DeathscytheX

Destiny as a concept is amazing. Especially for the current console limitations. They just could never get accessibility or loot tables right at launch. The first was too inaccessible for casuals, and the last was too accessible for hardcore players. The concept it self is good, its really just the players that are the problem overall. Needing six friends all on at the same time for raids was only a big obstacle because rando groups via LFG sites demanded you had Gjallarhorn. The trifecta of PVP, Open World and Instanced content collided as casuals mostly farmed the open world which didn't have shit, while instanced content had all the best loot... which would cause you to get shat on in PVP if you only did open world. On top of that Strikes were mostly fodder unless it was the Nightfall which you could only do 3 times a week if you had 3 characters. 

But yeah these are all time sinks now made for people that are in their 20s, work a part time job in school etc. Its sad they're making it a cash grab too. These type of games are def going to start struggling and they need too. I don't mind cosmetic shops. I think The Division 2 had a pretty fair system for getting keys for free weekly. They only time you were pressured to buy any were timed events, but even then if you saved up your keys and didn't use them on the common stuff that will always be there, you'd still get a good run in. But some of these games take it too far.

It's crazy how we've been conditioned to think a tax return is just some type of bonus or free money. Instead of, you know, your money they government took too much of all year. With the tax cuts last year my return was a little smaller. I'd take no return and more money each week any day. People can always save their own money instead of relying on the government to take it and possibly give back some. 🙄

The tax code needs to change and be simplified to where the government takes exactly what's needed and do away with tax filing altogether. You get a statement at the end of the year, thats it.

I believe this is this studios first major game, and it is surprising since Gearbox has apparently helped them... but being a big release like this without being a major named studio, they probably don't have the resources to run a game as a service. It will be interesting to see the longevity of this game. They'll really have to make it in the spirit of Diablo 2 where there is enough variation to keep coming back.

Although this is early stage development footage, and there probably is all of that.. the lack of UI might be the way of the future. If you ever play Ghost of Tsushima you'll get to experience a game, that in my opinion, is the first to successfully implement the environment as the UI. The lack of clutter on the screen while not having to check a map or objective every 3 minutes really added to the experience. It wasn't perfect, but I'd like to see this strategy for more non competitive games. Tsushima had the HP/Resolve meter in the bottom corner and that was it, aside from special objectives progress when doing camps/strongholds. Any abilities/weapon menus only popped up when you pressed the button to switch, and there was no need for a minimap with the the guiding winds, and ludicrous draw distances you could see. Maybe it was a little less convenient at times, but climbing a tower or cliff and looking around, or seeing a smoke plume, or other type of signal from ground level, really enhanced the experience rather than looking at menus and symbols.

If I have time tomorrow I'll try to dig mine out. I had a carrying case for my pogs. We were obsessed with 8 ball pogs. Which is funny to me since it was probably a cocaine reference but we just thought it was a billiards reference. But yes there were metal slammers and plastic ones. The plastic ones were triple the thickness I guess to make up for the weight... but they were still half the weight of the metallic ones. You were at a severe disadvantage not having a metal slammer.

I just watched the first part of this? Its labeled oddly as C1E1-E6. Dunno what C means in place of season. But only 6 episodes are up. Its pretty grim. It's not super violent nor does it contain strong language or mature themes, its just grim for something rated Y7. Like yo kid would get depressed watching it.

ROTFLMAO wtf? I still got my pogs somewhere. It was so huge in the early 90s. Like you could get them anywhere. I remember a friend and I got dragged to Old Time Pottery with our moms only to get excited when they had a steel tub full of pogs. It was like 20 for $1 or something. We'd sort through them for the coolest ones. I don't think we ever played for keeps, but we played. You had a board to slam on, and you had to have the metal slammers, because they hit harder than the thick plastic ones. Good times.

I got platinum on this game. It's only the second game I've ever gotten all the trophies for. Thats how a feel about it in the end.

Interestingly enough the poll doesn't show from the main hub page with the most recent topics.

