Cassylvania's Miserable Little Pile of Platinums

[Inuty]

On 3.5.2019 at 2:08 PM, Jens said:

Well I'll be playing your favorite in a pretty long series of games and you're playing my favorite, sounds fair to me  Even after my final KH3 platinum BBS is still the one I enjoyed the most. I guess the (almost) clean sheet in regards to the story helped a lot, it felt pretty straight forward.

True haha. I must say even when the platinum of BBS is the most painful and grindy One... so far it was storywise and gameplaywise the best KH I played. Loved the story from 3 perspectives.  But finishing everything with all characters is just painful and grindy. I play it on critical and dont want to Start the game new to have it a little Bit easier

[Cassylvania]

Okay, so... A few updates.

 

First, I didn't end up playing Forgotton Anne or South Park. Instead, I spent my weekend killing monkeys. So many monkeys. Guys, you wouldn't believe all the monkeys I killed. There were big monkeys, little monkeys, brown monkeys, white monkeys, fat monkeys, thin monkeys, monkeys alone, monkeys in pairs, monkeys in swarms, monkeys with swords, monkeys with heads, monkeys without heads, monkeys that could see, monkeys you couldn't see, monkeys that could hear, monkeys that could make noises that other monkeys could hear. There were so many monkeys that my head started to spin. Fortunately, I think I'm down to the last few bosses in Sekiro... And I don't think any of them are monkeys.

 

I also started a new game. It's called The Long Dark. I don't know why I started it. It's not finished, the developers have given no indication of when it will be finished, almost all of the trophies are rare, nobody is playing it, very few people have the platinum, it's extremely difficult, and I'm pretty sure it takes about 800 years to finish. But when a game taunts me with a long and hard platinum (from a game that isn't shit or multiplayer), you know I have to answer the call.

 

So, from what I gather, this game has three modes: a story mode that is only 40% complete, a challenge mode where you're given various tasks to complete, and a survival mode where you just get dumped off in the middle of nowhere, with very little advice, knowledge, or supplies, and you're expected to delay your inevitable death for as long as possible. Sorta like college. You can play as either a male or female, both are horrifying models, and they're voiced by the same male and female VAs for Commander Shepard in the ME series. Now, no offense to Jennifer Hale, but you're going to pick the guy. This isn't a game like Crash Remastered, where the female character is clearly superior to the male. This is the Canadian wilderness. You want a beard. And I'm not talking just any beard. You want the biggest, meatiest, most overgrown thicket of manlocks your rainbow-colored Monopoly money can buy. You want to be licking syrup out of your whiskers from the pancakes you had a fortnight ago. This is the TUNDRA, man. That's how you survive.

 

Or you can die during the tutorial, like I did. Spent my last few minutes hurling stones desperately at a rabbit.

 

This is going to be a long one...

[Briste]

On 5/3/2019 at 9:48 PM, ZitMeatloaf said:

Oh, and you should definitely make time for FFV. The job system in that game is awesome.

I bought the PSOne Classic release and I've been meaning to for a while. I may end up playing it on my vita down the road after I finally finish Space Hulk and then I have Darkest Dungeon I want to get to before I get distracted. I kind of keep hoping the entire series gets trophy support at some point so I can kill two birds with one stone. I wouldn't mind seeing something like what Castlevania Requiem did with a couple of games and a shared trophy list. I think they could easily do that...probably won't but here's hoping.

 

Quote

First, I didn't end up playing Forgotton Anne or South Park. Instead, I spent my weekend killing monkeys. So many monkeys. Guys, you wouldn't believe all the monkeys I killed. There were big monkeys, little monkeys, brown monkeys, white monkeys, fat monkeys, thin monkeys, monkeys alone, monkeys in pairs, monkeys in swarms, monkeys with swords, monkeys with heads, monkeys without heads, monkeys that could see, monkeys you couldn't see, monkeys that could hear, monkeys that could make noises that other monkeys could hear. There were so many monkeys that my head started to spin. Fortunately, I think I'm down to the last few bosses in Sekiro... And I don't think any of them are monkeys.

Were you playing Barrel Full of Monkeys or...? I'm fighting some Monkeys in Kingdom Hearts, but I don't think that's what you were doing. I'll be interested to hear your feedback on The Long Dark as that seems like something I might enjoy as well.

 

Off-topic from gaming...did you watch any of the NFL Draft? I don't know any of the draft picks, but I know the Giants were generally panned for selecting Jones at 6 and that most of the analysts seem to like the Patriots draft (even though they traded up to select a punter). I feel like the draft is too drawn out, but it means football is coming soon.

[AJ_Radio]

People are talking about football already? 

 

We’re three months from when the Super Bowl game took place and they’re already talking about the Draft. 

[Briste]

34 minutes ago, Spaz said:

 

We’re three months from when the Super Bowl game took place and they’re already talking about the Draft. 

The draft was last weekend so it seems to be a pretty good time to talk about it.

[Cassylvania]

On 5/6/2019 at 11:43 AM, Briste said:

Off-topic from gaming...did you watch any of the NFL Draft? I don't know any of the draft picks, but I know the Giants were generally panned for selecting Jones at 6 and that most of the analysts seem to like the Patriots draft (even though they traded up to select a punter). I feel like the draft is too drawn out, but it means football is coming soon.

 

I completely forgot about it. Hope the Vikings did okay. Upgrading the O-line HAS to be a priority this year...

