# Steam Winter Sale



## Yata (Dec 20, 2012)

http://store.steampowered.com/

Gogo !


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## tommers (Dec 20, 2012)

Yay!


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## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 21, 2012)

thank fuck there isn't anything i want in the sale.

i need to save some cash and i have too many games as it is.


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## tommers (Dec 21, 2012)

I bought the Warlock DLC, cos I knew it would be in a sale sooner or later - and that's about it.  Might get the Spiderweb games box if I get any money for Xmas.


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## mattie (Dec 21, 2012)

Borderlands worth getting whilst it's cheap?


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## snadge (Dec 21, 2012)

mattie said:


> Borderlands worth getting whilst it's cheap?


 
I was just wondering that myself, which one do you go for the 2 or the 2-4 package, if I just go for 2 is it content locked.


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## golightly (Dec 21, 2012)

I don't think the 4 pack has any unlocked content either; it's just four games to share.

Btw, I reckon It's worth getting; just loads of guns and funny dialogue.


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## stuff_it (Dec 21, 2012)

I think everyone should get borderlands at least by the time I am back on my faster internet.


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## golightly (Dec 21, 2012)

stuff_it said:


> I think everyone should get borderlands at least by the time I am back on my faster internet.


 
When's that likely to be? I'm quite tempted by the mechromancer character.


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## snadge (Dec 22, 2012)

golightly said:


> I don't think the 4 pack has any unlocked content either; it's just four games to share.


 

So purchasing the £14.99 option gives me all content, I just don't want to chuck some money down on a game to find out later I need to buy expansion packs when they are back at full price.


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## golightly (Dec 22, 2012)

It won't give you any of the dlc, but the game is pretty massive as it is, and I don't think the 4 pack will give you dlc either. I took 70 hours to complete and I didn't do all the side missions. The season pass gives you access to all the future dlc for the next year.


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## snadge (Dec 22, 2012)

Well I'll buy the £14.99 option then, another question though, what is the competitive PvP like in Borderlands, is there any and if there is is it pretty popular, I much prefer PvP to PvE.


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## golightly (Dec 22, 2012)

It's geared to co-op rather than competitive. You can play with up to three other players.  I haven't played co-op yet mind you.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2012)

the co-op is fun.

i also like the mechromancer.  her  droid really helps out in a pinch


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## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 24, 2012)

got my first steam sale game

*Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition Complete Pack *


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## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 24, 2012)

decided to pick up two more games while i'm at it

Fairy Bloom Freesia and Cherry Tree High Comedy Club


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## Yata (Dec 25, 2012)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> got my first steam sale game
> 
> *Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition Complete Pack *


Got SSF4 too, 75% off? Are the sales always this cheap? :O
Got Walking Dead too, played the whole thing in 1 night couldnt stop playing, game of the year surely? Can't wait for Season 2

Staying off Steam now before I waste more money


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## tommers (Dec 25, 2012)

Waste??!!!



And yeah, walking dead is amazing.


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## Johnny Vodka (Dec 25, 2012)

You can get the 1st part of The Walking Dead game free now for xbox.


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## mrs quoad (Dec 28, 2012)

Johnny Vodka said:


> You can get the 1st part of The Walking Dead game free now for xbox.


Same on iOS.

I still wouldn't bother 

btw, it's Steam sales that tempt me to build a gaming PC.

Artichoke would slaughter me and hang my gizzards out to dry, though.


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## Vintage Paw (Dec 29, 2012)

Doooo it! You know you want to.


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## Epona (Dec 29, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> btw, it's Steam sales that tempt me to build a gaming PC.


 
It's a piece of piss - ie. very easy, and great fun, meccano for adults.  Or if you are old enough to remember it, a 'build your own wireless' kit


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## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 29, 2012)

i need to up grade my ram.  i have 6gb  but   i kept getting up to 90% usage or more  so i got 6gb more.  need to install at some point


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Dec 29, 2012)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> i need to up grade my ram. i have 6gb but i kept getting up to 90% usage or more so i got 6gb more. need to install at some point


 
Isn't that down to how newer versions of windows use RAM, rather then games needing 6gb of the stuff?


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## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 29, 2012)

Pretty much  but I thought  a bit extra ram would  be a good idea  as it's one of my few weak points

In a while  I may buy another graphics card  to twin with my current one   but  so far  I can pretty much still play everything on max


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## Epona (Dec 29, 2012)

Global Stoner said:


> Isn't that down to how newer versions of windows use RAM, rather then games needing 6gb of the stuff?


 
I've had 4gb RAM for ages and never run into a problem of not having enough for games, other applications can be more RAM intensive though.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 29, 2012)

it's only recently i've had  memory spikes.
it's probably a wierd windows bug or one of my server programs


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## Bob_the_lost (Dec 29, 2012)

<rant>Bloody powershell is using up 5 gig per thread. Need more ram</rant>


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## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 29, 2012)

got sol exodus  and assassins creed III deluxe


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## mrs quoad (Dec 30, 2012)

Epona said:


> It's a piece of piss - ie. very easy, and great fun, meccano for adults. Or if you are old enough to remember it, a 'build your own wireless' kit


Approximate price? That'd be the killer, I suspect 

I've also noticed that the price of the Witcher 2 is dropping unbelievably fast, despite it being a *very* recent Mac release.

My best guess'd be that the reason is that it requires specs that only *the* newest Macs can hope to meet. IIRC, the newest / Retina MBPs can't. My mid-2011 iMac can't. I'd guess sales are basically dying on their arse because very few people have machines that're up to Witcher 2 specs


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## Sunray (Dec 31, 2012)

Far cry 3 is currently 21 quid, so snapped that up. Nearly finished Walking dead in 1 sitting. Great game for 10.49.


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## Epona (Jan 1, 2013)

mrs quoad said:


> Approximate price? That'd be the killer, I suspect
> 
> I've also noticed that the price of the Witcher 2 is dropping unbelievably fast, despite it being a *very* recent Mac release.
> 
> My best guess'd be that the reason is that it requires specs that only *the* newest Macs can hope to meet. IIRC, the newest / Retina MBPs can't. My mid-2011 iMac can't. I'd guess sales are basically dying on their arse because very few people have machines that're up to Witcher 2 specs


 
Not sure what you're getting at, my secondary PC can play TW2 on high and my primary PC on ultra, yeah sure it provided a bit of a benchmark in terms of the ability to max out a hefty gaming build, but you can still play it on lower settings on a much older machine than either of mine. Loads of games turn up on offer in cheap deals a matter of weeks after release, TW2 was released in spring *2011* the game's nearly 2 years old, there's no reason it shouldn't be cheaper now. Is it really the case that macs can't handle it? (If that is the case, then don't look to Apple if you are into gaming, if a new mac can't handle a 2 year old game).

Edit: in terms of price of build, in terms of rebuilding them from the exact same components at prices right now, my primary PC with the better graphics card is about £800 (£350 of that on the graphics card), and my secondary PC about £600 (older, lower spec GPU) - both can run new releases, although the secondary with an older graphics card might have to take the visuals in some top-spec games down a notch and run stuff on 'high' rather than 'ultra-mindblowing-graphics-wankfest' (although it can run most games that I've tried maxed out, but the GPU does tend to run a bit hot). The only measurable difference between the 2 is the GPU.


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## mrs quoad (Jan 1, 2013)

Ah. Didn't think about the pc pricing for steam! 

And, yes, only the very newest macs - and perhaps only the very newest iMacs - can handle the switcher 2.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jan 1, 2013)

mrs quoad said:


> IIRC, the newest / Retina MBPs can't. My mid-2011 iMac can't. I'd guess sales are basically dying on their arse because very few people have machines that're up to Witcher 2 specs


 
Can't you just drop it to lower resolution? I imagine running games on a Retina display is going to tax any graphics card in a laptop.


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## mrs quoad (Jan 1, 2013)

Global Stoner said:


> Can't you just drop it to lower resolution? I imagine running games on a Retina display is going to tax any graphics card in a laptop.


No point *at all* on an MBP with HD4000 graphics. IMU. Or on the iMac I bought last year - can't remember the graphics card.

