John Caveson

How now does the brown cow?

 

Does she really sell the seashells by the seashore? or does she simply lend them?

 

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck is woodchuck could chuck would? Does the woodchuck contemplate its own existence when chucking that wood?

 

If the universe is so big, why won't it fight me?

 

Why does the chicken cross the road? what's forcing him to cross? Does he need to cross right now? or can it wait?

 

Here you go corv. enjoy.

 

Trolling aside though, 5000 threads? That's quite the number. How long have we been here? I still remember bigSPUF. I miss those days. I wonder how many people still post, or at least lurk here these days. I never put much thought into that actually. I also just noticed that this is post # 254100. Would you look at that? Nice round numbers.

27 minutes ago, Gyokuyoutama said:

It's literally being done by the same people who did the Star Wars Battlefront collections.

Aspyr? Well, that explains it.

7 hours ago, Gyokuyoutama said:

They are finally getting around to making an "enhanced" edition of Neverwinter Nights 2.

 

As far as I can tell the features are:

• Enhanced textures (though they look the same to me in screenshots)
• New camera controls
• Controller support (just what I always needed in a menu-heavy CRPG)
• Around 30-40 GB increased file size
• $10 higher pricetag

So a pretty standard "remaster."

I'm getting Star Wars Battlefront Collection flashbacks.

Friendly PSA: Virtual eThots are still Thots, thus will engage in Thottery, as per the immutable laws of the universe. Doesn't matter what "face" actually appears on the camera. Unfortunately, this also means, thanks to generally being hot, they will be surrounded by eSimps and irlSimps to enable their Thottery and prop up their careers. And in this particular case, being partial owner to a relatively successful energy drink brand also helps with income.

I really like the Steam Networking thing. Now, you don't have to go through the trouble of port forwarding or paying whatever a month for a server that will never be used without concerted effort. If my friends and I want to play a private match on our own server, I just boot up a private game and invite. Add in some bots to fill space, add a password if you're worried about nefarious actors, then boom! you got a game. It's like a LAN game without the hassle of moving equipment around and actually getting people together, which is a hassle, especially for a game like TF2 which requires a minimum of 12 people to get a proper game going. I'm honestly surprised Valve didn't add simple peer-to-peer connections earlier, considering the Xbox 360 version does that with its matchmaking.

 

The main downside with peer-to-peer is that whoever hosts the game has ping advantage compared to everyone else, which can be exacerbated if the host has a weak machine/bad internet. Additionally, dedicated server mods and plugins might be harder to use since the server shuts down if the host leaves. The work needed to implement/maintain them might not be worth it. This also means having dedicated moderators and admins aren't really possible, and I doubt it would be an acceptable method for competitive use beyond a casual PUG. But if you want a quick vanilla game with friends to play custom and v-script maps on, farm certain achievements that aren't possible to manipulate the bots for, and generally screw around in, it's a very convenient solution.

 

One interesting bug that happened is getting kicked from my own server after trying to force a map change, which then resulted in me not being able to use the "Find a Game" button to bring up the server browser, casual or even offline practice. It resolved after the random that joined my game timed out. I think me leaving the server in that manner crashed it and I just couldn't join another game until my server shut down. So there's definitely some kinks to iron out.

 

3 hours ago, Gyokuyoutama said:

I don't think it's anything to worry about.

Well, now what?

And because of it the Sniper is the only class that doesn't have any of his Meet video music in the main menu. You can tell they learned their lesson with Pyro by having the music pre-copyright awkwardly transition into post-copyright and just slapped that on as a separate score on the OST.

A good start to fix Hightower is to implement the non-Halloween-related changes that Helltower has. Namely the extra lower spawn door and removing the progress loss status of the Big Ramp would make pushing the cart so much more viable.

