The Arcade Random Thoughts Thread

[Primetime]

thinkin bout a new TV, lookin to spend about $700

leaning towards this Vizio 55" LED, thou the bootup time was slow when I checked it out at BB

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/e-series-55-class-54-5-8-diag--led-1080p-120hz-smart-hdtv/8349051.p;jsessionid=74D87112FF7D4FB98C210E5EC521493F.bbolsp-app04-139?id=1218872213657&skuId=8349051&st=vizio%2055&cp=1&lp=1

thou while I was lookin at it, this Samsung caught my eye, much brighter...pretty much the brightest one there but it was only 50" and I got issues with samsung after having to replace a $300 piece in my last samsung flatscreen 3 years into owning it

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/50-class-49-1-2-diag--led-1080p-60hz-smart-hdtv/5485291.p?id=1218652749320&skuId=5485291&st=samsung%2050&cp=1&lp=1

decisions..

I have the same 55" Vizio. Bought it for $700 about 8-9 months ago. I have zero complaints.

[jms493]

Nice! I'll be really curious as to your thoughts on Gone Home. It's only about 3 hours if you really get everything out of it, and while pretty universally loved, there seems to be a significant, and loud, sect of people that really dislike it.

I played and finished 'Gone Home' last nite.

 

OK I really enjoyed the experience of the game and the story. I was at the edge of my seat with possible scenarios of what could have happened to Sam. At first you think the worst, ghosts, suicide, double suicide, murder... ect, ect. Then you find out the parents are having marital problems and they are away on a couples retreat. You find out the kitchen is being remodeled. You are basically filling in the last year of life at home while you werent there. Finding out about the parents jobs and lives IMO didnt present much value. To me it was about Sam and her infatuation with her first crush/love. I really though she killed herself.So when I find out what happens at the end I was disappointed. I enjoyed a game where there were no guns, fighting, monsters, ect. A game of exploration and story telling.

[SethMode]

I played and finished 'Gone Home' last nite.

 

OK I really enjoyed the experience of the game and the story. I was at the edge of my seat with possible scenarios of what could have happened to Sam. At first you think the worst, ghosts, suicide, double suicide, murder... ect, ect. Then you find out the parents are having marital problems and they are away on a couples retreat. You find out the kitchen is being remodeled. You are basically filling in the last year of life at home while you werent there. Finding out about the parents jobs and lives IMO didnt present much value. To me it was about Sam and her infatuation with her first crush/love. I really though she killed herself.So when I find out what happens at the end I was disappointed. I enjoyed a game where there were no guns, fighting, monsters, ect. A game of exploration and story telling.

I was convinced of the same conclusion that you were. I don't know if was disappointed it didn't happen as much as I was like "Wait...what?" Because games just really don't end that way.

As far as the one part I think that I disagree with you (and this can be pretty subjective, depending on what you found and how you interpreted it):

 

I felt outlining the parents jobs was very integral and showed a very real, very depressing look at the family as a whole. You have Dad, who is a failed writer, who has never been able to get to that peak he always wanted to reach. His battling with feelings of inadequacy is palpable in some of the parts, and his inability to sell books has obviously strained the family both emotionally and financially. He becomes withdrawn from his wife and daughter, because he's embarrassed that he's been forced to go back to reviewing stereo stuff for some non-existant magaize, while having to shill what he considers his masterwork to some pulp magazine that 5 people read. His wife is obviously frustrated with this, and it's compounded by the fact that she is succeeding immensely at her job (which I'm sure her husband sees), and then there is the HEAVILY implied affair with her co-worker that I never saw evidence of her husband knowing about. This all culminates to Sam having no one to talk to, as her parents are too wrapped in their own problems, both professionally and with each other. This leads her to believe that her parents understand her even less, which I think was an even bigger impetus for her making what I consider a very foolish decision and running away with Lonnie. I think if her parents are more supportive and aren't melting down professionally and personally, Sam might be able to approach her sexuality from a more rational perspective, rather than this idea that the only way she can be happy is to flee from it all.

Anyway, that's just my two cents. I really enjoyed the game, and enjoyed talking about it with my girlfriend after she played it even more. It's just a very well designed world and interesting storytelling, and yeah, all done without a gun or any real action of any kind.

[jms493]

I was convinced of the same conclusion that you were. I don't know if was disappointed it didn't happen as much as I was like "Wait...what?" Because games just really don't end that way.

As far as the one part I think that I disagree with you (and this can be pretty subjective, depending on what you found and how you interpreted it):

 

I felt outlining the parents jobs was very integral and showed a very real, very depressing look at the family as a whole. You have Dad, who is a failed writer, who has never been able to get to that peak he always wanted to reach. His battling with feelings of inadequacy is palpable in some of the parts, and his inability to sell books has obviously strained the family both emotionally and financially. He becomes withdrawn from his wife and daughter, because he's embarrassed that he's been forced to go back to reviewing stereo stuff for some non-existant magaize, while having to shill what he considers his masterwork to some pulp magazine that 5 people read. His wife is obviously frustrated with this, and it's compounded by the fact that she is succeeding immensely at her job (which I'm sure her husband sees), and then there is the HEAVILY implied affair with her co-worker that I never saw evidence of her husband knowing about. This all culminates to Sam having no one to talk to, as her parents are too wrapped in their own problems, both professionally and with each other. This leads her to believe that her parents understand her even less, which I think was an even bigger impetus for her making what I consider a very foolish decision and running away with Lonnie. I think if her parents are more supportive and aren't melting down professionally and personally, Sam might be able to approach her sexuality from a more rational perspective, rather than this idea that the only way she can be happy is to flee from it all.

