The "What are you playing now?" Thread

[kosis]

I always used Nilfgaard since they have so many spy cards. You basically have to get the worst draw imaginable to lose after you get most of the deck. I'd also use the leader card that lets you draw a card from your opponent's discard pile, so I'd use all my spy cards in round one, then in round two draw one back from the opponent discard pile and use it again to get two more cards. If you have a decoy or two in your hand and an opponent either uses a spy card or uses one of your spy cards via a medic, you can use a decoy card to swap that spy out and re-use it on your enemy. I think the lowest I've ever gotten my deck was down to like eight cards because I drew so many due to spies.

There are several other useful strategies, but I found the spy one, like you, to be the most enjoyable. I always went Nilfgaard, though, at least after I had enough cards to make it practical.

Weather cards are useless in late-game gwent as well, so keep that in mind @AuxiliaryPie. They can be kind of useful early on, but you really don't need them later. Really, the main goal in gwent should just be to remove as many of the more useless cards as possible from your deck so that you don't have to worry about drawing shitty cards. The most useful general cards are scorch, the horn, and decoys. Medics are basically essential to spy strategies as well, as they let you replay any spy cards your opponent might have used on you. Generally speaking, the player with more cards available is going to win nine times out of ten.

Also don't be afraid to throw a round, either by playing all your spies and passing or by forcing your opponent to play a couple of extra cards when you have them at an advantage.

I agree with all of this with just one caveat. If you happen to go against the Scoia'tael deck, or especially the Monster deck, it can be fun to have the Freeze/Blizzard card in your back pocket. Those decks have so many close range cards that have the ability to multiply. They'll double up with the horn too, and figure the win is a lock. It's fun to see them get so far ahead and pass the round, only to have me drop that card and see their score plummet from like 85 to 14.

 

[RuanuLaw]

Can someone explain to me how the Armor in Witcher 3 works?

(Ignore all resistance boosts)

Armor 1= Lv 30 + 300 Vitality bonus.
Armor 2= Lv 50.

Lets say your vitality is 2000 total.

If an enemy hits you for a 500 damage, how does it play out, and which armor is best to use?

I would think for armor 1 it would be 500-30=470, then 470-300=170 final damage on the first hit. Then you would have 1830 vitality left. Right?

For armor 2, it would be 500-50=450 final damage.
Then you would have 1550 vitality left. Right?

So in my mind, the lower level armor with the Vitality is better, right? But i'm getting conflicting info on the internet.

 

[TyGuy]

In finally diving back into the witcher 3 with the blood and wine expansion. I can confidently say with countless hours put into this game that we are dealing with a modern classic and one of the greatest games of all time.

I'm really trying to savor the last of this beautiful content.

 

[Binkster]

So I haven't owned a game system of my own since 360 but I think I'm ready for a comeback. Didn't know where to post and didn't want to start a new thread... So to all you experts:

• PS4 or Xbox One?
• 500GB or 1 TB - is it worth the extra money for a TB?
• Is the Xbox One S worth the extra $$$ over the original?
• Do I wait for the PS4 Pro or Xbox One Scorpio? Or do I buy one of the originals now? Or do I wait for the new ones and pounce when the price drops on the originals?
• Which online service is better/costs less?
• Do I buy new? Used? Refurbished?
• Which has better exclusive game titles?

Any other pros/cons would be great.

 

[Jack Brickman]

So I haven't owned a game system of my own since 360 but I think I'm ready for a comeback. Didn't know where to post and didn't want to start a new thread... So to all you experts:

• PS4 or Xbox One?
• 500GB or 1 TB - is it worth the extra money for a TB?
• Is the Xbox One S worth the extra $$$ over the original?
• Do I wait for the PS4 Pro or Xbox One Scorpio? Or do I buy one of the originals now? Or do I wait for the new ones and pounce when the price drops on the originals?
• Which online service is better/costs less?
• Do I buy new? Used? Refurbished?
• Which has better exclusive game titles?

Any other pros/cons would be great.

Just build a PC and join the master race.

 

[gourimoko]

@TyGuy

Got the Logitech G602.. A bit small.. but, I didn't notice it takes 2xAA batteries..



Is there a comparable version that is rechargeable and maybe a bit sleeker?