 

Anyway, I've put a good 10-12 hours into The Long Dark now, so I feel perfectly qualified to give my review. Here is everything that PISSES ME OFF:

1. Loading screens. Just like Skyrim, expect to sit through a 5-10 second loading screen every time you want to enter/exit a building. I facepalmed when this happened for the first time. How come only Minecraft seems to understand that nothing is more rewarding than slipping through your front door and closing the door behind you, while a pack of monsters nips at your heels or a sudden downpour begins? You can't even look out the windows in this game because they're all frosted over, which is really just an excuse for the programmers to do less work. This whole thing is so utterly disappointing that I honestly don't think I would've bought the game if I had known that this was a feature.
2. No map. Oh, there's a map alright. It just comes with a few asterisk. First, you have to go into your menu to select it. Second, it's completely useless until you "survey" the land, which is done by drawing on the map with (consumable and somewhat hard to find) charcoal. That reveals a small radius that then seems to be permanently added to your map, along with any features of interest in that area. Third, you can't view where you are on the map. And I kinda get what they're doing. If this were real life, you wouldn't see a little glowing arrow on a map to indicate where you are or which direction you are facing, but you'd at least have a compass. As far as I know, none exist in this game.
3. Seriously, no map. I'm not done! The guides that were made for this game -- which are great, by the way, and I appreciate all the time that went into them -- have maps where north is NOT up. That is so damn confusing. I spent a good two hours trying to figure out why the sun was setting in the east and why I kept running in circles. I'm not even sure if the maps are still accurate, since the developers are still working on the game, and I'm not even joking when I say that the game just now notified me to install the newest patch. But that's good because...
4. OMG, CRASHES. I found a cave. I tried to leave the cave. My game crashed. I loaded it back up and looted everything in the cave again. I tried to leave. It crashed again. This happened FIVE times. And before you start -- no, you can't manually save. (Well, you can, but it requires resting or passing time, which drains your status.) I named this place Crash Cave. I'm doing everything in my power to never enter it again.
5. Why is there no map!? No, I'm mad. This is PRECISELY the kind of game that should revolve around a map. There are maps everywhere. I was just in a camp office where there was a huge map of the area plastered on the wall. Why didn't Baloo (that's what I call the main character) scribble down some notes? *I* can't do it because the map *I* was shown was pixelated to hell. Presumably, if this was real life, I'd actually be able to read that map and record that information on the charcoal I'm carrying around. In fact, why not just have fog of war like every other adventure/survival game, and make it so the map automatically updates if you have charcoal in your inventory? It's possible to walk and update a map at the same time. Although maybe I'm wrong on that because this guy is completely incapable of multitasking. I'm so mad that I'm not even making this a separate bullet point. WHY CAN'T HE EAT A CANDY BAR AND MOVE AT THE SAME TIME!? Is he such a glutton that he has to use every ounce of energy in his body to chew!? SPEAKING OF THAT...
6. The main character needs to shut up. "I could eat anything right now," "I could eat a horse," "I'm so hungry," "Gotta eat something," "Need food badly." OMG. Even when I feed the guy, he's like, "I'll be hungry later." Why am I playing as the biggest wimp ever? He can't go six hours without complaining that he needs his juice box. It's...very telling that one of my favorite features in this game is the ability to put voices on mute.

That said... This game is great. I'm doing a challenge right now where I have to stay in 15 specific locations in the game for three days each -- hence why I needed the map. I don't consider that immersion-breaking because, unlike Baloo, I'm not an idiot who would travel to a desolate location without at least some knowledge of the land. I'd probably have a working compass too, but what are ya gonna do? Geomagnetic disaster or some such. (Just more excuses from lazy developers.) It's kinda cool, though, because I'm getting to see all the areas in the game, which will be necessary for the other -- and presumably much harder -- challenges.

 

Right now, I'm holed up in a garage in some coastal town. I just drank water from the gas station toilet, which is somehow more sanitary than the freshly fallen snow outside. Video game logic.

Edited May 7, 2019 by Cassylvania

[AJ_Radio]

2 hours ago, Briste said:

The draft was last weekend so it seems to be a pretty good time to talk about it.

 

Part of the reason I said that is because I know a number of fanatical football fans who cannot stop talking about their favorite sport.

 

I'm just tired of the Patriots making it to the Super Bowl every year.

[Cassylvania]

THE LONG DARK. OK. I'm slowly coming around to this game. I'm not in love with the mapping system, but I get they're going for a more "realistic" approach. (Do yourself a favor, though, and pick up a copy of the community guides. They're beautiful, helpful, and a lot more realistic than having to die over and over just to learn the lay of the land.) I also appreciate that the developers are actively working on the game, with the newest patch introducing a bunch of new features, such as a steep slope indicator and a revolver. Oh, and I just got the trophy for not using a firearm for the first 50 days, so it's game on, deer!

