The Gamer Thread Vol. 5 (General Gaming News & Discussion)

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

He learned that from William Shatner, naturally.

Update on reinstalling games: just finished reinstalling Destiny 2. It took around 2.5 hours, and I don't have the Forsaken content, so I can only imagine what I'll be walking into when I load it up later tonight or maybe tomorrow.

As for the other games:

Division 1: I really need to clear out my inventory of all the shit I will never, ever use. I've got near-/god-rolled stuff in there and other useful toys, but a lot of other stuff I will simply never touch and the rest is just there wasting space, be it for collecting or because I never got around to deleting it earlier.

The current global event, Blackout, started earlier today and ends next Monday, giving me plenty of time to earn the last mask I need. There are some other commendations I might knock out in some other events when they roll around, but otherwise I'll be grinding Dark Zone extractions (currently at 488 of 1,500 needed). I popped in the DZ and spent a short while failing to kill rogues, who were having a murder orgy all over the damn place, and in decent numbers. I'm not going to care if the loot is any good, I've got too much in that game as it is, so anything I pull out that isn't immediately setting my brain on fire is being dismantled to make way for the next wave of extracts.

Destiny 1: it's almost saddening (in both a good and a bad way) how easily my reflexes for this game came back. Division 1 felt slow and awkward, but this felt crisp and smooth in comparison. Old tricks and farming areas for bounties and weapon testing for the Gunsmith came back so naturally to me, and when an open-world boss was summoned, I instinctively opened my inventory to try and remember which special item to active to increase my chances of getting an exotic. There are still things I want to do in this game, I never did beat King's Fall on hard and I am missing armor sets that I would like from more than one raid/activity, and I still need to complete the Outbreak Prime weapon quest and also get the fucking Vex Mythoclast and other things. I keep seeing low-level (below 10) Guardians as I play, and that feels amazing and comforting that any number of new players are still coming into this incredible setting. I can only hope that some of the old things that originally didn't make the jump into Destiny 2 (sparrow horns, among others) are now in it when I fire that up. We'll see.

Both of the above: took some screenshots of my characters and a handful of other things, will keep snapping photos to preserve memories during the week and weekend.

Destiny 2 update later tonight or tomorrow.

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

Division 1 --- Got the last mask I needed on my second try, and I'm going to try for some other commendations while I have a chance. That'll probably take up a portion of my weekend.

Destiny 2 --- The game is unrecognizable. In the ~18 months that I've stopped playing, the content has advanced significantly (light level is now over 600, character level cap is 50), and just navigating the UI is an adventure. I was in the game for not even 5 minutes when an old buddy hit me up, surprised I was back, and I hopped into chat with him and a third friend. We caught up and now apparently I will need to purchase the Shadowkeep expansion in October or sometime thereafter (it should include the Forsaken content so I won't need both).

The game is turning heavy into the "Fortnite seasonal craze" and it has moved from its year-based formula of old into something more en vogue. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this right now. I'm going to do what I can with some quests for now, but otherwise I'm just going to have to wait until I have the spare money to get the revamp (it isn't just an expansion, their redesigning their core elements as well).

But god it was great talking to my buddies again. They missed me and said how often they had wished for a third guy for missions. Those guys are wonderful.

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

The ONLY copy of Bill & Ted (NES) signed by Bill & Ted

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

So since launch, Destiny 2 had a crippling problem with stacking consumable items. Be they gear mods or shaders, you could amass a shitload of these things and if you wanted to delete them, it took fucking forever because even though holding down the button and letting the dismantle bar fill up only took a moment, it couldn't be done instantly (I'm still very disappointed that shaders are single-use, it's beyond fucking stupid and I hope the forthcoming expansion changes it back to what Destiny 1 had).

Now however, consumables can be instantly deleted by just pressing a button. You still have to burn them one at a time, but it's much faster now. This is a massive improvement.

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

AVGN: Chex Quest (PC)


I never thought I'd actually not hate a cash-in product from the '90s. But that Brutal Doom mod makes the game go from surprisingly good to insanely awesome.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

AVGN: Chex Quest (PC)


I never thought I'd actually not hate a cash-in product from the '90s. But that Brutal Doom mod makes the game go from surprisingly good to insanely awesome.

That episode proved to me that the AVGN format could still work for non-crappy games.

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

So apparently I missed the opportunity to gain rare and very pretty armor by not doing a limited-time mission that closed early this morning in Destiny 2. Iron Banner is back and I actually want a couple things from it (I'm probably going to be destroyed attempting to play 20 levels below the current cap, but maybe I'll get lucky and there'll be level brackets or something so I won't do so horribly).

I'm mostly trying to complete some of the numerous triumphs I do have access to, because I'm pretty sure that Bungie will shutter those achievements once the next expansion launches and any trinkets I want will be sealed away forever.

As for Division 1, I managed to get Flawless Russian Consulate but my attempts at doing the same for Queens Tunnel Camp failed repeatedly (partners in two separate attempts went down, voiding the entire effort). Since the global event is over now that means I have to do it the normal way.

