OT: You Know I Hate

[AgentZero]

I have to say, most of the games out there these days fall seriously short in the reply value department. I absolutely loved KOTOR (aside from the space battles, those were just a pain!), and it took me about 6 weeks to get through the whole thing (keeping in mind I don't have a lot of time for gaming these days). A couple days after I finished it, I loaded up a new game as a different character class and started playing again. I barely made it through the introductory sequence before switching off to do something else. There just wasn't any desire there to keep going.
Now take a game like Baldur's Gate II. I must have played that one through a dozen times as various character classes, because the game is actually different depending on what kind of character you play. Add the fact that the game was so massive there was just so much to do that you're bound to miss half of it your first time through, making each replay a fresh experience.
A lot of the problem with many games is that reviewers tend to praise games that take a large number of hours to complete, while reacting negatively to games that can be finished quickly. Which is fair, since if I'm shelling out money for a game, I want as much value for money as I can get. The problem arises in that many developers, instead of making large, rich, intriguing worlds that we can spend hours exploring, just make their games really, really hard, therefore you will spend a long time getting through them for the simple fact that you'll die so much.
Which is not fun. I think something that developers need to realize is that they make computer GAMES and the deffinition of a game, according to the dictionary is "An activity providing entertainment or amusement" (italics mine). ie: Fun.
Dying 20 times trying to complete a level is not fun. Heck, playing the same level 20 times for any reason, is not fun. Frankly, I would rather play a game that I finish in 2 days that is fun and enjoyable than I would spending 20 days slogging through a game that is just pointlessly hard.

Oh, and Atrocities, if you're refering to the Freelancer level where you have to flee to a jumpgate with half a bloody fleet after you, the only way I managed it was by cheating.
Pop open the PerfOptions.ini file located in your Freelancer game folder and change the following line:
DIFFICULTY_SCALE = 1.00
to
DIFFICULTY_SCALE = 0.0
Which will make you invincible. The difficulty scale is basically what percentage of their normal power enemy weapons do to you, so 1.00 would be 100%, 0.50 would be 50% and so forth. I personally ended up putting it at 0.30 and found the game still challenging enough to be fun, without having the joy sucked out of it by being pointlessly hard or too easy.

[Col. Mustard]

Actually, I loved Freelancer. Had no trubble with it at all, and overall, give it a 10-out-of-10. If you want, I could tell you exactly what to do with that race level. (In dublin, or something. Beat it the first try.) Email me at karatekid88@bellsouth.net, and I can tell you you are surely doing something horribly wrong, cuz that game is awsome. Best mod-able game I've ever seen to. Far better as far as modability and mod selection then this game, and BF1942. (and in response to the cheater, I actually need difficulty mods to make it fun, or play Online. Wich is a bLast! Not sure whats wrong with you guys... but Freelancer is NOT hard. And no, he's talking about a different level.one where you actually race through gates against some dude.)

[Atrocities]

I am using a mod now. The mod made several improvements to the game thus far. I had to restart the game though. I hope to beat the hell out the guy when I get back to that level.

I know the cheat, I have not had to use it thankfully, but if I do, I will.

Also is there any way to bypass the cut scenes? My god they get old fast. The manual has nothing on it.

I also re-mapped my controls thus saving me a lot of head aces.

[Fyron]

Far better as far as modability...

That I find very, very hard to believe...

Far better as far as... mod selection then this game...

Seeing as SE4 is a niche game in a niche market, only sold Online, and has a very small Online community, I'd say that the selection of mods available is rather large...

[Randallw]

I don't mind hard games as long as it is possible to complete them. They are just a challenge. Leaving the PC, I used to play Wipeout2097 on my PS. I loved that game and played for ages trying to finish the Last track. I went away to work in England for most of a year and came back home. I played it 2 more times and managed to finish the Last track. I may not play it ever again but I take great satisfaction in knowing I finished every Last bit of it (and that I have almost expert hand-eye coordination ).

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Lemmings. Most games today can't get anywhere near that fun or zany.

[Alneyan]

I have to concur with Randwall, since I am doing exactly the same. The first time I played Kid Chaos was seven or eight years ago, and I have yet to finish that game. Grr. Most platformer games are easy, but that one managed to beat me. For now at least.

[Atrocities]

I have to say, that the mods for FL make it a lot more fun to play. A lot more fun.

[Atrocities]

I should point out for the record that I do not hate the games I listed. In fact I found Dominions II to be a very good game, just the micro-managment did not appeal to me after about an hour of playing. Dominions II is a very good game and one that will provide people with as much replay $$ as SEIV. I still have it on my HD and play it from time to time and am trying to teach my nephews how to play.

For me it might just be that I have not spent enough time playing DomII so please do not think for a second that it is a bad game because it really is not. It is a wonderful game filled with great ideas and involving game play. I am just lame for not playing it enough to get a good feel for it. So just remember its me, not the game. Now go buy Dominions II.

[Raging Deadstar]

narf poit chez BOOM said:
Lemmings. Most games today can't get anywhere near that fun or zany.

The Worms Series! The best game around for mutliplayer fun with friends

I'm currently playing The Political Machine, it's actually not a half bad game based on American Elections, It's kept my interest quite happy these past few days.