StarDestroyer.Net BBS

seanrobertson wrote: I don't have a serious problem traversing a large game. I loved that aspect of Oblivion, the GTAs and so on.

Just the same, I would have preferred that I got a good feel for the game in general before I was sent to the opposite corner of the "world."

Oh don't worry, checkpoint-spawn bullshit means I *still* don't like travelling too far from bus stations. Missions that take you near the edge at cardinal points inevitably involve a lot of driving, which involves high likelihoods of random death. I meant that having to actually use ingame tools for navigation as opposed to 'out of universe' stuff life map overlays or screens etc. You only really need the map at intersections anyway, and nowhere is more than 4-5 intersections away from anything.

I don't mean the GPS. I mean the actual map. The GPS was readable but its scope was barely beyond line-of-sight, so it was little help.

Yeah, that's why I said 'map board'. On PC you can drive with the map out and see in front of you, and the entire map at the bottom of your vision, so there's absolutely no problem. If you're not on the lower 33% of the board you can look regular forward and still see yourself too - and it's not like you need to constantly look anyway; I'm frequently scanning the horizon, reaching a landmark, glancing down at my map, making a turn and continuing while doing 'crazy man in sedan' early warning scans. Just like real driving, only more crazy sedan people.

Then again, on PC the map is always sort of down in your lap, under the dash, so it never obstructs your view forward unless you look down. Does he hold it higher (up in the windscreen) on 360? Oh I see in your other post that it sticks in your view, which sucks.

Once again PC thrashes console!

I've played a couple of console games, and I couldn't imagine trying to play a good FPS with your typical controller. Mouse and keyboard all the way...

Two questions for people father into the game:

1) Has anyone noticed more than one place to find the hang glider?

2) Is it me, or are there "unique" weapons scattered around. I found what seems like a gold-plated stockless AK in one place and a scoped 3-burst rifle something-or-other elsewhere that I haven't seen repeated on the list of things at the arms dealer.

Lagmonster wrote:Two questions for people father into the game:

1) Has anyone noticed more than one place to find the hang glider?

Yes, I found about three different gliders IIRC.

2) Is it me, or are there "unique" weapons scattered around. I found what seems like a gold-plated stockless AK in one place and a scoped 3-burst rifle something-or-other elsewhere that I haven't seen repeated on the list of things at the arms dealer.

I haven't noticed...I do know you can buy a scoped assault rifle with a green laser like aimer, which sounds like your latter weapon.

I've finished the game and I'm working on my second run through it. I'm being much more civilized and exploration minded.

I found the gold-plated AK...the other weapon is the AR-16. You can pick up various weapons early in safehouses (Carl Gustav, USAS-12, AR-16), but they're rusted.

I haven't noticed...I do know you can buy a scoped assault rifle with a green laser like aimer, which sounds like your latter weapon

That's the AR-14 (or 15? or 16?, it looks like the M-16). That's only available at the second part of the game, after a few convoy jobs from the arms dealer (the one you buy from, not the Jackal).

BTW, I would recommend against the regular AK, even from the weapons shop: the recoil is just too bad for any accurate fire. The G3 is much better.

The golden AK means that it won't rust or start jamming. I still prefer other weapons, but its still pretty good if you want a no-fuss assoult rifle.

Stay away from anything else, especially weapons found on the ground (or even ones found in your safehouses sometimes). At best, they're annoying when they jam, at worst, they blow up in your face in the middle of a firefight.

Zixinus wrote:BTW, I would recommend against the regular AK, even from the weapons shop: the recoil is just too bad for any accurate fire. The G3 is much better.

I haven't had much of an issue with the regular AK-47. I buy the reliability and accuracy upgrade for it, so I never worry about the thing breaking down or jamming on me. I keep my shooting to bursts, which seems to do the job well enough.

My biggest issue weapon wise is I can't modify my weapons; I'd love to have different scope options, silencers, laser targeting, etc. But then admittedly Crysis spoiled me that way.