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

In Destiny 2's Iron Banner, the only thing funnier than seeing a player 20 levels weaker than you is the 2-6 points of damage he tickles you with.

I have no chance in hell of winning in a straight fight against anybody, no matter how terrible they are. I do put up a surprisingly decent fight at times, especially if my opponent decides to cover-shoot at me from distance in case I'm someone more powerful than I am, but it always ends with me pushing up daisies. I am very slowly making progress both in general Crucible tasks and in Iron Banner, but ranking up the latter to get what I want is either very difficult or outright impossible, so I guess I'll have to just take pics for my photo gallery and sigh wistfully at them down the road.

But the great news is that I'm laughing a lot while playing. Maybe it's because I know I'm doomed and that makes me not care at all? I dunno, but at least I'm actually having fun.

[Parrylakks Neko Samurai Find all posts View Profile Close Parrylakks]

If you're confident in your range game, I would recommend doing a forge frame run to get the Tatara Gaze sniper rifle. Even even at 720-30, you'll be able to one shot 750's with a bullet to head, and two shot them elsewhere. I'd argue that it's the best non-exotic sniper rifle in the game, and I actually think it's better than the exotic ones I have. Only Izanami's Burden seems better, but that's such a pain to get that I'll probably never bother with it (I got to the raid step, and just gave up).

Aside from that, if you can get a 720+ Bygones or Go Figure with the Headseeker perk, it'll only take you one more burst than normal (at most) to drop a max light player. If you have good enough recoil control, the Vigilance Wing would also be good, but with a 5 round burst, it can be unwieldy at times.

Just some advice for Iron Banner battles. I'm at 750, and regularly get killed by 710-30's in there. I'm only ever surprised when they're below 700, but even then, certain guns make me shrug it off.

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

None of that will ever, ever happen. I don't have the current content, so I can't rise more than the light level cap from end of Warmind, whatever that limit was over a year ago. I'm also a pretty shitty sniper.

Oddly enough, I've gotten current-design armor and weapons but without owning Forsaken. I mean, cool and all, but I can't say I expected the free shit.

[Parrylakks Neko Samurai Find all posts View Profile Close Parrylakks]

OH, so when you say 20 levels weaker, you mean actual levels, not light levels... Yeesh. And Warmind capped light at like 350, didn't it? Ouch. Yeah, no, I can't imagine you'd do much in Iron Banner, even with Supers. Sorry, I didn't go back to read everything you said about Destiny before advising.

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

I think Warmind capped Light at 375, I dunno. I was 360 when I quit ages ago, and gone up very slightly since coming back.

Doesn't matter. I can't get the wolf emblem from Iron Banner since it requires getting 15 rank-up packages, which will be fucking impossible, so I guess I'll hope to get one of the sexier Valor ones Shaxx is offering (the purple one, because the other you are supposed to "purchase" from him doesn't seem to be for sale unless I'm missing something).

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

Update: I might actually get the wolf emblem, since it should require 300 IB tokens (15 rank-up packages claimed) and I have ~245 right now with two IB bounties almost done. If I play the rest of this evening and tomorrow evening a bunch, I should be able to claim the damn thing and hopefully get the current Iron Truage armor set.

More astonishly, I have reached Mythic II rank for Valor solely playing Iron Banner, and may actually be able to reset my rank soon. Hopefully doing that grants me the Valor emblem I mentioned previously, since allegedly that's how you "purchase" it.

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

Hit Legend rank, but I need to max out the points, so several more matches of Iron Banner tomorrow (assuming the reset is Tuesday still) and then I can clear that hurdle.

I still think I'll get Shadowkeep, but the more I consider it, it makes me wonder if I do need to separately buy Forsaken or if that'll be included in the newest version. Gonna have to be sure about that so I don't waste money.

[Parrylakks Neko Samurai Find all posts View Profile Close Parrylakks]

Looking at what's available on the PSN store (I don't know what system you're playing on, so I figured I should be specific) there is the basic Shadowkeep and a Digital Deluxe Shadowkeep available, neither of which come with Forsaken or its annual pass. There is, however, a Forsaken Complete Collection on sale for just $39.99 that comes with everything thus far released, so what you have plus Forsaken and its annual pass (which unlocks the Black Armory forges, the Drifter missions, and the current Calus stuff).

I'd say it's worth it at that price, since you don't get it with Shadowkeep, though it's worth noting that Shadowkeep says you don't need Forsaken to play it. Forsaken is the best Destiny has been in terms of storyline, though, so I'd highly recommend it. The first mission and its FMVs with Cayde alone are some of the best stuff any FPS has had to offer in a long time, imo. But yeah, it's up to you.

You'd have a little over a month to burn through it all before Shadowkeep hits if you buy it here soon. If you do, and you're on PS4, let me know, and I'd be happy to help you run through it all when I have time (mostly just weekends, atm, but still).