Anyway, that's just my two cents. I really enjoyed the game, and enjoyed talking about it with my girlfriend after she played it even more. It's just a very well designed world and interesting storytelling, and yeah, all done without a gun or any real action of any kind.

 

That s good stuff Seth...yeah I understood what was happening with the family and saw what the designers were getting at. I agree with your analysis and kudos to the designers for being able to convey that through objects and notes. I think was too caught up in getting in that damned attic!!! I knew discussing it would make the game make a little more sense.

Stanley Parable is next.

[SethMode]

 

That s good stuff Seth...yeah I understood what was happening with the family and saw what the designers were getting at. I agree with your analysis and kudos to the designers for being able to convey that though objects and notes. I think was too caught up in getting in that damned attic!!! I knew discussing it would make the game make a little more sense.

Stanley Parable is next.

I was actually the exact same way. Way to focused on that one part, and totally convincing myself of what the game was. It took my girlfriend playing and me sort of watching to really get me to look with less distraction.

Hope you like the Stanley Parable.

[SethMode]

Picked up not one, but TWO Lord Souls last night in Dark Souls, as I am now well past the farthest I've ever been (never did much of significance after getting the Lord Vessel with my old character). One battle, against a giant white dragon named Seath, involves a required death that left me thinking that the game had glitched. The other, was more of a puzzle, that saw me dying 5 times before I realized what the fuck I was supposed to do to kill the asshole. I went into the required death battle with Seath with around 30,000 souls that were never seen again

Just like Demon's Souls, the game is impenetrable at times and requires just an insane amount of patience, both in battle, and in just the amount of trial and error required to play through the game without a walkthrough (which is definitely both the most frustrating, and most rewarding, way to play). However, also like Demon's Souls, there is definitely a hump that you get over, and now I find much of the fighting to be largely trivial, even against many of the games once insanely hard enemies and mini bosses. To test this, I went back to an older character, one that I didn't like, and went up against the Capra Demon, who used to be the thing of nightmares, and just wasted the fucker in one try. It really is an incredible game if you're willing to give it some time, and most of all, be patient.

[CrimsonGhost56]

^ seath fight

 

no glitch, the fight is auto death. i did the same thing going into the fight with a lot of souls and unless you can pull of a flawless run beating the boss and getting back to that room in one shot your souls are done. one of the biggest troll moments in the game for sure

[SethMode]

^ seath fight

 

no glitch, the fight is auto death. i did the same thing going into the fight with a lot of souls and unless you can pull of a flawless run beating the boss and getting back to that room in one shot your souls are done. one of the biggest troll moments in the game for sure

 

Yeah, I figured it out the hard way. I even went back and fought him a second time, before deciding that maybe I should look around, and finally stumbled on the real Seath in the Crystal Caves. That fight took me 3 tries by itself, but once I figured 1) that I needed to take the crystal out; and 2) his timing, it really wasn't that bad. The Bed of Chaos was the other one I was referring to. In retrospect it seems super easy now, but in the moment it was just sheer panic for me, as I'm getting caught on fire and the floor is falling out and I can't find out how to do any damage. Finally noticed the "path" in the hole in the middle. Missed the jump the first time, nailed it the second. Thankful to be through it, but it's definitely one of the easier boss fights now that I know how to do it (it helps that your progress on his defenses doesn't reset upon death).

[CrimsonGhost56]

anyone else in the Hearthstone beta? got my code earlier today and played for a few hours. pretty good so far but haven't had much luck playing pvp, still got a lot of unlock. hope blizzard doesn't go full pay-to-win with this though it seems likely.

[IamMedellin]

So I was at Bestbuy and they have the exact same model in the 50" version for $560 since its an open box,

But they have the 55" Ive been looking at for a while And they'll price match Walmart so it'll be $698

and they let me play with the TV a lil, turns out by switching the settings the Vizio was just as bright n clear as the samsung from earlier....

Decisions...its $138 difference for 5"....but it is open box so I dunno

[jms493]

Always go bigger.

[Swarley]

Always go bigger.

[IamMedellin]

Always go bigger.

[JBauerisGod]

Had some of the best fun I've had playing a game in a while. I was racing at Talladega in iRacing, and was in fifth with two laps remaining. Next thing I know, I'm leading coming out of turn 4 to take the checkered flag... and then I got wrecked. Ended up ninth.

A lot of people would be pissed but it was an awesome race. iRacing updated their draft package at big tracks like Daytona and Talladega and drafting is now a ton of fun.

[Swarley]