New Games/General Gaming

[DE.]

I'm still on FM18 at the moment. I usually buy a new FM in 3/4 year cycles so will probably pick up next year's, or maybe the one after that. 

[Wegerleswiggle]

1 hour ago, DE. said:

I'm still on FM18 at the moment. I usually buy a new FM in 3/4 year cycles so will probably pick up next year's, or maybe the one after that. 

Do you always start with Rovers? 

[DE.]

Just now, Wegerleswiggle said:

Do you always start with Rovers? 

Yeah pretty much. I tend to do other clubs eventually but I'd feel bad if I didn't start my first game with Rovers! I'm in 2040 in my current FM18 game - Rovers are the best team in the world by this point and Venky's are long gone, so life is good  I've been playing this save for nearly a year though. I don't get that much time to play FM, and when I do it's usually mixed with watching something or writing, so my games tend to move a little slowly.

[Vinjay]

On 26/08/2019 at 12:50, DE. said:

The atgames system is kind of notorious for being poor quality to be honest, but yeah it's just a flash chip essentially so the type of mods you'd do on a normal MD wouldn't work on that. There's a Mega Drive mini coming out in October which will blow the atgames system out of the water. I've got it (secretly) on pre-order, but it's £70 so not exactly cheap.

I think most non-Japanese asian consoles are also PAL, but the cartridge shape is different so you need to alter any non-Asian MD to accept the slightly wider cartridge shape. The Mega Drive 2 itself was produced in both NTSC and PAL variants, but it has a totally different motherboard to the MD1 (and is generally considered inferior). Modding a MD2 is totally different to a MD1 as it doesn't have the JP1/2/3/4 jumpers. Most of the mods I've seen use the reset button to switch region, and a new LED light which changes colour depending on the region you've selected. I definitely prefer the MD1 method!

£60 until December 2nd. I've completely fallen behind on console gaming in recent years. Not going to get a PS4 though with the PS5 set to come out next year. Then again I suppose there are pre-owned options no issues with logins there right?

[DE.]

Just now, Vinjay17 said:

£60 until December 2nd. I've completely fallen behind on console gaming in recent years. Not going to get a PS4 though with the PS5 set to come out next year. Then again I suppose there are pre-owned options no issues with logins there right?

If the console is factory reset then no there aren't any issues. In fact even if it isn't you can still set up a new account and just delete the old one. 

I've had great times with the PS4. I bought it primarily for VR back in 2016, but ended up playing a lot of really good non-VR games too. Plus there are a ton of older games from other systems that you can buy from the PS Store which run flawlessly. There's also the benefits of being able to watch YouTube, Prime, etc on the console which is great for me as I don't have a smart TV. 

The PS5 is probably still about a year away so there's still a bit of juice left in the current system (including the FF7 remake coming out in a few months) and I think there will probably be some really good deals on the PS4 this Christmas (likely the last holiday season where they're going to be pushing the PS4) so it might be worth keeping an eye out. 

[DE.]

I decided to treat myself to a Christmas present and ordered an N64 Everdrive. It's the only "classic" console (other than the Saturn) which I'm unable to play the majority of games on. I've got an Everdrive for the Mega Drive which has all of the Master System/MD library available to play, and modded NES/SNES/PS1 minis which have pretty much all the classic games available to play. N64 is a bit expensive to collect for, the games aren't that common and there's no mini on the horizon so I figured an Everdrive was the best option. 

I'm going to try and get on Shenmue shortly as well. I've got it on the Dreamcast but will probably play the PS4 port for simplicity's sake. Everyone says it's one of the best games ever so I'm looking forward to seeing what it has to offer. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

19 hours ago, DE. said:

I decided to treat myself to a Christmas present and ordered an N64 Everdrive. It's the only "classic" console (other than the Saturn) which I'm unable to play the majority of games on. I've got an Everdrive for the Mega Drive which has all of the Master System/MD library available to play, and modded NES/SNES/PS1 minis which have pretty much all the classic games available to play. N64 is a bit expensive to collect for, the games aren't that common and there's no mini on the horizon so I figured an Everdrive was the best option. 

I'm going to try and get on Shenmue shortly as well. I've got it on the Dreamcast but will probably play the PS4 port for simplicity's sake. Everyone says it's one of the best games ever so I'm looking forward to seeing what it has to offer. 

Whats an everdrive? 

Started Red dead. I like it a lot 

[DE.]

An Everdrive is basically a cartridge that fits into the original hardware. It uses an SD card to play ROMs. Because it's utilising the original hardware you don't have to worry about emulation glitches. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

On 19/12/2019 at 14:10, DE. said:

An Everdrive is basically a cartridge that fits into the original hardware. It uses an SD card to play ROMs. Because it's utilising the original hardware you don't have to worry about emulation glitches. 

Is there much setting up with it? Are the games on it when you buy it 

[DE.]

