Now Playing?

[Oubaas]

What all are you playing these days?

Here's the list of titles that I play frequently lately, all of which I can recommend if you're looking for something new to play and don't already have them:

Call to Arms
Call to Arms Gates of Hell
Cold Waters
Destroyer The U-Boat Hunter
Easy Red 2
Graviteam Tactics Mius Front
Ground Branch
Gunner Heat PC
Naval Hurricane
Regiments
Sniper Elite 4
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2
Steel Armor Blaze of War
Steel Division Normandy '44
Tank Warfare Tunisia 1943
UBOAT
War On the Sea
WARNO

So, what's on your list of frequently played titles that you would recommend?

:Kaleun_Cheers:

[Threadfin]

We have a thread like this over at SimHQ, and I make a post every 30 days. Pretty interesting to see what folks are playing, and clues me in on some stuff I may not have been aware of, or games that are good I might have ignored. Good idea Oubaas.

Over the past few months I've been playing

Fallout 4 -- 500+ hours in to a vanilla Survival mode run. Took a 10 dollar punt on this game a couple years ago. Big fan of FO3 and NV, but had heard FO4 was a good game, but not a good Fallout game. Having played it I see what is meant by that, but I really took to it. One of my favorite games of the past ten years.

Fallout 76 -- Another game where the early word shaded my views and I ignored it for years. In this case it actually was a disaster at release. However they've stuck with it, expanded and improved it and I started playing a month ago. I've found it really suits me and I've been mainlining this game since picking it up.

PGA Tour 2K23 -- My top golf game, and I've played all of them down the years. We have a society with weekly MP tournaments. Good fun. New players welcome, just drop me a line.

F1 2022 -- I'm in to a lot of racing sims, but this one has the best career modes in the genre. One I keep coming back to.

System Shock -- The remake/remaster. pretty cool to play it again after all this time. A nice attempt by the devs. Lots of nice little improvements, but retains most of what made it great. But I didn't stick with it long. I'll return.

Super Mega Baseball 3 -- This game gets overlooked I think because of the cartoonish graphics. But it is a fine baseball game, probably the best on PC since The Show is console-only

Civ 6 -- They released new leader packs over the past few months, which is free with the right DLC owned. Lots of good ones and it brought me back in for a few runs to check them out.

Autmobilista Motorsport Simulator 2 -- I have every modern racing sim, but AMS2 is the one I drive most. It has the right feel for me.


That covers the past couple of months. Looking forward to Baldur's Gate 3 and Stalker 2.

[Skybird]

I will play the long awaited STARFIELD from September 6th on !:Kaleun_Applaud:
But already before, next week August 9th, I will be playing Robin Hood Sherwood Builders.

And I would like to already play Manor Lords, but it does and does not get released.

[Threadfin]

I'll probably pick up Starfield too, but wait for the early word before deciding. Maybe give it some time to ferment. If t needs it. Bethesda, so, yeah, probably.

BG3 is out and getting good marks. I knew Larian would deliver, but I'm going to hold off on that too since I have other irons in the fire at the mo.

[ReallyDedPoet]

UBOAT
Wolfpack (albeit in the early stages)

[Platapus]

While I don't have a lot of time for games these days. :(


I am bouncing between Guild Wars 2 and Civ 6 these days.

[Oubaas]

I focus primarily on military titles. Being retired military, it all seems familiar and oddly comforting to me, LOL!

But I have been eyeing Starfield. I have played Skyrim and Fallout 4 at the insistence of my daughters, and they are good games. And Ilike space games sometimes.

But I'll probably let them iron out the initial wrinkles, and read user reviews, before plunking down my money.

I'm waiting for a number of titles, including Battleship Command, Broken Arrow, Sea Power, and Modern Naval Warfare.

As for currently available fare, I'm tempted by Total Conflict, and I have my fingers crossed that Battlefront will finally stop resting on their laurels and update the ancient, decrepit engine for the Combat Mission series.

But I'm an optimist, in spite of the more hair-raising aspects of my military career. The likelihood that Battlefront will update the Combat Mission engine is about as likely as peace and harmony suddenly breaking out worldwide. It's a shame, because the Combat Mission series is excellent, but the game engine went on life support a long time ago.

:Kaleun_Cheers:

[les green01]

b-17 mighty 8,silent hunter 5,skrim,kingdom come

[Vox165]

B17-2. :up: I occasionally pull out my on-going SC campaign.

[Otto Harkaman]

Battlefield 4 PS4

[mapuc]

I play a little Farming Simulator 17 on my older laptop.

Otherwise I have stopped playing my other games like ETS2 ATS

Reason since some month back I started to have shaking arms and hands.
(Tremor or something else)

I tried to play ETS2 well I drove like I had enough to drink.

Markus

[Skybird]

Whats up with you? Cause known? Gets it treated?

[les green01]

I play a little Farming Simulator 17 on my older laptop.

Otherwise I have stopped playing my other games like ETS2 ATS

Reason since some month back I started to have shaking arms and hands.
(Tremor or something else)

I tried to play ETS2 well I drove like I had enough to drink.

Markus

better get it check out Markus could be Parkinson's disease.

[Threadfin]

A month has gone, and in that time I've played just three games


Fallout 76 -- I'm done with the solo/quest content and have entered the 'end game'. Not nearly so compelling, but there's a hook in there somewhere. I still find it fun and usually play a bit every day. Not full burn like when I had all the content ahead of me. But I like to pop in and stir stuff up

PGA Tour 2K23 -- I have a society (which is public and free to join by the way) and we stage a four-round tournament every week.

Baldur's Gate 3 -- I'm a big fan of the Original Sin twins, which I consider the best examples in the iso RPG genre. I'm having a great time with BG3. Got 70 hours out of Act 1 and now in Act 2. This game will always be compared to DOS, and honestly I'm not sure I think it is better, but it's really good.

