Some belated good news

[Cain]

So.

After probably a month of not uploading videos to Youtube and getting desperately behind on my playthroughs, I finally submitted and went to my local nerd store* and talked to the nerdling-in-chief about my problems.

While a laptop upgrade is out of the question, for laptop design reasons, they are, however, selling their in-store computers which they use for their "LAN parties" and "48 hour Battlefield 4 marathon sessions" at a suitable discount price.  Top-end market graphics card included.

Obviously, this doesn't solve my internet issue, and will require some setting up and getting used to (not least re-downloading all my games from Steam and Origin).  However, it should be able to run any currently released game at 60 FPS on high graphics settings, and will probably turn things like Dragon Age: Origins and Skyrim into virtual works of art.

So, some good news, at last.


*it really is a nerd store.  Combined computer gaming and tabletop RPG and tabletop gaming needs, all under one roof.  They have a homebrew Warhammer/Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting, for Christ's sake.  Also, neckbeards everywhere.

[LMNO]

A "LAN Party" sounds a lot dirtier than it most likely is.

[Cain]

Well, neckbeards are involved, so hygiene isn't a priority.

[Junkenstein]

Excellent stuff. I'm nowhere near caught up on the DA playthrough though I do recall it was starting to get interesting for some reason.

Considering any new purchases, while the subject somewhat arises? I'm seeing not much of anything until various kickstarters finish.

[Cain]

No.  Well, Dragon Age: Inquisition when it comes out, of course.  I have Watch Dogs and Dark Souls 2...will be getting Pillars of Eternity of course, and if we ever hear anything concrete about Mass Effect 4, I will consider it (so long as multiplayer makes a comeback).

Aside from that, there's not a whole lot to interest me at the moment. 

[LMNO]

I'm actually a bit more interested in the Dishonored playthrough, because it seems like in DA, Cain already knows what's going to happen; but in Dishonored, it's all, "where the fuck did those ninjas come from?"

[Cain]

Well, I only know what happens in DA and DA2...I'll be playing DA:I blind.  In fact, I'm thinking that it might be best that I let you guys set up whatever craptastic hideous world you decide you want for the first two games, and then I'll play through the conclusion of those how I decide, since I wont know what's a critical decision or not

[Junkenstein]

No.  Well, Dragon Age: Inquisition when it comes out, of course.  I have Watch Dogs and Dark Souls 2...will be getting Pillars of Eternity of course, and if we ever hear anything concrete about Mass Effect 4, I will consider it (so long as multiplayer makes a comeback).

Aside from that, there's not a whole lot to interest me at the moment.

I'm going back and forth on the upcoming Torment game. I say upcoming, it's as close as Pillars of Eternity. I'd probably put P:T up there as finest game every written but this new one just seems wrong somehow.

[Cain]

Yeah, I'm not convinced by the new Planescape game, not least because of the participation of Monte Cook.

I mean, Monte's a controversial chap I wont deny, capable of good stuff but also capable of not delivering.  But Planescape: Torment wasn't just a game.  It was a work of art, an existential piece of literature in game form.  That's beyond the talents of pretty much everyone except the original writers at Bioware and Obsidian.

[P3nT4gR4m]

Result on the gaming box! Half the cost of a laptop is miniaturisation, complex cooling systems and integrated screens. That all goes away with desktops, so you get twice the bang for your buck, if you can wear the reduced portability.

Also, with HD TV's performance converging with monitors, your screen is now as big as your telly- 40" for a couple of hundred bucks these days.

should tide you over til VR comes out 

[Raz Tech]

I'm going back and forth on the upcoming Torment game. I say upcoming, it's as close as Pillars of Eternity. I'd probably put P:T up there as finest game every written but this new one just seems wrong somehow.

I don't think it's going to work out.  Planescape was easily one of the best games I ever played, the only issue with it was that combat was a little lacking.  But the dialogue? Top notch.  The storytelling, the profound wisdom, the life lessons you could learn in that game? Phenomenal.  It's going to take something incredible to top that.

[Cain]

Yeah, and for the time I bought it at, this was a very good laptop.  But the tradeoff was getting steadily worse as the computing requirements rise...it had to happen sooner or later.  I'll still use this for word processing and stuff....hell I may even use this one to upload footage while I record it on the other one.  That could deal with some of the connection issues I've had.

[Junkenstein]

I'm going back and forth on the upcoming Torment game. I say upcoming, it's as close as Pillars of Eternity. I'd probably put P:T up there as finest game every written but this new one just seems wrong somehow.

I don't think it's going to work out.  Planescape was easily one of the best games I ever played, the only issue with it was that combat was a little lacking.  But the dialogue? Top notch.  The storytelling, the profound wisdom, the life lessons you could learn in that game? Phenomenal.  It's going to take something incredible to top that.

Indeed. The new one will either be a modern masterpiece or an appaling sham trading on the name. Even with the list of writers involved the only thing I'm pretty sure of is it's not going to be "meh, 6/10".

I'm also suspicious that achievements or similar will creep into the gameplay. These fuck me off no end due to their charming ability to break all immerse qualities and lines of thought. I can just see a screen with a vaugely "profound" statement and no matter which answer you pick a big flashy graphic pops up celebrating your achivement to make a choice.

Out of curiosity, have you encountered the Parable of Stanley? I think you'd enjoy it.

[Raz Tech]

I've heard of it, I think.  When I finish with the current backlog of games I'm working on, I'll make sure I give it a go.

[Junkenstein]

Summary of what you need to really know:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiCLKmEAa1I&feature=kp

I suspect you'll like this quite a bit.