The Bridge

Unionhawk

7:00 PM

Of course

How could I be so naive

badp

There is not a single thing that is not happening there.

two bugs

My UI is much more sensible, although I could simplify it

badp

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: India Election Update (HBO)

►

Grace Note

@badp Can you even...

Unionhawk

Dammit @Yuuki now I need food but I have office hours until 3:30

@GraceNote No

Yuuki

7:05 PM

@twobugs Honestly, elemental resistance isn't even all that important in MH.

Just don't bring full Gore to an Akantor fight and you'll be fine.

MadMAxJr

All you need to know about Monster Hunter is that Tigrex is a jerk.

Yuuki

It helps that you have much bigger selection of gear to work with than WoW, IIRC.

Back when I played, there were maybe 2 or 3 BiS or comparable items for even the most diverse builds.

Whereas pretty much all armor is equally good in MH, separated only by the three ranks and the fact that Star Knight kicks everyone's ass.

badp

to be fair, this happens almost whenever gamers are given the opportunity to customize game UI

Rapitor

Trackmania

user15026

How does anyone know what is even going on there? How can you pay attention to that many things?

Rapitor

7:09 PM

that's the post-race screen..

badp

here's a more representative example of in-game experience

user15026

@badp Oh, that's not so bad.

badp

I do suppose there IS some space left to look at the track

"but what if players wanted to rate the track they're racing on in between turns"

Rapitor

you don't look at the track while playing trackmania... you pray

badp

"yeah let's just dock this 6-star rating system permanently in here"

Chippies

7:10 PM

@AshleyNunn you generally don't customize UI with all that fancy stuff until you have learned enough about the game that you can utilize the information from the addons

addons let you see more information that the vanilla UI doesn't show you and that information can help you be "better", if you know how to use it

badp

just imagine the sort of crap any game ever would get by sticking a one-click DLC bar on screen permanently

user15026

@Chippies I suppose that makes sense. I am just terrible at most normal games, so the idea of adding more stuff horrifies me.

badp

right next to the bit that gives you the splits

this is probably EA's wettest dream

Chippies

@AshleyNunn normal games generally don't much hidden info or need to see the hidden info

badp

@Chippies and then there's games like BoI that are frustratingly obtuse

Chippies

7:13 PM

MMO end game is competitive in a way, so that extra info can help you get better

badp

how much damage does a tear do? how many hitpoints does mom have? WHO THE HELL KNOWS.

Chippies

@badp that's one of the main reasons why I never bothered with BoI

every time I play it, I find an item and I have to go to wiki

badp

I mean. You don't have to know raw numbers to play the game well

Chippies

I end up spending more time looking for stuff on wiki than playing the game

then I die

badp

because the game is well designed, after all

Yuuki

7:14 PM

badp

but having a little more feedback than five pips for six stats would be nice...

Chippies

@badp but it sure helps to know what the items do

badp

@Chippies you sort of are supposed to learn this stuff the hard way.

Chippies

if BoI had some sort of description window for all the items, even before you pick it up, I think it would be a lot more accessible to the average Joe

badp

I mean, there are mods for the basic BoI game that do give you damage numbers

Lazers 2.0

7:15 PM

0

Q: How do I save my game?

I was playing Donkey Kong Land for the first time last night and it saved after the first level. I figured it would save after every level, but after I completed the second level and went to the third, it didn't save. I ended up getting a Game Over in level 3, and when I went back to my file, it ...

donkey-kong-land

Chippies

@badp but that just means I have to play the game hundreds of times innefficiently and just be frustrated until I learn the "basics"

for most people - that's a deal breaker

user15026

@Lazers2.0 Holy crap, that was fast :)

badp

@Chippies that is true, but the game does give you a ton of relatively short-term goals

Chippies

@badp like what?

badp

@Chippies your first victory happens halfway through a full run

Rapitor

7:16 PM

@badp how? what?

Chippies

I've only got to the basement once, I think

or whatever the place after 4th boss was called

or 3rd boss

badp

The fullest BoI: Rebirth run is "13" levels long

your first victory is awarded for clearing the 6th.

Unionhawk

Oh god I need to relearn vim and get used to the fact that typing stuff like objMyObj. will not give me a list of things I can do

badp

then you unlock levels 8-10.

