The "What are you playing?" topic.

[Sigurd]

The only game I have active on my computer is Battlefield 2.
I wish I had more time playing it... but alas, RL is demanding quite a lot of my spare time these days.
Hence it can take 1 or 2 weeks between each session.
The consequences is getting a little rusty BF2 skills. It usually takes 1 or 2 rounds getting creamed before I finally make some decent stats.

The upside is, the game never gets boring. The best buy I ever made.
I had a fun session this weekend on a local server (ping of 34) with relatively few players on the Wake Island 2007 map. All players averaged around 100 points and I received a couple of badges and ribbons in that one round.

[ajaxfetish]

Most of my time's gone into Guildwars lately (minesweeper when the net is down ).

In the event that other people are around, there's Phase 10, Uno, Catchphrase, Cranium, Risk, frisbee . . .

Ajax

[Sensei Warrior]

MTW:VI (slightly tweaked my own personal homebrew) Nov in Early. Mucho fun turning digitized enemies into digitized enemies full of arrows.

Mechwarrior 4 You get to pilot around in a walking tank carrying more implements of destruction than you can shake a stick at turning other walking tanks into molten slag.

StrongholdA castle builder. Gotta love it. You get to build Castles. This is potentially the only drawback of MTW. I can't design what my Castles look like, and the Castles in MTW are so ugly.

I haven't played Settlers in so long I forgot which version I own. But I liked it alot.

I spend equal time tinkering with MTW tweaking and whatnot but I don't think thats considered playing the game.

[Decker]

I am currently playing:
Combat Missions: Afrika Korps: Very fun and quite intense at most times to very exciting and exhilarating at others.
and Barbarossa to Berlin: I've never taken such a beating from any AI like this game has administered to me before!!! DAMN Kv2's
Call of Duty 2: Playing on a realism mod is extremely more statisfying, especially when that guy you just shot in the chest will actually die instead of wasting half of your clip. If you have played the game, you will know what I mean.
FIFA '06 for the PS2: I dislike the game mechanics as they seem unrealistic and "phony" at times. The manager mode is my favorite/best part of the game. I have already gotten fired from coaching the Houston Dynamo to a horrid season(I won like 3 game out of 15, and it wasn't even mid-way through the season yet lol) to coaching Wycombe FC from League 2 in England to mid-table of League 1!! Sooo fun that manager feature is. I also fixed a tourny my team was in We took first place
M2TW: Im usually broke almost all of the time. It kinda resembles my wallet, weird huh?!

[Bijo]

Have been playing Sniper Elite (http://www.sniperelitethegame.com/). A game that requires you to have much patience. The enemy AI is brutally efficient even if set to Easy AI.

But the realism portrayed is pretty cool. It's really satisfying to line up carefully and squeeze off a shot to an enemy's head from a large distance with a sniper rifle, as you then witness the bullet's traveling with the bullet cam, plunging itself into the target, as a piece of flesh (and bone?) is ripped out of him.

Take into account the considerations one must take for a single-shot kill: gravity, distance, wind, background noise, elevation, etc. Not to mention to carefully protect the flanks/rear of your shooting position with tripwire grenades for instance, as you work alone.

Relocation is very important too: a few shots from one place and you need to move your ass fast to another spot. As said, the enemy AI is sometimes ruthlessly efficient and may just flank you sneakily when you think you're safe, deploying their own snipers to pick you off.

The tension that builds up when you get closer to your goal (for instance picking off an important officer, or destroying a convoy, or to give cover fire to an ally).

Sniper Elite is one of those games that seems so under appreciated. While it has some annoying slowish elements and some anti-climaxes, it's certainly a good game and the only one of its kind :)

[frogbeastegg]

Finished Shadow Hearts 22 hours, over two months. Nice game, but by the final hours I was sick to death of the judgement ring. It was a nice idea at the start, and through much of the game, but by the end I wanted to be able to painlessly spam my characters' attacks a la nearly every other console RPG out there, rather than having to focus carefully on what was happening and time my button presses to the sweaps of the ring. It was a new kind of monotonous, and one whiuch couldn't be mitigated by my favourite tactic of reading a book while spamming attacks, and only checking the screen now and then to see if I need to heal yet. It's going to be a long time before I start the sequel; I don't want to see another judgement ring for a very long time.

