Video Game Deals

[Kerm]

DPD, but Amazon has Far Cry 2 (and a few others) at $38 for today (12/11) only.

http://www.n4g.com/xbox360/News-245113.aspx

Thank you, IAN.

No, wait.  Damn you, IAN!

Seriously, good find.  This is another game that Tom Chick loves.

Does Tom Chick also talk about the horrid AI?  Cause other than that, it's incredible.

Is the AI more or less realistic than a typical Michael Scott caper?  Because that's really going to affect my decision.

Also, Best Buy has it for $40, if anyone's not into the whole Amazon thing.

Yes, to answer your question.

The problem with the AI is it's too inconsistent.  Far Cry 2 is this huge open world in Africa, so the possibilities for having a stealth approach to a mission are pretty awesome, but the AI somehow spots you from a few hundred yards away, so you never have a chance to sneak up on anyone.  Or if you do, after you get your first shot off, everyone knows where you are, no matter if you're hiding in the brush or behind a rock.  However, sometimes an enemy can be standing right next to you, and they won't see you.  When the AI is working right, it's friggen awesome.  The only other problem is you'd think in a big open world, not every single person would be out to kill you, but that's just what happens.  Almost every minute, even if you're driving somewhere with no enemies around, a jeep full of them will come down the road like they knew where you were the whole time.  What they've done with the setting and some gameplay mechanics are amazing, but the shoddy AI holds it back.

My question cannot be answered with a "yes."

I think stealth in first-person shooters (and most other places) is for the most part a horrible idea, so bad stealth AI doesn't really bother me too much.  I don't fire up a game so I can hide in some tall grass and wait there quietly.

[*In a Nutsack]

DPD, but Amazon has Far Cry 2 (and a few others) at $38 for today (12/11) only.

http://www.n4g.com/xbox360/News-245113.aspx

Thank you, IAN.

No, wait.  Damn you, IAN!

Seriously, good find.  This is another game that Tom Chick loves.

Does Tom Chick also talk about the horrid AI?  Cause other than that, it's incredible.

Is the AI more or less realistic than a typical Michael Scott caper?  Because that's really going to affect my decision.

Also, Best Buy has it for $40, if anyone's not into the whole Amazon thing.

Yes, to answer your question.

The problem with the AI is it's too inconsistent.  Far Cry 2 is this huge open world in Africa, so the possibilities for having a stealth approach to a mission are pretty awesome, but the AI somehow spots you from a few hundred yards away, so you never have a chance to sneak up on anyone.  Or if you do, after you get your first shot off, everyone knows where you are, no matter if you're hiding in the brush or behind a rock.  However, sometimes an enemy can be standing right next to you, and they won't see you.  When the AI is working right, it's friggen awesome.  The only other problem is you'd think in a big open world, not every single person would be out to kill you, but that's just what happens.  Almost every minute, even if you're driving somewhere with no enemies around, a jeep full of them will come down the road like they knew where you were the whole time.  What they've done with the setting and some gameplay mechanics are amazing, but the shoddy AI holds it back.

My question cannot be answered with a "yes."

I think stealth in first-person shooters (and most other places) is for the most part a horrible idea, so bad stealth AI doesn't really bother me too much.  I don't fire up a game so I can hide in some tall grass and wait there quietly.

To be honest, Weebs, if you look carefully when you're driving around you will notice that there are mounted jeep patrols on every single road.  Not just little checkpoint stations at intersections, but actual dudes in jeeps roaming the dirt roads throughout the map.  So, if you're heard coming down the street, you'll get shot at.  It makes sense and it follows the design, because obviously the foes are on to you and are on the look out.  However, the stealth part of the game is hard to do.  The AI will find you out if you get too close.  However, after reading a quick paragraph in a game guide, it makes sense to use the dart gun, the silenced MP5 and the silenced pistol to carry out any stealth missions.  However, just like in real life, if you launch a rocket from a cliff, chances are any competent sniper or foot soldier will see your smoke trail and track it back to your spot.  You have to move.

I'll admit that it seems like terrible AI, but the AI's actually really good.  It's a tough game, which I like.  Upgrading your weapons and finding diamond briefcases and golden AK-47's and shooting M32 grenade pistols is just flat out fung, mang.  This is a very good game, and more than worth it's $40 price at the moment.  I've only played about an hour's worth of the multiplayer, but that's because I was terrible at it.  The map editor is outrageously deep, but I don't have all day to design Wrigleyville on an XBOX.  I'll leave that to you, Weebs.

