Topic: PlayStation 5 --OT--

@JohnnyShoulder Not only that - but the sales tax rate differs depending what state you’re in, what item you’re buying (food vs clothing vs cigarettes, etc), and sometimes even what season it is. 😅
It’s a mini mathematics problem every time you check out!

For anyone wanting to see how crazy talented Insomniac are.

@BearsEatBeets Or perhaps how untalented other devs are

@RogerRoger The app doesn’t have a background banner page, that I can find. I think the website does or did, but can’t be sure.

But that makes sense now why my screenshot looked so muted.

The other thing that I have lost is the easy ability to transfer screenshots from my console over to my phone, since the “What’s new” thread of posts is not present on the app anymore. I previously just posted a screenshot that way then pulled it off my phone, but now I’ll have to either use Twitter (death first!) or do the USB drive dance.

@BearsEatBeets The $229 million Sony paid for them is looking increasingly like a stellar bit of business.

@Voltan so I could be wrong but I think I’ve seen you post about MK11 and that you’re a pretty big 1 on 1 fighting game fan. What are your thoughts on Guilty Gear Strive?

As someone who has virtually no interest in these kindsa games normally, there is something grabbing my attention about it.

@colonelkilgore I played the beta and I think it’s great. I also played a lot of Guilty Gear X all those years ago. I’m not getting it just yet but only because I’m still playing a lot of MK11 and I probably wouldn’t be able to dedicate enough time to 2 fighting games.

In general these games require some patience to understand their various systems and how to effectively use them, and to play effectively you need to not only know your own character’s arsenal but also your opponents to stay safe when you’re on the defense.
I can’t really tell you how to get into fighting games because it seems like I’ve always been into them, ever since Street Fighter 2 😁

If you’re interested in playing online with against other humans (which is definitely the best way to play fighting games), Strive should be a good place to start.
Not sure how good it is for single player modes (probably not as good as MK11 in that department but they are very different games in general).

@Voltan thanks for the detailed reply, it’s much appreciated. It’s funny, 1 on 1 Fighting was probably my favourite genre back when I was a young teen spending all my free time in my local video game arcade. Had a load of them on my Megadrive (Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat, Fatal Fury, Eternal Champions, Fighting Masters, Street Smart etc.), then had Tekken and Virtua Fighter 2 on the PlayStation and Saturn… and probably the last 1 on 1 fighting game I ever owned was Soul Calibre on the Dream Cast (which I loved). I don’t think that I was particularly good at this type of game but I did enjoy them.

Something you alluded to… and was echoed in a few of the Guilty Gear Strive does put me off getting back into the genre though and that is the time and dedication this genre requires of the player. I do like to invest around a month, 2 months at the most into a game and then move on to something new. I get the distinct impression that to get the most out of fighting games these days that be a lot more devoted than that. Still, that Guilty Gear Strive art-style and character design is extremely appealing.

@colonelkilgore Yup, I’ve been playing MK11 for almost 6 months now and I still got stuff to learn playing just one of the 37 characters (I can do some stuff with a couple others but not enough to win matches).
Not trying to discourage you though, as Strive really does seem like an exceptionally good game.

@Voltan not at all, I appreciate your perspective… and most importantly I don’t want to waste any time. I have a full plate anyway so it’s not as if I’m desperate to find a game to play.

@colonelkilgore @Voltan I feel similarly — there was a time in my life when I really enjoyed fighters and played them as one of my main genres. I was never good at them, but good enough.
Now it seems the genre has passed me by. I can’t seem to devote enough time and energy to make playing them worthwhile. It’s partly a “problem” (if you can call it that) of having an embarrassment of riches in gaming options nowadays. I’ve gravitated toward more story driven experiences and gaming options with less practice and skill based requirements. As an adult I have more disposable income than I had a few years ago and I can buy more games and don’t usually spend hundreds of hours perfecting one game, but I respect those that do. Every now and then I enjoy a little fighter though and Strive does look good.

@Voltan @Th3solution @colonelkilgore Yeah I have little interest in 'gitting gud' at fighting games so that I can hold my own against online players. I usually just play most of the online modes and have done with it. I don't play a lot them these days and usually play them whenever there are on Plus/Now, a deep sale or second hand.

@JohnnyShoulder @colonelkilgore @Voltan My favorite fighter of late is Injustice 2 which had a serviceable story and was a licensed property I had some interest in. The only other I’ve played much in the last few years is SoulCalibur 6 which I had enough experience with prior entries to pull me in. I need to try out a franchise I’ve never played before so maybe Guilty Gear is worth a go, if not MK11 like Volt has promoted. Or maybe I’ll just try this Virtua Fighter remaster that recently dropped. I’ll have to wait for a mood to hit.

@Th3solution Going from Injustice to MK might be easier than to other fighters as they share some of the core mechanics. Guilty Gear shouldn't be too hard to get into though, the basics are pretty intuitive and characters feel very responsive in general. The ability to block and dash in air maybe makes it a little more about reflexes and less about planning ahead than something like MK.

@Voltan What I’ve always disliked about fighting games is the requirement to anticipate blocks defensively. I’m just not good at it. Especially when guarding while standing doesn’t block a low attack, and vice versa. And I hate games that can string together long combos juggling you in the air where all it takes is a good player to land one combo that juggles you for 20 hits and your entire health bar is gone in one attack.

That's MKX for you Block wrong once, take a coffee break while the opponent executes their combo
MK11 has dialed that down a lot (which is why some people dislike it) but of course it's still possible to do 50% damage in some cases - they do need some special circumstances though, can't just do it on any hit.

As for blocking: fighting games nowadays usually have 4 types of attacks (not counting throws): lows, mids, highs and overheads. Standing block defends against everything but lows, crouching block defends against everything but overheads (which are often slower attacks). You can also duck without blocking to avoid a high attack, which lets you punish it easier as you're not block-stunned. I believe this is true for all modern fighters I played.

@Voltan Yeah, I thank you for warning me about MK10. Didn’t even download it from the PS Plus Collection after hearing your descriptions. I like the art style of Guilty Gear more than MK, but it might be easier to transition from Injustice to MK. 🤔
Have you played VF5? I wonder if it’s approachable for novices.

@Th3solution Not yet. I want to check it out but it'll have to wait until I have some more time. I'll be recording an album starting this weekend so not much gaming in the next couple weeks - I should be able to play some Ratchet & Clank now and then but that's it

@Voltan Nice! Hope the recording goes well.
And R&C too. The game looks brilliant. I’m torn because I definitely am going to buy it, but it probably doesn’t need my support as much as Retunal, so I don’t think I’ll buy it day 1. I have yet to get to Returnal and also have Intergrade now added to my new PS5 game list. So I think I’ll end up waiting a little while on Rift Apart. However, I might get antsy when I read how awesome people think it is 😄