the game which have made the game a much more fun and vivid experience. (Or as you call it RUINED the game).

    This is why PC games will always have an edge over console games.
     
  4. Jedi_Matt

    Jedi_Matt Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2002
    Unfortunately I disagree on both counts, I'm even just trying to replay Mass Effect and Red Dead and God it's a bit of a strain. Red Dead isn't as bad but I hate driving the Mako around and covering every point.

    I envy you, I really wish I could play through games again, I haven't even played through Monkey Island 1 and 2 since I purchased the re-releases!

    As for game mods, it depends on the mod in question. Are we talking player models and skins, a One-hit KO sword or some of the epic stuff the Neverwinter Nights community put together? Mods aren't about making the original game better than it is, it's about extending the life of the product you've paid for. The DLC you purchase is just a mod, but it has the developers stamp on it, does that mean you're not playing the real game anymore?
     
  5. TwiLekJedi

    TwiLekJedi Pretty Ex-Mod star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2001
    And I probably wouldn't have said anything if it wasn't your thread :D

    (I'm right though. Everyone disagreeing doesn't prove me wrong, it just makes me sadder for the gaming community. ... KIDDING! (somewhat...))

    I remember those! Grappling hook was awesome, and JK's levels were oddly appropriate for it. Also once had one with wall-running... and an Alien skin/model :p

    I'm not usually one for mods (Oblivion, SMOD for HL2 and visual mods for Deus Ex or Stalker being exceptions) but for the Jedi Knights I tried more than in all games since then combined. Can't remember any now. o_O
    I even fiddled around with the level editor for some time, but never got very far. But the fact that I tried counts. It was a program you had to get from some guy's website. Built-in scenario editors (esp. RTSs) require no effort.
     
  6. Darth-Lando

    Darth-Lando Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 12, 2002
    I used to be the same way but over the years have changed my tune. I usually stay away from mods that change the game too much and just focus on ones that improve graphics. Nevada Skies for New Vegas makes the game gorgeous and all it does is change the way the sky looks and add a few weather effects.
     
  7. The Great No One

    The Great No One Jedi Grand Master star 8

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 2005
    first, if you've beaten the game and want something new for free mods are a godsend. yes they may change things from the original developer intent, but how many times have they made the game better? or fixed bugs and glitches that the developer never got around to? oblivion on the computer is one of those games. the unofficial oblivion patch is a MUST if you're playing on the computer. it fixes literally thousands of bugs that bethesda never got around to touching.

    and what about performance mods? there's a mod that makes oblivion run better, fixes memory leaks and regularly purges your ram so it can keep running at maximum speed. what about those? are those ruining the game? to me that fixes and makes things more playable. or optifog for minecraft. it makes it so computers that haven't been able to run it at all can run it smoothly. how's that ruining the game when it extends who can play it?

    bethesda is looking at getting user made mods onto the consoles for skyrim, the 360 in particular since it's easier to get things to transfer between computers and the 360. so that may not be true for that much longer.
     
  8. moosemousse

    moosemousse CR Emeritus: FF-UK South star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2004
    I'm not one for mods either but one mod I'd love to have is a map mod for Deus Ex and Deus Ex: Invisible War. The maps are just too small, especially in Invisible War, so something that stitches them all together and makes moving around easier would be great.
     
  9. zacparis

    zacparis VIP star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 1, 2003
    These are the sorts of mods I love:

    [image=http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5177/5424053222_1b77550c68_o.jpg]

    Conan's sword in Oblivion!

    Anyway, I'm happy to report I'm happy with my switch. I dunno what it is with consoles, but I tend to stick with games far longer than on PC. Maybe on the PC I have too many distractions, like the TV being on, having to close the game or switch windows to check the internet or email... I dunno. I even fired up Oblivion on the 360 and just had fun playing it. The lower resolution and muddy textures didn't distract me one bit. I like good graphics as much as the next person, but they obviously don't hold me back too much. Maybe it's the controller and bigger TV I enjoy, yeah that's probably it. [face_thinking]
     
  10. DarthXan318

    DarthXan318 Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 12, 2002
    You can hook up your PC to your TV and plug in a gamepad!

    /diehard PC gamer :p
     
  11. zacparis

    zacparis VIP star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 1, 2003
    Well I do play some games on PC with the 360 controller, but not all of them have that option. I also did try to plugging it into the TV once, but discovered a fatal flaw. I couldn't surf the net and watch TV! :p

    Of course there are games I'll always play on PC, strategy/simulation games for example.

    There's also another factor I forgot to mention. For ages Steam games used to be super cheap for me. They almost always used to list new games in US$, and due to our awesome exchange rate, those games would be almost 50% the price of retail.

    But some publishers have caught on to this, and have started to "adjust" prices on the NZ Steam store. Some recent examples include Space Marine and Skyrim being $89.99 USD. That's pretty much the same (sometimes more expensive) than retail. Add that to restrictive data caps, I'd rather just buy it retail. Cheaper games was one of the main reasons I moved to PC, but it's starting to look like that won't be the case for much longer.
     
  12. FlareStorm

    FlareStorm Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 13, 2000
    You did not do that. You downloaded the mods, mucked around with it, said "that's cool" and never touched it again. You didn't play through once for each mod.
     
  13. SoloCommand

    SoloCommand Manager Emeritus & GTA Coruscant Developer star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 15, 2001
    I played through JK about four times. Which is why I know most of the dialogue in the cutscenes from the top of my head.
    Truth be told, I never completed Vanilla JK, the battle with Jerec was too difficult, but I did manage it with the expanded Saber stuff in SaberX.
     