 

So, the platinum stoppers in this game are going to be The Will to Survive (survive 500 days) and Faithful Cartographer (map every named location). Most of the others I can get along the way. Fortunately, these trophies pair up nicely, so my plan is to stay in each region for as long as possible, mapping out the area and looting all the supplies before moving on to the next region. I managed to get 50 days out of Coastal Highway/Crumbling Highway, and I'm up to Day 60 in Desolation Point. I still have a lot of supplies back at my gas station base, so I'm going to ransack this area and maybe do some ice fishing to try to round out an even 100 days. I'm currently taking shelter in a ship that got stuck in the ice. It has a forge, but I didn't realize how much work went into operating one of those. I had to dump all my coal and wood into it, and then I had to keep downing coffee in order to stay awake long enough to forge some upgrades. Managed to get a trophy and two arrowheads, but I still don't have a bow... Running low on water too. You can melt snow, but it takes time, and it's hard to carry much with me because I'm encumbered most of the time (which increases the chance of a sprain injury). The game does seem to encourage having a home base to stash your loot.

 

Another thing is you can only "survey" an area if visibility conditions are high enough. Again, realistic, but kinda annoying when it's always snowing or nighttime. It means I end up staying in some places longer than I'd like, which is a problem when I really don't have the room to carry bedding, a cooking pot, food, water, light, and tools everywhere I go. Once I get back to my gas station, we'll hole up and plan out our next destination...

[Cassylvania]

THE LONG DARK. Operation Arrowhead was a bigger success than I ever could have imagined. The mission was simple: head north to map the rest of Desolation Point, stop by the mine on the way back to gather coal, and then return to the forge to craft as many arrowheads as possible. My progress was almost immediately derailed by the appearance of a black bear. He didn't seem to mind me roaming around his cave, so I took out my rifle and shot him. Or near him. I'm a bad shot. Anyway, I got annoyed that I wasted a bullet, so I fired another one directly into his side. He took off, I followed the blood trail for like two miles, and I laughed when I saw his AI pathing was completely bugged out. He just kept running back and forth, unsure of whether he wanted to face me or the insurmountable cliff next to him. I decided to put him out of his glitchy misery.

 

He had a TON of meat. Fortunately, he fell near the remains of a church, so I turned that into a temporary base. It took four (!) trips to haul back all the goodies. Think I sprained my wrist in the process too. It didn't matter -- I was about to eat like a king. This was actually the perfect chance to knock out two trophies: Deep Forest, which requires letting a campfire burn for three days straight (that's about how long it took to cook all the meat anyway), and Living Off the Land, which requires only eating meat or berries for 25 consecutive days. I've more than passed that now. Had to move my base to a nearby mine to keep from freezing to death, but I'm already up to Day 98 and I still have plenty of meat left. There's a pretty simple cycle to this: eat one bear steak, drink one liter of water, rest for 12 hours, and then pass time for 24 hours (or until your health gets low).

 

Eventually, I made it to the forge and crafted 15 arrowheads. I doubt I'll need that many (crow feathers will be my limiting factor), but I'm not coming back this way again. I'll probably hang out in the ship until I run out of food, then back to the processing plant to finish my bow. I have a lot of loot between these two places, but I'll have to leave most of it behind. Gotta travel light to make room for the stash at the church (still a lot of water, bear meat, pelts, and tools) and then into the mine until we're forced back to the gas station. That should be roughly 20% of the total area of the game in roughly 20% of the time required to survive...

[AJ_Radio]

I think I’ll skip The Long Dark.

 

I will never understand the obsession we have with survival horror. It was a very interesting concept back in the day and some movies I watched as a kid were good that focused on that horror aspect, surviving in the woods and being aware of the dangers in the wilderness.  

 

But it’s been so overdone at this point that it is tiring. I appreciate that they didn’t throw in a bunch of half assed zombies because that shit has been beaten to death. But I think there is a more goofy cartoonish version of this which is Don’t Starve. I actually thought about picking that game up at some point but I’m glad I didn’t. 

 

At least it’s a bit more original than The Last of Us. A bit more challenging and interesting than Days Gone. Nothing about that game sticks out to me. It’s all things I’ve seen before in other games, which probably explains why it got a lower Metacritic rating than God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man.

Edited May 9, 2019 by Spaz

[Cassylvania]

11 hours ago, Spaz said:

I will never understand the obsession we have with survival horror. It was a very interesting concept back in the day and some movies I watched as a kid were good that focused on that horror aspect, surviving in the woods and being aware of the dangers in the wilderness.  

 

But it’s been so overdone at this point that it is tiring. I appreciate that they didn’t throw in a bunch of half assed zombies because that shit has been beaten to death. But I think there is a more goofy cartoonish version of this which is Don’t Starve. I actually thought about picking that game up at some point but I’m glad I didn’t.

 

I think this extends beyond just survival horror. There's an obsession in the industry in beating concepts to death, making every game the same, and dumbing down the gameplay. This is highlighted by TLD's terrible story mode. Wintermute begins with the most boring tripe (after a fairly promising opening). Go here, pick this up, start a fire, walk this way. And when you finally come to a town, you're given the mother of all fetch quests: collect an army's worth of food and firewood for a little old lady. Why? That's not fun. If I was in that situation, I'd be knocking that lady unconscious, stealing her shotgun, and going after the robbers who made off with most of her supplies. Eventually, you're given a quest where you can make an actual choice like that, but it doesn't really matter which option you pick. Not really anyway. They both lead to scripted events that more or less tell you that you're playing somebody else's story.

