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Games. I've been forcing myself into productivity for too long because that is the thing to do. I recently built a gaming pc, picked some jrpgs, and I'm having

Games. I've been forcing myself into productivity for too long because that is the thing to do. I recently built a gaming pc, picked some jrpgs, and I'm having a blast. There are entire franchises and worlds for the exploring. There are amazing rich stories and history and beautiful soundtracks that I'm living through right now. My wishlist grows by the day as I discover new tales.

jjice 3y ago
What are your favorite RPGs at the moment? New or old? I feel like RPGs have been holding strong since the Super Nintendo and there so many hours of incredible gameplay to be had.
- politelemon 3y ago
  Right now the Trails series (trails in the sky, trails of cold steel)... I think it's an old and new series isn't it? Also a surprise like was Blue Reflection, if you watch its trailer it doesn't even look too dynamic but it was great fun.
- artimaeis 3y ago
  I know it's got a lot of hype at the moment, but Baldur's Gate 3 really is something special. I never played the first 2 games, but I have played D&D regularly for some 16 years now and it's one of the best narrative adventures I've ever had. I'm planning on going back and playing the Divinity: Original Sin games that Larian made before it. I hear they're fantastic as well.
  - D13Fd 3y ago
    > I'm planning on going back and playing the Divinity: Original Sin games that Larian made before it. I hear they're fantastic as well. They are. I'd play them in order -- the combat mechanics of DOS1 are kind of tough to swallow after the improvements in DOS2. The DOS1 plot is also a bit thin, and you have to appreciate their brand of humor. But they are both great.
  - cwales95 3y ago
    I’m getting Baldur’s Gate 3 as a gift for Christmas this year and I’m looking forward to trying it.
- D13Fd 3y ago
  If you haven't played the various Bethesda games (Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout), now is a great time. There is a modding tool called Wabbajack that auto-installs curated lists of hundreds of mods, all patched to work together, and you can get an incredible setup with very little work.
  - jonwinstanley 3y ago
    Are these mainly new features for the games or graphics updates?
    - D13Fd 3y ago
      It depends on the wabbajack list you use. Many bring the UI more or less in line with modern standards. Most of them include major graphical improvements. Then they bring new content on top of that - items, spells (if applicable), creatures, NPCs, etc. rarely, they also expand the game maps with new areas.
      - tstrimple 3y ago
        Don’t forget tons of bug fixes and performance improvements! The amount of work the modding community does for Bethesda games is amazing.
- Const-me 3y ago
  An old one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire:_The_Masquerade_%E2%80%93_Bloodlines https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire:_The_Masquerade_%E2%80... There were many technical issues with the release version, but GOG sells the game with unofficial patches integrated, which worked great for me.
  - unixhero 3y ago
    Yes that game is STUNNING and absolutely pulled me in
    - plasticchris 3y ago
      Try it as the insane vampire, it’s great.
      - hotnfresh 3y ago
        Malkavian (the crazy ones) and Nosferatu (masquerade violation if anyone sees you) are both very-different spins on the game compared with the rest of the clans.
      - unixhero 3y ago
        I don't remember thar it was possible to select House / class. Was it? It is 23 years go so ...
- unixhero 3y ago
  Baldurs Gate 3
- jll29 3y ago
  I never liked Rocket Propelled Grenades, so no favorites, and in these dark times of multiple violent conflicts, they are holding up the path to peace. Never knew Nitendo was also a weapons manufacturer, I know them mostly for computer game devices.
cwales95 3y ago
Absolutely this. The overwhelming need to be “productive” has been wearing on me a while. Gaming is a great stress reliever and I make sure to make some time for it everyday. I mainly like single player games for my PS5 such as Horizon, Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher and more recently Spider-Man 2. Sometimes you just need to be selfish and have you time!
Aaronstotle 3y ago
As I've gotten older its rare for me to enjoy games, I can't seem to play for more than 15 minutes before wanting to turn it off/feel like I'm bored.
- unixhero 3y ago
  Oh my dear dear bored wanderer. You have not tried Baldirs Gate 3.
- stcroixx 3y ago
  As I get older, game controls just get too complex for me to enjoy casually. Way too many combinations of stuff to remember. NES is most fun - 2 buttons and a d-pad.
  - Aachen 3y ago
    What age range is 'older' here? Controls have gotten easier in my experience, at least on anything made for a mainstream audience. Recently it came up on a podcast with a game reviewer among the hosts that games nowadays seem to all have a setting where enemies can be beaten by looking at them angrily and how it's basically story mode at that setting, and how much that's doing for inclusivity and how many non-gamers they've seen play/enjoy such-and-such game. More anecdotal, my partner started playing hogwarts a few days ago and wanted to set it to easy. The default was normal, and there's also "story mode" and "hard" available at opposite ends of the spectrum. She's terrible with wasd+mouse (her own words, but I concur) and wanted to go for easy but I encouraged her to go with the default setting, figuring that'll be balanced to be enjoyable for Harry Potter fans (who are book nerds, not necessarily gamers). So far, she's managed to beat everything in one try! I'm surprised you experience the opposite
    - stcroixx 3y ago
      47. NES had 2 buttons plus a d-pad. An xbox controller has 8 buttons, 2 joysticks, and a d-pad - it's all just too much for me to have fun with. I'd learn to play the accordion if I was up for all that.
xedrac 3y ago
I tried this by playing Factorio, and realized I was doing similar "work" as my job, but without the added stress of deadlines, compromise and people. Ironically, it felt extremely productive, but not very recharging.
- november84 3y ago
  I feel this. I don't reach the same level of drain after playing compared to work. However, it's such a fun way to use my brain in a similar way, I can be hard to put it down. I also find it rewarding after getting robotics and memorizing recipes. Which allows me to focus more on designing (I suck so bad at it but it's fun). After a good few hundred hours I moved on to krastorio2 + space exploration. It's so much more complex. Oh and multiplayer is a great addition allowing me to asynchronously play with some friends /colleagues.
- hiepph 3y ago
  Factorio is fun but the way I play it was unhealthy—several hours of Factorio after 7 hours of sitting in front of a computer. I had to give it up to find a healthier lifestyle—e.g. running, hiking, or taking a walk in nature. I do want to come back to Factorio since it's an awesome game, but currently I cannot find the good timing for it.
dolmen 3y ago
Bought a SteamDeck. I haven't play video games so much for the last 20 years as in the last 2 months.
- jader201 3y ago
  I dunno, I was a fairly early preorder, and have been quite underwhelmed with it. It does what it’s supposed to do, but there are just way too many games in my library that don’t really work well with it, and/or are just overall much better with keyboard/mouse. Maybe I’m not the target audience. I also play console games, so most of my library are games that don’t overlap with console (so games that are probably designed for keyboard/mouse). I played it for a bit, and there are definitely some good games on it (I finally beat Portal on it), but I just haven’t found any games that make me want to break it back out.
pawelduda 3y ago
Yes! 2023 was one of the best years by amount of well-received games in a long time and I can't agree enough. Some people will disagree but I think it's a very cheap hobby too, you can get dozens if not hundreds of hours for the same price as semi-expensive dinner at a restaurant. Many of games I played are pure art and I admire all the hard work that goes into making them. I cringe when people dismiss gaming as a childish hobby and then proudly say how they binged a netflix show, or did some similar activity for "real grown ups (TM)"

