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Unified Vidya Games thread

Started by Cain, November 21, 2013, 05:10:58 PM

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Cain

The number of these references I actually get is kinda depressing. Go on, ask me about House Redoran Gravity Control.

LMNO

You sure this isn't a cross-post from Qanon?

Cain

I guarantee that at least 50% of that is reference to actual lore or theories derived from lore.

Yes, even the moon cum vaults.

altered

"Dunmer were Dwemer" was one that made a stupid amount of sense. It was literally the unspoken plan of Morrowind: House Dagoth were given Dwemeri knowledge and theming for that reason. There's in fact confirmation from developers leading up to the Morrowind release about this (archived on The Imperial Library).

I'm kind of disappointed they didn't go that route long run. Especially given the Ashlander/Old Velothi linguistic ties to Sumerian (which strictly matches the Ancient Mesopotamian style of the Dwemer).
"I am that worst of all type of criminal...I cannot bring myself to do what you tell me, because you told me."

There's over 100 of us in this meat-suit. You'd think it runs like a ship, but it's more like a hundred and ten angry ghosts having an old-school QuakeWorld tournament, three people desperately trying to make sure the gamers don't go hungry or soil themselves, and the Facilities manager weeping in the corner as the garbage piles high.

Cain

They also sat on the Chimer High Council as Great House Dwemer.

One I don't see mentioned, which I always liked, is that Vahlok the Jailer's mask was Konahrik. We only meet one named dragon priest in the whole game who doesn't have a mask, and it just happens to be the one that not only kicked Miraak's arse so hard he went hiding behind Hermaeus Mora's skirts, but who was also given Solstheim and, apparently, ruled justly and with honour.

Also consider Vahlok means "guardian". What does Konahrik do? "When low on health, has a chance to heal the wearer and damage nearby enemies, or summon a powerful Dragon Priest defender."

Cain

Next ESO expansion is (west) Skyrim. I am meh about this, as a location. Obviously there'll be a lot of cashing in on Skyrim, but between Bethesda itself and Zenimax I'm not sure anyone there seems to know how to handle Nord lore well. Not to mention Eastmarch and The Rift are two of the most boring zones in the base game, only beaten out by the endless trees of Valenwood for tedium.

What really worries me is how they're going to fuck up the Reach, however. If it is included in this area, which I actually hope it won't be. The Reachmen have been one-dimensional villains for pretty much all of northern Tamriel, appearing as antagonists in: Glenumbra, Bangkorai, The Rift, Orsinium and the Horns of the Reach dungeons. Also implied as being major dicks in Craglorn, given what the ancient Nedes from whom the Reachmen descend did to the Iron Orcs. And of course it was the Longhouse Emperors who helped start the whole mess in the Empire, with legalising daedra worship and invading High Rock and all. In all of this, while there have been tidbits of interesting lore, mostly we haven't learned anything since Skyrim. Reachmen bad, wear stupid fur armours, practice necromancy, worship daedra, oooh, bad.

Markarth is allegedly under the rule of a Reachman King, called the Tyrant of Markarth. However, any ideas that perhaps this King isn't so bad, and the reason there are so many Reachmen raiders attacking apparently everything in northern Tamriel because they have been exiled or something is rather undercut by the Tyrant aligning himself with Mannimarco's Worm Cult and hosting Abnur and Javid Tharn in the past. Best to leave the Reach as a separate DLC...that way if it does get fucked up, it won't be because of a divided focus between that area and Nord culture, such as it is.

One bit of datamining suggests there might be a vampire DLC in the future, with "Nightfall Crown Crates" being a thing. If so, I'm wondering if we're going to see some Volikhar vampires again. The Dawnguard clearly exist in this era, as evidenced by the Fighters Guild "Silver Bolts" ability. Yet...no Fort Dawnguard in the Rift. No Volikhar themed enemies in Skyrim at all. And the vampire tree could use a bit of an update, like werewolves got a while back. It's basically stupidly powerful passives and nothing else at this point...not to mention people would pay (actual money, no less) for the ability to not look like an ugly rotting corpse while still being a vampire. Hey, Serana was rather pretty for a vampire, wasn't she? And she was interred in that crypt at a point when Cyrodiil was not the seat of an empire...

altered

Near the end of my time in the RP scene of ESO I played a Reachlady from a family that loved Namira. She was foul mouthed, quiet, kind, and went through a "ritual cleansing" involving wading through mud, feces and decaying bodies to eat the rotting flesh of her ancestors on alternating full moons (Masser specifically).

She had broken ties with Markarth in her youth due to the Despot allying himself with Mannimarco and Molag Bal. She was an expert butcher, a singer, and a guard who really took the "protect the victims" part to heart.

I wish Bethesda's lore masters had the kind of depth of concept that not only I, but most of the non-Nord and non-Dunmer RPers had.
"I am that worst of all type of criminal...I cannot bring myself to do what you tell me, because you told me."