 

[kosis]

So I haven't owned a game system of my own since 360 but I think I'm ready for a comeback. Didn't know where to post and didn't want to start a new thread... So to all you experts:

• PS4 or Xbox One?
• 500GB or 1 TB - is it worth the extra money for a TB?
• Is the Xbox One S worth the extra $$$ over the original?
• Do I wait for the PS4 Pro or Xbox One Scorpio? Or do I buy one of the originals now? Or do I wait for the new ones and pounce when the price drops on the originals?
• Which online service is better/costs less?
• Do I buy new? Used? Refurbished?
• Which has better exclusive game titles?

Any other pros/cons would be great.

The master race doesn't recognize that many people want to just kick back with a console and play with their friends (also peasants). Get a PS4. Better exclusives, better everything.

 

[Jack Brickman]

The master race doesn't recognize that many people want to just kick back with a console and play with their friends (also peasants). Get a PS4. Better exclusives, better everything.

The master race makes friends with others of the master race. If we started to mingle with the peasants we'd lose our status.

Also, in this day and age you can buy a relatively cheap plug-and-play PC to use in your living room. It'll cost more than a console, sure, but you also have access to decades worth of games rather than the handful that Microsoft and Sony decide to make backward compatible.

 

[TyGuy]

@TyGuy

Got the Logitech G602.. A bit small.. but, I didn't notice it takes 2xAA batteries..



Is there a comparable version that is rechargeable and maybe a bit sleeker?

Maybe try the g900? Adren is a pro for team liquid, so I'd assume he's particular about his mousing performance. It has the best current mouse sensor.

https://youtu.be/dVbPBkJaqhQ

 

[spydy13]

Goofy name, but I'll be playing lots of this come March:

 

[gourimoko]

Goofy name, but I'll be playing lots of this come March:

So.. they're out of the home console market then? Because this seems like they're going completely mobile with the premise that you can just tether your mobile device to your screen. I mean, technologically, it's no different than a standard Tegra mobile device. So... seems like this is a step backwards for Nintendo, IMHO?

I think the product itself is okay... I just don't know what it brings to the table?

I hate to sound like a PC Master Race kind of guy, but, I think what we're seeing the end of the console era in a general sense over the next few generations. I've said for sometime that it seems Microsoft is looking like they're wanting to merge the console and the STB; Sony wants to merge the console and the TV, and now Nintendo has merged the Wii with the Gameboy (which will soon likely just be a phone, IMHO).

I just don't see the end game for Nintendo here outside of getting out of the hardware business all together. Once these in-home Tegra devices become more standard, people will be less inclined to add proprietary devices to their already existing systems and thus Nintendo, like Sega, will find themselves solely in the software market.

 

[TyGuy]

Its a very strange time to launch their console. It seems like it is what they wanted the wii-u to be. You can take the wii-u scree/controller only so far away from the console. This gives it complete portability.

Although it doesn't seem like it will be powerful enough for a dedicated home console and perhaps too big to lug around on the go? Don't you usually want something that will fit in your pocket?

 

[spydy13]

So.. they're out of the home console market then? Because this seems like they're going completely mobile with the premise that you can just tether your mobile device to your screen. I mean, technologically, it's no different than a standard Tegra mobile device. So... seems like this is a step backwards for Nintendo, IMHO?

I think the product itself is okay... I just don't know what it brings to the table?

I hate to sound like a PC Master Race kind of guy, but, I think what we're seeing the end of the console era in a general sense over the next few generations. I've said for sometime that it seems Microsoft is looking like they're wanting to merge the console and the STB; Sony wants to merge the console and the TV, and now Nintendo has merged the Wii with the Gameboy (which will soon likely just be a phone, IMHO).

I just don't see the end game for Nintendo here outside of getting out of the hardware business all together. Once these in-home Tegra devices become more standard, people will be less inclined to add proprietary devices to their already existing systems and thus Nintendo, like Sega, will find themselves solely in the software market.

After taking their lumps with the Wii U, they realized that they couldn't support two platforms at the same time. By unifying, the software droughts that plagued Wii U and 3DS should be solved as all of Nintendo's quality dev teams can focus on one thing. It also seems like they have gotten some 3rd parties on board, which would make things even better.

You're right that this isn't a "new" idea, and coincidentally they are using a custom Tegra chip to power this thing (edit: Nvidia actually cancelled their Shield 2 as part of the deal to win the rights to produce the chips for this), but I think it's a logical step forward for them since they'll never be able to compete with Xbox and PS4. And what they have over other "generic" versions of this idea is that Nintendo software lineup, which will power them long into the future even if they do have to go third party if this thing flops.

