Random Video Game Thoughts

[Azhrei Vep]

Why is "Press any key to continue" a thing on loading screens? It's irritating at best and a complete fucking nuisance (MSFS2020) if it actually stops loading the game. Bonus stupidity point if pressing any key doesn't actually work and you have to click a mouse button.

However, I do think it would make sense to make that an OPTIONAL feature one can toggle off in the options menu.

there are plenty of reasons for and against and they're almost all preference based.

This reminds me of a feature that should just straight up be mandatory: Pausing cutscenes. Don't just make pushing a button automatically skip the damn thing, pause it and give me the option to skip them.
All of them. Both pausable and skippable.

[BottledViolence]

Why is "Press any key to continue" a thing on loading screens? It's irritating at best and a complete fucking nuisance (MSFS2020) if it actually stops loading the game. Bonus stupidity point if pressing any key doesn't actually work and you have to click a mouse button.

It depends on the game and how long it takes to load, but in some games I would actually prefer that. If a level is loading and nature calls, that's a convenient feature that prevents the game from starting without me. I'd otherwise be forced to hold it for the loading screen and the opening cutscene before I'm allowed to pause.

However, I do think it would make sense to make that an OPTIONAL feature one can toggle off in the options menu.

If said feature interrupts an incomplete loading process, the developers done goofed. That's either a bug or just bad game design.

Loading a level in an FPS or other real time game? Absolutely. Launching the game where you have to press any key to get to the start menu? Not so much. That's what bothers me. Why do I have to press a key in order to be able to click how I want to launch the game? When you launch MSFS2020 you wait a few minutes for it to load, then press any key, then it loads some more then you get the start menu. In BG3 it loads, you press any key, then you get the start menu. On BG3, I'm guessing the may have some intro cut scene in the final release along with some annoying splash screen, so it might make more sense but that's another gripe. Once I've watched your opening cinematic, I dont want to have to skip it every time and I really shouldn't have to acknowledge that I've seen your stupid company logo for the five thousandth time with a key press. Skip intro needs to be an option.

[Ikoma]

The more I learn about Cyberpunk 2077, the more certain I am that I will being doing three playthroughs. Last game that got that level of play from me was the original Mass Effect trilogy.

Oh... and new Mass Effect coming... someday.

[Ikoma]

So EA hit Game Pass yesterday and I start downloading a whole batch of games that I know don't have to pay (more) for.

Daughters are digging The Sims. Not my cup of tea but I can see why they like it. It's more sophisticated dolls.

First up on my plate was Star Wars: Squadrons, which is not included as a full game, but does come as a 10-hour demo. It's gorgeous. Character customization is decent even right off the bat but I'm sure it improves. And the story seems fun (I only did one engagement so I'm not that far into the story). And I love the concept. The problem... I suck at aerial combat games. I suppose I could put the time in to get 'gud' but I'm not paying money for the opportunity to suck until I don't any more. I'll either watch a story centric Let's Play or just wait until the full game is part of Game Pass.

[tombombodil]

Lol, at least they're finally coping to the fact that 60 bucks plus tax for most big budget games is a shell-price; a starter deal that they've arbitrarily carved content out of. Deluxe and Collector's Editions are just the new Day 1 DLC.

[mindtakerr]

Fire emblem:Three Houses is awesome

[Ikoma]

So... Cyberpunk 2077 is having a very bad week. But in completely unrelated news, World of Tanks Console update 6.0 has lit a much smaller dumpster fire of its own. WoTC isn't nearly as big as C'77. You won't see this on video game news sites. But it is... bad.

Almost every single thing got changed between the last version and the 6.0 update. Down to game play... I mean, yes, it is still a game about tanks shooting other tanks. But sighting, target, hell, almost everything is different. The UI is completely new. The community is up in arms and I have to say my first inclination is to join them. For me, the biggest problem is I feel like ALL my previously compiled knowledge is worthless. I don't know what skills do what anymore. I don't know what equipment does what anymore. I don't know the new reorganized tech trees. Or Commander system. Hell, playing the game there are times I am not sure what buttons do what anymore. And that's frustrating.