 

What appeals to me about the genre is the freedom that comes from exploring a sandbox game. That's why I'll stand by my statement that Harvest Moon is one of the best video game series of all time until the day I die. Yeah, it's a little more story-driven than a resource management game like TLD or Don't Starve, but the narrative takes a backseat to the gameplay. You're given just enough story to care about the world, and you're never really forced to play the game in a specific way. Instead, the world changes around YOUR actions and YOUR decisions. If you're a jerk to people, they'll move out of town. If you ignore your farm, it'll become overgrown with weeds, but the game doesn't give you the middle finger and tell you that you're playing it wrong. I liked my playthroughs where I had a successful farm, a wife, and a kid just as much as my playthroughs where I let my farm rot and spent my nights getting drunk at the local bar with Karen's father.

 

I also have a lot of respect for developers who try to make survival/resource management games because they have to be one of the hardest kinds of games to design. By their very nature, they should not be fun games. They should be tedious, frustrating, and hard. That's realistic. It would absolutely suck to be in Baloo's situation. Heck, for as much as I love camping and the outdoors, I know it's rarely as much fun as the picture I have in my mind. It's dirty and smelly, you have to contend with awful weather conditions, there are insects and wildlife, no cell service, and I can't tell you how much I hate sleeping in wet clothes. I once camped out for an entire month and I had a combined three showers during that time. I lost my tent in a freak monsoon in South Dakota, got caught in a snowstorm (in shorts) in Idaho, capsized my canoe in Ohio, and made friends with just about every tick in Pennsylvania. I love nature, but sometimes I think I prefer it on a TV screen.

 

I'm not going to recommend TLD. If I'm going to compare it to a game, graphically, it's very much like Firewatch (which I liked), but it plays like No Man's Sky (which I have mixed feelings about). It's very much intended for a niche audience. I don't think it's bad, but you gotta be willing to make your own fun.

[AJ_Radio]

3 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

snip

 

This game may not be bad, it actually looks intriguing and interesting. But it goes on that tired concept, and I’ve watched enough Walking Dead on television, read books on zombie apocalypse events, seen enough horror films that take this concept and heard enough news on it to just be done with it all. 

 

I was one of those who enjoyed The Blair Witch Project. It was a drastic departure from the usual Hollywood fare and it was interesting, because that genre then was more fresh. I also watched The Sixth Sense and I consider that to be one of my favorite horror/suspense films. 

 

Today that concept has worn on without end. If it’s not some survival horror done on the cheap then it’s the superhero crap that makes giant profits every time because apparently everyone in America is obsessed with superheroes. 

 

I just looked at the PS Store today and I saw The Forest. Which is again, a survival horror experience with zombies for you to kill. Nothing that Dying Light, The Last of Us, Days Gone haven’t already done. 

 

I’ve seen some gameplay footage of The Long Dark and I’ll give it credit for taking a different route. Days Gone is really just a sandbox title with a Hollywood story and budgeting. You take away the theme and it’s very much the same open world AAA game. All with the same uniform control and motion. 

 

You’re getting enjoyment out of the game, which is good enough because that’s why we play in the first place. It simply isn’t for me. I prefer Metroidvanias and platformers if you noticed the games I’ve played. 

 

If anything, this will be your new lowest percentage platinum, which is something to be proud of.

Edited May 9, 2019 by Spaz

[Cassylvania]

18 hours ago, Spaz said:

I just looked at the PS Store today and I saw The Forest. Which is again, a survival horror experience with zombies for you to kill. Nothing that Dying Light, The Last of Us, Days Gone haven’t already done.

 

I kinda like the look of Days Gone. Not sure I'll ever get around to playing it, but it looks more interesting than most of those other open world zombie games.

 

Either way, I lasted up to Day 140 in Desolation Point. I was moving like molasses because of all the stuff I had in my pack. Got back to the mine and planned to shack up there for a few days, but my bedding fell apart. Didn't even know that could happen. I had to cut loose about half of my supplies, wander through the mine with a single flare I found on the ground, and arrived in Pleasant Valley. Well, it's been anything but pleasant so far. Constant blizzards and whiteouts. I arrived on a snow-covered street, followed it to a local CVS, and I guess that's where we'll be staying for a while. I think I'm going to drop all my stuff, take a rifle, and walk clockwise around the map to see if I can find a bear. If I do, that should buy us a good 30-40 days. If I don't, we'll just eat granola bars and canned soup from the store and then move on. I have no interest in staying in this wasteland longer than we have to.

 

For this weekend, though, I'd like to get back to Sekiro and Forgotton-to-finish Anne. I'm up to the year 2100 in Cities: Skylines. That's about 80 years (on a new map), with neither trophy popping. The biggest issue I'm running into now is my landfill situation. I have about twelve landfills (all full) and one incineration plant. I don't think we can afford the upkeep on a second incineration plant, but garbage is piling up everywhere and my budget is in the red. That's not a self-sustaining model. I'll have to come up with some kind of solution to keep the game beating itself...

[Cassylvania]

Trip game update, and a happy Mo's Day to all the mothers out there!