  14. TwiLekJedi

    TwiLekJedi Pretty Ex-Mod star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2001
    I beat vanilla JK legitimately once. Lots of running around to pickup force/health, lots of healing/protection spam. I think. It's been like 10 years

    Last time I tried (last year) Baron's Hed kicked my ass [face_plain]
     
  15. The Great No One

    The Great No One Jedi Grand Master star 8

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 2005
    beat it legitly twice, light and dark. light was the easier of the two in my book.
     
  16. zacparis

    zacparis VIP star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 1, 2003
    oops, wrong thread
     
  17. Leto II

    Leto II Jedi Padawan star 6

    Registered:
    Jan 23, 2000
    zacparis is not far off the mark at all, here, with this thread's thesis.

    Have been playing Oblivion, the two Dragon Ages, and Fallout 3 on PC with very minimal mods -- I refuse to buy into the whole, "modders-save-the-games-from-their-poor-inept-developers" attitude that so many people out there seem to have about this stuff. Not counting the Morrowind graphical revamp, I've picked up some very subtle, cosmetic mods for various titles, but I stay away from ones that hugely change a game outside the design-parameters established by the original creators. Bug-fixes, improved textures ("Better Trees," "Immersive Interiors"), that sort of thing.

    Not that I'm at all opposed to some of the insanely-creative add-ons I've seen over the years (and there are some truly amazing ones), but anything that takes me further away from that core, baseline experience is "no-go" territory for me, at least on my first few runthroughs. "Vanilla" console-gaming actually is capable of offering a sincere, righteous, unpretentious purity of experience that frequently gets looked down upon in some of the more "elite" PC circles.
     
  18. The Great No One

    The Great No One Jedi Grand Master star 8

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 2005
    i don't think anyone was saying mod the game before you beat it the first time. that's just silly, unless it's a graphical upgrade. other than that i almost always try to beat a game vanilla first unless it's a game that offers a lot of different ways to beat it, then i'll play it a couple times and THEN mod it.
     
  19. Leto II

    Leto II Jedi Padawan star 6

    Registered:
    Jan 23, 2000
    Even when gaming on PC (like with The Witcher 2 recently), I tend to use the Xbox 360 controller whenever humanly possible -- it's among the most comfortable ever designed, and even better than the "S" Xbox controller from last gen. It's like holding a dream in your hands.

    It annoys me greatly that -- apart from the shoulder-buttons -- Sony's DualShock is still essentially the same tiny, handcramping, unergonomic piece of crap from 15 years ago.


    I bought a PS3 about a year ago, but, like you, only use it for the occasional exclusive (like Uncharted 2, the upcoming Part 3, Heavy Rain, MGS4, Demon's Souls), and barely even care about my PSN gamertag (as in, there's only about four games on it, in total). We already owned a standalone Sony Blu-Ray player prior to buying it, so that technological aspect was automatically redundant, but it does put out a good picture.

    For all my other gaming needs in life, the Xbox 360 and PC seem to have all the bases covered, apart from the new Zelda coming up...which will be the first new Nintendo Wii title I'll have purchased in almost two years. If you've got at least a 360, that's about 80-85% of your "AAA" gaming spread right there, with only a couple of truly standalone exclusives to be found on Sony and Nintendo's platforms.
     
  20. timmoishere

    timmoishere Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 2, 2007
    I honestly haven't even played on my Wii for almost a year, and that's only because my 360 was in RROD limbo. The 360 just has so much more going for it. So I probably won't get Skyward Sword for a long time, especially since Skyrim will be taking up all of my gaming time in a couple weeks.
     
  21. Leto II

    Leto II Jedi Padawan star 6

    Registered:
    Jan 23, 2000
    Yeah -- I've got the limited Gold Wiimote bundle pre-ordered, but chances are I'll only be giving myself a quick, brief taste of the game, before putting it aside again and plunging headlong back into Skyrim for the following who-knows-how-many weeks. That game is going to consume my life and my very soul.

    I love me some Zelda, and normally would be considering Skyward Sword my first- or second-most anticipated game of the entire year...but there's a brand-new Elder Scrolls launching almost directly opposite it. And EVERYTHING gets dropped for a new Elder Scrolls game, even Zelda.

    What a year it's been, when we can consider a new major-console Zelda game to be only a mere appetizer, rather than the main course.
     
  22. zacparis

    zacparis VIP star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 1, 2003
    Holy crap, I'm so glad I switched back to console when I did. Not only was Batman: AC delayed for PC by three weeks, but now Steam has gone and jacked up the price from $49.99USD to $100USD. That's more expensive than the console version! I'd laugh if I didn't feel sick for my PC-only brother who's probably going to miss out because he simply can't afford a price hike like that.
     
  23. moosemousse

    moosemousse CR Emeritus: FF-UK South star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2004
    That's insane! On the other hand, Steam isn't the only place to buy PC games, so it's well worth shopping around.
     
  24. Reynar_Tedros

    Reynar_Tedros Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 3, 2006
    Geez. Why is it so expensive?
     
  25. zacparis

    zacparis VIP star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 1, 2003
    Retail pressure I assume. PC games at retail are about $100 NZ, and you can get Batman for about $90 NZ, but $100 USD is like $120 here, that's just shooting themselves in the foot. Steam bows to the pressure and then customers end up going elsewhere (unless they're Steam fanatics and suck it up).

    Yeah I see it's still $50 on Gamersgate, but some games are region locked, in which case I usually turn to Gamersgate.co.uk.