Chippies

I haven't played Rebirth, but I hear it's easier than original

badp

7:18 PM

then you unlock levels 10-12.

then you unlock "level 13"

(inb4 @murgatroid99)

murgatroid99

That count feels wrong

badp

even if you don't win a run, you can still "win" by unlocking stuff

@murgatroid99 I'm counting the finalest boss as its own level due to length

StrixVaria

@badp After you beat the 6th level, you unlock 7-8. Then after you beat level 8 11 times, you unlock level 9, which can be one of 2 things. Then there's a possible level 10, which is also one of 2 things depending on what level 9 was.

A single run only goes through up to 10 levels, though.

Unless there's even more insanity that I haven't even encountered on YouTube videos of the game.

murgatroid99

@badp Still, the Chest is level 10, by my count

badp

oh right I double counted chest and cathedral

murgatroid99

7:20 PM

And I think you have to beat the Cathedral a few times to unlock the Chest

badp

although the levels do get bigger as you go deeper, so once you beat mom you still are less than halfway through the run.

Yuuki

I suck at BoI.

murgatroid99

and same for Sheol and Dark Room

Yuuki

Have not made it past the 4-ish level yet.

StrixVaria

I've beaten Sheol and the Cathedral once each.

I need to play more.

murgatroid99

7:20 PM

Practice makes perfect

StrixVaria

I've definitely noticed myself getting out of situations that now that were certain death when I started.

And I've unlocked the d6, so playing as Isaac the runs have become more strategic.

badp

yeah, some enemies definitely take practice

like, uh, all skull enemies.

StrixVaria

@badp ugh

I like the red ones because you can damage them while they're hiding.

badp

in fact, during your very first games, you should probably focus more on learning enemy patterns rather than what item does what

murgatroid99

When I played my first run after beating everything with the Lost, I felt like I was playing god mode, because I had been playing as a character that dies in one hit for over a hundred hours

badp

7:22 PM

you probably aren't going to be seeing the same item in a while, but the enemies stay the same.

learning enemies is much more worth your time.

StrixVaria

I hate spiders.

badp

The Lost hates spiders.

murgatroid99

@StrixVaria everyone hates the spiders

badp

You don't hate spiders until you've started playing the lost. You think you hate spiders, then you play the lost, and then you realize what it means to hate spiders.

murgatroid99

The worst are the fast big spiders that poop things that make little spiders

Lazers 2.0

7:24 PM

0

Q: Did pylon spawn rate increase?

With 2.3, I've been seeing way more pylons, even 2-3x per rift (~6-7). I've checked the official update log, but I didn't see such addition (there is a nerf to it, but nothing more is shown). Am I just extra-lucky or was it changed with update?

diablo-3

StrixVaria

@badp I possibly intend never to even bother unlocking the Lost.

Grace Note

@murgatroid99 No we don't

badp

@StrixVaria if you want you can borrow my save file and see for yourself.

StrixVaria

@badp I play on PS4! Thwarted again!

Arperum

@badp Never play the original game in hardmode then, there is a champion that explodes in like 10 tiny spiders.

murgatroid99

7:25 PM

Unlocking the Lost isn't hard

blart memes

I'm back.

badp

Doing that will probably get you banned from all sites that track steam achievements but...

or at least forever discount any BoI achievement you may ever gain

blart memes

Wait, what sites are there that track your Steam achievements?

badp

I used a save file to skip Super Meat Boy 5-5 once. astats has never forgiven me for it.

@blartmemes astats.astats.nl/astats

blart memes

@badp Interesting.

I'll have a better look when I can access my computer again and I don't have to use my sister's phone.

badp

7:28 PM

uh

apparently my second rarest achievement is now from One Way Heroics.

blart memes

Which by the way, is really sucking shit. (The phone)

badp

blart memes

Hey badp, how many achievements do you have for GRID 2?

badp

/cc @GraceNote

@blartmemes I didn't finish that game.

Grace Note

That's... a rare achievement?

Chippies

7:30 PM

@badp I beat many of your scores!

blart memes

@badp Still. How many do you have so far?

Chippies

but I didn't finish the game either

Arperum

3/6 are from hardmode BoI WotL

blart memes

GRID 2.

Chippies

:23716869 reading comprehension.

Wipqozn

7:31 PM

@James The FBI standard for mass is 3+

badp

Hours played: 19,6
23 of the 60 achievements. (37 to go.) (38.3 Percent)
71 of the 431 points.