 

THE LONG DARK. My stay in Pleasant Valley was short. Well, game time-wise, I got to Day 201, but it went by quickly. This is probably because I found an underground bunker and lived off its food supplies for weeks. I got lost several times (this is one of those regions where north is NOT up on the map), came very close to dying (the bunker saved me), and had a Benny Hill-worthy chase with a bear that lasted ten minutes (it got away). I got out of there as fast as I could. Found myself a giant hydroelectric dam, where I shacked up for a while, and then entered Mystery Lake. It was at this point that I realized the world map is much more linear than I originally thought. If I want to avoid a LOT of backtracking later, I'm going to have to return to Pleasant Valley and go to this place called Timberwolf Mountain that I completely ignored. Fortunately, that's not the biggest waste of time ever because there's still one more region on this side of the map that I haven't explored: the Ravine. It connects Mystery Lake to Coastal Highway, and it was very easy to get there from the dam. The problem? There's a huge drop. From what I can tell, I need to enter the ravine to map a couple landmarks (even though you'd think that would be much easier to do from above), but jumping would probably get me killed. Think I need a mountaineering rope. I know I saw one somewhere recently, but I don't know if it was in the dam, Pleasant Valley, or somewhere else... So, I guess it's back to Mystery Lake to solve the case of the missing rope.

 

SEKIRO. Wasted a few more bosses. Actually, I'm at the final boss now. I managed to get to the final phase on my third try, but then all my skill melted away and hasn't returned since. I had to shut the game off because I was getting angry. He shouldn't be that hard, and I know there are ways to cheese him, but I want to parry his ass into submission. HONORABLE SAMURAI JOE.

 

ARKHAM CITY. Caught Deadshot. Don't know why they put in two trophies for him, but I'll take a twofer. Next month, I think we'll go after Zsasz, whose creepy prank calls and palindrome name are really getting on my nerves.

 

Also, I saw The Hustle because somebody convinced me that would be a better watch than Tolkien. It was...basically a remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. I wish I knew that going into the movie because I spent the entire time trying to remember where I had seen this all before. I just chalked it up to lazy writing and the usual Hollywood drivel until the final scene, which must've been shot at the exact same location because I instantly recognized it. (And by "instantly", I mean they showed it about six times before.) I'd do a more in-depth analysis of why DRS was a good movie and The Hustle wasn't, but it doesn't really deserve my time or attention. We have games to play!

Edited May 12, 2019 by Cassylvania

[Briste]

On 5/12/2019 at 10:41 AM, Cassylvania said:

 

ARKHAM CITY. Caught Deadshot. Don't know why they put in two trophies for him, but I'll take a twofer. Next month, I think we'll go after Zsasz, whose creepy prank calls and palindrome name are really getting on my nerves.

I almost forgot to get Calendar man. I was busy all day and forgot that Mother's Day was on the list. I originally wanted to get at least one trophy on each of the days to prove that I did this legit...but I missed that almost right off the bat so much for that idea. I don't have any quick ones left to get anyways. I'll probably work on the challenge ones in-between KH games just to break up the monotony.

 

CoM has turned itself around a bit for me since I get the system better and I found it way easier than KH1 in the end. I think I only died like three times once I got enough cards to manage my deck better...plus a lot of those sleights are broken with how strong they are. The story has been interesting enough...but I won't lie...I get tired of how often their Hearts are referenced...like I get that the game is called Kingdom Hearts...but every cut scene is about how so and so will always be in your heart or your memories are always in your heart or something, something, something in your heart. I kind of wish I played these when they first came out because I think I would have enjoyed them more. They aren't bad (so far) by any stretch, but I don't know if this has aged well. I think if it had some nostalgia factor for me, it'd be different as well. It's not like the Final Fantasy games aged terribly well, but that nostalgia effect makes up for it.

 

Which game on your current slate are you enjoying the most so far? I know you said you weren't going to recommend The Long Dark...but I'm not sure I've ever played a game like that before and I'm intrigued...

[Jens]

[...]

Edited September 30, 2019 by Jens

[Cassylvania]

4 hours ago, Briste said:

Which game on your current slate are you enjoying the most so far? I know you said you weren't going to recommend The Long Dark...but I'm not sure I've ever played a game like that before and I'm intrigued...

 

I don't know if it's really worth playing. The Will to Live and Faithful Cartographer ruin what otherwise could've been a very fun game. Both of them just remind you of how tedious the game can be, and I'm going to be very, very angry if the second one doesn't pop when it's supposed to.

 

The case of the missing rope took an interesting turn. I found a rope easily enough, but the thing weighs more than my rifle. I'm already over my limit, so I decided to stash some supplies in what looks to be the remains of Camp Wannalottaplat's main cabin. Thought Henry burned that place down. Anyway... Trying to juggle a few trophies here. There's one trophy that requires wearing all furs to bed. I've managed to craft the rabbitskin mitts and the deerskin boots, but I'm one pelt short for the bear skin bedroll...and haven't killed a single wolf yet. In any case, furs are heavy apparently, so I left my half of my clothes in the cabin. Then I almost froze to death trying to get to my next destination. See, there's another trophy that requires visiting every building in Mystery Lake and Coastal Highway, so I want to make sure I've cleared out ML before I head back to CH, in case I missed something. Well, I just barely made it to Trapper's Cabin alive. Inside, though, I found a nice potbelly stove, and I started cooking some rabbit meat.

 

While that was happening, I went outside to survey the area...and saw a bear, only a couple hundred yards away. Unfortunately, his AI is programmed to be a dick, because he'll start walking away at the same speed I move while crouching, and I can't walk or sprint or else he'll take off. As such, I wasn't able to get as close as I wanted, so I took a blind shot at his rump. Bullseye! He took off, I chased him for a while, and then I gave up. I'm still half-naked, mind you. Had to get back where it was warm. Plus, fires need tended a lot in this game...