I guess it's time the kids learned the implications of the 'no alt-fire' design decision. They grow up so fast!

I've generally been taking MP5/SPAS/Dragunov in the assault slot and using an LMG as my 'burst' weapon. Which brings me onto one criticism: in Far Cry 3, can we please have opponents who fucking die when they got shot? I'm sick of putting three round into a guy, then another three rounds, only to have him start shooting at with his pistol a few minutes later!

Welcome to modern games jester. No one wants to play "Flashpoint" they want to play "Quake"....again and again and again.

thejester wrote:I've generally been taking MP5/SPAS/Dragunov in the assault slot and using an LMG as my 'burst' weapon. Which brings me onto one criticism: in Far Cry 3, can we please have opponents who fucking die when they got shot? I'm sick of putting three round into a guy, then another three rounds, only to have him start shooting at with his pistol a few minutes later!

Oh yeah, and some of them are actually STRONGER once they get up (or they've got 'canned animation immunity'). I've put a guy down with the SVD, and when they are stumbliing away after 'recovering' or crouching ready to shoot me with their pistol, they take MORE SHOTS to put down again. Dear me.

If the NPCs used syrettes, that'd be fine ,but they don't. I've noticed later in the game they recover in this way much, much more often; about half the guys I put down with a minimi get back up, so consistently I just burn the bodies.

Stark wrote:I guess it's time the kids learned the implications of the 'no alt-fire' design decision. They grow up so fast!

That reminds me, FC2 sure could've used a option to change fire modes for your gun. Being restricted to one is quite annoying at times, especially when a single head shot can drop your enemies.

This may be a form of consoleitis

Yeah, games that have a small number of gun controls (fc2 has 'shoot', 'iron', and 'reload', quite terrible) can't be very flexible. The game could never support underbarrel nades or fire modes, it doesn't have the buttons.

This is why Ballistix is the best mod ever.

I blinded you with my underbarrel flashbang then shot your propane tank and you flew off into my laser satchel charges.

Stark wrote:

thejester wrote:I've generally been taking MP5/SPAS/Dragunov in the assault slot and using an LMG as my 'burst' weapon. Which brings me onto one criticism: in Far Cry 3, can we please have opponents who fucking die when they got shot? I'm sick of putting three round into a guy, then another three rounds, only to have him start shooting at with his pistol a few minutes later!

Oh yeah, and some of them are actually STRONGER once they get up (or they've got 'canned animation immunity'). I've put a guy down with the SVD, and when they are stumbliing away after 'recovering' or crouching ready to shoot me with their pistol, they take MORE SHOTS to put down again. Dear me.

Indeed. Thing is, part of the system is quite good - at least once I've nailed a guy in the stomach, and his mates have put down fire onto my position while one goes and picks up not-quite-dead and carries him to safety. Another one was in trying to get up and shoot me with his pistol whilst in the water - and drowned. That was cool. As much as I like this game, I think a bit more polish on the minor details like this would have really made it. Easy stuff, like wounded guys trying to crawl away, or having some mercenaries who weren't South African.

Incidentally, anyone read the gamespot review? Gave it a good enough score but his major criticism was that the plot wasn't strong enough. What? Whilst they're a bit repetitive in the way they unfold, both Acts have pretty tight plots so far and there aren't 'too many faces flashing before your eyes' as he complains. Moreover the message the games is trying to convey through both the character of the Jackal and the missions themselves is brilliant. I just finished the mission where you have to blow up the malaria-medicine kilns...hearing the twisted justification the leader of the faction uses is incredible, really demonstrates
(as if more demonstration was needed after your first mission in Act 2) how the conflict has long ag olost any sort of purpose.

The kind of complaints Gamespot had against the plot were bullshit. What they didn't like was that the factions weren't totally and completely different from one another. They totally missed that's how the factions are SUPPOSED to be.

I find complaints against the plot being "uncharacteristic" to be pretty hilarious really. I guess if the plot isn't "in your face" at every turn it's poorly written. What's this "meaning" you speak of? "Message"? No no man. Video games are all about "good writing", and good writing is what Hollywood says it should it be!

