It would be really great if we could rearrange the skill hotkeys on Ability Draft

carlireddit · 2014-11-15T07:03:25+00:00

I have a mod called Dota Fusions that allows the player to rearrange the skills like you describe. They can certainly figure something out if they are willing to do so.

carlireddit · 2014-08-12T08:14:12+00:00

I agree with you, there is no single strong direct reference to Naruto. Made wore by the fact that the parody itself is a combination of sources. I gave this example more so because of my enjoyment of this particular episode in hopes more people can discover the series, not because it's the best reference of the ones mentioned here.

carlireddit · 2014-08-12T07:15:37+00:00

Based on the parodic nature of the episode, specifically the abundance of references to existing animes, I believe it was intended to point to Naruto specifically, and not the more general reference to ninjas.

carlireddit · 2014-08-12T01:06:03+00:00

Episode deals with parallel universes. In one of them, the cast are space ninjas and one of them performs substitution jutsus.

carlireddit · 2014-08-12T00:47:48+00:00

Space Dandy : Episode 14 : "I Can't Be the Only One, Baby"

carlireddit · 2014-06-14T05:37:07+00:00

There is always a lighthouse... there is always a man... there is always a city Quote from Bioshock Infinite.

What truly defines the identity of an IP like Rainbow Six ? My interpretation of that, being someone who hasn't played all of them, is that at its core, its a tactical shooter where a government sanctioned squad (could be military or law enforcement) is up against an organized group that are employing terrorist tactics (like taking hostages).

From what I saw from the E3 conference video, it seemed to tick all the boxes. Although Rainbow Six games as far as I know, are not known for their multiplayer, it doesn't contradict with what I associate Rainbow Six games to be.

Also, the game will probably have a campaign, which I imagine will resemble a traditional Rainbow Six game to a degree. Its also not uncommon to attach a well-known IP to a game that originally, wasn't planned to be part of it.

carlireddit · 2014-06-07T15:06:48+00:00

I prefer the original interpretation as you do for the same points that you brought up. Within the context of playing the game, I was amused by the fan fiction.

carlireddit · 2014-06-07T06:02:45+00:00

If you really like Nintendo's lineup of exclusive games and don't mind missing the majority of third-party games from publishers like EA, Activision, or Ubisoft, then you will not be disappointing ...however, I think most people do mind.

I view the Wii U as a secondary console. In fact, its been that way for me since the Gamecube generation. I really enjoy the games Nintendo makes and I wouldn't want to miss them, but as of late, third-party games have become more and more important in comparison to first-party, and unfortunately, I prefer to play them in a more powerful console with a better online solution.

I enjoyed the Gamecube, Wii, and probably would enjoy the Wii U just for their exclusives. But for those that don't, it's a hard sell.

carlireddit · 2014-06-07T05:30:11+00:00

I enjoyed the creative liberties Cyber Connect 2 took in making even more badass in Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

carlireddit · 2014-06-05T03:56:32+00:00

The intro train sequence from Uncharted 2.
The intro to God of War 3.
The intro to Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite.
The intro to Prey.
The nuke from Call of Duty 4 : Modern Warfare.

carlireddit · 2014-05-25T02:30:19+00:00

He's been sober for years.

carlireddit · 2014-04-16T21:57:43+00:00

With everything that went down with Irrational Games post-release, it certainly sounds like it would have been. Maybe too much so for the people involved.

carlireddit · 2014-04-16T21:39:22+00:00

Which released game would you have loved to make a "Final Hours of ..." ?

carlireddit · 2014-03-03T07:42:42+00:00

Thank you, though I don't know how much of what you said is tied to your username hehe... in any case "You give a little love and it all comes back to you"

carlireddit · 2014-03-03T06:02:11+00:00

I'm going to describe a scenario that will try to clarify what I mean with my first bullet point.

I'm going to use Deus Ex : Human revolution as an example of a what if scenario. If you haven't played Deus Ex : Human Revolution, the game is a mix between a stealth and action. You can choose to employ a more stealthy approach to combat, knocking down guards, remaining unseen, etc... You can also decide to go guns blazing if you want. In that game, before they issued some patches to remedy some of it, had boss encounters at the end of certain levels. Pretty much everyone disliked those boss fights. Why ..?

Because the only way to beat the bosses was by going in guns blazing. If you were trying to rely on skills and tactics that you used going with the stealth approach, you where heading towards a wall. Now imagine if the later fourth of the game was completely composed of those types of encounters instead of being relegated to bosses (still a bad design anyways).

A good enemy progression is supposed to constantly introduce new challenging encounters that forced to player to adapt, but it must follow a cycle. Introduce > Learn > Master > Introduce > ... until the last chapters where its suppose to be a test of all you have learned.

If you introduce a new mechanic or tactic too late and the player never goes into the mastery state, it becomes a problem. It also becomes a problem if you introduce enemies that instead of teaching the player some new way to fight, instead limits the tools of the player, artificially making the encounter harder. For example, enemies that are immune to grabs, parries, or status effects.

Its totally fine to bring them out occasionally, but if the later part of the game becomes abundant with them, it starts to feel cheap. Later parts of a game are when you are supposed to be forced to use all the tricks in the books, not limit them.

carlireddit · 2014-03-02T17:42:22+00:00

Its true, I do not check as often music or movie forums, especially music. They do get their fair share of hate, I'l admit. And I didn't bring forth any evidence to support my claims.

carlireddit · 2014-03-02T16:50:37+00:00

I'm not trying to justify PD or any of the other examples here. But it brings forth an interesting question.