Next up is Shadow of the Colossus. I need a short little game to play between now and Okami's UK launch, so starting 60 hours of Baten Kaitos or something wouldn't be sane. The game's had much adoration on this forum (waves to Fragony ), and when I found a mint condition copy of the special collector's edition staring me in the face for less than the price most places are charging for the standard edition it seemed like a hint. Not sure what I'll make of it. On the one hand I like games which try to be different, on the other I'm a frog who has never liked boss battles.

[Xiahou]

What are you playing?
That's a tough question to answer for me.

For the past few days, I haven't been playing anything. But ever since I got my Wii, what games I do play have been almost exclusively of the console variety. I also finally picked up a PS2 and a couple games. But, from there, I've been spreading my time around pretty evenly. Wii Sports is still a favorite and of course, I'm still advancing however slowly thru the excellent Tomorrow's Princess, then there's Excite Truck and Red Steel. On the PS2 side, I'm playing alot of Dynasty Warriors V. I'd say those games by far make up the bulk of my playing, but it's by no means exclusive.

Right now, I feel the urge to beat the crap out some anonymous Mii- so I think it's off to Wii boxing.

[Geoffrey S]

On the PC, every three weeks for the next few months, short spurts of my Epirus EB 0.8 campaign. On my little laptop in Leiden, just finished Secret of Monkey Island and have just started LeChuck's Revenge. Been ages since I played them, and they're still just as great as always; even better really, since I probably didn't get half the jokes ten years ago.

[Kekvit Irae]

Shadow of the Colossus = pure luv

No leveling up. No new weapons. No random encounters. No enemies except the bosses...
You would think it would be an extremely boring game, but it's just the opposite! But it has replay value too because of unlockables.

[Bijo]

Company of Heroes.


Very enjoyable game, and arguably a well-produced one too. Intense, and fast, maybe too fast. Ever since I started playing TW at some point I got off the fast clicking and hectic chaotic RTS style of C&C (though I'll probably still get the new one when it comes out).

This game has too much micromanaging: when I have two squads and the enemy one and I use one to pin them down I then send the other at their flank I expect them to use their grenades automatically (regardless of maneuvering); it's too fast and rushed (while you're building you must command battles too); etc. Basically it should be less fast overall, and those special abilities must be used automatically if it fits the situations. And units should respond more properly to their surroundings: an MG crew I deployed to cover a zone should redeploy automatically if enemies are outside their current zone.

Been looking for some mods, but haven't really found any that take care of speed and realism exactly how I'd like it. It's stupid how units fighting up-close don't die fast or how they don't engage in melee, though on the other hand it gives you time to respond with the game's chaotic nature.

They should really make more strategy/tactical games with this engine. I wouldn't even care if they'd kept reusing it, as long as they make good games therewith.

[The Spartan (Returns)]

M2 English camp. on H/H
Oblivion ocasionally
at friend's house play:
FEAR trying too hard to scare me ha!
Gears of War, the counter-Halo
Fight Night Round 3
some Hitman Blood Money

[GoreBag]

Doom II. There was once a time where I didn't go a day without playing this game, and I don't know why I ever stopped this habit.

[Justiciar]

I'm currently playing;

Icewind Dale II
Mark of Chaos
Call of Cthulhu
Call of Duty 3

[caravel]

Mechwarrior 4 You get to pilot around in a walking tank carrying more implements of destruction than you can shake a stick at turning other walking tanks into molten slag.

That was the last Battletech game for me, ever. The poor excuse for a plot, combined with the iffy FMVs and annoying gameplay really did it. In terms of physics, controls and game balance it was better than MW3 which was a poor effort. Neither is a patch on MW2 though of course, especially the 3dfx Interactive Edition that i got with my first Voodoo 1 4MB card. There is something about that game that is far better than the later releases: Ambience...

[Sigurd]

Alright...
I just installed a new game on my laptop.
Europa Univeralis III

My first experience with this series.
Simple but OK graphic, lots of intrigue and diplomacy.
I like the feature of getting your enemy to annex land to you as a price of peace compared to the TW variant (what you take is what you get).

Vassalage is also a great feature I didn’t find useful until I was attacked by several nations at once (being France I found myself waging war on 3 front lines) and my vassals/Allies took completely care of 1 of my front lines.

Also noticed that this is not a fast pace game and you are in danger of spending too much time in front of your screen.

[naut]

Bought Battle For Middle Earth 2, personally I think it's terrible. Incredibly tedious, buggy and overall boring. Will be returning it from whence it came.

[Lorenzo_H]

Great pun rythmic...

I forgot to mention that I also play Battlefield 2.

