Devil-Mish
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First gameplay video from the LE distribution:
Be prepared for lots of owlbear.
Be prepared for lots of owlbear.
Pinball info
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Dungeons & Dragons by Stern
- Thread starter Replay
- Start date
They managed to make that look as exciting as a rain drenched walk to the cashpoint at the **** end of January.
The game was a bit quiet but even so I’m still struggling with the sleepy soundtrack and the call-outs / narration …. can’t put my finger on it exactly but they just irk me.
Devil-Mish
Site Supporter
Hah! We've all been there unfortunately.
I'm looking forward to some proper gameplay. I am worried that the call-outs could be tiresome. "You go through the door and see... Two Skellingtons", it just doesn't feel very cohesive.
I'm very curious to see the character and story progression. Do the characters feel unique in any way? (At least in Venom with the changing of the ramp, and shots, they feel somewhat different. 'Longer shield time' and 'better against dragons' doesn't feel you'd play the game in any unique way per character). Do the towns feel uniquely different except having different story missions that you complete once and then have no real reason to visit again? How does the 3 different endings tie into the decisions you've made and how does that progress? Because at the moment every quest footage appears to be it's own self-contained thing that doesn't have much bearing on the overall story progression.
These are all of the worries I have for now, Flip N Out are hoping to have a stream next week and I think that'll do a good job showing all of that over a 2 hour session.
In D&D generally, you have the whole thing of if your character has a certain amount of a specific stat (+ dice roll) you get different outcomes... It'd be nice to see the stats used in that way but at the moment the leveling up seems to mean absolutely nothing, we don't even know what the level cap is either.
Isn't that how DnD is played though, Dungeomaster reads out "You go through the door and see..." then he roles a dice to select what the players see and then reads out the result "Two Skellingtons", so the pause is part of the DnD experience which they've tried to recreate.
Devil-Mish
Site Supporter
Yeah you could be right.
I've seen a fair few hours of Critical Role and have no doubt Matthew Mercer can deliver on the DM lines and deliver them as they were directed.
Rolling random monsters/encounters would probably be the worse way to ever play any RPG. It’s meant to tell a story with your GM as a guide responding to different factors. Very little should be random but a reaction to earlier events.
Oh God. I’ve just out nerded myself
Oh God. I’ve just out nerded myself
There are a bunch of board games that have random monster tables and, to be honest, a pinball machine is always going to play more like a (simpl-ish) tabletop strategy game with a dexterity element than an actual RPG.Rolling random monsters/encounters would probably be the worse way to ever play any RPG. It’s meant to tell a story with your GM as a guide responding to different factors. Very little should be random but a reaction to earlier events.
Oh God. I’ve just out nerded myself
There's a whole series of D&D Adventure Board Games that are all 'explore random tile, draw random event, find random monster'...
And, with that, I think I've out-nerded even you
Yeah. I’ve got the Ravenloft board game here.
Inevitably the pin is always going to rely on the “random encounter” table type concept and becomes very hack and slay as an approach.
On the other hand I’ve never been a huge fan of people lawyering through rules. Technically you can level up by setting fire to a forest and killing loads of very low level creatures. Doing so though should result in a lynch mob tracking the character down.
There’s a lot of quirks and exploits in the game. For example “mud to stone” was a very low level spell. Cast it in reverse first and then cast back and a puny magic user can pretty much stop anything in its tracks. Fun if it happens once but a boring way to play if it happens a lot.
Inevitably the pin is always going to rely on the “random encounter” table type concept and becomes very hack and slay as an approach.
On the other hand I’ve never been a huge fan of people lawyering through rules. Technically you can level up by setting fire to a forest and killing loads of very low level creatures. Doing so though should result in a lynch mob tracking the character down.
There’s a lot of quirks and exploits in the game. For example “mud to stone” was a very low level spell. Cast it in reverse first and then cast back and a puny magic user can pretty much stop anything in its tracks. Fun if it happens once but a boring way to play if it happens a lot.
Yay!
I owned about three or four of those games for years. Eventually, we got rid of them because the earlier ones we just 'kited' (rules hack) away from the monsters, and the later ones weren't as interesting as newer coops like Jaws of the Lion or Arkham Horror: LCG.I'd thought we might play them with the Flipper Beast, but - late last year - he spontaneously started his board gaming journey by learning the rules of Primal: The Awakening (while looking over our shoulder...)!!
He's subsequently learned, and played, Jaws of the Lion, Dwellings of Eldervale, and Slay the Spire: The Board Game!!So, I think the 'simple D&D coop' ship has well and truly sailed...
I still miss those D&D games, though. They were kinda cool...
I'm not sure how you'd make a pinball machine *less* hack and slash, though. It is mostly smacking stuff with a small metal ball moving at high speeds - games that are themed around racing about hitting things kinda come with the territory.