BUT... while this is all new, it's also true that the new thing might be okay... or even... <gasp> good? It's just I'll have to put a lot of effort into learning the new systems to even know if they are something I want to get good at again. A lot of players are not willing to do that. After all, what's to stop WG from doing this to us again? Leveling the playing field but massively changing the game out from underneath us.

That said, while I was okay with the last two seasons themes (WWE & Hot Wheels), I do LOVE the Action Heroes theme of this season. So... silver lining?

[mindtakerr]

It'll never not be funny to me that the head of Nintendo of America is Doug Bowser.

[tombombodil]

So... Cyberpunk 2077 is having a very bad week. But in completely unrelated news, World of Tanks Console update 6.0 has lit a much smaller dumpster fire of its own. WoTC isn't nearly as big as C'77. You won't see this on video game news sites. But it is... bad.

Almost every single thing got changed between the last version and the 6.0 update. Down to game play... I mean, yes, it is still a game about tanks shooting other tanks. But sighting, target, hell, almost everything is different. The UI is completely new. The community is up in arms and I have to say my first inclination is to join them. For me, the biggest problem is I feel like ALL my previously compiled knowledge is worthless. I don't know what skills do what anymore. I don't know what equipment does what anymore. I don't know the new reorganized tech trees. Or Commander system. Hell, playing the game there are times I am not sure what buttons do what anymore. And that's frustrating.

BUT... while this is all new, it's also true that the new thing might be okay... or even... <gasp> good? It's just I'll have to put a lot of effort into learning the new systems to even know if they are something I want to get good at again. A lot of players are not willing to do that. After all, what's to stop WG from doing this to us again? Leveling the playing field but massively changing the game out from underneath us.

That said, while I was okay with the last two seasons themes (WWE & Hot Wheels), I do LOVE the Action Heroes theme of this season. So... silver lining?

Similar thing happened with me and League of Legends, but instead of one big change it happened over the course of a few years. And I don't think the changes were for the better in the long run as you say the WoT update might be.

My main play-style just slowly became less and less viable and there was enormous and steady power creep in the new characters. I got to diamond rank 3 seasons in a row from 2015 to 2018 and then the following 2 seasons were so un-fun for me I just stopped playing ranked and then this year I finally uninstalled.

I kind of wish I had quit sooner before my memories of it were soured by over a year of really shitty experiences.

[mindtakerr]

So... Cyberpunk 2077 is having a very bad week. But in completely unrelated news, World of Tanks Console update 6.0 has lit a much smaller dumpster fire of its own. WoTC isn't nearly as big as C'77. You won't see this on video game news sites. But it is... bad.

Almost every single thing got changed between the last version and the 6.0 update. Down to game play... I mean, yes, it is still a game about tanks shooting other tanks. But sighting, target, hell, almost everything is different. The UI is completely new. The community is up in arms and I have to say my first inclination is to join them. For me, the biggest problem is I feel like ALL my previously compiled knowledge is worthless. I don't know what skills do what anymore. I don't know what equipment does what anymore. I don't know the new reorganized tech trees. Or Commander system. Hell, playing the game there are times I am not sure what buttons do what anymore. And that's frustrating.

BUT... while this is all new, it's also true that the new thing might be okay... or even... <gasp> good? It's just I'll have to put a lot of effort into learning the new systems to even know if they are something I want to get good at again. A lot of players are not willing to do that. After all, what's to stop WG from doing this to us again? Leveling the playing field but massively changing the game out from underneath us.

That said, while I was okay with the last two seasons themes (WWE & Hot Wheels), I do LOVE the Action Heroes theme of this season. So... silver lining?

Similar thing happened with me and League of Legends, but instead of one big change it happened over the course of a few years. And I don't think the changes were for the better in the long run as you say the WoT update might be.

My main play-style just slowly became less and less viable and there was enormous and steady power creep in the new characters. I got to diamond rank 3 seasons in a row from 2015 to 2018 and then the following 2 seasons were so un-fun for me I just stopped playing ranked and then this year I finally uninstalled.

I kind of wish I had quit sooner before my memories of it were soured by over a year of really shitty experiences.

This is why I can't play sports games anymore. It used to be one button was pass and one was shoot and one was maybe turbo. Now, it's like press 3 buttons to do a left juke and swivel the stick to... nope.