It will certainly be interesting to see how this thing catches on with the mainstream, but for me, the ability to play console quality games on the go, in bed, or even by myself on the couch so my wife can use the TV is a huge thing that the other guys nor mobile provide (mobile games are trash anyways).

 

[TyGuy]

After taking their lumps with the Wii U, they realized that they couldn't support two platforms at the same time. By unifying, the software droughts that plagued Wii U and 3DS should be solved as all of Nintendo's quality dev teams can focus on one thing. It also seems like they have gotten some 3rd parties on board, which would make things even better.

You're right that this isn't a "new" idea, and coincidentally they are using a custom Tegra chip to power this thing (edit: Nvidia actually cancelled their Shield 2 as part of the deal to win the rights to produce the chips for this), but I think it's a logical step forward for them since they'll never be able to compete with Xbox and PS4. And what they have over other "generic" versions of this idea is that Nintendo software lineup, which will power them long into the future even if they do have to go third party if this thing flops.

It will certainly be interesting to see how this thing catches on with the mainstream, but for me, the ability to play console quality games on the go, in bed, or even by myself on the couch so my wife can use the TV is a huge thing that the other guys nor mobile provide (mobile games are trash anyways).

You can already do two of those things with the Wii U.

 

[spydy13]

I think this is a pretty good summation of what Nintendo is aiming for with this:

http://www.polygon.com/2016/10/20/13346544/nintendo-switch-playstation-remote-play-nvidia-shield

Ever since the very first PlayStation Portable was announced, I couldn’t wait for the day I could comfortably play high-end games anywhere.

The only problem was that technology — and let’s be honest, support from strong developers — was never up to the challenge. And if we’re really being honest, I’ve been dreaming of a console that could live up to this dream since the Game Gear. The Atari Lynx tried, the Sega Nomad was flying too close to the sun and in recent years, others have tried and failed.

I had so many high hopes for PlayStation Remote Play when it was announced. And as I dipped more into PC gaming, I thought the Nvidia Shield would allow me to competently play games like Skyrim and Overwatch in bed. Neither lived up to those expectations in practice. So much for that dream ...

But then today, Nintendo announced the Nintendo Switch, the long rumored console / portable hybrid.

For the first time, it seems as if my dream would finally come true. The Nintendo Switch does something fundamentally different than PlayStation Remote Play or the Nvidia Shield: it blurs the line between the home console experience and portable console experience natively, not as an ad hoc solution.

Ever since portable consoles came out, players had to divide their experiences and expectations based on what device they were playing on. It’s clear that you would be getting a difference experience on a WiiU than you would on a 3DS. PlayStation Remote Play devices and Nvidia Shield tried to bridge the gap through streaming content from a more powerful device to a mobile device. Both concepts are trying to pipe a bigger experience into a device that has no business trying to punch above its weight class.

In talking to my colleagues about the Nintendo Switch, Dave Tach summed it up best, “The secret sauce of the [Nintendo] Switch is that you don’t have to choose a handheld. You get one when you buy it.”

The Nintendo Switch was made with portability in mind. But it’s also meant to hook up to your HDTV ... and it’s also meant to be brought to a friend’s house, on a plane or for you to awkwardly pull out on a date.

The idea behind the Nintendo Switch is that the experiences it delivers are meant to be had anywhere. This can be done because Nintendo doesn’t aim to push the limits of what their gaming experiences look like. Instead, their goal has been to evolve what the entire gaming experience is.

The Game Boy puts Nintendo games in your hand. For many, this was the first time players had the freedom to play great games anytime, anywhere. The Nintendo DS took the idea further and changed how we interact with games physically. The Wii did the same thing for the home console.

And now, the Nintendo Switch is poised to change where we play, how we play and what should we expect from the overall experience of playing games.

If Nintendo can hold to the promise of what its launch trailer expressed, then the launch of the Nintendo Switch on March 2017 can once again change things.

Nintendo might be able to remove the restrictions of where we play games. When I dream of playing a massive adventure like the Legend of Zelda games, I imagine doing it at home on my couch. Sure, the mobile versions are great. But they are just that: mobile versions.

In this Nintendo Switch future, there might not even be “mobile versions” of your favorite games anymore. Instead, you’ll be able to play your favorite Nintendo games everywhere, uncompromised.

The future sounds wonderful.