The devs've set up a 'will it run it?' website / page in which you can enter your model, and it'll say 'yes' / 'don't even bother.' Pretty much every model I tried - up to mid-2011 top end iMacs - were saying 'don't even bother.'

I thought the same applied to the new Retinas, but tbf I've just had a scout of the reviews, and the lead reviewer states that he can run it in low res mode.

He *also* comments that his MBP can run The Witcher 2 on high / highest graphics settings when he starts it up in boot camp. So, clearly something to do with the environment. According to him. Which makes sense.


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## Sunray (Jan 2, 2013)

This is very probably because AMD and nVidia haven't invested the cash in their 'arms race' for games performance on Mac.

You may not realise graphics card drivers detect specific games running and auto configure themselves for best performance.  I am wondering and suspect its doubtful it happens on Mac drivers.


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## Vintage Paw (Jan 2, 2013)

I looked into the process of updating my graphics drivers when bootcamped on my macbook pro once - it was a hideous affair so I didn't bother.

Now I've got my gaming laptop, graphics drivers are easy enough to upgrade but FUCK they are a whole world of trouble and I miss the 'don't worry about it' approach from Apple. I've had nothing but grief with this 7970M in the short couple of weeks I've had it (running the current beta drivers now, and they seem better than the stable release, but I still bsod once every time I boot up). On this computer, I can't run The Secret World in DX11, I have to use DX9 - and even on ultra settings it still looks a bit shit as a result. On my bootcamped macbook it ran so much better, even if I couldn't max it all out in DX11, it still looked better -_-

That said, now I'm running the beta drivers CCC works a lot better, and Enduro is recognising games and setting them to the correct card straight away (apart from the DX11 version of TSW  which won't run off the dGPU at ALL).

quoady - if you're not going to push the boat out and do the gaming computer thing, maybe bootcamping is the way forward? My MBP is early 2011 and it handles stuff really well - apart from the inability to upgrade the drivers, obv.


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## mrs quoad (Jan 3, 2013)

Vintage Paw said:


> quoady - if you're not going to push the boat out and do the gaming computer thing, maybe bootcamping is the way forward? My MBP is early 2011 and it handles stuff really well - apart from the inability to upgrade the drivers, obv.


Cheers, but 250gb SSD = can't afford too much partitioning *or* too many games  This really was (in principle) bought primarily as a workhorse.

My iMac might be more manipulable, mind


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jan 3, 2013)

Never really played the Total War series, but they were dirt cheap yesterday. Got Napoleon for £3 which seems a bargain, but takes a fair while to get into it! 

One nice thing about buying older games in the sales is that I don't fret about the next upgrade. Everything still runs, but things that are a few years old I can normally still run in full HD at Ultra.


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## Sunray (Jan 4, 2013)

Serious Sam 3 is 5 quid. 

This is pure adrenaline killing with big guns!  Its ace.


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## 8ball (Jan 28, 2013)

Are there any little indie gems about that don't take a massive planet-sized polygon-cruncher to play them on (I have a laptop that just about manages Mass Effect 2)?


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## tommers (Jan 29, 2013)

Depends what you want.  Hotline Miami is supposed to be good but I haven't got round to playing it.  Same with Mark of the Ninja.

FTL was one of my favourite games last year. 

Proteus is something I'm playing now which is really good, although it's not really a game as such.

Anti Chamber is out tomorrow.

Minecraft?


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## 8ball (Jan 29, 2013)

What exactly is Minecraft?  I've heard about it...


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## tommers (Jan 29, 2013)

There's a massive thread on here about it.  It gives you a world of 1m blocks and you can basically do anything with it.  You can make tools, build huge intricate structures and even basic computers.  It's possibly the biggest selling Indie game of all time.  It's sold millions of copies.

https://minecraft.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minecraft


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## 8ball (Jan 29, 2013)

tommers said:


> There's a massive thread on here about it. It gives you a world of 1m blocks and you can basically do anything with it. You can make tools, build huge intricate structures and even basic computers. It's possibly the biggest selling Indie game of all time. It's sold millions of copies.
> 
> https://minecraft.net/
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minecraft


 
I saw that and wondered 'where's the game?' - it looks more like virtual Lego than anything.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Jan 29, 2013)

it is a bit  but  it's more an exploration thing.  you explorer the enviriment   you  gather resources  you build things.   it's difficult to explaine  but it is real fun


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## tommers (Jan 29, 2013)

8ball said:


> I saw that and wondered 'where's the game?' - it looks more like virtual Lego than anything.


 
Yeah, certainly creative mode is like that.  Survival mode has enemies and you can die and stuff.  I think it also has a plot of sorts (something about fighting a dragon at the end IIRC.)  I haven't played it outside of creative mode with Tommers Jr for a while though.


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## 8ball (Jan 29, 2013)

Hmm - maybe I should give it a chance - I'm guessing there's a free demo you can install.


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## tommers (Jan 29, 2013)

yeah, there's a demo on that minecraft.net page.


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## Sunray (Jan 30, 2013)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> it is a bit but it's more an exploration thing. you explorer the enviriment you gather resources you build things. it's difficult to explaine but it is* real fun*


 
If you are OCD inclined.


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## tommers (Feb 2, 2013)

Just once I would like to start Steam without having to update the fucking thing.


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## 8ball (Feb 3, 2013)

tommers said:


> Just once I would like to start Steam without having to update the fucking thing.


 
Your wish is granted.

Start steam.
Close it immediately.
Reboot.
Re-start steam.
Rinse and repeat.

After 2 or 3 goes (12 tops) I personally guarantee you will have started Steam without updating the fucking thing.


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## tommers (Feb 3, 2013)

8ball said:


> Your wish is granted.
> 
> Start steam.
> Close it immediately.
> ...



Thanks! I'll try it!


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## ruffneck23 (Feb 3, 2013)

depending on your beast, that method might take longer than the re-boot


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Feb 27, 2013)

LA Noir is only a fiver today. Not sure if it's my sort of game, but got a few days of and seemed worth a punt at the price.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Feb 27, 2013)

It's a bit sluggish on my machine.


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## Citizen66 (Feb 27, 2013)

Yeah I like this midweek madness thing. Cleaned up all the Crusader Kings DLC (even ones I wouldn't be that arsed about but for the price) for 75% off last week.


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## Epona (Mar 1, 2013)

Global Stoner said:


> LA Noir is only a fiver today. Not sure if it's my sort of game, but got a few days of and seemed worth a punt at the price.


I wasn't sure it was my sort of thing either, but I got it cheap in a Steam sale a while back and found it surprisingly enjoyable!  Well worth the few quid I paid.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Mar 1, 2013)

Epona said:


> I wasn't sure it was my sort of thing either, but I got it cheap in a Steam sale a while back and found it surprisingly enjoyable! Well worth the few quid I paid.


 
I've given up. Going to have to wait till I can afford a CPU upgrade, but frustrating as thought I hit the min spec.


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## treelover (Nov 27, 2013)

New Autumn sale now on, Skyrim, only 3.74!


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## Silva (Nov 27, 2013)

I'd feel tempted to buy Sleeping Dogs, but it would run like a dog here  and would rather have it on xbox anyway.


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## ChrisFilter (Nov 27, 2013)

Walking Dead for a fiver


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## 8ball (Nov 28, 2013)

I got FTL on the basis of many good reviews.  Is lots of fun in a 'sudden random injustice' kind of way.


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## Nine Bob Note (Nov 28, 2013)

Ah ha Prison Architect finally down in price (the game I layed into recently) I'll take it for a tenner. AoEII DLC only a fiver. That's gonna be pretty much it for me though by the looks of it.


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## ChrisFilter (Nov 28, 2013)

Got Xcom, Dead Island, Final Fantasy VII and Dark Souls for under £20 today


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## 8ball (Nov 28, 2013)

Nine Bob Note said:


> Ah ha Prison Architect finally down in price (the game I layed into recently) I'll take it for a tenner. AoEII DLC only a fiver. That's gonna be pretty much it for me though by the looks of it.


 
Prison Architect any good?