4 hours ago, A 1970 Corvette said:

I recently finished up the contract for hightower and it made me want to commit sudoku (I am a reformed 24/7 tdm hightower player)

 

It doesn't help when you have the shitters that try to kick you for capping cuz "Hurr durr y u cap feget!?" Well excuse me for actually trying to do the objective and completing my contracts. It's not like there's plenty 24/7 Hightower servers for you to dick around in. Also who cares if the match ends? Hightower will just be immediately voted for again anyway and we'll be back to square one. Cool your jets man. /rant

Same. It really is a shame TC never got any traction after launch. What's even more crazy is that I don't remember any notable community TC maps that popped up to salvage the mode. After Valve released Payload and King of the Hill, everyone seemed to just give up. I was just outright surprised they bothered to add it to Casual. Not even Arena got that second chance. But after two weeks or so it was dead again.

 

It sucks since Hydro is the only official map, it's hard to know whether the problems with TC is because just Hydro itself is bad and has not aged well, or the gamemode just fundamentally doesn't work for TF2's gameplay, like VIP or Arena.

 

45 minutes ago, Rynjin said:

I will never understand how the game mode was THAT unpopular.

From I understand rounds were either over in 30 seconds, or constant sudden death stalemates. And Hydro, being the only map, didn't have the merit of Dustbowl or 2Fort where they could be enjoyed as a DM map. So people just wrote it off. And I think making a good TC map is a lot more complicated and big compared to the tried and true Payload or KOTH map.

5 hours ago, hugthebed2 said:

Worst points to push in (some) payload maps (trying to avoid the bias towards last)

Badwater: 3rd (takes way too long to walk there and at least you can theoretically avoid the awful sniper sightline on second by going through the tunnel [no one does])

I would argue 1st is actually worst. I've had many a round on either side ending in 5 minutes because of the gauntlet of 1st. Red has immediate high ground to just spam spawn. If you somehow get past that, then there's the army of sentries perched in the backline. Pushing the cart itself is a breeze until you get past the tunnel, then it's a slog for inches at a time.

 

2nd can also be bad, but that depends on how well the breakthrough (it it even happens) on 1st goes. Total RED wipe? 2nd is essentially free which gives more momentum to 3rd. Which I would agree with can be a strong hold as RED rallies. Teleporters are essential to have any chance. Badwater I think has one the easiest Last points to push, mainly because the shoe's on the other foot now and BLU has all the high ground.

 

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Upward: 2nd (there's no good route to deal with battlements snipers without running into the pocketed pub stomper, also sick of seeing my teammates die to kunai drop stabs at the cave entrance)

Aside from last, yeah, good pick. Because once 2nd is capped, 3rd is usually free since it's hard for RED to entrench themselves close enough to the cart to stop it.

 

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Barnblitz: Last is the culmination of shit so I really can't pick anything else. Takes forever to get there, red spies should repeatedly sap blu teles, left stairs entrance is death to spam, main is death to sniper, and locker room is unviable without a medic. Get past them? Too bad: 3 wranglers at varying heights so its impossible to take them all out without insane coordination.

Certified Barblitz Last moment

 

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Snowycoast: 2nd is just slightly more bad than last but last is rough too. The map is kinda carried by aesthetic. Most classes feel good but spy gets so shafted with a lack of decent unspammed flanks.

Both 1st and 2nd can be a bit of a slog, otherwise, I think Snowycoast is fine.

 

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Frontier: 2nd is the worst. Blu's short respawn times on this map just make me want to run sticky jumper only to avoid sniper stuff. Fuck those solid railings on the 2nd point that block bullets/projectiles.

Agreed. Frontier overall is ass. Cool/unique cart mechanic, but I just don't like the map.

 

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Borneo: Pretty balanced map, you can usually tell if you'll lose by the 1st cap though. 2nd is the worst but not by much.

Agreed.

