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[stuntaneous]

I'm basically a bitter, out-of-date, elitist gamer. I rant on about the merits of Civ 4 over the new 5. I don't mind a game encumbered with stats and detail. I can happily spend way too long deciding what to do in my next X-COM turn. I wonder, why don't you hear soundtracks like Total Annihilation's anymore? Profiteering companies and their DLC shit me. Sometimes I just plain like the games most people don't, that's the best way I can describe it. What seems to define my attitude towards the modern games industry and the majority of its audience most of all is disdain and a very vocal variety of it. But, this is tiring. I'd like to find a few enclaves populated by my people. Or, at least people close enough to my gaming interests that'll I'll have a really positive experience hanging out with them and keep up to date with both obscure new and great old games alike.

Bay12 does alright, I'm always happy to read up on DF and LCS stories. Even had a go at the infamously keen Aurora. Any other suggestions of forums I may find useful would be appreciated. Bonus points for top IRC channels, I'm more of a real-time talker than forum chatter. A dirty elitist review site or two would be awesome as well. I can't help but feel the major names basically slap a great rating on anything with enough hype and anticipation attached.

In general terms I like games that are challenging. When I play something for the first time I hit the hardest difficulty. I hate anything that feels like homework aka you already know it'll be a breeze but they make you do it over and over. I like original ideas, which I feel is really lacking in many newer games. I feel like I've played most things before. I hate the 'balanced' buzzword. Starcraft and its sequel may be the most balanced games ever made but I don't find memorising build-orders and their flavour of scissor-paper-rock particularly enjoyable. Similarly, I like to take my time. I don't mind some pressure to get things done in a game but for instance I prefer Company of Heroes/TA/SupComm income based RTS' over the old models of mine and chop. While I like a great aesthetic I'm content with ASCII if the gameplay's a winner. Gameplay's everything. Finally, I'm not entirely sure how to describe it but I really love an FPS engine that works perfectly. Sometimes engines can feel clunky, as if things just don't line up. The best engines I've found would probably be Half-life's and more recently, Unreal Tournament 3's.

Picky I know. I don't expect much of a reception, haha. Any ideas and suggestions are very welcome. If you even feel the same way, it'd be nice to see other people do

ps- i like sci-fi, anything with lasers and space kinda distorts my usual rating scale :0

pps- if anyone around Sydney or better yet, USYD, wants to talk - that'd be very cool.

ppps- no one will know what I'm on about, but if you played Mercenaries of Astonia (aka V2), you win a million points.

[Iced]

Damn stuntaneous, you pretty much share my opinions to the tee.

 Except maybe about RTS's, while I really liked Supcomm ( I hated the second though) I still like the mine and chop sort of RTS, probably because Command and Conquer was the first RTS I played and nostalgia.........

Unfortunately I know not of any forums, chatrooms or Reviews that are elitist, the closest I could possibly think of would Be Something Awful, but you need to pay for an account and only parts of it are remotely elitist.

PPS: I live in Adelaide, is that close enough to get me points?

[Muz]

I like the new games better than old ones. I think a lot of people view old games better than what they really are, pretty much the same ones who love pixel art.

I do feel that the newer games are losing part of their charm. I mean, back then, aesthetic was viewed highly. You could pick up all sorts of junk in Fallout, and I don't like the new mentality where you shouldn't have objects that don't do anything. They're more... fun, but not quite the same charm. Sort of like low-fat products.

I too don't like Starcraft though. They took out a lot of fun things in the name of balance. Like a zerg unit with some spikes or something that randomly kills a unit within its area. It's a bit sad.

IMO, Eegra.com is quite elitist, but they went quite idle lately because of lack of visitors. Check some of their older reviews and stuff, see what you think. Definitely NSFW. They go for the lulz approach, but I know some of their main two guys write intelligent proper reviews for games magazines, so they're not as dumb as the first impression makes.

[eerr]

They just don't make rpgs the same these days.

No more Wizardry, no more vanilla Might and Magic.

I grew up on wizardry!

[Gorjo MacGrymm]

I'm basically a bitter, out-of-date, elitist gamer. I rant on about the merits of Civ 4 over the new 5. ....

that is basicly my past time for the last month.  I agree with most everything you said.  But I am from Texas, so no points for me I guess.

[Heliman]

A dirty elitist review site or two would be awesome as well. I can't help but feel the major names basically slap a great rating on anything with enough hype and anticipation attached.

Best guy for that would be Yahtzee Crosshaw of Zero Punctuation:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation
I wouldn't put it past you knowing about him already though, he's quite the internet phenomenon, apparently.

[andrea]

I tried to listen to a random review at zero punctuation.
He talks way too quickly.

[Euld]

You get used to it, try some more.

[Muz]

They just don't make rpgs the same these days.

No more Wizardry, no more vanilla Might and Magic.

I grew up on wizardry!