@GraceNote hence the /cc

blart memes

Hah, I have more than you!

Unionhawk

Your prize is enclosed:

Reddit Silver

►

badp

@GraceNote For reference

@Unionhawk yussssss reddit silver

blart memes

@Unionhawk Oh, shaddap Uni...

Grace Note

7:33 PM

@badp Confuzzle

murgatroid99

I have a value 188.2 achievement

blart memes

wait, did you mean for that to be directed to me or @badp?

badp

@GraceNote I guess a lot of people got the game in a bundle and never played much of it

Unionhawk

@blartmemes Could be both I guess

It's not a contest

blart memes

1 min ago, by blart memes

@Unionhawk Oh, shaddap Uni...

badp

7:34 PM

@GraceNote Here's the full achievement list

Grace Note

I guess, but how do you get Panty epilogue and not actually pull off moving a resident into the castle?

Jason Berkan

@badp 25% of XCOM players on Steam haven't completed one mission.

badp

@GraceNote simple: just don't own the DLC.

Rapitor

@badp i like spiders

badp

@Rapitor have you played the lost?

Grace Note

7:35 PM

I have the, uh... either 2nd or 4th rarest achievement on that list, depending on whether you count a three-way tie as one or three places.

Rapitor

no, but I like spiders

Grace Note

...and every achievement above that, actually, other than Maniac Mode which I keep forgetting to actually try.

blart memes

Hey @Rapitor, what's your Steam?

Rapitor

I don't have steam.

blart memes

@Rapitor wot

Unionhawk

7:37 PM

What's a steam?

Rapitor

you must be new, I'm the resident steam hater

badp

uh

the resident steam hater here is @GraceNote

Unionhawk

I thought that was @GnomeSlice

badp

get off her lawn

Rapitor

@GnomeSlice hates everything

badp

7:38 PM

she is quite the welcoming kind, and I'm sure she'll say there is plenty of lawn for everybody

Unionhawk

Nono, now you're thinking of @OrigamiRobot

badp

but it's still her lawn dammit!!

Rapitor

ORI IS DED

has @GraceNote gone on anti-steam rants?

Grace Note

Yes

Rapitor

oh, neat.

badp

7:39 PM

(actually I wonder how many of the newcomers here are accepting the data that Grace is female as fact through my now-settled use of female pronouns, despite the fact that we don't really know)

MadMAxJr

You do Good Old Games then?

Grace Note

They haven't had anything I've wanted or needed so technically no.

Rapitor

If I'm going to buy a game, yeah i'd prefer GoG or any DRM free. but I mostly just play free2play titles or games that have the decency to have their own launcher on PC.

badp

ugh per-game launchers

please no.

MadMAxJr

You just reminded me, I need to blow the dust off Warframe and play it a bit post-movement update.

two bugs

7:40 PM

Meh, Steam doesn't really bother me. GoG is fine.

Rapitor

Warframe got movement update?

all versions or just pc

MadMAxJr

Yes. 'Coptering' is no longer a thing.

At least on the PC version.

Jason Berkan

All that matters about Steam - I have 124 games and I've paid ~$250 in total.

badp

"THIS LAUNCHER IS NOW YOUR ONE HOME FOR ALL OF YOUR 'ONE DUDE IN HIS BASEMENT PRODUCTIONS' GAMES"

(also applies to: uPlay)

Rapitor

@badp that's what i picture steam

two bugs

7:41 PM

Also my official Steam account $$$$ worth is something really embarrassing

badp

@Rapitor at least my one Steam launcher can launch over 500 different games

two bugs

uPlay hasn't given me any issues either but meh

MadMAxJr

I'm okay with steam DRM. additional DRM on top of steam isn't cool. And those few games that had Steam DRM AND GFWL DRM can rot in a fire, even if GFWL is now dead. Those should have never happened.

badp

but yes, if you only have one or two games, it's probably more trouble than it's worth

Grace Note

Now I'm trying to think how many years it is for me to have actually tallied all the way up to 124 games played.

blart memes

7:42 PM

@badp Ooooooh

badp

I've only really grown to appreciate Steam after getting a few games on the service

Rapitor

I have like... 5 or 6 PC games

Grace Note

I'm primarily console/handheld myself

Rapitor

^

badp

but hey, before that I just, uh, pirated games, so, yeah.

blart memes

7:43 PM

@Rapitor peasant

Rapitor

@blartmemes poor.