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## Epona (Nov 29, 2013)

Gothic/Arcania bundle (and all games in it, as separates) are half price.  I've had my eye on that bundle for a while waiting for it to come on sale, but I'm going to hold off until the 3rd just in case it comes up as a daily/flash deal over the next few days.  If not, I'm nabbing it on Tuesday regardless.  Because I particularly want that and have limited funds, I'll be unlikely to buy anything else this sale.  OH bought Sleeping Dogs, at 80% off he couldn't resist, it looks like his sort of thing and it got positive reviews.


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## Sunray (Nov 29, 2013)

I've been buying indie games for 3 quid or less.

Got The Binding Of Issac, 140, Papers Please, Gun Point and would have got Gone Home for 3 but steam doesn't work with iPad's so got it for 7.50.
Also got Mass effect 3 for 4 quid off Origin.  


.


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## 8ball (Nov 29, 2013)

I'd be interested to know what Papers Please is like.


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## Buddy Bradley (Nov 29, 2013)

Bioshock Infinite for £6.24 at the moment. One of the few modern games that's also available on Mac.


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## Corax (Nov 29, 2013)

Is Ashes 2013 in the sale?


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## golightly (Nov 29, 2013)

Buddy Bradley said:


> Bioshock Infinite for £6.24 at the moment. One of the few modern games that's also available on Mac.


 
It's one of the few games that I have recently paid full price for. Definitely a bargain at that price.


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## Epona (Nov 29, 2013)

Corax said:


> Is Ashes 2013 in the sale?



   Very good


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## Corax (Nov 29, 2013)

Epona said:


> Very good


I thought Skyrim was a masterpiece, but it pales in comparison.


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## ChrisFilter (Nov 29, 2013)

Bioshock Infinite and Dishonored today


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## tommers (Nov 29, 2013)

8ball said:


> I'd be interested to know what Papers Please is like.



I played it.  It was a lot like work.

I think I need to give it more time cos I imagine something happens a bit later on.


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## Buddy Bradley (Dec 1, 2013)

Arkham City for a fiver today - well worth getting if you didn't get it in the Humble Bundle last month. The Witcher 2 is also pretty good, IMO. They've also got LEGO LotR for £5 for the next 40 minutes.


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## Sunray (Dec 1, 2013)

Papers please is kinda interesting but the sound doesn't work because I Symlink my uses folder to an different disk. I'll have to play it on my laptop to see.

140 is great but too short. The concept is great and needs a longer more involving game. 

Next up will gone home.


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## golightly (Dec 1, 2013)

I'm tempted by Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs at £6.49, but I have so many games that I haven't even tried yet, so I'll resist.


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## Sunray (Dec 2, 2013)

Yeah, I'm currently working through Risen which I got on a steam sale ages ago for a couple of quid, great game but its going to take me ages.


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## 8ball (Dec 2, 2013)

I got Torchlight II and Civ V yesterday.  Bye bye life.


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## tommers (Dec 2, 2013)

8ball said:


> I got Torchlight II and Civ V yesterday.  Bye bye life.



Yeah I bought Civ v upgrade for 2.50.  Good stuff.


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## tommers (Dec 2, 2013)

Hmm... not been tempted so far by this but now shadow warrior is £7.50.  Payday 2 is £11.50.  Dust £3.  Stanley Parable for £6.  Not enough time.


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## Vintage Paw (Dec 2, 2013)

I haven't made use of game sales properly for a while. So I've gone a bit crazy. I got BNW for Civ V and that big pack of all sorts of things that was available (I forget the name). I also got Magicka, Shadowrun Returns, and Don't Starve.

All of which I shall likely not play for a good few months


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## tommers (Dec 2, 2013)

Vintage Paw said:


> I haven't made use of game sales properly for a while. So I've gone a bit crazy. I got BNW for Civ V and that big pack of all sorts of things that was available (I forget the name). I also got Magicka, Shadowrun Returns, and Don't Starve.
> 
> All of which I shall likely not play for a good few months



hang on.  So that civ v upgrade pack doesn't include brave new world?  That's another £7.


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## 8ball (Dec 2, 2013)

Vintage Paw said:


> All of which I shall likely not play for a good few months


 
Yeah, this is why I'm trying to restrain myself.

Currently a bit hooked on FTL, anyway.


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## Vintage Paw (Dec 2, 2013)

tommers said:


> hang on.  So that civ v upgrade pack doesn't include brave new world?  That's another £7.



Just checked, it was that Cradle of Civilization pack, it just contains a few little bits and bobs. It was £1.57 so I figured why not?

I haven't played Civ V since before I bought the last DLC  I'm hoping BNW will help balance some of the things I found a bit off-putting before. I'm looking forward to more diplomatic and cultural opportunities, since I tend to only get militaristic towards end-game or if someone else bothers me, which they don't tend to when I play on easy difficulties


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## 8ball (Dec 2, 2013)

I bought the £7.49 'complete' Civ V - seems to come with a lot of bits and bobs but I don't know what is normal or how much stuff there is out there - only Civ game I ever played before was on a Nintendo DS.


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## tommers (Dec 2, 2013)

Vintage Paw said:


> Just checked, it was that Cradle of Civilization pack, it just contains a few little bits and bobs. It was £1.57 so I figured why not?



Yeah same.  I got the gold pack cos it was 2.50.  Really I wanted BNW though, but I couldn't remember what it was called.  Ah well.


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## Moronik (Dec 3, 2013)

Far Cry 3  !!!!!!


wow!!!


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## Sunray (Dec 3, 2013)

Gah, wasn't going to get another game, but the Stanley Parable was 6 quid and quite incredible reviews, so what the hell. 

I might be some time.....


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## Doctor Carrot (Dec 3, 2013)

8ball said:


> I'd be interested to know what Papers Please is like.



I highly recommend it. I've been playing it for hours and it's brilliant. I never thought checking passports could be so much fun!


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## 8ball (Dec 3, 2013)

Doctor Carrot said:


> I highly recommend it. I've been playing it for hours and it's brilliant. I never thought checking passports could be so much fun!


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## Doctor Carrot (Dec 3, 2013)

8ball said:


>



Haha yeah it appears I'm a corrupt jobsworth.


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## 8ball (Dec 3, 2013)

Doctor Carrot said:


> Haha yeah it appears I'm a corrupt jobsworth.


 
I'm surprised the Tories haven't seized on the existence of this game as an opportunity to reduce the pay of border control staff.


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## Epona (Dec 5, 2013)

Well I got the Gothic pack at 50% of the usual price and already had my moneys worth out of it.

Gothic is a bloody excellent action RPG that is well worth playing if you don't mind something with the textures a bit lo-res compared to what we're used to these days.  Story good, combat fun, different factions to join and decent replay value.  The one negative (which has been mentioned in every review written about it) is the godawful controls.  It's not actually a problem in combat, that is actually when it all makes some sort of sense, combat controls are not at all difficult.  It's having to press a combination of keys to loot a chest or barter goods that I reasonably object to.

Want to sleep in a bed?  Press and hold CTRL to target the bed, the up arrow to lie down on it, select the amount of time you want to sleep, then press the up arrow again when you wake to get out of bed.  Want to loot a chest?  Press and hold CTRL to target the chest and kneel in front of it.  Press the up arrow to open the chest. Hold down the CTRL key and press the right arrow to move each item in the chest individually into your inventory.  Yes you can move large piles of stuff in quantities of 10 or 100 at a time by pressing other keys.  Then press another key to close the chest, and another to stand up again.  That's often 18 (or more) key depressions too many.  And don't get me started on bartering.  I always maintain that if you feel a more urgent need to make a save game before opening a barter screen than before entering combat, then something is not right with the controls/UI design.  Is it still worth playing?  Absofuckinglutely, it's a really good game.  In the first couple of hours there were moments when I wanted to pitch my keyboard out of the window (usually when trying to trade with NPCs), but it was well worth persisting with.

Gothic 2 (Gold edition, including Night of the Raven) - better graphics (don't get excited, it's still not 'modern', but higher res textures and less angular terrain), better controls (fewer key depressions for simple tasks, only 1 button needed to pick something up off the floor and bartering is a lot easier), combat still good, story still good, excellent fun gameplay.


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## 8ball (Dec 5, 2013)

I'd never played an action RPG til starting on Torchlight 2 the other day.  The genre still feels a bit weird to me.