 

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Phoenix: Another mostly balanced map of "annoyance" but probably last. The roofs being walkable really incentivizes soldier but everyone on both teams has to compete with a singular medium health kit often. The Dragon's fury bug where it cant deal damage around the entire elevator lift is a major nuisance as it ruins the ability to use it into the sentries/snipers with thermal thruster. Shoutout to backburner thruster on defense being actually overpowered on last since there's no good sentry or heavy spots for blu to deny you.

No comment, haven't played it.

 

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Pier: 2nd's mandatory long loop is so boring and I'm so sick of blu having good momentum through 1st but no one pushes the cart and the momentum dies after a bit leading to a loss. 

Yeah, I really don't like the loop either. Other than 2nd Pier can be fun. I still have fond memories of it on FastCo. when it used to be just a community map pre-Casual.

 

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Swiftwater: 2nd is so flowcharty it's insane (snipers in a myriad of untouchable spots, scouts and soldiers holding the upper flank). I really ought to gunspy on that point more to deal with snipers. Side note but I hate that 3rd has such a long trek through no mans land and no one uses the far right flank since it's an even further walk. I guess that makes 3rd suck too but once you're there it has enough entrances to be interesting.

It reminds me of 1st and 2nd on Badwater, in where depending on how bad RED wipes when BLU finally takes it will determine how free the next point is. 1st and 4th are definitely free though I find.

 

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Odyssey: Surprisingly the only map where 1st is the worst. Feels like 65% of holds are on first. I have no idea what my team is doing on blu when playing this map that prevents us from destroying their nests.

Haven't played it. No comment.

 

1 hour ago, Moby said:

Usually happens because BLU has 3 engineers set up near the hole entrance, 3 snipers trying to countersniper RED's and all the power classes going alone and get instantly killed by the 2 Level 3 sentries on that small porch just above the entrance.

 

My main problem with Thunder Mountain is that its "whoops, all snipers". Specially the 3rd stage with the spiral track where both teams have to go Demo/Soldier.

 

I'd say its my most hated map, along Hightower, Turbine and Junction.

I agree, I want to have whatever Valve was smoking when designing it. At least in the case of Hightower and Turbine, they can be fun fuck around DM maps. Thunder Mountain is just straight up bad.

 

However, being a Spy main, I can't complain too much. It can be quite the playground after all.

That image basically sums up the reveal trailer for me. Like I never payed attention to all the leaks that are apparently true now, and I'm just....meh about it. Ever since the Steam Deck and other PC handhelds have come out, my Switch time has dramatically reduced. There's just no point in playing 3rd party on it unless it's some novel port like the Wii version of Force Unleashed or something. The novelty of on-the-go AAA gaming is no longer exclusively there, and I wouldn't have a Switch at all if it weren't for the 1st party line up. Especially considering their frustrating, archaic business practices and their Disney-esque stances towards emulation and fan projects. Their exclusives are the only thing Nintendo has going for them as far as I am concerned.

 

The main thing going for the 2witch* right now for me is the Xbox Series-like backwards compatibility, where the only OG Switch games not able to be played will ones that heavily utilize some obscure feature that no one really used, like the IR sensor or Labo, similar to how the Series can't play Xbox One's Kinect games, but otherwise, everything else is fair game. Now I don't have to abandon/re-buy my entire library just to play one or two exclusives. Though, like the Series, this simultaneously reduces the FOMO, but it also means I'm really am in no rush to grab one. I'm also worried it might lead to the current PS5/Series problem of 3rd parties releasing ports for both systems due to the super high install base of the current Switch, thus giving off the feeling this next generation not really "starting" with another extended cross-gen period.

 

My next concern is, of course, the Nintendo exclusives themselves. Like how is Nintendo going to top themselves this time around? How is the next Mario Kart going to top 8 Deluxe with the booster pass? How are they going to top Smash Ultimate, Mario Odyssey, Wonder, Luigi's Mansion 3, Metroid Dread, etc.? Because to me, these seem like the "definitive/peak" iterations of their respective franchises where Nintendo just went all out with their ideas. Like where do we go from here? Anything other than a major re-haul in mechanics/gimmicks for potential sequels would just pale in comparison.