[Weebs]

I'll admit that it seems like terrible AI, but the AI's actually really good.  It's a tough game, which I like.  Upgrading your weapons and finding diamond briefcases and golden AK-47's and shooting M32 grenade pistols is just flat out fung, mang.  This is a very good game, and more than worth it's $40 price at the moment.  I've only played about an hour's worth of the multiplayer, but that's because I was terrible at it.  The map editor is outrageously deep, but I don't have all day to design Wrigleyville on an XBOX.  I'll leave that to you, Weebs.

I'd have to disagree about the AI.  I've played it quite a bit, and I played the original Far Cry quite a bit.  Both suffered from a similar problem.  I'm not saying it's completely illogical that you can be driving down a road and enemies will just randomly start attacking you (though, if you're in a jeep, it makes little sense that they can somehow know exactly who you are while they're driving in their jeeps a kilometer away), but I think it ruins the gameplay quite a bit.  They make this huge open world, but they treat it like it's just one big shooting gallery, whereas they could have given a lot of depth to it.  Other than the main town, it would be nice to go ANYWHERE in the game where you weren't getting shot at.  When you already have to drive for a good 15 minutes just to get to the next location for your mission, it gets annoying as hell to be stopped every 60 seconds to fight off the next jeep or guard station.  If either the AI didn't attack you all the time, or there was just less travel between missions, the other of the issues wouldn't seem like as big a deal.  I'm going to start playing it again in the next few weeks, but I just know when I had stopped (about 25% through the game), I was growing really annoyed with spending at least a quarter of my time just driving to a new mission.

[*In a Nutsack]

I'll admit that it seems like terrible AI, but the AI's actually really good.  It's a tough game, which I like.  Upgrading your weapons and finding diamond briefcases and golden AK-47's and shooting M32 grenade pistols is just flat out fung, mang.  This is a very good game, and more than worth it's $40 price at the moment.  I've only played about an hour's worth of the multiplayer, but that's because I was terrible at it.  The map editor is outrageously deep, but I don't have all day to design Wrigleyville on an XBOX.  I'll leave that to you, Weebs.

I'd have to disagree about the AI.  I've played it quite a bit, and I played the original Far Cry quite a bit.  Both suffered from a similar problem.  I'm not saying it's completely illogical that you can be driving down a road and enemies will just randomly start attacking you (though, if you're in a jeep, it makes little sense that they can somehow know exactly who you are while they're driving in their jeeps a kilometer away), but I think it ruins the gameplay quite a bit.  They make this huge open world, but they treat it like it's just one big shooting gallery, whereas they could have given a lot of depth to it.  Other than the main town, it would be nice to go ANYWHERE in the game where you weren't getting shot at.  When you already have to drive for a good 15 minutes just to get to the next location for your mission, it gets annoying as hell to be stopped every 60 seconds to fight off the next jeep or guard station.  If either the AI didn't attack you all the time, or there was just less travel between missions, the other of the issues wouldn't seem like as big a deal.  I'm going to start playing it again in the next few weeks, but I just know when I had stopped (about 25% through the game), I was growing really annoyed with spending at least a quarter of my time just driving to a new mission.

Therein lies my beef with the game:  you're right in that you're attacked seemingy always.  And, there is a way to get around that; taking the bus.  But, if they build this gorgeous, utterly magnificent African landscape why would they sabotage it with a bus system just so you don't die/encounter enemies at every intersection?  I just think it has something to do with the design of the game:  it's not like a living city in GTAIV, where nobody is really aware of who you are.  You're in a faction-controlled part of Africa where warlords run the place.  You sort of stick out from the others.  However, the stealth tactics should be between what they are in this game and what they were in Splinter Cell:  Double Agent.  In SCDA, it was too easy to be stealthy.  In FC2, it's a definitely harder to be stealthy, which sucks for a game that could easily reward stealth combat.

[Kerm]

They make this huge open world, but they treat it like it's just one big shooting gallery...

Sounds awesome!

[Weebs]

I'll admit that it seems like terrible AI, but the AI's actually really good.  It's a tough game, which I like.  Upgrading your weapons and finding diamond briefcases and golden AK-47's and shooting M32 grenade pistols is just flat out fung, mang.  This is a very good game, and more than worth it's $40 price at the moment.  I've only played about an hour's worth of the multiplayer, but that's because I was terrible at it.  The map editor is outrageously deep, but I don't have all day to design Wrigleyville on an XBOX.  I'll leave that to you, Weebs.