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## Epona (Dec 6, 2013)

8ball said:


> I'd never played an action RPG til starting on Torchlight 2 the other day.  The genre still feels a bit weird to me.



To me, almost any RPG that has real-time combat and no pause function (ie relies on quick reactions and pressing the right keys in combat, rather than pause and queue up combat actions or tactically decide what is happening in each round of combat) is an action RPG.

RPG = BG series, KotOR series, DAO (no fast reactions required, no player-based targeting required for ranged attacks, queue up actions or hit pause and determine the combat action for each round of combat, outcome of action usually decided by 'dice-roll')
Action RPG = Gothic series, Risen, The Witcher (react in real time and use combinations of keys or timed clicks to execute chain attacks or 'combos' or different types of attack in real time, player targeting for ranged attacks required to some degree).
Halfway in between = Elder Scrolls (combat is in real time but since Morrowind (Daggerfall had a different combat system) just requires you to face in the right direction and mash the left mouse button whilst occasionally drinking potions until you're the last one standing.  Morrowind was the last game in the series to employ a type of character skill + dice-roll/randomly generated number "to hit" combat mechanic).

Over the last however many years I have gone from being a turn-based purist, to really enjoying a good combat system in some action RPGs.  I suspect that I have just put in enough practice to have evolved from being utterly shit at that sort of game, to being OK at it!  (That, and I ran out of turn-based games to play so expanded my horizons). I still love turn-based games where the skill involved is tactical rather than pressing the right combination of keys too of course.


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## Vintage Paw (Dec 7, 2013)

Then you've got Mass Effect, which is an action rpg where you can still pause at any time during combat to select different powers, but you can't queue up attacks and it's not based off dice-rolls.

I've just started playing the multiplayer, and it's the first time I've ever used any of the attack hotkeys (out of necessity - oh how I wish you could pause in multiplayer, lol), because I pause before using every single power in single player.


----------



## Epona (Dec 7, 2013)

Yeah Jade Empire is like that as well - there's a pause and autopause feature, but the combat is all about switching forms on the fly and pulling off timed harmonic combos -very much an action RPG but with a pause feature.  Also I hope I didn't make it sound as though tactical considerations are unimportant in real-time combat because of course they are, but the emphasis is on speed of decision making, using terrain and cover, and pressing/clicking at the right time, and sometimes aiming well, rather than pondering for a while about the optimum attack or move for the next round of combat!

There's also FO3 & FONV which are definitely action RPGs, but you can use VATS instead for a psuedo-turn-based Action Point system, which works well for gamers more used to turn based/action point based combat rather than real time (or if you just want to make an anatomy specific shot for locational damage such as slowing a foe by targetting their leg, or going for a head shot, without needing to have really great aim in real time) - I think it's a good compromise that gives the game appeal to a wider audience than just the action fans.


----------



## 8ball (Dec 7, 2013)

Vintage Paw said:


> Then you've got Mass Effect, which is an action rpg where you can still pause at any time during combat to select different powers, but you can't queue up attacks and it's not based off dice-rolls.


 
I think I must be talking at cross purposes with both you and Epona.  I've played the whole Mass Effect series, as well as a whole bunch of Bioware RPGs, but this Torchlight 2 is a massively different animal to both game styles (it's like a form of highly distilled crack cocaine for those of a looting disposition).

I also bought Civ V, which I have not started on yet.


----------



## Epona (Dec 7, 2013)

8ball said:


> I think I must be talking at cross purposes with both you and Epona.  I've played the whole Mass Effect series, as well as a whole bunch of Bioware RPGs, but this Torchlight 2 is a massively different animal to both game styles (it's like a form of highly distilled crack cocaine for those of a looting disposition).
> 
> I also bought Civ V, which I have not started on yet.



I've not played Torchlight 2 (I will get around to it at some point I am sure), which is why I've not mentioned it - in what way is it different from other games you've played?  I find it a really interesting discussion, most RPGs (at least those that come through major publishers) these days are cross-genre to maximise sales, and it's always an interesting subject (to me at least!)

I really couldn't get into Civ 5, I gave it a good bash (Steam says 241 hours*, so it's not as if I didn't give it a good go and really try to like it!) but I just massively prefer CIV 4.

*Edit to add that 241 hours may seem like a lot, but comparing strategy games I've had CIV 5 for over 3 years, and Crusader Kings 2 for less than a year, and have racked up nearly 1000 hours in CK2 over that short amount of time.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Dec 7, 2013)

8ball said:


> I think I must be talking at cross purposes with both you and Epona.  I've played the whole Mass Effect series, as well as a whole bunch of Bioware RPGs, but this Torchlight 2 is a massively different animal to both game styles (it's like a form of highly distilled crack cocaine for those of a looting disposition).
> 
> I also bought Civ V, which I have not started on yet.



I think they can both be types of action rpg. Torchlight is like crack, you're right. It's almost completely mindless, it's nothing but clickclick lootlootlootlootlootloot clickclick lootlootlootlootlootloot, but very fun with it. There's almost no thought at all that needs to go into the combat - at least that's what I found but I wasn't exactly going for a hardcore difficulty punish myself game experience.


----------



## 8ball (Dec 7, 2013)

Epona said:


> I've not played Torchlight 2 (I will get around to it at some point I am sure), which is why I've not mentioned it - in what way is it different from other games you've played?


 
Exactly as VP says, really.  clickclick lootlootloot.  Nothing like Mass Effect or any other 'RPG where you have direct input into combat' game that I've played.  Not really into it yet - it seems oddly Pavlovian in what it is trying to do.



Epona said:


> I really couldn't get into Civ 5, I gave it a good bash (Steam says 241 hours*, so it's not as if I didn't give it a good go and really try to like it!) but I just massively prefer CIV 4.


 
What is better about Civ 4?


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## Epona (Dec 7, 2013)

8ball said:


> Exactly as VP says, really.  clickclick lootlootloot.  Nothing like Mass Effect or any other 'RPG where you have direct input into combat' game that I've played.  Not really into it yet - it seems oddly Pavlovian in what it is trying to do.



So more of a hack 'n' slash/dungeon crawl type thing then?  I will get around to playing it at some point then I expect I will understand what you mean without having to ask you to explain   The Icewind Dale games were more hack 'n' slash than RPG (there was a story, but it was more of a device to give you a reason to kill loads of stuff and earn loot/xp) and I enjoyed those greatly.




8ball said:


> What is better about Civ 4?


Just stuff like (right from the start without expansions) more buildings, bigger tech tree, bigger maps, to me it just felt a bit more in depth, and there was more emphasis on long-term expansion, more opportunity to expand peaceably.  CIV 5 seems more focused on military conquest and a shorter more combat-oriented game.  That doesn't float my boat in quite the same way as the traditional CIV empire-building which seemed to allow for more variety in types of playstyle.  Of course some people prefer the more focused game of CIV 5, it's just not really for me.  I also found it horrendously unstable in mid to late game (especially playing hotseat MP, where it would CTD pretty much every turn), and my PC should be able to chew up and spit out any game thrown at it!  Also the AI diplomacy sucked balls.  And no Wonder videos was a bit of a disappointment.

There were things about CIV 5 that I really liked - the hex grid was great, and the city state thing added a new and interesting element to diplomacy that was really very good.  City defence based on fortification level rather than having to build units to defend cities and keep fucking upgrading them was good (but on the other hand made it more difficult to strongly defend frontier cities).  But overall, I prefer the more 'traditional' CIV experience.


----------



## golightly (Dec 19, 2013)

Oh, look! It's the Steam holiday sale to tempt us all yet again.  I still have loads of games I haven't even tried yet.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Dec 19, 2013)

I see they have Australia at the bottom again. I noticed it during their last sale, no idea how long they've been doing it for. It tickles me.


----------



## golightly (Dec 19, 2013)

I don't see any koalas.