This is why I love Minecraft's survival mode. I've not played Minecraft until recently, but - despite being a game that can be (mostly) understood by a four year old - it does the whole "act evil and see consequences" RPG schtick remarkably well.
Sorry for the off-topic, folks, but - if you ever want a great family board game - I'm always happy to recommend something
Devil-Mish
Site Supporter
Great gameplay stream from Flip'n'out pinball last night, the best explanation of the game thus far and it's a very different pinball experience but it looks like a blast:
It also makes the premium look more attractive seeing how well the dungeon scoop is integrated into the game.
Another one from RetroRalph that I haven't watched yet but is next on my list:
It also makes the premium look more attractive seeing how well the dungeon scoop is integrated into the game.
Another one from RetroRalph that I haven't watched yet but is next on my list:
I can't afford another pinball 
KendarTheOrc
Site Supporter
Im so keen to get some games on this machine. Anyone know what clubs are getting one?
Jib
Site Supporter
I told myself no more early code games. Flip n Out stream almost made me break that already
Looks really interesting, dragon mb doesn't happen as often as previous videos made it look which is good imo.Off to repeat my mantra. no more early code games, no more early code games...
mac49uk
Site Supporter
Looks great. I am very, very tempted.
The whole early code thing is the only thing stopping me.
The whole early code thing is the only thing stopping me.
mac49uk
Site Supporter
I believe Tilt in Birmingham are getting one.
KendarTheOrc
Site Supporter
Nice I've been wanting to visit tilt
mac49uk
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How much of a problem do you think the early code is? I am a bit of a D&D geek and thinking I may just dive in for my first machine.
Devil-Mish
Site Supporter
If you watch the entire 2 hours of the flip'n'out one, they say in 2 hours straight of playing a single character, Jared got through 5 modes, and failed 1 dungeon. In the 0.84 code currently, there are 12 modes, 6 dungeons and 1 wizard mode. We know for sure there is at least 3 wizard modes / endings that'll be in the game... And that's just 1 character, you get 4 by default, and then 7 in total once you unlock the rest, it might get a bit samey doing it 7 times but no idea.
Feels like there's a very good amount of content in the game already, even for it being as early as it is.
This feels to me like it might be a perfect one to get in early because even if was 1.0 now it'd still have more content than a lot of other games and it'll only get better.
@philpalmer , any idea for when you're getting pros / premiums in?
Feels like there's a very good amount of content in the game already, even for it being as early as it is.
This feels to me like it might be a perfect one to get in early because even if was 1.0 now it'd still have more content than a lot of other games and it'll only get better.
@philpalmer , any idea for when you're getting pros / premiums in?
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It’s not if you don’t mind waiting. You just have to bear in mind some games never get good.
If you’re happy with the way the code is in it’s present form, then it should only get better.
Lickashot
Registered
I believe Retroids are getting one too.
Devil-Mish
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Bear in mind that Retroids are still awaiting their UXM, so may be a little while, although they did get Met remastered so who knows if there's a queue or not!
**** sake I'm on the sauce too.
Devil-Mish
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Devil-Mish
Site Supporter
You're on the slippery slope my friend, see you at the bottom of the hill
Jib
Site Supporter
I’m half way down alreadyYou're on the slippery slope my friend, see you at the bottom of the hill
Devil-Mish
Site Supporter
I think I'm sold on the game, just not sure on the version though.
I have space for 2 new more so logic dictates to go pro and save the rest for the other but the gameplay of the LE did a great job showing how well the scoop is integrated into the game so far and I can only imagine it'll get better, it does look like the shot feels unique enough in comparison of just hitting the spinner shot again.
Dwight said in an interview they'll use that dragon for other dragon battles in the game too, not just the multiball but they aren't in the game yet.
If this is a game for the ages, I do feel like I'll be missing out from the full experience on the pro, but considering all of the other shots are the same, for £3k?
It's also one of the rare occasions I think premium artwork is better than pro too.
I have space for 2 new more so logic dictates to go pro and save the rest for the other but the gameplay of the LE did a great job showing how well the scoop is integrated into the game so far and I can only imagine it'll get better, it does look like the shot feels unique enough in comparison of just hitting the spinner shot again.
Dwight said in an interview they'll use that dragon for other dragon battles in the game too, not just the multiball but they aren't in the game yet.
If this is a game for the ages, I do feel like I'll be missing out from the full experience on the pro, but considering all of the other shots are the same, for £3k?
It's also one of the rare occasions I think premium artwork is better than pro too.
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Jib
Site Supporter
I was meh on the pop up scoop on reveal but seeing it in action, it does make more of a difference than I thought it would. It's probably another rotator pin for me just because I like getting new games in often so pro is where I'm at but if I was planning to keep it longer I'd probably go prem/le
Devil-Mish
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Jib
Site Supporter
I've got 1 space left... 2 if I don't mind the room being a bit awkward lol. I already know I'm probably going to want Kong though so something will probably have to go for that in a few months