 

My plan was just to live off my rations for a while and then head south, where I hear there's a beautiful lake. I mean, that's what this region is named after, right? So, I stepped outside to gather some firewood and saw...the bear. Dead on the ground. Right outside my cabin. Either he was on his way back to maul me in my sleep or he decided he'd rather me eat well than the birds. Either way, I appreciate the gesture.

 

That was a few days ago. After that, I mapped out the rest of Mystery Lake, dropped off most of my gear at Camp Wannalottaplat, and headed to Forlorn Muskeg. I decided to save Pleasant Valley and its adjacent region for last. Forlorn Muskeg ended up being a shithole where I almost died twice: first, when I fell through the ice (twice), and second, when I got food poisoning from rancid bear meat. I thought I could just sleep it off, but no -- that kills you. Had to run outside, gather mushrooms, and make herbal tea. BEAR-ly survived after that. Decided to ditch that place as soon as possible and went to Mountain Town, which is a thriving little community (relatively speaking). Didn't stay long. I'm already up to Day 300. The last major region on this side of the world is Hushed River Valley, where I'm currently stuck. No, really. If you repel down into the valley, you have to climb to get back up. The problem? You can't climb when you're weary. You need to sleep. But you can't sleep unless you have a bed, bedroll, or car, and I have none of those things in the valley. You can build a snow shelter...but that requires cloth...which means I'd have to harvest the clothes right off my back...and then I'd freeze to death... You can see my dilemma.

 

No, I think Sekiro is a MUCH better game.

 

3 hours ago, Jens said:

Is it just a fight against your hunger / thirst / etc. meter or what's the main enemy in this game? Just wild animals? I don't know very much about that game, I just want to know what makes surviving so difficult  Sounds like Day Z in a forest in winter.

 

The main enemy in the game is the map. I STILL haven't figured out how you're supposed to tell where you are. There are no directional arrows, north is not always up, the sun sets on whatever side of the sky it feels like, and everything is covered in twenty feet of snow, so it all looks the same. It's like playing the first stage of The Unfinished Swan without using any paint balls. And if you get caught in a blizzard... You're screwed. You can't see anything, you can't build a fire because it's too windy, and you can't stay where you are because you'll die of hypothermia. The game basically forces you to press on in some direction and hope you wind up at a familiar landmark.

 

Getting trolled by the devs with this ravine trap doesn't help either.

[det_gittes]

11 hours ago, Cassylvania said:

I don't know if it's really worth playing. The Will to Live and Faithful Cartographer ruin what otherwise could've been a very fun game. Both of them just remind you of how tedious the game can be, and I'm going to be very, very angry if the second one doesn't pop when it's supposed to.

Despite your making it very clear that the game has serious flaws, your descriptions are very vivid and make me (and maybe others, too) want to find out more about this game. I actually admire your super-immersive approach to games, do you always create this extra layer of narrative to relate to the story even more or is it mostly for us, readers? Either way, I really like this creative gaming of yours!

[Jens]

[...]

Edited September 30, 2019 by Jens

[Cassylvania]

12 hours ago, det_gittes said:

Despite your making it very clear that the game has serious flaws, your descriptions are very vivid and make me (and maybe others, too) want to find out more about this game. I actually admire your super-immersive approach to games, do you always create this extra layer of narrative to relate to the story even more or is it mostly for us, readers? Either way, I really like this creative gaming of yours!

 

Oh, thanks. I want to say I do it for the fans, but I've been doing this kind of stuff since I was a kid. I think a lot of it comes from not playing a lot of games...but also playing a lot of the games I did play. I should probably give some examples. I think I told you guys before that my entire Ocarina of Time experience was riding around Hyrule Field on Epona. I wasn't really a gamer, but that was fun for me, and that's what I thought gaming should be about. It wasn't until years later that I even attempted the dungeons.

 

At the same time, I'd play the same games over and over (usually because my family was too cheap to buy us new stuff), so I had to start making up my own stories or challenges to keep things fresh. I think that's why I not only love simulation games, but feel they have the longest lasting appeal. It's really fun for me to play something like Harvest Moon (the original ones), where the story is just simple enough to exist, but the gameplay allows for a completely original experience every time you play. That's lost in a lot of modern games, where story, narration, and cinematics make most experiences...kinda the same.

 

To that end, I guess TLD does a pretty good job. The maps and landmarks and buildings are mostly static, but loot seems randomized, and what you'd experience going through each region is probably very different than what I was describing.

 

For those wondering, I was able to make it out of the valley, by jabbing myself with an emergency stim. Ran back to Milton Town, robbed the place blind, got trampled by a moose (it broke my ribs), took another ice bath in Forlorn Muskeg, and stumbled into Broken Railroad. Found a nice garage and hunting lodge. I'm one wolf carcass away from an annoying trophy, and then I can finally replace my fur clothes with something lighter. Cold really hasn't been an issue.

 

What is an issue, though, is Skilled Survivor. This shitty trophy requires maxing out all of your skills. I figured that would easily come by the time I hit Day 500, but none of them are there yet, and I'm such a terrible shot with the rifle that I might run out of bullets before it reaches level 5. You can read skill books to level them up, but I don't know how many of those are left.

 

Day 323, and I'm still not amused.

[AJ_Radio]

You should be a writer. I’m just saying.