I have to admit, the weapon combo of MGL+dart rifle+uzi is holding some serious points for me, beating out my previous fave of GoldAK+C.Gustav+M79

what is up though with not being aboe to remap 'e' to leave turret and the glider controls?

So Far it is Great, I am only at 50% of the campaign but love the gameplay thus far. I hope they tidy up the MP the few times I got on there we had som lag issues but other than that It was great. I need to check out the map editor next.

Darwin wrote:I have to admit, the weapon combo of MGL+dart rifle+uzi is holding some serious points for me, beating out my previous fave of GoldAK+C.Gustav+M79

My favorite combo is the M79, AK-47 and one of the LMG's.

what is up though with not being aboe to remap 'e' to leave turret and the glider controls?

Yes, this is a key bindings bug they really need to address and I'm seriously irked they missed something so obvious. Glider controls are locked in to default crap, so is disengaging from turrets, and you have to use 'a' and 'd' to set your watch for safe houses. I tried multiplayer once and haven't since, because all the key bindings are locked into default shit. Fucking ridiculous, really.

For that matter I'd really like to know why they bothered having more than one key binding for entering and leaving vehicles/turrets/boats; it's an inefficient design concept.

Another recent bug I noticed is that the checkpoints really do respawn everything. In one of them, I had hacked my way through some wood to get to a diamond. When I came back it was back in place...doesn't make much sense why the AI would want to seal up an empty case. After all the case was still open and the diamond was gone.

But seriously, some persistent map damage and alteration would really be nice. I haven't seen shit with their procedurally generated trees that grow back as per their demostrations either, they are just magically back to full next time I'm around. And they claimed 'pixel accurate' damage, something I tested and didn't live up to what they seemingly claimed.

Great game, but it's got some serious issues too.

Bubble Boy wrote:

Darwin wrote:I have to admit, the weapon combo of MGL+dart rifle+uzi is holding some serious points for me, beating out my previous fave of GoldAK+C.Gustav+M79

My favorite combo is the M79, AK-47 and one of the LMG's.

I usually only take a LMG when my primary is a sniper rifle. M79, Dragunov, M249 is a good and potent set. I think an assault rifle and LMG have a bit too much overlap.

I've gotta buy the flamethrower and see what sort of havoc I can wreak with it.

The dart rifle gets unreliable after only about 15 shots. I know it's an uber-weapon, but jeez.

I still think the MP/MGL/SVD combo is best; the most explosions you can get out of one weapon (with a usable scope, near-instant hit and flat trajectory), accurate 1-hit kill gun with piles of ammo and a 'you're dead' close-in weapon. It's just really easy to run out if you blow entire points to pieces the way I do. I don't see the point in the RPG or Gustav when the MGL kills vehicles just as dead, is easier to hit with, no distinctive trail, and has 5x the ammo. The only advantage the Gustav has is guidance, but the MGL hits so fast moving targets aren't a problem anyway. The MGL also fires faster and is faster to reload; it's usable as a medium-range anti-infantry weapon.

It still appears to start local fires somehow, but meh.

The flamethrower sucks shit out of my ass. The flaregun is better at starting fires, actually has longer than 4m range, and is safe to use in close quarters.

Stark wrote:I still think the MP/MGL/SVD combo is best;

last I checked both the MGL and SVD occupied the rifle slot. thus, the dart rifle.

I have to say though I'm pleasantly surprised with the machinepistols. They're not S&P bullet hoses, and actually have some accuracy with short bursts to a good range. Also, realistic shotguns (as for pellet spread, not damage) are a plus, though I just haven't had any use for them so far.

Darwin wrote:last I checked both the MGL and SVD occupied the rifle slot. thus, the dart rifle.

Has my brain exploded? I knew I had a minimi around there somewhere... can't remember what I use special for with the SVD then. It's a bit wierd the snipers are rifle slot but the dart sniper isn't, but hey the SD6 is a rifle slot too...