Maxing stances doesn't help outside of avoiding getting hit (Auto parry on spear guys is pretty useful). It just keeps you on an even playing field. Now that you're in Act II you'll start to notice it. Shield and Spears, and eventually sword guys will start staggering you before you can fully break their guard to land strikes, by Act III they'll parry too. Even with a broken guard they'll recover faster. I was heavy on the smoke bombs like you at your point, but after a while I did a lot of Bow and Blowguns to thin out crowds. Kunai are always handy as well as you've noted. The blowgun is the single best weapon in the game. In act 2 there is a middle grassland and an area in the northwest to farm the darts, by Act III they're everywhere. The hallucination darts are what I was talking bout earlier. Pop a spear guy and he'll single handedly take out 3-4 other guys.

I recorded this after a few runs of this happening.

The real ease comes from the mythic abilities being able to be performed in duels. Once you get Heavenly Strike and Dance of Wrath, you can basically just go easy mode and open up with a lot of damage, pocket a few resolve in case you need to heal and when they're low enough pop them again and finish it. Things become even easier when you get Way of the Flame and the final stance of the game half way through Act II. If you go into a showdown fully loaded, its over in seconds... mechanics need not apply. Way of the Flame can't be blocked like the others and it uses ammo instead of resolve. So you can just mercilessly brutalize the opponent. I'd pop one, get regular strikes in, and pop the next when their guard returned. It's extremely busted tbh, but it does make you feel super powerful. It doesn't bother me like it will probably some people that like challenge.

Edit: Yeah I felt the same way as you did and picked that ending. You're feelings will be even more validated after you take the second castle.

I posted this before finished it so warning.. he throws up.

I beat this today. This is hands down the best game Sucker Punch has made, and falls just below God of War and Breath of the Wild on my favorite first party games this gen. I will say it did get incredibly easy at the end once I had all the skills maxed out and the best charms. Rarely did I ever have to fight head on. By the time you get to Act III  spear guys are annoying AF even more so. The only way to hit them is to parry, ghost weapon or do the shoulder ram and kill them. You'll never hit them straight up, and if they hit you it'll take 95% of your HP at the maximum. I'm sure its possible, to fight 100% honorably outside of the few times the game makes you otherwise in main quest lines.. but fuck that. Anyone that's not a masochist will resort to some sort of tactics... especially when the Act III Mongols are all fully armored, including the head. Headshots will the bow require a smaller window and they have to be facing towards you.

Act II was my favorite. It has all the watershed moments and turning points.  The ending was satisfying, even if the final two showdowns were the easiest. In the end I'd say my favorite NPCs were Kenji and Norio. My favorite side quest lines were Ryuzo's, Norio's, and Sensei Ishikawa's.

I know my company has made record profits since this has all started. I've been compensated with an extra raise, and multiple $100 gift cards. A lot of the younger generation in my company are crying about how its a gift card for our company and not to use whatever they want. But in reality, it is. I mean you HAVE to buy groceries, even if you eat out 3 times a day... you need TP and detergent. Now that's money you don't have to spend on groceries, and can spend how you want. With how irresponsible this generation is, it's helping them more than they know probably. If they got a cash card they'd spend all the money on dumb shit along with their grocery money and then cry how they're starving and they aren't making a living wage. These people can't see the benefit in long term investment. They see Walmart and Target giving out cash bonuses, while we got an extra raise on top of the 2 we already get per year. I'll take the raise, the bonus is nice but the raise has way more longevity. I rather get paid more for what I do than get a one time pay out. We're already closed on thanksgiving, Christmas, and even Easter. We get free company stock based off how many hours we've worked. You can literally work as a peon if you could afford to for 30 years and become a millionaire if you play your cards right with minimum effort. There are people that never bought extra stock and just accumulated what they earned for free and have $90k dividend checks. So yeah, while giving out gift cards for your own company can be seen as just a big tax write off.. in reality its serving a dual purpose.

Walmart closing on Thanksgiving is hilarious, like it's something special. My former company started doing it last year only because my current company moved into the state and has been doing it for years. At one point my former company was trying to justify opening on Christmas as well. It was volunteer only for double pay. They lost money every year but was waiting for the one year they made a profit so they could say it was mandatory every year. Walmart only did this because of the profits and because everyone else is doing it. There has been a big push over the last few years to pressure companies to close on Thanksgiving. In this industry its nice to have more than 1 guaranteed day off a year.