[Arcesius]

I totally agree, your posts here make the games come alive, good job! But, I have to be honest.. no vivid writing is ever going to make me want to play a survival game ? There is just too much micro-management in those games that I can't find enjoyment in. It's also the same with the lackluster survival elements put in other games.. Red Dead Redemption 2 wants you to eat enough but not too much, or you get certain disadvantages... you also need to clean your horse every 20 meters ridden. I will just take the lower health regeneration and let my character starve than really deal with all that micro-management. 

 

How did you like Sekiro, now that you are done with your first playthrough? I saw that you got three endings on your first playthrough... That probably means that you'll be grinding skill points on NG+, which will likely take a while... Just a small tip: Before making the other decision on top of Ashina Castle, make another backup-save... The best grinding spot is after killing the Divine Dragon, so after making the other choice you'll want to reload your save and again take the path you took on your first playthrough. Or you could simply start NG++ and rush through it.. shouldn't take more than 2-3 hours to get to Fountainhead Palace now that you know what to do ?

[Cassylvania]

12 hours ago, Arcesus7 said:

I totally agree, your posts here make the games come alive, good job! But, I have to be honest.. no vivid writing is ever going to make me want to play a survival game  There is just too much micro-management in those games that I can't find enjoyment in. It's also the same with the lackluster survival elements put in other games.. Red Dead Redemption 2 wants you to eat enough but not too much, or you get certain disadvantages... you also need to clean your horse every 20 meters ridden. I will just take the lower health regeneration and let my character starve than really deal with all that micro-management.

 

I feel the same way sometimes, but I like to at least have the option. Like, maybe on the easier difficulties, you don't have to worry about eating, but it's critical on hard because of the bonuses/debuffs you get. I'd rather see a game's difficulty revolve around survival mechanics like that than arbitrary turning enemies into bullet sponges or having them kill your character in one hit. It's one of the reasons Skyrim disappointed me so much, because it's precisely the kind of game that was ripe for an immersive experience. Imagine how cool it would have been to at least have a slider or toggle switch to make cold weather and hunger an actual concern. It would give fires and cooking a purpose. I can't help but feel that was a massive oversight on the part of the developers.

 

Also, FUCK THE LONG DARK. I died on Day 350. How, you ask? Well, first, I got food poisoning. That's honestly probably the way you're most likely to die on your 500 day run because you'll be spending most of your time sleeping and eating, and you can easily sleep yourself to death if you're not paying attention to your notifications. (Yes, this may be the first video game where you can literally die from boredom.) But whatever -- I ate mouldy (that's not even a real word) venison, so I should have expected this. What I DIDN'T know is that auroras aren't always a good thing. Oh...um, auroras are these events where the sky turns colorful, animals glow and begin acting weird, and lights flicker on and off. I don't really understand their purpose besides aesthetics (and it's kinda nice being able to see at night), but apparently you can walk into downed power lines and burn yourself to death. And naturally the game saves instantly when you die, so I just got a giant middle finger from the developers, wiping out probably over 100 hours of progress.

 

...is what I WOULD say, if I wasn't prepared for this level of bullshittery. See, unlike Baloo, I don't embark on dangerous adventures without a little insurance policy. Portable USB stick, you are my best friend.

 

Back to Day 348 and I'm leaving my death trap of an automobile repair shop. I think I FINALLY figured out how to use a gun in this game. See, the bow has a reticle (it might depend on your level of archery), but guns do not. Realistic, I know. This makes shooting a bit tricky because you're essentially firing blind. That's no bueno. The bow is easier because you can see where you're aiming, but you still have to adjust the trajectory. The reticle, however, doesn't immediately disappear when you switch to another weapon. It just kinda fades away. So...

 

HUNTING TIPS WITH CASS

1. Get a gun and a bow.
2. Find a target to kill and equip the bow.
3. Line up the reticle with the target.
4. Quickly switch to the gun and fire.
5. Celebrate, then harvest your kill.

Mmm, deer meat tastes so good with cheese.

 

12 hours ago, Arcesus7 said:

How did you like Sekiro, now that you are done with your first playthrough? I saw that you got three endings on your first playthrough... That probably means that you'll be grinding skill points on NG+, which will likely take a while... Just a small tip: Before making the other decision on top of Ashina Castle, make another backup-save... The best grinding spot is after killing the Divine Dragon, so after making the other choice you'll want to reload your save and again take the path you took on your first playthrough. Or you could simply start NG++ and rush through it.. shouldn't take more than 2-3 hours to get to Fountainhead Palace now that you know what to do 

 

I'm actually at that fight now. Got there really quickly, but I couldn't beat the final stage. Once I figure it out, I'll probably just jump into NG++ for the grind. I don't really think any of the boss fights worry me, but I'm getting a little tired of fighting the giant monkey... That's why I wasn't going to do the four playthrough approach.

Edited May 18, 2019 by Cassylvania

[Cassylvania]

Day 376. I'm sitting in a dank cave in the northwestern (southeastern?) corner of Pleasant Valley, thinking about how I could be playing any other game in the world right now. The Witcher 3. I hear that's a good one. Days Gone. Spider-Man. Resident Evil 2. Instead, I'm literally the only person on PSNP putting myself through this. Everybody else has either given up or gotten the plat. All thirteen of them.