3 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Is there much setting up with it? Are the games on it when you buy it 

You basically just have to install an OS onto an SD card, throw some ROMs onto it, put the SD card into the cartridge and you're good to go. The official Everdrives don't come with ROMs, you have to put them on yourself, but the chinese knockoffs normally do come with games preloaded on the SD cards that come with the Everdrive.

[DE.]

I noticed the FFVIII remaster is down to £10 on the PS Store so decided to pick that up as it's one of my favourite games of all time. I've heard mixed reviews about the remaster but at that price it's worth picking up. The N64 Everdrive arrived today as well so will be loading that up and seeing how it works.

[davulsukur]

7 hours ago, DE. said:

I noticed the FFVIII remaster is down to £10 on the PS Store so decided to pick that up as it's one of my favourite games of all time. I've heard mixed reviews about the remaster but at that price it's worth picking up. The N64 Everdrive arrived today as well so will be loading that up and seeing how it works.

Funny you say that I was this close to buying FF8 for £10 from the Microsoft store.

I noticed whilst having a look around, there was a FFX remaster. Didn't know they had done one, seem to remember it being a decent game. It was £25 but it came with X-2, which I never played. 

Tempted to get both, for Xmas, obviously.

[DE.]

I never completed FFX. I remember playing it as a kid and getting to a point where I got stuck and I just never went back to it. I think I actually have the remaster of FFX (and X-2) but I haven't played them yet. I should probably get around to that at some point!

The FFVIII remaster doesn't look as bad as I read. Yes the difference between the new character models and the unchanged backgrounds are noticeable at first but it quickly becomes normal. The x3 speed option alone makes it worth it tbh. 

[davulsukur]

58 minutes ago, DE. said:

I never completed FFX. I remember playing it as a kid and getting to a point where I got stuck and I just never went back to it. I think I actually have the remaster of FFX (and X-2) but I haven't played them yet. I should probably get around to that at some point!

The FFVIII remaster doesn't look as bad as I read. Yes the difference between the new character models and the unchanged backgrounds are noticeable at first but it quickly becomes normal. The x3 speed option alone makes it worth it tbh. 

X3 speed will be incredibly handy when you have need to draw a load of spells for all of your characters. 

I remember finishing it but only the once I believe. 

I think I'll get it at some point soon though. Probably with 8 as well. Great game.

[DE.]

Just now, davulsukur said:

X3 speed will be incredibly handy when you have need to draw a load of spells for all of your characters. 

I remember finishing it but only the once I believe. 

I think I'll get it at some point soon though. Probably with 8 as well. Great game.

When I was younger I didn't understand the junctioning system at all, so eventually I got stuck and gave up. It was only a few years ago that I replayed 8 (on a PS1 for authenticity's sake) and realised how the system actually worked... which ironically made it too easy. It's an interesting concept, just executed in a way that can break the game really early and completely erase any challenge. Fortunately I still love the environments, the triple triad card game and the story (even though it's completely insane and generally makes no sense). 

Character development of the supporting characters is a little bit lacking (especially compared to 6 & 7) but the main characters & the Laguna storyline are really well done. 

I also really like the "Squall's Dead" theory even though I don't actually think it has any basis in reality: https://squallsdead.com/

[davulsukur]

7 hours ago, DE. said:

When I was younger I didn't understand the junctioning system at all, so eventually I got stuck and gave up. It was only a few years ago that I replayed 8 (on a PS1 for authenticity's sake) and realised how the system actually worked... which ironically made it too easy. It's an interesting concept, just executed in a way that can break the game really early and completely erase any challenge. Fortunately I still love the environments, the triple triad card game and the story (even though it's completely insane and generally makes no sense). 

Character development of the supporting characters is a little bit lacking (especially compared to 6 & 7) but the main characters & the Laguna storyline are really well done. 

I also really like the "Squall's Dead" theory even though I don't actually think it has any basis in reality: https://squallsdead.com/

It's an interesting theory, I think I'd have to play the game again to see how it holds up. I tried to play it on emulator but it froze at a certain point and I had to give up with it.

My only issue with theories like these are, why would they not tell you it was a dream? Or allude to it more clearly? I think the theory has just highlighted problems with the storyline, rather than anything else. 

I'll buy FF8 again tonight I reckon, its definitely worth another play but now I have an excuse that I need to see how this guys Squalls Dead theory plans out. 

Cheers for that DE.! 

[davulsukur]

Update:

Just bought it!

[Adam C]

I’m hoping to get a raspberry pi for Xmas and I’m planning to use it to play retro arcade/console games. Has anybody here tried that? I can’t wait to play some of the classic arcade games of my youth but I’m thinking it can’t be as simple as installing retropie and mame, is there a lot of config involved to get it up and running? Finally, any recommendations on good controllers or joysticks?

[DE.]

I've never used a retropie machine but from what I understand they work really well when set up correctly. I've used MAME before and don't remember it being too difficult to configure, although that was on a windows PC rather than a retropie setup. I'm sure that there are plenty of guides available using google which will go through it step by step!

