My ex and my daughter are big fans of OMitB, so I am checking it out. Wife and I are on season 2, pleasantly surprised how good this is. Hulu really has some great shows on it right now. A massive step up for them.

RogueSix wrote on Oct 2, 2023, 16:41:
Moar Arkham, less Avengers = problem solved

Actually agree. I don't like Batman. Just not my thing. But the Arkham games were excellent fun. Or at least the first two, I never got around to the last couple.

As someone with a Lego addiction, Lego is VERY good at announcing things that they then either never do or that they take forever to implement. Years ago they announced they would be discontinuing plastic bags in their sets. Two years ago they started printing instruction books with announcements that the bags are all going to be paper. They have made one set, to my knowledge, that comes with ONE paper bag - The giant whale from the Avatar sequel. That's it. This year, the Lego Marvel collectible minifigures are finally in a cardboard box instead of a plastic bag. Everything else is still plastic bags. For a company that makes billions, they kind of suck. Par for the course, I guess.

Easy fix: Stop trying to make games as a service and make great single player games.
Weird that Insomniac can make such a fantastic Spider-Man game when allowed to make a game the way they want. Now they're also working on a Wolverine game and...I forget what the other Marvel property is. But I bet they will great too.
But yet, when you direct Crystal Dynamics to make a game as a service so you can micro-transaction players to death, it bombs.
Funny. It's almost like the majority of gamers don't like that shit. You can't charge full price for a game where you expect us to then fork over more and more money to get new stuff. You wanna be Fortnite? Then the base game is free. You wanna be Spider-Man, then you make a full game for full price, and maybe you can sell a DLC expansion later. Of course, you also need compelling gameplay. For $70, "meh, it's alright" doesn't cut it.

Mr. Tact wrote on Sep 29, 2023, 17:21:
Didn't realize Netflix hadn't already shutdown the DVD by mail service. Man, that was the shizzle back in the day.

Yeah, I mean, I was using them in the late 90s. I thought that had died long ago in favor of their streaming business.

All the super old politicians who refuse to abdicate their power even though they are clearly not doing well enough to actually do the job. Come on, how many news reports about her asking her assistants what she just voted on do we need to read to know she is not competent? And she wanted to retire at 91. 25 years after most people retire.

Then you have 81 year old Mitch McConnell who apparently reboots mid-speech quite often. And 80 year old Joe Biden who never looks or sounds like he knows WTF is going on, and can't seem to walk without falling. And Captain nap through sessions, Bernie Sanders at 81.

Super old people in the Government - GET OUT.

jdreyer wrote on Sep 29, 2023, 15:57:

Verno wrote on Sep 29, 2023, 13:24:
I got a gift card from a family member for Gamestop last year and wandered in. How the times have changed. It was like 90% funko pops, board games and other stuff. The videogame section was basically just a little wall with some Nintendo stuff, another little wall with Xbox/PS stuff (used only!) and everything else was behind the clerk.

Are the changes due to industry changes vs 10 years ago? Or in response to something like flash mob thefts?

Industry changes. Gamestop gobbled up so many competitors it became like Circuit City; Sure, you can find a game there, but it's likely more expensive than buying it new at Walmart. And then they bought and ruined Think Geek. And now young people don't buy anything physical as far as entertainment media. Games, movies, music - my stepson and my daughter buy downloads. My stepson is a huge gamer, but he doesn't like physical merchandise, so he never sets foot in a Gamestop. Everything he owns fits in his truck when he takes it all to college. My daughter is a big anime junkie and she loves plushies, but Gamestop is overpriced so she just gets everything from Amazon.

Every Gamestop store I have been to in the past 2 years has a manager working open to close 6 days a week and 2 part timers. It's pretty bleak.

Prez wrote on Sep 29, 2023, 16:14:

Jivaro wrote on Sep 29, 2023, 12:59:
Loved this game.

The sequel or the original? I loved the first one but haven't tried the sequel as I don't own a PlayStation anymore.