[Kekvit Irae]

I'm currently enjoying The Movies for the PC. It's a quirky, fun version of Sims 2.

[doc_bean]

I'm currently enjoying The Movies for the PC. It's a quirky, fun version of Sims 2.

Ah yes, I quite liked it, too bad about the shortage of wannabe actors, seems so unrealisitc

[Lorenzo_H]

Hey I just found out that my dad ordered (for my use) Flight Simulator X...

Does anyone have it? Verdict?

[Husar]

Hey I just found out that my dad ordered (for my use) Flight Simulator X...

It's really bad, I can give you my adress and you can send it to me, ok?

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcW3hbnR2EI

Now is probably a good time to show the souls who are planning to buy FSX the light.

[Caius]

Im playing C&C renegade on MP

[Husar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcW3hbnR2EI

Now is probably a good time to show the souls who are planning to buy FSX the light.

A bit old, but a good one.

[Sensei Warrior]

That was the last Battletech game for me, ever. The poor excuse for a plot, combined with the iffy FMVs and annoying gameplay really did it. In terms of physics, controls and game balance it was better than MW3 which was a poor effort. Neither is a patch on MW2 though of course, especially the 3dfx Interactive Edition that i got with my first Voodoo 1 4MB card. There is something about that game that is far better than the later releases: Ambience...

There was a plot? MW4 the only one I own, and I use it purely for wanton destruction purposes. Of course it is being phased out in leiu of a much more efficient stress-relief game, "Shadow of Rome".

[Kekvit Irae]

MW4 did, indeed, have a plot, which ties into the BattleTech universe. Unfortunately, it was marred by bad acting. MW4: Mercenaries was VASTLY superior to MW4 in every way. No lame Live Action videos, and an open-ended game. Plus I love how you can take a Jade Falcon Nova Commander as a bondsman. Much love to the Clanners.

[Sensei Warrior]

MW4 did, indeed, have a plot, which ties into the BattleTech universe. Unfortunately, it was marred by bad acting. MW4: Mercenaries was VASTLY superior to MW4 in every way. No lame Live Action videos, and an open-ended game. Plus I love how you can take a Jade Falcon Nova Commander as a bondsman. Much love to the Clanners.

My most sincere apologies, I certainly meant no offense. I don't own any of the rest of the MW games and have never played the paper(?) RPG from FASA (or are they Wizards of the Coast now?) which the story came from. I do agree on the terrible acting. I cringe during parts of it. Now I just fast forward through it.

I almost picked up Mercenaries a year or so ago, it is worth getting? I did have a go with an old copy of Black Knight(?) expansion and frankly couldn't make it past the first mission. I should add worth getting in the play value sense of the word, not the it probably only costs $5.

[Husar]

MW4 did, indeed, have a plot, which ties into the BattleTech universe. Unfortunately, it was marred by bad acting. MW4: Mercenaries was VASTLY superior to MW4 in every way. No lame Live Action videos, and an open-ended game. Plus I love how you can take a Jade Falcon Nova Commander as a bondsman. Much love to the Clanners.

Well, I really, really liked the intro of MW4. The acting may have not been the best but the animations of the mechs and fighting scenes I really liked.
It was one of the things which made me anticipate the MechWarrior movie that was planned at some point. I think it got dumped though.

[Kekvit Irae]

Mercenaries is definately worth a pick up. It relies now more on the monetary gains of battle, which makes headshots all the more worthwhile (especially when you get a headshot on a Dire Wolf or a Timber Wolf, because (obviously) Clan mechs are superior to IS mechs. It also places more emphasis on a more diverse range of teammates.
And you dont even have to win the game. You can play unlimited battles in the Arena to rack up points in various weight classes.

There are even optional paths you can take, such as...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Dishonorably raid a Jade Falcon commander's battle group at night, engaging in FAR less enemies than you would normally, but with little salvage and not much to walk away with but your life.
OR...
Honorably face the same commander the day afterwards, meaning you will be completely overwhelmed by superior forces (including a few Dire Wolves), but you will walk away with great salvage AND the Jade Falcon commander as a teammate. And trust me, she's worth it.

EDIT: And don't forget to look for the Mech Packs. They were "expansions" to the MW4 games that included five Mechs in each of them. One pack for the Inner Sphere, one for the Clans. They are rare nowadays and you will most likely only find them on ebay, but they are worth it. They can be used in either MW4 or Mercenaries.

[naut]

Great pun rythmic...

Thank you.

I thought I'd complain more, AoE III, improvements are non-existent and it is too fantasy.