In terms of controllers I think 8bitdo are considered some of the best. You can also use XBOX 360/XBOX One controllers with minimal issues (I've used my 360 controller for a while for emulation and it's pretty good). PS3/PS4 controllers are a little bit trickier due to not being natively compatible with windows. 

[Adam C]

Thanks DE. I’ve used mame before on a PC to run neo geo games (mainly metal slug ❤️) but it was years ago and I’m sure I’ll need some sort of guide to get this up and running!

[DE.]

I'm sure it'll be fairly straightforward - they wouldn't be as popular otherwise! 

Already onto Disc 2 of FFVIII (well, as per the original discs, obviously this is all digital...) and that's whilst doing all the side quests. Amazing how much of a difference it makes having the x3 speed option. Half of the time in these games is lost waiting for dialogue to conclude or slow moving characters to finish what they are doing. Even in battles you can speed up summons and spells. Overall makes the experience much more enjoyable - along with the ability to remove random battles, although you could do that in the original game by getting the Diablos GF to learn Enc-None. 

FFVIII is unique in that monsters level up with you. So, the higher your characters level up the more difficult enemies become. That's why it's best to try and avoid levelling up your characters as much as possible. You can boost all of their stats via GF abilities anyway, so by keeping your level low and your GF abilities high you can absolutely smash through almost every enemy in the game. 

Edited December 23, 2019 by DE.

[davulsukur]

3 hours ago, DE. said:

I'm sure it'll be fairly straightforward - they wouldn't be as popular otherwise! 

Already onto Disc 2 of FFVIII (well, as per the original discs, obviously this is all digital...) and that's whilst doing all the side quests. Amazing how much of a difference it makes having the x3 speed option. Half of the time in these games is lost waiting for dialogue to conclude or slow moving characters to finish what they are doing. Even in battles you can speed up summons and spells. Overall makes the experience much more enjoyable - along with the ability to remove random battles, although you could do that in the original game by getting the Diablos GF to learn Enc-None. 

FFVIII is unique in that monsters level up with you. So, the higher your characters level up the more difficult enemies become. That's why it's best to try and avoid levelling up your characters as much as possible. You can boost all of their stats via GF abilities anyway, so by keeping your level low and your GF abilities high you can absolutely smash through almost every enemy in the game. 

Although it feels a bit wrong the x3 speed is an absolute life saver. Even just running around The Garden you start off in, when you need to get from the front gate to your dormitory.

Yer, i've read that you should try and stay low leveled, seems quite a difficult task though, as you'd need to get AP for your GF's? Unless you can get these outside of battles?

[DE.]

9 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Although it feels a bit wrong the x3 speed is an absolute life saver. Even just running around The Garden you start off in, when you need to get from the front gate to your dormitory.

Yer, i've read that you should try and stay low leveled, seems quite a difficult task though, as you'd need to get AP for your GF's? Unless you can get these outside of battles?

It feels wrong at first but it isn't long before I'm x3 speeding almost everything  also as an aside the design of Balamb Garden, and actually the design of FFVIII as a whole, is absolutely top notch. 

You do have to level up to some degree yeah. The best way to gain AP for your GFs whilst not gaining too many EXP points is to go down to the beach area just beside Balamb. There are a couple of fish enemies which give 6 AP points per battle which is way higher than anything else at that point during the game. I've just started Disc 2 and I think Squall is on something like level 25, with everybody else quite a bit lower. 

[davulsukur]

30 minutes ago, DE. said:

It feels wrong at first but it isn't long before I'm x3 speeding almost everything  also as an aside the design of Balamb Garden, and actually the design of FFVIII as a whole, is absolutely top notch. 

You do have to level up to some degree yeah. The best way to gain AP for your GFs whilst not gaining too many EXP points is to go down to the beach area just beside Balamb. There are a couple of fish enemies which give 6 AP points per battle which is way higher than anything else at that point during the game. I've just started Disc 2 and I think Squall is on something like level 25, with everybody else quite a bit lower. 

I hit the beach last night after i saw that they gave 6AP. Still both Squall and Quistis leveled up a bit alongside that. 

You can get ahead pretty quickly by refining cards and going down that route. I think the Zell and Quistis cards can be refined into an item and then refined again into strong magic. I'll look it up properly later

[DE.]

17 hours ago, davulsukur said:

I hit the beach last night after i saw that they gave 6AP. Still both Squall and Quistis leveled up a bit alongside that. 

You can get ahead pretty quickly by refining cards and going down that route. I think the Zell and Quistis cards can be refined into an item and then refined again into strong magic. I'll look it up properly later

Yeah I got the Card Mod ability straight away, it helps massively with stocking up on magic and items. I'm doing the CC group side quest at the moment and their members have some pretty awesome cards which can be refined for stuff like Holy, Tornado, etc.