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## Vintage Paw (Dec 19, 2013)

Anyone played Monaco? It looks fun. And also a bit like Pacman XD


----------



## Silva (Dec 20, 2013)

Epona said:


> Just stuff like (right from the start without expansions) more buildings, bigger tech tree, bigger maps, to me it just felt a bit more in depth, and there was more emphasis on long-term expansion, more opportunity to expand peaceably.  CIV 5 seems more focused on military conquest and a shorter more combat-oriented game.  That doesn't float my boat in quite the same way as the traditional CIV empire-building which seemed to allow for more variety in types of playstyle.  Of course some people prefer the more focused game of CIV 5, it's just not really for me.  I also found it horrendously unstable in mid to late game (especially playing hotseat MP, where it would CTD pretty much every turn), and my PC should be able to chew up and spit out any game thrown at it!  Also the AI diplomacy sucked balls.  And no Wonder videos was a bit of a disappointment.
> 
> There were things about CIV 5 that I really liked - the hex grid was great, and the city state thing added a new and interesting element to diplomacy that was really very good.  City defence based on fortification level rather than having to build units to defend cities and keep fucking upgrading them was good (but on the other hand made it more difficult to strongly defend frontier cities).  But overall, I prefer the more 'traditional' CIV experience.



I've been thinking a lot about getting Civ 5, but it seems to me the game was made to be played against other people constantly warring against each other.


----------



## Artaxerxes (Dec 20, 2013)

Epona said:


> Well I got the Gothic pack at 50% of the usual price and already had my moneys worth out of it.
> .



Gothic 1 and 2 are incredible RPG's and deserved to do much better than they did, they came out at the same time as Morrowind and to me are much much better, more adult and the world feels much more alive. Plus voices! actual voices! I think I played the Gothic 1 demo for about 2 months alone.

Unfairly derided for poor controls that really don't take that long to learn, they aren't standard but they work for whats needed.

Sadly the 3rd game was very poor on release, buggy as hell and a system hog and I've never summoned up the will to finish it.


Currently wondering whether to buy Space Hulk or not... very tempted but I think I'll pass. I'm hoping to get Wargame: Air Land Battle in a flash sale and Sons of Abraham for CK2 marked down a bit.


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## Epona (Dec 21, 2013)

Artaxerxes said:


> Sadly the 3rd game was very poor on release, buggy as hell and a system hog and I've never summoned up the will to finish it.



I'm playing Gothic 3 at the moment - the developer split with the publisher about being pushed to release the game before it was ready, hence buggy release and poor support afterwards.  Thankfully the game is now pretty much bug-free due to the Community Patch (current one is v1.75, all versions including Steam version have to be patched manually as the patch is not official).  It still isn't the best optimised game ever and occasionally stutters very slightly, but that hasn't prevented me from enjoying it.

In many ways I find it very compelling - it's not as good as 1 and 2 but it's still a good game, although it is a bit different.  It lacks the strong plot-based story and dark atmosphere of the previous installments, but the faction/rep system is one of the most complex I've ever seen in an open world RPG, and you've got to admit that they showed some balls in making a game with a worldspace that immense.

I don't think the game is likely to appeal to anyone who prefers to be guided through a story (which 1 and 2 did, in a loose way), it's more of a 'potter about collecting stuff and doing side quests' type of game.  I'm one of those who likes that sort of thing, so I'm enjoying it.

Anyone playing this game for the first time would be well advised not to take sides (at least not in an obvious way) early on, as many quests (for most factions) will become unavailable if you go all out for one faction early on in the game.  It's a better experience if you work subtly towards your aims rather than trying to be a hero.


----------



## dweller (Dec 21, 2013)

There's yet another bloody steam sale!!!
Oh well, picked up FarCry 3 and it seems pretty good value after the 2.5 hours I played last night,


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## Epona (Dec 22, 2013)

OH bought Farcry 3 and is about to chuck his PC out of the window due to Ubisoft's additional DRM and login, he's currently in the 'recover your password' phase since trying to start the game half an hour ago.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Dec 22, 2013)

This is the reason I have no issues pirating ubisoft games.


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## Epona (Dec 22, 2013)

Global Stoner said:


> This is the reason I have no issues pirating ubisoft games.



I completely understand that.  But there is a blanket ban in this house on any installation from pirated executable files.  Largely because it would be me cleaning up any mess that may result, so I've banned it.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

got 0 cash at the moment  and   my main pc is down


not going to look at the steam sale



though might  look at GOG  if they do something.  but i already have  most of the classic RPGs


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## Epona (Dec 22, 2013)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> got 0 cash at the moment  and   my main pc is down



What's wrong with your PC?  (Asking because I am concerned, realised after I posted that it could come across as having an accusatory tone!!)


----------



## golightly (Dec 22, 2013)

Epona said:


> OH bought Farcry 3 and is about to chuck his PC out of the window due to Ubisoft's additional DRM and login, he's currently in the 'recover your password' phase since trying to start the game half an hour ago.


 
I have tried to avoid installing other DRM but failed miserably and now have Origin and Uplay.  Like you I'm not prepared to dick about with pirated executable files, so I have to sell another portion of my soul to the Devil.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

Not  quite sure.  mine  is  an over powered monstrosity   which  i'm having  trouble diagnosing   as  i can't  properly  see how  it all fits together  and  have  lost  my install disk  so  can't  just  reformat.


basically it  bluescreens  after windows starts to boot.

probably a windows problem  but  i had  a  simular problem recently  and  when i sent it  back  they said  it  was just dust  overheating it

i can't  see how  to desconstruct the epic  tower of cool-age   and  having trouble  reinstalling (had troble finding an iso  then  when i found  an iso i realised  my laptop has no cd burner  so made  a boot  usb  but  couldn't  get  the  bios  to boot from that.)   

ect ect


i want   a  hardware specific person with a windows  disk  to help me out and hold my hand


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## Epona (Dec 22, 2013)

golightly said:


> I have tried to avoid installing other DRM but failed miserably and now have Origin and Uplay.  Like you I'm not prepared to dick about with pirated executable files, so I have to sell another portion of my soul to the Devil.



It's a pain in the arse - and some of it is worse than GFWL, if that is possible!  I barely coped with GFWL on Fallout 3 (a game I really, really, wanted to play), when I first bought Arkham Asylum I got as far as the popup asking for my GFWL login details, pissed about for 20 minutes trying to remember my username, and exited the game.  I'd be a hardline supporter of games being stripped of all other DRM/clients/logins when they are offered on Steam, because it seems like taking the piss to be logged in on Steam, try to play a game, and have to log in elsewhere to do so.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

golightly said:


> I have tried to avoid installing other DRM but failed miserably and now have Origin and Uplay.  Like you I'm not prepared to dick about with pirated executable files, so I have to sell another portion of my soul to the Devil.



I have learnt to accept uplay.  plus  it  does  give me a few bonuses


i have taken a stance against origin  and  have boycotted   those games that require it


agtually i do have  one  but i don't  play it  and  have not  installed origin


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## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

gfwl   is aparently  doing something of a shut down


which is good   because it's  fucking annoying


for me it only  effects  batman and blazeblue   but  mad  it  just  feels  so  .....  extra


----------



## Epona (Dec 22, 2013)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> Not  quite sure.  mine  is  an over powered monstrosity   which  i'm having  trouble diagnosing   as  i can't  properly  see how  it all fits together  and  have  lost  my install disk  so  can't  just  reformat.
> 
> 
> basically it  bluescreens  after windows starts to boot.
> ...



I have Windows 7 64 bit on CD, obviously I'm using my key code so can't offer that, but if all you need is the software and you have your own code (or some other method) to activate it, then I could drop my disk round to you and help out with anything hardware related at the same time   But I might not be able to do it until after xmas.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

i have the licenses	nice sticker on the back of the PC	

it's a kind offer and  much appreciated.   i  just  am  a  bit  nervous  about tinkering  with it

it's  been over a decade  since  i was  doing  hardware stuff and  i just  feel a little  lost.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

actually  i kinda feel annoyed that uplay  has  locked content that  can only be unlocked  by  being  good  at  a game.


i ignore all the wall papers and skins   but sometimes it's  stuff like  weapons  or  carying capacity and i really want that.


thankfully   doing very well in a couple  of  assasins creeds  and far cry 3  has  given me enough points  for  all the stuff i want.


----------



## Bob_the_lost (Dec 22, 2013)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> Not  quite sure.  mine  is  an over powered monstrosity   which  i'm having  trouble diagnosing   as  i can't  properly  see how  it all fits together  and  have  lost  my install disk  so  can't  just  reformat.
> 
> 
> basically it  bluescreens  after windows starts to boot.
> ...


