easymode

the_skotts wrote: Apr 6th, '26, 09:45 BG3 update. Act 2 is done!

I really enjoyed this part of the game. The larger plot is all starting to come together and there was a lot of good character quests and moments for the companions. The gauntlet of shar stuff was probably my favorite part of this act. That Balthazaar fight sucked though and I thought he was way tougher than the actual big bad boss fight for act 2.

Towards the end of this act I did manage to get an ending to the game after telling a companion to blow themselves up because I didn't think they'd actually do it lol

I'll probably pick it back up tonight to start act 3, but I've also thought about taking a break to play something else. I'm just worried I'll forget what was going on if I do.

Very excited to see how you like Act 3. Don't be afraid to really explore the city and dig in to every nook and cranny that catches your fancy!

A friend convinced me to play Super Metroid (I've never played it before) and we both played together over the weekend. I almost made it to the end but I had to take a break as I was getting frustrated with the sand and platforming. I'll pick it back up soon as I do want to beat it.

It's been a fun game, I really enjoy the exploration aspect of the game and you can actually feel your power level increase making traversing the levels a lot easier.

Playing 1996 YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World on my WinXP machine.
Great visual novel and masterpiece soundtrack from Ryu Umemoto..

I got the itch to play some SimCity 2000 again, with my XP box down for a few weeks I had to find a way to get it running on Windows 11. Surprisingly some folks made a DLL to allow it to run on modern systems.

Copy the CD contents to somewhere on your box, download and place the DLL in the same directory as your SimCity exe and just launch it.

Link to the project: https://github.com/sc2kfix

Now I'm gonna download some tilesets, cities, and explore the modding scene before I forget the concept of time as I play.

Archmage wrote: Apr 8th, '26, 06:17 I got the itch to play some SimCity 2000 again, with my XP box down for a few weeks I had to find a way to get it running on Windows 11. Surprisingly some folks made a DLL to allow it to run on modern systems.

Copy the CD contents to somewhere on your box, download and place the DLL in the same directory as your SimCity exe and just launch it.

Link to the project: https://github.com/sc2kfix

Now I'm gonna download some tilesets, cities, and explore the modding scene before I forget the concept of time as I play.

SC2k is the only city builder I ever got into...I might fire that up after work today

Archmage wrote: Apr 7th, '26, 07:30 A friend convinced me to play Super Metroid (I've never played it before) and we both played together over the weekend. I almost made it to the end but I had to take a break as I was getting frustrated with the sand and platforming. I'll pick it back up soon as I do want to beat it.

It's been a fun game, I really enjoy the exploration aspect of the game and you can actually feel your power level increase making traversing the levels a lot easier.

One of my favorite all-time games. The overwhelmingly moody atmosphere of the game is so oddly comforting, it's like being wrapped in a big blanket on a rainy day.

bumbervevo wrote: Apr 8th, '26, 11:06

Archmage wrote: Apr 7th, '26, 07:30 A friend convinced me to play Super Metroid (I've never played it before) and we both played together over the weekend. I almost made it to the end but I had to take a break as I was getting frustrated with the sand and platforming. I'll pick it back up soon as I do want to beat it.

It's been a fun game, I really enjoy the exploration aspect of the game and you can actually feel your power level increase making traversing the levels a lot easier.

One of my favorite all-time games. The overwhelmingly moody atmosphere of the game is so oddly comforting, it's like being wrapped in a big blanket on a rainy day.

Exactly... it has mood like nothing else. I also think it is one of the most perfectly constructed games ever when it comes to layout and progression. You can develop a flow. It doesn't take that long to beat if you know what you're doing... but it's very close to perfect for what it is.

Take another masterpiece like Hollow Knight... it also has mood and a similar progression system, but it's massive in comparison. The game is sprawling and and it's easy to lose track of where you need to go next. So, while it's also awesome, I couldn't get into the same flow... the amazing parts are spaced out by hours of retracing and roaming around until you go... oh, I can break through this wall now?! oh... Super Metroid is still the king when it comes to design.

Archmage wrote: Apr 7th, '26, 07:30 A friend convinced me to play Super Metroid (I've never played it before) and we both played together over the weekend. I almost made it to the end but I had to take a break as I was getting frustrated with the sand and platforming. I'll pick it back up soon as I do want to beat it.

It's been a fun game, I really enjoy the exploration aspect of the game and you can actually feel your power level increase making traversing the levels a lot easier.

I've never played Super Metroid despite being a Metroidvania enjoyer for years...on the list it goes!

Casey wrote: Apr 9th, '26, 14:03

Archmage wrote: Apr 7th, '26, 07:30 A friend convinced me to play Super Metroid (I've never played it before) and we both played together over the weekend. I almost made it to the end but I had to take a break as I was getting frustrated with the sand and platforming. I'll pick it back up soon as I do want to beat it.

It's been a fun game, I really enjoy the exploration aspect of the game and you can actually feel your power level increase making traversing the levels a lot easier.

I've never played Super Metroid despite being a Metroidvania enjoyer for years...on the list it goes!

There's a 16x9 hack version that is really cool... but DO NOT play it this way on your first playthrough. There are secrets that are hidden in 4:3, but obvious in 16x9, so it takes away some of the experience. It does look cool though, here's one of my screenshots:

On the shmup grind again. Been getting intimate with Strikers 1945 II. She can be a mean bitch.