Lol, I didn't like wizardry even back in the days when that was the big thing. Too.. technical, without enough soul in it. I'm still elitist enough to prefer Fallout 2 over 3 or Baldur's Gate 2 over many of the recent RPGs

pps- if anyone around Sydney or better yet, USYD, wants to talk - that'd be very cool.

Oh, hey, I didn't notice this. UNSW here, chances are that I might even have seen you around.

[Adriaan]

Rock Paper Shotgun (www.rockpapershotgun.com) often focuses on these kind of games (DF as well), an excellent website if you ask me. 

[ed boy]

In my experience, games nowadays are too focused on multiplayer. If you play with people you don't know, then it can be a very bad expereince. Playing with people you do know (though I use 'know' in a very loose sense) can easily take away the ability to play at your own leisure. Making a game with multiplayer means that the game has to be balanced around multiplayer, which means that each player has to have the same options. When this comes into single player, your character works in the same way as the NPCs, which means that you don't get the strategy involved in maximising your advantages and minimizing the enemies in order to best them which I enjoy. I can see some of the sense behind it - programming an AI to have the player compete against that can be enjoyable for a wide variety of playstyles is a lot harder than replacing the AI with another human.

If you would like a game reccomendation, one bit of advice that I can give to to acquire baldurs gate 2 and install the improved anvil mod.

[Cecilff2]

ps- i like sci-fi, anything with lasers and space kinda distorts my usual rating scale :0

Perhaps you should play Out of this World.  It has lasers, interdimensional travel, and horribly deadly local fauna.  The game will kick you sqwah in the nards.  As often as it can.

[stuntaneous]

Woohoo. Thanks for all the replies.


Iced:
I know what ya mean. While I prefer the income-based RTS model I can sometimes go for a bitta C&C or AOE, mostly for the nostalgia. I don't know if Something Awful's a great idea - makes me think of Goons & Eve. Not a fun thought Yeah, Adelaide'll do. Got a regular gaming mate over there, so if he makes the cut so do you haha.

Muz:
Fallout 2 definitely has it over 3. The third is just part of the new wave of pseudo-RPG action games. While I think something like Mass Effect 2 is a fairly fun experience overall, it's the same deal. Not a big fan of the trend of real RPGs fading away. I checked out Eegra briefly, I spotted the lulz and may not have given it the longest go, haha. I'll give it another whirl. UNSW hey, I used to go there. I'm studying Comp. Science at USYD but at UNSW I was doing Media & Comms. If you were around a few years ago or so, you would've seen me for sure. I was the easily spotted, long-haired, obviously doing Arts or Media looking guy.

eerr:
I don't know what ya mean by Wizardry but I do miss older roleplayers. It just feels like modern "RPGs" are on rails and you don't have a whole lotta say or choice in where you go, what skills and spells you learn, etc. Could say more, but you know the go

Gorjo:
Don't wear yourself out, haha.

Heliman:
Yep, Zero Punctuation's pretty cool. I don't know about it actually being anymore than a fast, bitchy rant, but I don't mind it just because he talks crap about games when it seems no other big names will. Yes, already knew it but points for you nevertheless! I only catch his vids on random occasions, I might go n check him out on purpose this time.

Eugenitor:
Yeah you do adjust to his voice don't ya, haha. No chance of keeping up with the visuals though.

Adriaan:
Like Zero Punctuation I tend to land at Rock Paper Shotgun on accident. Reddit, blogs, etc. I haven't really given it a fair go, I'll check it out. Cheers

ed boy:
I'll give ya that. I do agree games are shifting towards a multiplayer focus. I think that's a large part of what killed (in my opinion) Civ V. While I do prefer playing against other people as opposed to AI because frankly, it sucks hard whatever you play, I'm generally a hermit so a multiplayer focus in the industry isn't that great for me, haha.

Cecilff2:
I had to flip tabs like three times to make sure I spelled your name right. Thanks for that Yeah, I've heard of the game. I think it even got a mention in PCPowerplay (Aus, my local mag) once. I haven't got around to playing it myself but from what I remember stalking the youtubes, it looked hard but in that.. painful, you don't need skill.. kind of way. Like you had to memorise the order of things to survive not so much take on the game with your awesome skills. Maybe I'm wrong, I'll give it a go soon anyway.


On a barely related note: I hadn't got around to replying because I've been (poorly) coding my roguelike. When in doubt, make your own game woot. Fun times. Had to share There aren't a whole lot of people I can say that to and get a neutral to positive response.

[Muz]

If you're around UNSW, I think I'm easily spotted too. I'm the Elec guy always going around in a jacket and a goatee.

Well, one of the guys at Eegra (Dan Staines) also writes for an Australian gaming magazine (Hyper). He's also an ex-UNSW student (philosophy lol), so we get along great

Heh, I might work on my own RPG. I'd like to see a RPG where they go back to the old days of being more roleplaying. At least there's still games like Avernum.