 

"I guess I just wasn't cut out to be fourteen," I said, carving another notch in the wall. It was a pain in the ass to reach this place. After I had revived myself in the Broken Railroad, I returned to Forlorn Muskeg, took what I'm going to call the southern pass around the barely frozen lake, and returned to Camp Wannalottaplat to collect my supplies. With my trusty mountaineering rope, I was able to repel down into the ravine, find a cave that had a single granola bar, and realize I had really wasted my time. Spent all of my energy just trying to climb out of there. After that, I crossed a very dangerous-looking trestle, but not before backing up my save again. I then wasted a few days in Coastal Highway, ice fishing and trying to find the interior building I had missed. Yes, for another trophy. No, I didn't find it.

 

Then it was back to the Cinder Hills Coal Mine (fortunately, the aurora was in effect, so I was able to follow the flickering lights, which is good because I haven't had room for a lantern in a long time), to the CVS store I had already cleared out, and then I got caught in a blizzard with the wind chill at -40 degrees. I don't know what units those are in, but Celsius and Fahrenheit are equal at that temperature. That's your fun fact for the day. Also, that's fuckin' cold.

 

Once I had mapped the rest of the valley, including the hilariously named Skeeter's Ridge and Point of Disagreement, I hunted rascally rabbits for a while and then nestled into this cave to warm up. At daybreak, I'm going to make for Timberwolf Mountain -- the final region in this game. If I've planned things out correctly, I'll be able to get all three of the asshole trophies there. Survive 500 days. Map every location. And get all skills to level 5. Let's just ignore the fact that some of them aren't even at 4 yet.

 

It was at that moment that I saw an all too familiar mustache grinning at me in the darkness. "Hello, Dickness. My old friend."

 

"I don't have time for your shit, Phil."

 

"Oh, you have all the time in the world," he said, running a greasy palm along the hundreds of tally marks I had carved into the wall. Maybe I had been here longer than I had thought. "Tell me... How does it feel to save the world over and over again, just to watch it slip through your fingertips in the end? Does it hurt knowing all your efforts have been for naught?"

 

I tried to ignore him. Kinda hard to do that, though, when his face was pressed against mine like a hairy loaf of pumpernickel.

 

"My wife thought she could run from me too."

 

Not sure if he saw my steely knife coming at him in the darkness, but I felt the squirt of blood on my face and I was free. Before I knew what was happening, I was running for the cave door, looking for the passage back to the place I was before.

 

The whole time, I could hear his laughter echoing through the tunnel walls. "Where is your Margot Robbie now?"

Edited May 19, 2019 by Cassylvania

[Cassylvania]

Day 400 and something. Got to the top of Timberwolf Mountain. Mapped every inch of that area, but Faithful Cartographer did not pop. No surprise there. I expected a glitchy pile of shit when I started this.

 

Fortunately, I think I've found the problem. After looking over all my maps -- and comparing them to the list of 140+ locations in the game -- it seems I missed the Orca Gas Station in Milton. I mean, I didn't really "miss" it. It's there on the map. But some locations show up as text and others show up as icons, and I guess the OGS is supposed to appear as both, because I can only see the text but it's listed as an icon on the checklist. So... I guess it's back to Mountain Town.

 

But, before that, I found a downed plane on top of the summit that was packed full of cargo. I easily lasted 25 days there, living off crackers, stale soda, and watching the sunrise next to my good friend, Corpsey McCorpseface. He was quite the hoot. Eventually, I made my way back down the mountain, using my new hacksaw to break open some extra cargo containers I saw along the way. This is easily the best region in the game for loot. In fact, there's a cabin at the base of the mountain that is probably my favorite place I've come across. It's right in front of a frozen lake, there are a ton of deer and rabbits wandering around, and you have a beautiful view of the crashed plane on top of the mountain. Best of all: no loading screen. When that aurora hits, you really feel like you're playing something special.

 

I lost track of how many days I spent in that cabin. At least two seasons of King of the Hill. My main goal during that time was to max out all eight of my survival skills. Carcass Harvesting and Revolver were the only two I maxed out naturally, which tells you a little about my playstyle. Got Ice Fishing, Cooking, and Fire Starting maxed out thanks to the fishing hut right outside the cabin. Mending was a pain, but that one's done now too. That just leaves Rifle and Archery, which is...a problem. They're both problems. For the rifle, I'm out of bullets. I estimate I probably need 15-20 more. For the bow, I have a few arrows (you can reuse them, but they eventually break), but I may need to go back to Desolation Point to recover all those arrowheads I made way back when. Hopefully I can find some rifle cartridges along the way. I think I'm going to pass through the dam again, because I left a lot of crates there untouched...

 

Anyway, my basic strategy at the cabin was to go outside, shoot a deer with my rifle and a rabbit with my bow, and restart the game if either shot missed. Each deer gives you about a week's worth of meat (and I already had about a month's worth from fishing), so food isn't a problem, and they're fairly easy to spot because they spawn right outside on the lake. Only takes about twenty seconds to find them. No sense harvesting rabbits, so I let them rot. Their guts make good fishing line, though! After that, you can cook the meat, boil some water, and just pass time mending or sleeping. Definitely the best place in the game to go for your 500 day run.

 

I ditched Massacre Lake on Day 488. The rabbits weren't spawning as often and I'm low on ammo. My plan is to hit up a place called Draft Dodger's Cabin in Pleasant Valley. Not sure if that's Trump's winter home or what, but it's one of the few places in the game I haven't looted, and it's on my way to the dam. With any luck, I won't have to make a separate save file and DO THIS ALL OVER AGAIN.