jjice 3y ago

What are your favorite RPGs at the moment? New or old? I feel like RPGs have been holding strong since the Super Nintendo and there so many hours of incredible gameplay to be had.

politelemon 3y ago
Right now the Trails series (trails in the sky, trails of cold steel)... I think it's an old and new series isn't it? Also a surprise like was Blue Reflection, if you watch its trailer it doesn't even look too dynamic but it was great fun.
artimaeis 3y ago
I know it's got a lot of hype at the moment, but Baldur's Gate 3 really is something special. I never played the first 2 games, but I have played D&D regularly for some 16 years now and it's one of the best narrative adventures I've ever had. I'm planning on going back and playing the Divinity: Original Sin games that Larian made before it. I hear they're fantastic as well.
- D13Fd 3y ago
  > I'm planning on going back and playing the Divinity: Original Sin games that Larian made before it. I hear they're fantastic as well. They are. I'd play them in order -- the combat mechanics of DOS1 are kind of tough to swallow after the improvements in DOS2. The DOS1 plot is also a bit thin, and you have to appreciate their brand of humor. But they are both great.
- cwales95 3y ago
  I’m getting Baldur’s Gate 3 as a gift for Christmas this year and I’m looking forward to trying it.
D13Fd 3y ago
If you haven't played the various Bethesda games (Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout), now is a great time. There is a modding tool called Wabbajack that auto-installs curated lists of hundreds of mods, all patched to work together, and you can get an incredible setup with very little work.
- jonwinstanley 3y ago
  Are these mainly new features for the games or graphics updates?
  - D13Fd 3y ago
    It depends on the wabbajack list you use. Many bring the UI more or less in line with modern standards. Most of them include major graphical improvements. Then they bring new content on top of that - items, spells (if applicable), creatures, NPCs, etc. rarely, they also expand the game maps with new areas.
    - tstrimple 3y ago
      Don’t forget tons of bug fixes and performance improvements! The amount of work the modding community does for Bethesda games is amazing.
Const-me 3y ago
An old one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire:_The_Masquerade_%E2%80%93_Bloodlines https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire:_The_Masquerade_%E2%80... There were many technical issues with the release version, but GOG sells the game with unofficial patches integrated, which worked great for me.
- unixhero 3y ago
  Yes that game is STUNNING and absolutely pulled me in
  - plasticchris 3y ago
    Try it as the insane vampire, it’s great.
    - hotnfresh 3y ago
      Malkavian (the crazy ones) and Nosferatu (masquerade violation if anyone sees you) are both very-different spins on the game compared with the rest of the clans.
    - unixhero 3y ago
      I don't remember thar it was possible to select House / class. Was it? It is 23 years go so ...
unixhero 3y ago
Baldurs Gate 3
jll29 3y ago
I never liked Rocket Propelled Grenades, so no favorites, and in these dark times of multiple violent conflicts, they are holding up the path to peace. Never knew Nitendo was also a weapons manufacturer, I know them mostly for computer game devices.