Both. I rarely play a single game more than once through. Let's face it, it's pretty rare that I actually finish a game before SQUIRREL!
So when I tell you I beat the original on both PS4 and PC, and played 100 hours of the sequel and beat it on PS5 (Still haven't played the DLC much yet) and will probably buy it on STEAM sale someday to beat it again...yeah. One of my favorite series. They added just enough new stuff and then the whole new map. I mean, I literally beat Zero Dawn on the PC the week before Forbidden West released on PS5 and still played FW 100 hours.

Hmm, trying to think of single player games I have played and beat more than once.
Skyrim - original, special edition, and VR
Fallout 3
All of the Uncharted gamed (even the Vita one)
All 3 of the new Tomb Raider games
Horizon Zero Dawn
Uh...Oh, Fable 1 and 3. (Stupid XBox exclusive 2)
Jedi Fallen Order

I got it on STeam sale in June, but then I got clued into the V2 here so I stopped my playthrough and I have been waiting for this. I wasn't very far into the game, so no issue starting over. (I mean, I was 90% through Act 2 in BG3 and started over, so...) Hopefully I will be done with BG3 when this releases. I doubt it. Between this, Avatar in November, and Spiderman II - not to mention finishing Hogwarts, the Horizon expansion, and Jedi Survivor...I think I am going to be good for games for the rest of 2023. At least. Oh, I forgot Diablo IV and the last ESO expansion. And the last GW2 expansion...

Did Elon buy Unity? This seems like his attempt to drive Twit...er...X into the ground as a massive tax write off.

Oct 12, 2004. It'll be 19 years next month. There wasn't a reason to sign up too early. I played CS, but there wasn't an incentive to get STEAM at the time.

INCREDIBLY, I still play games 19 years later. Fucking kids. Get off my lawn!

Jivaro wrote on Sep 10, 2023, 14:25:
because bethesda

why is this a question?

Exactly. Nobody is wondering. We KNOW.

jdreyer wrote on Sep 8, 2023, 16:25:

Kenshiro70 wrote on Sep 8, 2023, 13:36:

Agent.X7 wrote on Sep 8, 2023, 13:09:
Of course now I have to take melatonin to make sure I don't wake up after 3 hours of sleep, but I've dealt with insomnia for most of my life, so, eh. Worth it.

Something to consider: I found that taking ZMA (Zinc Magnesium Aspartate) before I go to bed vastly improves my quality of sleep. I occasionally take melatonin, but I don't like the groggy feeling I get when I wake up.

A supplement containing just a little melatonin plus L-theanine and GABA works really well for me, much better than melatonin alone. Take about an hour before I want to go to sleep.

I take the Olly stuff from Walmart. Melatonin plus L-theanine plus a bunch of sleepy time botanical like Chamomile. I might look into adding some gaba though. Thanks!

Kenshiro70 wrote on Sep 8, 2023, 13:36:

Agent.X7 wrote on Sep 8, 2023, 13:09:
Of course now I have to take melatonin to make sure I don't wake up after 3 hours of sleep, but I've dealt with insomnia for most of my life, so, eh. Worth it.

Something to consider: I found that taking ZMA (Zinc Magnesium Aspartate) before I go to bed vastly improves my quality of sleep. I occasionally take melatonin, but I don't like the groggy feeling I get when I wake up.

I will look into this, thank you. I take magnesium already due to stomach meds that, long term, can leach magnesium from your body.

BigVlad wrote on Sep 8, 2023, 18:46:

Kenshiro70 wrote on Sep 8, 2023, 13:24:

Agent.X7 wrote on Sep 8, 2023, 13:09:
Adderall.

Of course now I have to take melatonin to make sure I don't wake up after 3 hours of sleep, but I've dealt with insomnia for most of my life, so, eh. Worth it.

Sing it brother. The past year has been brutal with the shortages though. I just switched my son to Vyvanse and am considering switching myself.

Also, I learned the hard way not to take Adderall after 6PM or I can't fall asleep until 2AM.