Before you go over the top, try running it with the case  open. Undervolting it would be another good step, or returning it to stock.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

the over-clocking was automatically disabled  by the system  and  the case  has been open for a while.  i also tried my best to vacuum it.  

undervolting is a bit beyond me


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## Epona (Dec 22, 2013)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> i have the licenses	nice sticker on the back of the PC
> 
> it's a kind offer and  much appreciated.   i  just  am  a  bit  nervous  about tinkering  with it
> 
> it's  been over a decade  since  i was  doing  hardware stuff and  i just  feel a little  lost.



I understand that, I had a bit of a gap in hardware stuff myself, between building my first PC well over a decade ago, and building PCs more recently, and it can be really intimidating going back to it.  I've built 2 PCs recently, and if you want a hand I will help, but I won't be offended if you decide not to take me up on it 

BTW I'd hazard a guess that if you're not OC'd and there's little difference whether the case is open or closed, then it could well be a PSU issue - symptoms of PSU failure or insufficient power are either shutdowns during operation, or failure to fully boot up (getting halfway through boot-up then powering down).


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

doesn't power down  but  blusecreens

even in safe mode

it was originally over clocked  but it  has a massive amount of  fans  and a huge  heat sink

aparently  the first time something odd happened the bios  dropped the overclocking as a safty precation


i would  send it back to the manufactureres  but   there was an issue there.  they sent it  with a bit  attached  in a fucked up way.  when i sent it back the first time  they  asked  who had messewd  with  the computer and done that.  when i said  it came that way  they said   they would never ship a computer like that.


i mean the coustomer service  was excelent  up to that point  but  i now feel awkward  about talking to them about issues


----------



## Bob_the_lost (Dec 22, 2013)

Epona said:


> I understand that, I had a bit of a gap in hardware stuff myself, between building my first PC well over a decade ago, and building PCs more recently, and it can be really intimidating going back to it.  I've built 2 PCs recently, and if you want a hand I will help, but I won't be offended if you decide not to take me up on it
> 
> BTW I'd hazard a guess that if you're not OC'd and there's little difference whether the case is open or closed, then it could well be a PSU issue - symptoms of PSU failure or insufficient power are either shutdowns during operation, or failure to fully boot up (getting halfway through boot-up then powering down).


Good points. Although with a PSU failure i'd also expect it to be varied on when it fails, similar to overheating really. Thinking about it, if it's failing at exactly the same time in the boot sequence each time then that implies software rather than hardware. Hardware tends to either fail so hard it won't get to BIOS or intermittently so it fails at random points.

It might just need a Windows 7 disk to be run in repair mode.

Computers are like bikes, details change but it's not that hard to catch up again, the basics are the same.


----------



## Epona (Dec 22, 2013)

Could well be just a software issue then, as I said i have a Win 7 64 disk which you are welcome to borrow - I'd suggest try Windows Repair first, if that doesn't work try a clean install.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

i may well just do a full re-install as  my  OS disk is a small solid state disk that just  has windows and adobe suite on it


----------



## Epona (Dec 22, 2013)

Bob_the_lost said:


> Good points. Although with a PSU failure i'd also expect it to be varied on when it fails, similar to overheating really.



Yes and no, PSU failure tends to start out as random and varied, but if seriously underpowered (either due to failure or just having an insufficient PSU) then it will often fail during boot-up.  But having seen Shippy's most recent post, I do think it's more likely a software issue, or (low chance of) a hard drive problem.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

actually if i had some cash i'd  get a new biger solid state drive.  i think mine is only 80gb or summin.  they now do 120 for an okish price.



although i have  now  also just  had  one of my monitors fuck up on me.

vga  input  cuts out  a second after it is established  and  currently i don't   have  a digital or hdmi  output  to  test  alternate options


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

my PSU is  probably putting out enough power

i got a fully  kitted out 2k  machine from Chillblast


----------



## Bob_the_lost (Dec 22, 2013)

Epona said:


> Yes and no, PSU failure tends to start out as random and varied, but if seriously underpowered (either due to failure or just having an insufficient PSU) then it will often fail during boot-up.  But having seen Shippy's most recent post, I do think it's more likely a software issue, or (low chance of) a hard drive problem.


Given long enough they would get to that point but PSU failures are generally also either *bang* it's gone or slow, temperature dependent, degeneration where they can no longer supply the amps at a given temperature. In that case you'll have the temperature varying performance where a boot in the morning when it's cold will work for a while, then start to fail faster and faster as the heat builds up. You also wouldn't get a BSOD as you'll get a hard reboot.

A fresh install would probably be a safe bet, try the repair options first if you can get to it.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

also  the order  of plugging in my sata drives  is	a mystery to me.	 i no longer know  if  the order  makes a diffrence or not


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Dec 22, 2013)

Bluescreeens are often hardware. Easiest thing to check first is the Ram with something like memtest.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

i have  one  solid state drive  for OS  and  two  1tb drive  for....... well anime, steam games and  porn.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

Global Stoner said:


> Bluescreeens are often hardware. Easiest thing to check first is the Ram with something like memtest.




i did encounter an odd  issue  when i tried to upgrade my ram

however i put that down to me poorly seating it


----------



## Bob_the_lost (Dec 22, 2013)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> also  the order  of plugging in my sata drives  is	a mystery to me.	 i no longer know  if  the order  makes a diffrence or not


It could in theory but it shouldn't matter. In most cases you select the boot order in BIOS and it doesn't matter which header you're using. In some edge/niche cases where your motherboard has a wierd configuration for multiple headers then it'll be picky about it only being on one of two or four but that's not common. Even then it's just a case of playing with the wires.

RAM can fail over time but it's not something that tends to happen often, i see it as a low probability failure.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

the think is   there is a sea of cables.   it's half  computer  half kraken.

i'm guessing  it  so you can upgrade  it  to having 8 disked  raid mirrored or summin.


----------



## Epona (Dec 22, 2013)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> i did encounter an odd  issue  when i tried to upgrade my ram



What did you have before, what did you upgrade it to, and what were the symptoms?

I ask because it turned out after I'd had it a couple of years, that my mobo has 1 dodgy RAM slot - put anything in that 4th slot and it's game over, complete failure to boot up.

Edit: you don't need to have SATA drives plugged in in sequence on a cable to determine master/slave drives, that's just for IDE.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

i have  6 slots. 3 were filled 

i got  3 more   cards stuck em all in at once  and booted

it wasn't recognised


added them in one at a time  and booted to check each card was picked up  each time  and it worked fine


first time i had  any trouble  i yanked all the ram i added.  it's not been in my PC for a while.  sits on top of the case waiting

i already have like 6gb of  ram  this was just   bumping it to like 12


----------



## Epona (Dec 22, 2013)

Bob_the_lost said:


> RAM can fail over time but it's not something that tends to happen often, i see it as a low probability failure.



In my experience, it's far more likely that you will buy RAM that doesn't work in the first place and has to be returned due to manufacturing error, than have RAM that you know works suddenly fail.


----------



## Bob_the_lost (Dec 22, 2013)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> i have  6 slots. 3 were filled
> 
> i got  3 more   cards stuck em all in at once  and booted
> 
> ...


That can happen, there's loads of reasons why it might but some of the prime candidates are: Not all the RAM can be run at the same timings, the memory controller has to go slower when faced with all slots filled, one stick has some dirt on it or isn't plugged in properly, one stick is bad. As Epona says; if it works when you install it then it tends to work until you bin it.


----------



## Epona (Dec 22, 2013)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> i have  6 slots. 3 were filled
> 
> i got  3 more   cards stuck em all in at once  and booted
> 
> ...



Were all the sticks of RAM exactly the same?  IME, it's better to have (as an example) 8Gb in 2x 4Gb sticks than in 4x 2Gb sticks.  Keep the number of used RAM slots to the minimum possible, rather than filling them all up with small amounts of RAM in each.  And make sure the RAM in each slot is identical, so that power usage/voltage doesn't vary.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 22, 2013)

it wasn't  i deal but  i  stopped using  it  before this issue arrived


the first timei had a problem  i took out the ram  and  i never  put it back in.