MadMAxJr

I pirated extensively in the late 90s through the mid 00s.

Grace Note

I have hojillions more than 6 PC games though

Jason Berkan

@GraceNote Let's not talk about how many ~~years~~ decades it will take me to actually play all 124 games.

And I ain't got many decades left.

badp

@Rapitor which basically means you're using the specific platform's implementation of Steam, really

MadMAxJr

7:44 PM

Then I got 'a real job' and suddenly paying money for games where I didn't have to fidget with cracks was more appealing.

Grace Note

@JasonBerkan This is why I don't usually buy into the "money and quantity" argument.

Rapitor

I've played tons, but actively play/keep very few

Grace Note

@badp Coincidentally one of the factors that I don't have a problem with regarding Steam.

two bugs

I've bought more Steam games than I will ever play. I've simply come to accept that.

Grace Note

Having access to a full library that you can fetch across multiple computers is, honestly, pretty handy after all.

Jason Berkan

7:45 PM

@GraceNote Sure. There are a lot of games in my library that I will never play. But Steam has given me a bunch of games I love for cheap.

badp

@GraceNote I do remember one of your points being wanting to share games with your brother, which you can now sort of do

MadMAxJr

Peeking at steam real quick, 875 games. Yeaaaah, thanks humble bundle for tons of games I'll never play but I wanted one out of the 7 in the bundle.

blart memes

@twobugs So have I, but shit, I still want more.

badp

. . .except for the part where you want to play at the same time as he does.

two bugs

@MadMAxJr Wow, you actually have more than I do

Yuuki

7:45 PM

That feeling when you run into a room with two golden poops but no Magneto.

Grace Note

@badp There's only one big main issue at the moment, and that's the need for me to pay twice to buy a game to play with my brother that there's like no sense in needing me to do that.

badp

Split screen on PC is certainly dead.

two bugs

@badp Eh, some indie games are still supporting it

Yuuki

Oh hey, there's a second room with two golden poops.

MadMAxJr

Rocket League will do split screen. But I don't know of other split screen examples recently.

Yuuki

7:45 PM

Dammit.

badp

@twobugs it's more dead than dedicated servers.

Grace Note

Family share means I can't say there's issue with the legality of not being the person who owns the account.

two bugs

@MadMAxJr Screencheat!

badp

and those are... pretty dead.

Lazers 2.0

0

Q: Do I need to purchase a subscription to claim my pet?

I was playing Hearthstone and it told me that I got a free pet in WoW. Do I need to be a paid subscriber in order to claim it? Or can I claim it with my starter account?

world-of-warcraft

Grace Note

7:46 PM

So the only issue remains the double-pay for things what should not be requisite to a double pay.

blart memes

@badp What even is the difference between dedicated servers and regular servers?

Grace Note

Can't even 100% OJ and that's a gorram board game.

MadMAxJr

A dedicated server uses all of it's resources to host the game. A regular listen server is where a player running the game client is also running the server component, which puts more strain on resources.

badp

@GraceNote Steam reviews warned that it's surprisingly difficult

Grace Note

I wouldn't call it "difficult"

badp

7:47 PM

it means your game server is potentially running on a toaster on the other side of the ocean

Grace Note

I would call it...

MadMAxJr

A dedicated server doesn't have to render the game, so it has a lot more freedom with what resources it uses. Many times doesn't even need a fancy video card to run a dedicated server.

Grace Note

two bugs

@MadMAxJr I wouldn't call that a regular server, I'd call it a peer server or something else

But yeah, it's bad because it means someone is "hosting" the game and you're at their mercy, basically.

badp

the standard is the game devs are running all of the servers, and when they pull the plug it's over

Grace Note

7:48 PM

It is a game that can destroy any idea of hope for anything positive in the world that you ever could conceive.

blart memes

@badp Yeesh.

two bugs

That asshole on dialup at the south pole? He's going 20-0 this round because nobody can see or respond to him

MadMAxJr

Nothing like the good old days of Quake 2 where the guy playing on the server had the godlike advantage of a ping under 30.

badp

and even then they don't really run the servers because each game is hosted P2P

Grace Note

@twobugs Main reason why I can't much into MMOs often

The idea that I can't play because someone else is out is blargh

badp

7:49 PM

even TF2 is struggling quite a lot to strike a balance between its own dedicated servers and the community's

and Valve doesn't offer dedicated servers for CS:GO

two bugs

@GraceNote Did you follow FF14? For a while after launch very few people on the west coast of the US could play with an acceptable ping because of a pissing match between Comcast and a Canadian ISP

Rapitor

dedicated servers have become a buzzword, imo.