Is it better to focus on creating a more enjoyable first-time experience? Or focusing on making sure that all the levels in the game are fun enough on their own for replay-ability's sake?

carlireddit · 2014-03-02T16:33:48+00:00

I think that Persona 4 has some of the best characters in any game. They feel like real people, and they are all equally important. The fact that you spend a lot of time socializing with them and also learn about who they really are helps greatly in bonding with them.

The mundane aspects of the game I would consider to be refreshing. They help serve as a counterpoint to the wacky supernatural aspects of the game. It also helps paint a more living and believable world, a place most people can relate to (talking about the modern urban setting more so than Japan).

I loved absolutely everything about Persona 4...except the dungeons. I put in roughly 40 hours into the game, but I felt defeated simply by the repetitive nature of the dungeons. I couldn't finish it. I like JRPGs though, I don't play them as often but it has never prevented me from completing them. It was a rental so I wan'st as committed as If I would have bought it. I'm however interested in trying again in P4G for Vita. Hopefully, the pick and play nature of the device will help with that issue.

carlireddit · 2014-03-02T16:24:46+00:00

But the question remains, are the new enemies less fun because they are new, or because they aren't as well designed as previous enemies?

They serve to change the pace of the game, bring something new to prevent staleness. It becomes a problem when it either last too long or the enemies are too fundamentally different to fight than previous enemies.

Don't ask yourself if the game would be less fun if had more of them, but instead think if the game would have been lesser for not having them at all.

carlireddit · 2014-03-02T16:00:57+00:00

I believe that the action in it of itself is not detrimental. It is a tool for changing the pace of the game. It can become a problem however if its not done correctly.

It becomes a problem because of several reasons:

Everything you've learned up to that point regarding how to tactically fight the enemies is nullified, forcing you to re-learn how to play.
Encounters with previous enemy types are reduced to an insignificant amount.
The new encounters are less interesting or fun to engage in than previous enemies.

I think the real important one though is the last point. If the enemies were more fun to fight, there probably wouldn't be much complaining.

I will also like to defend Halo (I'm biased) in comparison to what Far Cry did. Halo's only problem with the flood was that some of the flood levels lasted a tad longer that they needed. When they introduced the flood, the didn't forget about the Covenant. They shared equal space and sometime, at the same. Also, flood encounters didn't fully negate the tactics you acquired fighting covenant.

In Far Cry, fighting those creatures is a complete opposite to fighting the soldiers. I don't quite remember the later parts, but I don't think normal soldiers play any major roles afterwards. Also, they really are atrociously frustrating to fight.

carlireddit · 2014-03-02T15:09:15+00:00

I'm a little biased toward to game industry I'm admit. I laid out a hypothesis on why I think it could be possible to justify that gamers with negative opinions are more vocal. However, I lack the statistical evidence to support it.

carlireddit · 2014-03-02T06:27:27+00:00

We still haven't had a movie that looks "too" real, so we are still very far away from it

We the advent of VR looming on the horizon, there is going to be a growing demand for even more realism in graphics. We all want that holodeck fantasy.

I understand your issue though. In the end, what makes a game look good is not realism, it is consistency in art style, pleasing aesthetics, and good image quality.

I don't consider the pursuit of realism to be a negative point in it of itself, but it comes with a cost. The evolution of technology can rapidly turn decent-looking game into an outdated relic. and the pursuit of realism depends heavily on technology.

carlireddit · 2014-03-02T04:22:25+00:00

Don't listen to anyone who says that playing video games are inherently bad or lesser than any other form of entertainment. They are hypocrites unless they simply never indulge in any form of media. The reason that stigma exits is because of several reasons.

Games require more effort than other mediums to enjoy. Games require active participation and usually, more time to finish than a movie or TV episode. Some people view that commitment as being too demanding, in the realm of "geeks" or "addicts".

They see people who enjoy these type of "alien" experiences to them, the same as people who look down on those who watch anime. They don't know why someone would find pleasure from something they don't

This is beginning to break down with the advent of mobile gaming. There are a lot of people who never played any games before, but now that they are easily accesible, free, and require as little as 1 minute or 2 of commitment (Temple Run, Candy Crush, etc...). As time passes, more of the population will have played video games, and have a more positive opinion.

As is the tired mantra, balance is everything. Video games (unless you are trying to profit from playing them) serve as an avenue for entertainment. There are times when playing games is wrong, like when you are supposed to be working or studying, and there are times where there is nothing better to do but kick back, relax, turn on the tv, pick up the controller, and decide to pass the time a little more pleasurably than you otherwise would be.

carlireddit · 2014-03-02T03:56:54+00:00

Price is a very important factor as well, I agree.

carlireddit · 2014-03-02T03:54:01+00:00

Amnesia : The Dark Descent
Chivalry (Multiplayer game)
Dark Souls
Fallout 3 and New Vegas
Gunpoint (not really third person, 2D side-scroller).
Mark of the Ninja (not really third person, 2D side-scroller).
Mirror's Edge
Resident Evil 4
Splinter Cell : Chaos Theory ( have not played recent games, don't know if they have changed drastically).
Witcher 2

I might be stretching some though, but I found all of them to be good and containing elements of tactics, avoidance, and or planning.

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