[Otto Harkaman]

Pike and Shot : Campaigns

[Threadfin]

Another month has gone and here's what has been in my rotation

-- Baldur's Gate 3. I have two runs going, one on Balanced in Act 3 with my party maxed at level 12. And a second run on Tactician around level 5. Tactician mode made the Divinity original Sin games for me. In BG3 it does make the combat more difficult, which is what I want, but it is not the same concept as it was in Divinity, which is a miss.

Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous -- Much more dense and complex than BG3 is. Pathfinder 1E rules are much more complex than D&D 5th Edition. Whether that is good or bad is subjective. Wrath is more old school, and has way more combat. And the combat can be hard. I had started on Core difficulty and actually turned it down a notch to Daring. This RPG will kick your butt if you are overly ambitious. I would recommend BG3 to anyone, but only recommend this one to RPG grogs.

PGA Tour 2K23 -- New online tournament every week going on a two years now. I run the events so if anyone's keen drop me a line.

Forza Horizon 5 -- Hadn't played since last December but there has been much added so I gave it a look and have been having a blast with it once again. Using my full wheel and seat setup is way better than the controller I had been using before.

Fallout 76 -- Haven't been on much over the past month, but I drop in for short bursts every few days.

[Platapus]

The Wife Unit purchased BG3 for me and I have been enjoying it.


My problems with games like this is that I have a very hard time focusing on one class. I have seven "main toons" and that's not counting about 5 that I made and deleted.


Every class I have played offers something different and special.


Currently, I am forcing myself to focus on my warlock. It can melee and cast quite nicely.


Darkness and Devil Sight are a game changer for big battles. :03:

[Otto Harkaman]

Janes IAF Israeli Air Force

[Kapt Z]

Actively-

Silent Hunter 3/GWX3/Commander
Medieval Total War 2
Sid Meiers Pirates!

Inactive, but still on my machine-

Crusader Kings 2
Rise of Flight
Cliffs of Dover
Silent Hunter 4/TMO

[Threadfin]

My problems with games like this is that I have a very hard time focusing on one class. I have seven "main toons" and that's not counting about 5 that I made and deleted.



Completely understandable, and I often start a second run having gotten used to a game like this. However, in BG3, respec is cheap and easy. As long as you have Withers in your camp you can respec any character at will for 100 gold. No need to start anew, just respec and try your ideas while you progress through the game.

And of course you can multi-class. If you are having a good time with a warlock, you can multi-class it at any point, as you are probably aware. I played a warlock in my first run and really enjoyed it.


Warlock, being Charisma based, plays well with either a Paladin, Bard or Sorcerer multi. Although in my first run I did Warlock 10 / Fighter 2 so I could get action surge. The Eldritch Blast cantrip scales to player level, not class level, so if you dip in to other classes you still get all your EB beams. If you are playng a melee warlock, you should go Pact of the Blade, if that wasn't already obvious.

The best multi-class I've used is mixing Assassin 5 / Gloomstalker 5 / Fighter 2. This is an amazing multiclass that gives the character so much damage potential. He is using a bow called The Dead Shot (https://baldursgate3.wiki.fextralife.com/The+Dead+Shot) with increased crit range. Crit range bonuses stack in 5e. Incredible focus firepower. There are a number of ways you can alter this build slightly depending on how you want it to lean. I really like Uncanny Dodge so went 5 levels in rogue, but most players tweak that slightly and go lighter in rogue class it seems. Like 4/5/3 so they can get Battlemaster. My gloomstalker doesn't melee so I don't care about having maneuvers on him.

My whole party is built around first-turn destruction. This gloomstalker build gets several first-turn bonuses which just wreck. With high initiative he always goes first and can eliminate one or two enemies before anyone else has had a turn. He killed Lorroakan before anyone else got a shot. Very strong multi, this.

[Dowly]

Started Cyberpunk 2077 after they released the 2.0 update and the Phantom Liberty DLC. Good to see the game's in a much better shape now and I've been thoroughly enjoying my time in Night City.


After CP2077, it's time to return to Factorio, which I only bought and played for the first time a month or so ago. Finished vanilla game and immediately jumped into the Space Exploration mod. Should keep me occupied for some time. :hmmm:


Probably return to Baldur's Gate 3 when I get sick of looking at conveyor belts.

[Threadfin]

Another month has gone and this is what has been in my rotation.

-- PGA Tour 2K23. Two years straight since it has NOT been in the rotation

-- Fallout 76. Coming up on 400 hours in this one. It... just works

-- Automobilista Motorsport Simulator 2. Big update coming and the leaderboards have been wiped which curtails my play. But I still need to run the Ring on a regular basis you know.

-- Forza Horizon 5. Just a fun racer. Always stuff to do, great cars to drive. The ideal game when I just want to have fun for 45 minutes

-- Way of the Hunter. Picked up the new Africa reserve (Tikamoon Plains) and weapons pack. Top hunting sim. New reserve is fantastic, and I like it a lot more than COTW's Vurhonga

-- F1 23. The best edition in the series. The racing is as good as ever, but this year's title brings more chaos and I'm here for it. More AI driver mistakes, yellow flags, safety cars and red flags! The best and most convincing action out on the track in the series. I had dismissed the revamped F1 World content, but gave it a go anyway and it turns out to be fun and engaging.

-- Call of the Wild. Having got back in to WOTH, I had to get back in to this one too. There's a new Aussie reserve (Emerald Coast) but I'll pick that up when it goes on sale.

-- Hitman 3. The Freelancer mode is straight up my alley and has extended the play time for me exponentially. Fantastic, underrated game, this.