There's over 100 of us in this meat-suit. You'd think it runs like a ship, but it's more like a hundred and ten angry ghosts having an old-school QuakeWorld tournament, three people desperately trying to make sure the gamers don't go hungry or soil themselves, and the Facilities manager weeping in the corner as the garbage piles high.

Cain

Namira alone needs more lore, so that'd work out perfectly. I often got D'rek vibes from what there is, and a connection to autumn as the season of decay would fit her well into a Reachman daedric cosmology of Hircine (summer), Molag Bal/Mehrunes Dagon (winter) and Malacath (spring).

altered

Probably the best 50 dollars I have spent since Bloodborne: I got a copy of Control a few days ago and have been playing it.

It's fucking mad. The dialogues and plot scenes throw me HARD, and the writing is like, using SCP Foundation concepts to do what stuffing worldbuilding into item descriptions does for FromSoft games.

And the gameplay. My god. Movement is sloppy but responsive, but otherwise it feels like someone played Dead Space 2 and said "this is great but let's bump up the FOV and crank the pacing to the fucking MAX".

Somehow the result is one of the most unsettling and creepy horror games I've played in *counts on hand* 6 years.

And the characters! Oh man. The NPCs are more real than those of any other game I've played to date, particularly because they're all barking goddamn mad in their own horrible unique ways. The effect is kind of like if you made a game about the CIA doing horrible things for God and Country in the face of unknowable terror, but all the characters were Deadly Premonition side-characters. The REALLY funky ones. But acted totally straight faced, no funny business left, by people who are top fucking notch.

I don't even know. It makes me feel like this song makes me feel: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AW5N0GcspZ4

Maybe play it, god fucking damn it's good
"I am that worst of all type of criminal...I cannot bring myself to do what you tell me, because you told me."

There's over 100 of us in this meat-suit. You'd think it runs like a ship, but it's more like a hundred and ten angry ghosts having an old-school QuakeWorld tournament, three people desperately trying to make sure the gamers don't go hungry or soil themselves, and the Facilities manager weeping in the corner as the garbage piles high.

Junkenstein

Disco elysium is as good as you may have heard.

I can't actually recommend it enough. Excellent writing. Superb rpg, it's glorious. Play it blind if possible and laugh until you weep. Or find meth. Which you will find.
Nine naked Men just walking down the road will cause a heap of trouble for all concerned.

Cramulus

I've been on a terrible Bloodstained jag... it's created by the guy who made Symphony of the Night, and is kind of a love letter to that game. I think I've beaten SotN like seven times, so I HAD to get Bloodstained as soon as it was on sale. Love that metroidvania genre.

Cain

Disco Elysium has been on my "to check out list", so I will add Control.

It's even possible that I will play these before the second Pathfinder game is out. Maybe.

altered

Some of the worldbuilding gives MK a run for his money then takes it away from him anyway. You'll like that more than most of the rest of the game, I think.

I think my favorite part so far is...

It's really hard to pick. It's also spoilery as hell. Even the incidental side stuff. ESPECIALLY the incidental side stuff. I knew only two things going in and I wish I didn't even know those now.
"I am that worst of all type of criminal...I cannot bring myself to do what you tell me, because you told me."

There's over 100 of us in this meat-suit. You'd think it runs like a ship, but it's more like a hundred and ten angry ghosts having an old-school QuakeWorld tournament, three people desperately trying to make sure the gamers don't go hungry or soil themselves, and the Facilities manager weeping in the corner as the garbage piles high.

altered

Quote from: Cramulus on December 26, 2019, 02:33:24 PM
I've been on a terrible Bloodstained jag... it's created by the guy who made Symphony of the Night, and is kind of a love letter to that game. I think I've beaten SotN like seven times, so I HAD to get Bloodstained as soon as it was on sale. Love that metroidvania genre.

I thought I had posted this already...

I hope you played Blasphemous. If you like that whole SotN thing, you need to play it. Also it wipes its blood soaked, caned and lashed ass with Bloodstained, and I say this with all love for Bloodstained.

Igarashi just doesn't have the derangement to do the shit that the Blasphemous devs did. Plain and simple.

People will tell you it's a "Souls like." Those people are idiots. It's Symphony of the Night style gameplay and (for lack of a better example) Metroid Fusion style world layout but with Super Metroid progression and more early game freedom of direction than any non-open world game I have ever played — gifted with rabies and a bad attitude entirely separate from the rabies. And one-of-a-kind worldbuilding and art direction. And surprisingly quality voice work for an indie pixel game.

I would /murder/ for a sequel.

Play it.
"I am that worst of all type of criminal...I cannot bring myself to do what you tell me, because you told me."

There's over 100 of us in this meat-suit. You'd think it runs like a ship, but it's more like a hundred and ten angry ghosts having an old-school QuakeWorld tournament, three people desperately trying to make sure the gamers don't go hungry or soil themselves, and the Facilities manager weeping in the corner as the garbage piles high.

Cain

Apparently Control's not available on PC until August :(

I mean, at least it is being ported, but that's a long wait.