 

Now, keep in mind, this is all just surface-level, knee-jerk reactions and concerns I have now that we officially know it really was just "the Switch, but again and bigger and more powerful! Hooray! " I'm just like....whatever about it, really. But that's just me. Barring any curve-balls in the upcoming direct in April, I'm probably just gonna outright pass on this one. I really don't need it. Who knows, I might get the mid-gen OLED refresh to store away just in case my OG Switch dies on me, like what happened with my Xbone. But that's years away.

 

But as of right now, I predict the 2witch will be the SNES to the Switch's NES in terms of sales numbers. Definitely successful, but Nintendo is not going to re-capture the lighting-in-the-bottle that was the Switch, and they're crazy if they think they can/should.

 

*P.S. I hereby mint and coin the term "2witch". Anyone who uses it will now have to pay me royalties in the form of TF2 hats, thank you.

On 9/16/2014 at 6:20 AM, Binary said:

Spoiler

 

 

They definitely tried their best to tie up all the loose ends.

 

I think after all this time, I think both Valve and the community are just relieved to have the closure. Not just for the lore, but even the game itself. I mean really, what is there left to do for the game realistically given Valve's current lack of interest? The bots are mostly gone, vscript and 64-bit has revolutionized the modding scene, and the final comic is out....The only thing I can possibly think of is the Heavy update and even then, if Valve just stopped updates altogether I'd be fine with it. We could argue endlessly about this weapon needs a buff or nerf,  or that Casual needs this feature or remove that and so forth. But at the end of the day, the game is 17 years old and has gotten more support than most games could ever dream of.

 

It's time for Valve to move on and I think the comic was their way of saying that they are. Now to be clear, I don't think the game won't still get maintenance. I think the way they have been doing updates post-Jungle Inferno with the whole yearly seasonal community content is what to expect at most for the foreseeable future. And you know what? I'm alright with it.

1 hour ago, Moby said:

 

 

55 minutes ago, FreshHalibut said:

Dead Rising 1 (original) works great, 60fps with full controller support. This version came in out 2016 actually. It was never on PC before that weirdly enough.

 

This aligns with an Xbox One port release, so it's probably one of those situations where they were making a modernized console port while also taking advantage of a re-launch on PC because money.

1 hour ago, Gyokuyoutama said:

What's weirded me out about Steam recently is the people saying "Now we can finally play Doom 1 and 2!" despite it being trivial to do that for decades.

 

I mean, I get that the port has some nifty features, and since I got it for free on GOG I might check it out.  But people act like this is the equivalent of finally being able to play it after the games were unavailable since 1994.

Yeah. I view it the same way as a I did Aspyr's Battlefront Collection. It's more of a port for modern consoles rather than Steam. Bringing modern controller support and optimizations, new online servers, and other improvements like splitscreen. So for example, if you want to play Doom I or II on a modern Xbox with M & K support, well now you can with this port.

 

PC players won't really need this port because they have the originals to fall back on. However, unlike Aspyr, iD has delisted the standalone Doom II port. You can no longer buy Doom II separately anymore. It is a forced update. They did the same thing only 5 years ago when they consolidated Master Levels and Final Doom into their respective bases. The bright side is you can enter the old version through the Beta tab in properties. Additionally you get for free if you already own Doom I. But if you wanted only the original versions separate, you can no longer do that. So preservationists will have some rustled jimmies for sure.

 

 

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Did streaming break people's minds to the point where if something wasn't released in the last year, they don't think it exists?

"Stop asking questions! Just consume product! Then get excited for new product!" - Red Letter Media

Man, looking through that Yahoo! history is sobering. You can clearly see the point where the Web Directory, you know, the main way to search for useful information in a search engine is just pushed to its own little box at the bottom to make way for more advertisements and social media features. That year was 2004. It's completely gone by '09. Then they go completely hog wild and butcher the format for mobile phone users by 2017.