----------



## Artaxerxes (Dec 23, 2013)

Finished off buying the expansions for Shogun: Total War, couple of DLC's for Crusader Kings 2 as well. I'll also grab Walking dead as thats going nice and cheaply at the moment.


----------



## Sunray (Dec 23, 2013)

I am still going through the Black Friday sale


----------



## rubbershoes (Dec 23, 2013)

I bought Dead Island and something else yesterday.

 My hard drive is full so I can't dl them.  My pc probably wouldnt play them anyway


----------



## golightly (Dec 23, 2013)

rubbershoes said:


> I bought Dead Island and something else yesterday.
> 
> My hard drive is full so I can't dl them.  My pc probably wouldnt play them anyway



Delete some games that you are no longer playing.  You can always reinstal them later.

What's your system specifications?


----------



## rubbershoes (Dec 23, 2013)

I've already deleted all the games I no longer play. Just L4D2 and killing Floor on there at the mo. My hard drive is just old and full of shite.

Can I run steam games off an external hard drive?

and my system was the original one that Noah used to check the animals on and off


----------



## Dexter Deadwood (Dec 23, 2013)

I'm looking at Defiance 4 pack for £10.48.
Says i can give 3 copies to friends but then when i get to purchase page it says Gift options none


----------



## Yata (Dec 24, 2013)

you can run games off an external but might not run as fast depending on specs


----------



## rubbershoes (Dec 24, 2013)

Yata said:


> you can run games off an external but might not run as fast depending on specs




thanks.  It might be time to raid the piggy bank and buy a new pc - this time one with enough memory


----------



## Buddy Bradley (Dec 24, 2013)

Max Payne 3 is three quid for the next 20 minutes or so.


----------



## Epona (Dec 25, 2013)

I bought Machinarium a couple of days ago, but nothing else has grabbed me yet


----------



## Epona (Dec 25, 2013)

rubbershoes said:


> thanks.  It might be time to raid the piggy bank and buy a new pc - this time one with enough memory



What's your spec?  If RAM is all you are lacking, it's one of the cheaper and easier components to upgrade, especially since you don't need a lot of memory for gaming.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Dec 25, 2013)

Epona said:


> What's your spec?  If RAM is all you are lacking, it's one of the cheaper and easier components to upgrade, especially since you don't need a lot of memory for gaming.



I suspect they are referring to hard drive space.


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## Epona (Dec 25, 2013)

Global Stoner said:


> I suspect they are referring to hard drive space.



Ah OK.  That's also easy enough to remedy mind you.  I get through mechanical drives fairly rapidly as the mechanical parts tend to wear out due to constant use, you can get large IDE drives if the PC predates SATA, and an internal HDD for a laptop (given that laptop parts are sometimes dearer) doesn't even cost very much - so if that's the main issue, it would seem like overkill to get a new computer.


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## Dexter Deadwood (Dec 25, 2013)

Bought;
AudioSurf £1.19
http://store.steampowered.com/app/12900/
Nation Red £1.19
http://store.steampowered.com/app/39800/
Contagion £2.99
http://store.steampowered.com/app/238430/


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## Epona (Dec 25, 2013)

Left 4 Dead 2 is currently free as a 'happy holiday' gift.  You won't see it in the specials, but search for the game and you'll see it's free.


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## tommers (Dec 25, 2013)

Steam's crashed.


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## Buddy Bradley (Dec 25, 2013)

tommers said:


> Steam's crashed.


Yup. Hasn't been loading for me for the last hour or two. I blame Epona.


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## tommers (Dec 25, 2013)

I wouldn't mind but I've already got it on Xbox.


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## Dexter Deadwood (Dec 25, 2013)




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## cypher79 (Dec 26, 2013)

Looks like the site is back up, but the Steam software ain't loading for me?


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## Dexter Deadwood (Dec 26, 2013)

cypher79 said:


> Looks like the site is back up, but the Steam software ain't loading for me?



It's working fine for me once i re entered my password.


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## cypher79 (Dec 26, 2013)

Dexter Deadwood said:


> It's working fine for me once i re entered my password.



Ok got it working after a restart 

I'm hearing this L4D2 freebie has to be installed by tomorrow otherwise you lose it. Anyone know if thats true? (My current laptop wont play it so don't really wanna install until I upgrade)


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## Sunray (Dec 26, 2013)

Epona said:


> Ah OK.  That's also easy enough to remedy mind you.  I get through mechanical drives fairly rapidly as the mechanical parts tend to wear out due to constant use, you can get large IDE drives if the PC predates SATA, and an internal HDD for a laptop (given that laptop parts are sometimes dearer) doesn't even cost very much - so if that's the main issue, it would seem like overkill to get a new computer.



What on earth do you do to your drives? 

I have never had a drive fail on me and I have had a lot of drives over the years. I've been thinking recently what to do with the 11 or so Pata drives I have. They all work, it's crazy to chuck them, but that's the world we live in right now.


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## Dexter Deadwood (Dec 26, 2013)

cypher79 said:


> Ok got it working after a restart
> 
> *I'm hearing this L4D2 freebie has to be installed by tomorrow otherwise you lose it. Anyone know if thats true?* (My current laptop wont play it so don't really wanna install until I upgrade)



You need to install it today (26th) to get it free, if you don't install today it goes back to its original price
http://steamcommunity.com/gid/103582791430485503/announcements/detail/1964991833269216480



ETA It would make sense to install it today and not play it until you upgrade your computer. I am able to play it on Desktop without a graphics card.


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## rubbershoes (Dec 26, 2013)

are the L4D2 servers rammed?


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## Sunray (Dec 27, 2013)

Hmm DMC is 7.50, give that a go, looks good


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## Dexter Deadwood (Dec 27, 2013)

rubbershoes said:


> are the L4D2 servers rammed?



They were bad all day yesterday. Sometimes the three other players would disappear simultaneously.


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## Epona (Dec 27, 2013)

Dexter Deadwood said:


> You need to install it today (26th) to get it free, if you don't install today it goes back to its original price
> http://steamcommunity.com/gid/103582791430485503/announcements/detail/1964991833269216480
> 
> 
> ...



It takes me longer than that to download 7.5Gb when the internet's playing up here (rain affects our local telephone cabling meaning the internet is up and down and up and down, and when it's up, it's slow).  But it is still chugging away and it hasn't disappeared out of my library yet.  Tbh I'm not really into multiplayer shooters, but a free game is a free game iykwim...


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## Epona (Dec 27, 2013)

Sunray said:


> What on earth do you do to your drives?
> 
> I have never had a drive fail on me and I have had a lot of drives over the years. I've been thinking recently what to do with the 11 or so Pata drives I have. They all work, it's crazy to chuck them, but that's the world we live in right now.



I know, I don't have much luck with any component that has moving parts.  Mechanical HDDs and optical drives are always quick to bugger up, I've had both fail and be replaced since I built this PC which isn't that long ago, and mechanical drives always eventually fail ("click of doom" type failure) IME.  I'm tempted to blame cat hair, it does get everywhere!  My SSD is doing well, I'm sure once 2 or 3Tb SSDs are feasible for those on normal incomes then my issues will be a thing of the past, but could be waiting a while for that


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## Nine Bob Note (Dec 27, 2013)

Hotline Miami - _*£1.39!!*_


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## Sunray (Dec 27, 2013)

It must be something like the cat hair.


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## Nine Bob Note (Dec 27, 2013)

NBN's game of the year - Don't Starve - yours for only £4.07


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## Epona (Dec 27, 2013)

Sunray said:


> It must be something like the cat hair.



It's the only explanation I can come up with (although probably more likely to be cat dandruff/dried saliva etc rather than hair as it must be small enough to get inside the case of the drive!)  I clean inside the PC cases regularly as a lot of dust builds up, but it's not as if you can easily take an HDD apart to clean inside it and have it come out the other side of that tinkering in working order.   But yes, I get through more of the things than the average PC user, personally I consider 2 years working to be OK and I know that isn't normal.