Grace Note

@twobugs I did not but I'm not surprised.

blart memes

@badp Oh yeah, how come I've only heard of the TF2 dedicateds recently?

two bugs

All of the datacenters were located in Montreal, so all of the traffic from the western US got sent through a single node

blart memes

7:50 PM

Have they been around longer?

badp

@Rapitor it does affect the design of the game. Good luck hosting 100v100 games on a P2P infrastructure

two bugs

Dedicated TF2 has been around since launch

badp

Allegiance, a game from 2001 or so, technically let you have that sort of games over dialup.

blart memes

Uh-huh.

two bugs

I wasn't even aware TF2 had non-dedicated

badp

7:51 PM

@twobugs TF2 doesn't have non-dedicated.

two bugs

I see.

badp

Valve doesn't do P2P servers. They still have a modicum of decency.

Rapitor

@badp true, but lately it seems like people are touting dedicated servers thus getting hype but the netcode still sucks ass -cough- CoD

two bugs

If you can deliver a good experience without dedicated servers, then cool. I've just never seen P2P servers work well.

badp

but they're definitely phasing out dedicated servers in order to have more control over the overall game

two bugs

7:51 PM

Dedicated can have big problems too, as @Rapitor just noted

MadMAxJr

CoD decided to go the route of 'we have dedicated servers, but players don't get access to them.'

badp

@MadMAxJr That's CS:GO.

or LoL.

or DOTA 2.

blart memes

@MadMAxJr adds that to the list of reaons why CoD sucks shit

MadMAxJr

For some, having the ability to put up your own dedicated server was nice, because when the game ages, you don't have to worry about the company taking down all multiplayer services (Looking at you EA / Activision)

badp

or almost every game that has been released lately.

two bugs

7:53 PM

@MadMAxJr Or Nintendo. RIP Wii.

badp

The main tension between Valve's own server and the community server is that server modifications essentially can be used to game the game's item economy

MadMAxJr

Player owned dedicated servers are also nice if you need a specific version (MINECRAFT).

badp

and thus -- at least indirectly -- the game's monetization scheme.

blart memes

@twobugs RIP DS

MadMAxJr

@badp TF2 idle farming maps. They did not like this.

badp

7:54 PM

so if you wanna do contracts, you must play on official valve servers, lest you just fire up an especially crafted achievement map and just flood the market with items

djsmiley2k

surely that's a bug.

badp

this is a reminder that Valve gets a cut off each Steam Market transaction

so you wanna keep rare items valuable

even if they're somewhat easier to get than the goddamn crate lottery

MadMAxJr

Also a reminder that Valve has a full time economist on staff to monitor, measure, and socially experiment on the markets in valve games, to see what is and what is not profitable.

djsmiley2k

s/Steam/Valve

StrixVaria

@MadMAxJr Just one?

badp

7:56 PM

@MadMAxJr reminder that said economist has moved on to take, and resign from, the position of ministry of economy for Greece

blart memes

@badp YAAAAAAANIIIISSS

MadMAxJr

@badp I'm still waiting for Greece's new hat based economy. So far I am disapointed.

two bugs

Greek national debt is owned entirely by Valve

djsmiley2k

66% in lego hobbit, HJOW MUCH MOAR CAAN THERE BE?!

MadMAxJr

Greek economic stimulus packages now come in crates, randomly distributed to citizens. You have to pay to get the contents. Progress!

blart memes

7:57 PM

@djsmiley2k I'm guessing about 33%.

djsmiley2k

lolol

MadMAxJr

Still, if the Greek minster of the economy would attend a government meeting with a towering pillar of hats, I would be happy just for the photo.

two bugs

@MadMAxJr Instead of jobs, Greek citizens have to unlock achievements

MadMAxJr

@twobugs 'The daily grind'

two bugs

Gamerscore is the new currency of Greece, the first country of to join the Gamezone.

blart memes

7:59 PM

@twobugs They can also complete special tasks to unlock exclusive designer clothing.

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