 

I swear, smartphones, social media and the web going mainstream in general were mistakes. I hate the Internet now.

Every time man, every time.

Well, looks like Microsoft is having a clear-out sale of Xbox 360 games and DLC before the store closes. I honestly, truly didn't think they would actually bother doing it. I thought they would just pull a Nintendo and just keep prices as they are until the end. Considering all of their braindead ideas and decisions as of late, it wouldn't surprise me. But color me pleasantly proven wrong this time. This first of three waves of sales contains 66 games, with reductions ranging from 50% all the way to 90%. The second wave will be on June 18th, and the last wave on July 16th, just two weeks before closure.

 

The full list of the first wave can be found here.

 

I would also highly recommend watching the following video that will provide additional info such as price, physical availability, platform availability, and even whether or not the 360 port is worth it compared to other platforms. For example: Trials Fusion has a port on Steam that is utterly bogged down with always online DRM that the 360 port does not need. So, it would actually be prudent to grab it while you can on the 360 otherwise your only choice would be the crappy PC port or emulation, which for the 360 is not nearly up to par quite yet.

 

 

But was it like Halo 2 & 3 combined though?

https://www.teamfortress.com/post.php?id=220436

What do you think objectively is the Golden Age of TF2, and what is your personal Golden Age with your time with the game?

To be a little fair, this year has been rather scarce in terms of actual good games, at least on the PC/Steam side of gaming. Combine that with normie's aversion to anything other than overhyped, AAA, corporatized, DRM-ridden slop, so they have no frame of reference for what actual quality looks like, and so just vote for what's popular opinion. So you get this.

 

Labor of Love should have gone to Lethal Company. It was made by one dude after all. Runner up would be DRG.

3 hours ago, TheOnlyGuyEver said:

 

I recently picked up a pretty little CRT for cheap. Thing's in great shape and had a good owner.

Brooooo! This looks almost exactly like mine. Though mine is is a 9-incher, while that's more like ~14 inches. It's also an Emerson brand, not Magnavox.

 

Aside from that, however, everything looks the same:

 

- Same color

- The buttons look all the same

- The RCA port is in the same position, same goes for the headphone port and infrared sensor

- Built-in DVD player

- Same looking speakers

 

I randomly found it my dad's closest one day, still in perfect condition. He said I could have it. I still have fond memories of taking that thing with us up to Lake Tahoe and watch movies every night before bed. In fact, it was at Tahoe where we used the included antenna and watched the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. I also remember playing my Gamecube and watching my brother play the first Gears of War when we first got the 360. So, upon re-discovering this thing, I've been kind of on a nostalgia trip. It's just so eerie you stumbled upon one that looks so similar to mine. It's kinda spooking me a bit.

On 7/8/2023 at 4:05 AM, John Caveson said:

And with 2nd Encore slated to release on One/Series sometime this year, I wouldn't be surprised they remember the 360 version exists and delist it. Best case scenario is that they only delist the Xbox store version and forget the marketplace listing so the whole "license carryover" loophole works and you can still buy it. So if you want to get the more "pure" version, you might want to get it while you still can.

Thinking ahead wins again.

 

As I was browsing the Xbox store I curiously checked to see if Skullgirls was still up and noticed it was "Not Currently Available for Purchase". To confirm it was delisted, I booted up my 360 and went to the S section of the marketplace, and, sure enough, completely missing. Went online to search for news of the delisting, and this was all that I could find really. This was like 3 days after the delisting when I noticed it gone. It was pretty surreal.

 

While on the topic, I wake up and find this in my recommended. It's a bit of a watch, just a warning, but it's pretty eye-opening on this never-ending drama train.

 

 

Valve really just pulled an Overwatch 2 on us, didn't they?

 

On the other hand, maybe if they ever decide to port TF2 to Source 2, that's how we'll get Team Fortress 3.