I'd have to disagree about the AI.  I've played it quite a bit, and I played the original Far Cry quite a bit.  Both suffered from a similar problem.  I'm not saying it's completely illogical that you can be driving down a road and enemies will just randomly start attacking you (though, if you're in a jeep, it makes little sense that they can somehow know exactly who you are while they're driving in their jeeps a kilometer away), but I think it ruins the gameplay quite a bit.  They make this huge open world, but they treat it like it's just one big shooting gallery, whereas they could have given a lot of depth to it.  Other than the main town, it would be nice to go ANYWHERE in the game where you weren't getting shot at.  When you already have to drive for a good 15 minutes just to get to the next location for your mission, it gets annoying as hell to be stopped every 60 seconds to fight off the next jeep or guard station.  If either the AI didn't attack you all the time, or there was just less travel between missions, the other of the issues wouldn't seem like as big a deal.  I'm going to start playing it again in the next few weeks, but I just know when I had stopped (about 25% through the game), I was growing really annoyed with spending at least a quarter of my time just driving to a new mission.

Therein lies my beef with the game:  you're right in that you're attacked seemingy always.  And, there is a way to get around that; taking the bus.  But, if they build this gorgeous, utterly magnificent African landscape why would they sabotage it with a bus system just so you don't die/encounter enemies at every intersection?  I just think it has something to do with the design of the game:  it's not like a living city in GTAIV, where nobody is really aware of who you are.  You're in a faction-controlled part of Africa where warlords run the place.  You sort of stick out from the others.  However, the stealth tactics should be between what they are in this game and what they were in Splinter Cell:  Double Agent.  In SCDA, it was too easy to be stealthy.  In FC2, it's a definitely harder to be stealthy, which sucks for a game that could easily reward stealth combat.

The bus would be useful...if the missions were ever actually located near it.  I guess it's good for getting you to a general area (by the way, it took me till about 20% into the game to find out there was a bus station in the main town), but there's still a pretty long trek after that.  As far as the stealth goes, I mean if you want to spend your whole time running through the brush and going completely out of the way to avoid enemies, it's somewhat possible.  But there are still times where I have been running or crouching (by the way, why is there no prone?) hundreds of yards away from anyone, down in the brush, and suddenly a jeep will be driving across the field behind me, stop, and the retarded gunner on top won't be able to shoot because I'm standing right next to him.  If Ubisoft had just made the AI a little less omniscient, or not made it so everyone was always out to kill you (all I'm asking is that they wait for you to shoot first), it would be one of the best games I've played.  As it stands, it's a very innovative game with absolutely astounding production values, but it's lacking in it's most important area, which is the actual gunplay.

[Kerm]

Grand Theft Auto IV (360 or PS3) for $24.88 + shipping from Overstock.

[Pre]

The problem with the AI is it's too inconsistent.  Far Cry 2 is this huge open world in Africa, so the possibilities for having a stealth approach to a mission are pretty awesome, but the AI somehow spots you from a few hundred yards away, so you never have a chance to sneak up on anyone. 

Entirely not true.  A player can sneak up on people.  I have done plenty of it.  You should be careful where you use the second person because the person reading might be capable of playing the game right.

Or if you do, after you get your first shot off, everyone knows where you are, no matter if you're hiding in the brush or behind a rock. 

They talk amongst themselves?  They have ears?  And eyes?  And object permanence?  What kind of shoddy AI is this?!?!?

Can't you be like a normal college student and go read Siddhartha and talk about how you're going to hike the Appellation trail to continue your road to self actualization? 

Your constant attempts to analyze the fun out of games is a total drag.  Isn't there mod team you can join and endlessly bag on other people's awesomeness and how your stuff will be so much better while your mod project languishes on for two years and never gets past version 0.04b and only 2 artist conceptual drawings of guns are created?

[*In a Nutsack]

Pre just brought the noise.  You got the noise brought on you.  Oh, snap.

[Pre]

360 Bully : $16
http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Xbox-360-Bully-Scholarship-Edition/2938101/product.html?IID=prod2938101

Never played it, but I'm sure some of you are into games where you can kiss boys.

[*In a Nutsack]

360 Bully : $16
http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Xbox-360-Bully-Scholarship-Edition/2938101/product.html?IID=prod2938101

Never played it, but I'm sure some of you are into games where you can kiss boys.

Unfortunately, TDubbs doesn't play video games.  This one falls on deaf ears.

[Andy]

I liked the use of Appellationl.

[Kerm]

CoD: World at War is $35 today at Amazon for both the 360 and the PS3.

[Chuck to Chuck]

If anyone sees a good deal for Rock Band or World Tour, let me know.  The Murton's pooled the Channukah gelt and want it.

[Weebs]

If anyone sees a good deal for Rock Band or World Tour, let me know.  The Murton's pooled the Channukah gelt and want it.

Best Buy has the World Tour Guitar Game on sale for $80 right now, instead of $100.  It doesn't have the mic and drums, so it's probably better if you already have Rock Band or are planning to buy the full version of that.