Obviously I've put a fair few HDDs (both internal and external) and Optical Drives through the mill over the years, and as such I find Seagate excellent, WD branded good, Maxtor so-so, and Samsung don't touch with a 10 foot bargepole.  That's for HDDs and optical drives, I've had no issue with my Samsung SSD and can recommend that.  But in terms of mechanical drives, it does make me wonder if some of the brands have better sealed cases than others.


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## Artaxerxes (Dec 28, 2013)

Ok, I can recommend Wargame: European Escalation, its pretty and its also the hardest game I've played in a long time. It doesn't piss around with whooping your ass.

Remember your logisitics, seriously...


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## cypher79 (Dec 28, 2013)

Epona said:


> It takes me longer than that to download 7.5Gb when the internet's playing up here (rain affects our local telephone cabling meaning the internet is up and down and up and down, and when it's up, it's slow).  But it is still chugging away and it hasn't disappeared out of my library yet.  Tbh I'm not really into multiplayer shooters, but a free game is a free game iykwim...



I haven't started downloading L4D2 yet, but it's still in my library


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## Nine Bob Note (Dec 28, 2013)

Dirt3 for £3.50 has kept me entertained this evo. The setup was a bitch and there are far too many menus, but I seem to be doing well for someone who a) can't drive and b) isn't usually drawn to this genre of game


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## Dexter Deadwood (Dec 28, 2013)

Nine Bob Note said:


> Dirt3 for £3.50 has kept me entertained this evo. The setup was a bitch and there are far too many menus, but I seem to be doing well for someone who a) can't drive and b) isn't usually drawn to this genre of game



AudioSurf is great esp if you love music. You can ride your own tunes.
At £1.19 you can't go wrong.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/12900/


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## Vintage Paw (Dec 29, 2013)

I got hotline miami and anno numbers yesterday. Both of which I shall never play 

(And a free dragon age game on my iphone which clearly doesn't count but I did play that until my battery nearly ran out last night.)


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## Sunray (Dec 29, 2013)

Hotline Miami is pretty decent, play it.


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## rubbershoes (Dec 30, 2013)

cypher79 said:


> I haven't started downloading L4D2 yet, but it's still in my library




I'd be happy to show you round when you want a game


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## Riklet (Dec 30, 2013)

Been playing Papers Please and it's really fun time-killing stuff, once you get into it.  Ok, It's a bit nerdy and probably a bit too close to some people's real jobs, though!

Would def recommend it for a couple of quid.


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## cypher79 (Dec 30, 2013)

rubbershoes said:


> I'd be happy to show you round when you want a game



Thanks  Might be a while before I get a laptop that it actually works on tho 

And here's a decent deal on IndieGala if anyone's interested, 8 Codemasters games for about £4 - http://www.indiegala.com/codemasters

Redeemable on Steam...


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## mrs quoad (Dec 31, 2013)

Humble bundle store currently offering a good selection of Steam sale items at considerably better discounts: https://www.humblebundle.com/store

Had I seen that, I could've saved £10 on (already half price) Europa Universalis. And, perhaps, a couple of quid on prison architect, too.


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## tommers (Dec 31, 2013)

Does humble store give a charity donation too?  (Like the bundle does)


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## Epona (Jan 1, 2014)

I flogged all my spare holiday sale trading cards on the marketplace, they'd been snapped up within seconds, and I had funds credited to my Steam Wallet.  This trading card thing is working out OK for me - the words 'money' and 'old rope' come to mind


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## tommers (Jan 1, 2014)

Whenever I check mine are worth about 2p or something.


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## Epona (Jan 1, 2014)

tommers said:


> Whenever I check mine are worth about 2p or something.



Yeah we're not talking tons of cash here, but yesterday the holiday sale cards were going for 11p each and I had a fair few to sell so that's better than nothing.  The price has dropped since then, they all expire on the 3rd so everyone's putting them up now and they'll be worthless soon.

Edit: If you're not at all interested in the cards, next time there's a Steam sale put up any sale-related cards you earn for sale on the marketplace right away - holiday sale cards were going for nearly 50p each in the first couple of days of the sale.


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## ruffneck23 (Jan 1, 2014)

bought fall out new vegas ultimate, when pissed yesterday for 7 quid i think and just cause 2 today for 1.99 , ive just rebuilt my rig and want nothing but legitimate software on it and just to test my new graphics card out , i bought crysis 3 from uplay for about 6 quid.

Got plenty to keep me going now


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## ruffneck23 (Jan 1, 2014)

oh fuck it , The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Legendary Edition for 17.99

must stop now lol


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## Old Gergl (Jan 1, 2014)

ruffneck23 said:


> oh fuck it , The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Legendary Edition for 17.99
> 
> must stop now lol



worth it, totally.

(shippy posting)


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## ruffneck23 (Jan 1, 2014)

i lost 72 hours to it with an evaluation copy when it came out


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## Citizen66 (Dec 19, 2014)

This year's one has started. Flight Simulator X is now on there and on sale for £4 if you ever fancied it.


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## Epona (Dec 23, 2014)

I'm finding the sale completely lacklustre this year   Don't even have to log in every 8 hours to vote on a game for community choice discount, it's only once every 24 hours.  Nothing seems to be cheap enough or good enough to get me excited enough to buy it :/


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## ruffneck23 (Dec 23, 2014)

yeah its a bit meh this year


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## Buddy Bradley (Dec 23, 2014)

Just got Thomas Was Alone for £1.49.


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## tommers (Dec 23, 2014)

I bought Shadow Warrior cosit was 90% off and I fancied a mindless shootemup.  It certainly is that .


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## Epona (Dec 24, 2014)

Buddy Bradley said:


> Just got Thomas Was Alone for £1.49.



Oh that is actually quite a nice game in terms of the concept and narration.  I reckon if you like a platformer with a difference and a little bit of a story you will easily get £1.49 worth of enjoyment out of it


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## Epona (Dec 24, 2014)

I am not sure it has been on sale yet, but one of my OH's current favourite games is "Rollers of the Realm" - a 'lite/v.casual' RPG with story where all the mechanics of combat take place via the medium of a pinball table.  It's just a bit "let's take these 2 disparate genres and force them together and see what happens" and actually it looks pretty fun, if you like pinball.


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## Sunray (Dec 24, 2014)

Epona said:


> I'm finding the sale completely lacklustre this year   Don't even have to log in every 8 hours to vote on a game for community choice discount, it's only once every 24 hours.  Nothing seems to be cheap enough or good enough to get me excited enough to buy it :/



Was mildly tempted by the new Borderlands game, it was 1/2 price, I enjoyed the last one quite a bit but went with the Talos principal instead for a more cerebral moment, which it has proven to be.  Then borderlands went back up in price. 

Just noticed the Walking Dead Season 2 is 4.74,  a decent price for any game.


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## tommers (Dec 24, 2014)

Playing through that at the moment. More of the same but it's good. 

Just met up with somebody I thought was dead and it was really nice to see them, which was weird.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 24, 2014)

Once again  i go to buy something  to find i already  have it.


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## The Boy (Dec 24, 2014)

Good shout on Thomas Was Alone. £1.49 well spent.

I've also plumped for Contrast, The Room and Outlast. None of which I've tried yet.

Oh yeah, and Critter Crinch so my OH has someone to play with


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## Buddy Bradley (Dec 29, 2014)

The Banner Saga is on sale at the moment, 75% off. Got some good comments on tommers thread here.


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## tommers (Dec 29, 2014)

Buddy Bradley said:


> The Banner Saga is on sale at the moment, 75% off. Got some good comments on tommers thread here.


I really liked it.  £3.74 is a bargain.


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## Vintage Paw (Dec 29, 2014)

I got Shadowrun: Dragonfall Director's Cut for about £4 yesterday. That's all I'll probably get. Maybe. We'll see.


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## tommers (Dec 29, 2014)

Vintage Paw said:


> I got Shadowrun: Dragonfall Director's Cut for about £4 yesterday. That's all I'll probably get. Maybe. We'll see.


Yeah, me too. Seemed too good to pass up.


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## Citizen66 (Dec 29, 2014)

I got a few rail simulator add ons as they're perpetually expensive otherwise.


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## Sunray (Dec 30, 2014)

I got Brothers a tale of two sons for a quid. An excellent game, though controlling two characters simultaneously is quite challenging at times, I wonder if it's possible to become fluent at it.


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