This is why I hate the Adderall XR (extended release) and always request the instant, regular stuff. Sometimes I forget to take mine in the morning and I'm ok with taking regular Adderall up until midday or so, but the XR will keep me awake too long if I take it at any time other than morning. Wish I had started Adderall much sooner in my life. No more chronic tiredness for me!

I'm on the XR. Luckily, my day starts about 10AM, so if I mess up and don't take it until 12PM, I am still good. Any later and I usually have to forgo that day's dose. I wish I had been diagnosed as a kid, but ah well. It makes me feel 100% better than I ever have, and at least we got my daughter while she is still in school.

Adderall. Before I was diagnosed, I used to drink a 4 shot latte every morning, followed by a monster energy in the afternoon and I would still fall asleep during a TV show after dinner, even if I had a soda with caffeine with dinner.

Not anymore. I had to cut back to a 3 shot latte in the AM and pretty much no more caffeine all day to avoid getting super anxious and jittery. But I do not fall asleep during TV time anymore. Of course now I have to take melatonin to make sure I don't wake up after 3 hours of sleep, but I've dealt with insomnia for most of my life, so, eh. Worth it.

NASA just needs to contract one of the private space companies. I mean, come on. $70million vs $20million?

You want to get killed by a bear? That's how you get killed by a bear. Dude is lucky AF to still be here.

VaranDragon wrote on Sep 6, 2023, 05:30:

Agent.X7 wrote on Sep 5, 2023, 21:01:
Fucking Bethesda. "Here community! We're going to sell you 20 versions of this game over the next decade, but you will be responsible for modding in the most basic ass functionality as we don't feel like adding it."

I watched the ACG review on this. I think between BG3, Cyberpunk 2077 being completely altered and getting a DLC, and Avatar in November, Starfield is a no until it starts going on sale. It just looks so bland. Outer Worlds was fantastic, but this doesn't even make me want to bother. Maybe when the Super Ultra Deluxe 10 year GOTY edition comes out.

Agreed 100%. Starfield is a seriously flawed game, from all that I have seen of it. I don't think it is as bad as some games have been at launch but it is definitely very mediocre, and will probably take a LOT of modding to fix. I will be skipping it for now (and maybe for ever). This is now the second Bethesda game that I have not bought at launch, after Fallout76 which I have also skipped.

Don't get me wrong, I loved Skyrim. I have the original, one of the updates, and the VR version. But even that game, as old as it is, has a trash interface.
ESO - trash interface.
I don't know why Bethesda doesn't just hire some of the people who make excellent UI for mods to just make their UI for them. And their NVidia support, apparently.

Fucking Bethesda. "Here community! We're going to sell you 20 versions of this game over the next decade, but you will be responsible for modding in the most basic ass functionality as we don't feel like adding it."

I watched the ACG review on this. I think between BG3, Cyberpunk 2077 being completely altered and getting a DLC, and Avatar in November, Starfield is a no until it starts going on sale. It just looks so bland. Outer Worlds was fantastic, but this doesn't even make me want to bother. Maybe when the Super Ultra Deluxe 10 year GOTY edition comes out.

So Reddit is still relying on unpaid mods to run its business. I used to write for MMORPG.com and I got paid for each article, plus fun stuff like advanced copies of games, free hardware, or alpha access. (The GW devs sent me a collection of every Guild Wars game on physical media in a sweet box.) Then the owner sold and the new owners decided having our names on articles was payment enough. Just like artists, we writers were going to be expected to work for recognition and notoriety. I quit so fast. Why people do any work for free for these insanely rich companies is beyond me. MMORPG wasn't even bringing in that much money, but I still wasn't about to get the owners paid while I got nothing.

I wish more games would do what BG3 did and optimize for both AMD and NVidia solutions. I am not a fan of AMD's implementation of scaling. BG3 looks bad with FSR on on my Ally. (Running on a 1080P monitor) Meanwhile DLSS or DLAA looks great on my NVidia systems.

But, I do like that BG3 did not leave people with one card or the other out in the cold.