cwales95 3y ago

Absolutely this. The overwhelming need to be “productive” has been wearing on me a while. Gaming is a great stress reliever and I make sure to make some time for it everyday. I mainly like single player games for my PS5 such as Horizon, Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher and more recently Spider-Man 2. Sometimes you just need to be selfish and have you time!

Aaronstotle 3y ago

As I've gotten older its rare for me to enjoy games, I can't seem to play for more than 15 minutes before wanting to turn it off/feel like I'm bored.

unixhero 3y ago
Oh my dear dear bored wanderer. You have not tried Baldirs Gate 3.
stcroixx 3y ago
As I get older, game controls just get too complex for me to enjoy casually. Way too many combinations of stuff to remember. NES is most fun - 2 buttons and a d-pad.
- Aachen 3y ago
  What age range is 'older' here? Controls have gotten easier in my experience, at least on anything made for a mainstream audience. Recently it came up on a podcast with a game reviewer among the hosts that games nowadays seem to all have a setting where enemies can be beaten by looking at them angrily and how it's basically story mode at that setting, and how much that's doing for inclusivity and how many non-gamers they've seen play/enjoy such-and-such game. More anecdotal, my partner started playing hogwarts a few days ago and wanted to set it to easy. The default was normal, and there's also "story mode" and "hard" available at opposite ends of the spectrum. She's terrible with wasd+mouse (her own words, but I concur) and wanted to go for easy but I encouraged her to go with the default setting, figuring that'll be balanced to be enjoyable for Harry Potter fans (who are book nerds, not necessarily gamers). So far, she's managed to beat everything in one try! I'm surprised you experience the opposite
  - stcroixx 3y ago
    47. NES had 2 buttons plus a d-pad. An xbox controller has 8 buttons, 2 joysticks, and a d-pad - it's all just too much for me to have fun with. I'd learn to play the accordion if I was up for all that.

xedrac 3y ago

I tried this by playing Factorio, and realized I was doing similar "work" as my job, but without the added stress of deadlines, compromise and people. Ironically, it felt extremely productive, but not very recharging.

november84 3y ago
I feel this. I don't reach the same level of drain after playing compared to work. However, it's such a fun way to use my brain in a similar way, I can be hard to put it down. I also find it rewarding after getting robotics and memorizing recipes. Which allows me to focus more on designing (I suck so bad at it but it's fun). After a good few hundred hours I moved on to krastorio2 + space exploration. It's so much more complex. Oh and multiplayer is a great addition allowing me to asynchronously play with some friends /colleagues.
hiepph 3y ago
Factorio is fun but the way I play it was unhealthy—several hours of Factorio after 7 hours of sitting in front of a computer. I had to give it up to find a healthier lifestyle—e.g. running, hiking, or taking a walk in nature. I do want to come back to Factorio since it's an awesome game, but currently I cannot find the good timing for it.

dolmen 3y ago

Bought a SteamDeck. I haven't play video games so much for the last 20 years as in the last 2 months.

jader201 3y ago
I dunno, I was a fairly early preorder, and have been quite underwhelmed with it. It does what it’s supposed to do, but there are just way too many games in my library that don’t really work well with it, and/or are just overall much better with keyboard/mouse. Maybe I’m not the target audience. I also play console games, so most of my library are games that don’t overlap with console (so games that are probably designed for keyboard/mouse). I played it for a bit, and there are definitely some good games on it (I finally beat Portal on it), but I just haven’t found any games that make me want to break it back out.

pawelduda 3y ago

Yes! 2023 was one of the best years by amount of well-received games in a long time and I can't agree enough. Some people will disagree but I think it's a very cheap hobby too, you can get dozens if not hundreds of hours for the same price as semi-expensive dinner at a restaurant. Many of games I played are pure art and I admire all the hard work that goes into making them. I cringe when people dismiss gaming as a childish hobby and then proudly say how they binged a netflix show, or did some similar activity for "real grown ups (TM)"