tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post2357391673274532763..comments2024-03-29T10:21:29.354-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: Wasteland: Final RatingCRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-33046415185900965862023-11-17T00:23:34.231-05:002023-11-17T00:23:34.231-05:00One of the first CRPG's I bought, and played i...One of the first CRPG's I bought, and played it on an old 8088 XT in glorious CGA (red, white, cyan, black). Parents and siblings would watch me play it, and go "how can you tell what anything is?!" Then, much later, The Matrix came out, and the guy watching the monitor with code trickling down saying "after a while all I see is blond, brunette, red-head" I laughed hard at. Reminded me of playing games in CGA that looked absolutely atrocious, but your eyes adapted to them and could easily tell what everything was. (Played Ultima 6 on the same XT in CGA, and, boy, that was a slog. Would take the computer a minute to decide how to resolve an attack in combat. And the CGA graphics were headache-inducing to anyone but young me staring at them for hours.) But, I digress. Wasteland was unique in that it let you keep reformatting / resetting the game world while keeping your party. I was a kid with lots of time on my hands and very little money. So, I played the heck out of the games I had. I worked my party of characters through the game a few times. Then I figured out you could attack the Goliath guy at Citadel with guns to vastly boost your weapon skills. Just attack him from a distance, unload Assault Rifles on full-auto, and you'd get 1-2 levels each time. He wouldn't die. He'd just shrug off the damage, and you could keep spamming weapons at him to level up skill. My squad ended up with level 16 in Assault Rifles, SMG's, and 13-14 in hand guns. There were other areas you could cheese skills on, like the dunes in Needles (?). Just keep running characters up the dunes and they slide down. But, they'd gain acrobatics skill or something. Eventually, my party got so good from replaying over and over I ditched all of them except 1 character I solo'ed the game with. She had level 16 H2H and Melee, b/c I decided the game was too easy with guns; I'll just do close-combat going forward. Went to Goliath and had her spar with him for a while and she became god-like. My goal was to try to get her promoted to General. But, they keep spamming "Fire Lieutenant" and other weird ranks multiple times. She needed so much xp to level up that'd I'd have to go through the whole game just to gain 1 level... even with grinding at Base Cochise that had the nastiest stuff crawling around that gave the best xp. With H2H she was a hear. With the Proton Ax she was a God, b/c for some reason the Proton Ax counted as a H2H weapon instead of Melee. (I think that was a bug). So, I'd just head to the Citadel, bust through Goliath, find the Proton Ax, and blast through the rest. I first found out about this game watching a friend play it at his house. He got stuck in a city with his party bleeding to death and random encounters going off that would party-wipe them. He thought all his time was wasted, and would have to start over. There was a location called "Body Shop" near by. I said "what if that's a hospital?" He said "No, it's a car repair shop." I said "so you went inside?" Him "no". I looked at him, he looked at me. He took his party inside.. it was a Hospital. He rolled his eyes hard, but laughed, too. He could heal up and keep playing the game. It's moments like those... a lot of folks play games by themselves. But, some of us went over to friend's houses and watched them play and provided back-seat driving / tips to help out. So, the games were a bonding experience just as much as they were a gaming experience.blahblahblacksheepnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-90537431686076336562023-03-08T13:00:45.909-05:002023-03-08T13:00:45.909-05:00lol (happy face for canageek)lol (happy face for canageek)pianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-79520269270197531122023-03-08T03:42:26.993-05:002023-03-08T03:42:26.993-05:00LOL (nerdface emoji)LOL (nerdface emoji)filozofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09015640063031888465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-17045173541491949672016-01-06T13:12:06.999-05:002016-01-06T13:12:06.999-05:00Cool! I brought that up in the forums early on. (A...Cool! I brought that up in the forums early on. (Also on that note: http://gamasutra.com/blogs/LeeBretschneider/20151223/262542/Joeproofing_Temple_of_Yog.php )Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-14470690519730185592016-01-06T13:11:07.562-05:002016-01-06T13:11:07.562-05:00(Also, yes, outhouses would make a lot of sense. A...(Also, yes, outhouses would make a lot of sense. As would oil lamps, hanging tapestries on the walls to reduce drafts, and being able to repair the giant holes in the walls of the houses I'm moving into. Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-21845349175161131932016-01-06T13:09:28.890-05:002016-01-06T13:09:28.890-05:00True, but why wouldn't I put the lid on the to...True, but why wouldn't I put the lid on the toilet tank, or properly attach the seat? <br /><br />A nuclear war would have a pretty crazy effect on the environment, plus this is 200 and something years in the future. Suppose a few oil wells were lit on fire during the nuclear war, permafrost melted, or worse, methane/ethane/propane/butane gas escaped into the atmosphere without burning. That could be a LOT of greenhouse effect, which would warm the heck out of a lot of places. Now, I'd expect that nuclear winter would be pretty bad, but it is possible the dirt and grit would fall back to earth well before the carbon is recaptured (and I don't even know how you get hydrocarbons out of the atmosphere...). That would take even longer given the amount of areas that green things can't grow in, etc etc. So I'm sure you could handwave things being warmer easily. <br /><br />What I don't get is why you can't build log cabins or something like they did for the hundreds-thousands of years before they had drywall and such. Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-71296215439493343132016-01-05T23:54:05.404-05:002016-01-05T23:54:05.404-05:00You were mentioned specifically for a certain issu...You were mentioned specifically for a certain issue; whether the game is color-blind friendly.Kenny McCormickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01553499727945099493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-26849033303599742112016-01-05T23:52:01.639-05:002016-01-05T23:52:01.639-05:00@Canageek & Chet - I dunno why you'd want ...@Canageek & Chet - I dunno why you'd want to build a commode in the first place. It's not like there's any working plumbing to allow flushing. For gods' sake, there's a bloody farm a few steps away that could do really well with a shit gully as a fertilizer reservoir.<br /><br />Anyway, if hole-y walls gets to you, try out metal walls instead. Costly but, hey, no holes.<br /><br />@HunterZ - It's not hard to believe, actually. It's post-apocalyptic. Weather's no longer what it used to be. The Commonwealth is the new Peru; in the case of climate. Probably not, but hey, what do I know? I'm no meteorologist and never got caught in a radstorm before.Kenny McCormickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01553499727945099493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-79810259540698344802016-01-05T20:02:47.480-05:002016-01-05T20:02:47.480-05:00Given that it takes place in Boston, I think the h...Given that it takes place in Boston, I think the holes in the walls would be less of a concern than a lack of insulation. There's no way that you could sleep in a Boston winter on top of a 200-year-old bare mattress in a shack that had its windows and doors ripped out and not wake up dead of hypothermia.<br /><br />It breaks suspension of disbelief that people would rather hole up in crappy shacks and suffer exposure during radiation storms than walk 5 minutes down the road to a nice warm, dry pre-war building.<br /><br />I'm looking forward to when they finally get rid of the idea of interior versus exterior cells/maps someday, as it would eliminate a lot of this kind of goofiness.HunterZhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17049065099652976143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-22704379159236887912016-01-05T19:33:02.956-05:002016-01-05T19:33:02.956-05:00Granted, that toilet was made with recycled coffee...Granted, that toilet was made with recycled coffee cups and ash trays, and the walls were made directly from dead tree branches and repurposed car doors.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-31060934097148140702016-01-05T14:54:01.497-05:002016-01-05T14:54:01.497-05:00You can't even BUILD a clean bathroom in the n...You can't even BUILD a clean bathroom in the new game. The toilet is already partially broken when you build it, and all the walls are rusty (OK), and have holes in them (really? No one in my settlement can built a wall without holes?)Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-71289933255381678532015-11-29T20:59:17.588-05:002015-11-29T20:59:17.588-05:00Yeah, my post probably came across more argumentat...Yeah, my post probably came across more argumentative than I intended. I think this is an important website, and I wanted to advocate for a favorite game that seemed underappreciated, even at #14. :)asimpkinsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-79521881626961022212015-11-28T01:50:28.504-05:002015-11-28T01:50:28.504-05:00I'm not sure a lot of readers caught the subte...I'm not sure a lot of readers caught the subtext on that one.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-30859559571972161712015-11-27T19:40:46.670-05:002015-11-27T19:40:46.670-05:00Except apparently when in Denver ;)Except apparently when in Denver ;)HunterZhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17049065099652976143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-66557074421164345262015-11-27T16:08:57.942-05:002015-11-27T16:08:57.942-05:00I appreciate your counter-arguments, although in g...I appreciate your counter-arguments, although in general I don't think it's a good use of time to argue with me about 1-point differences on how I rate things. The GIMLET is an attempt to quantify my own subjective experience with games. That does not make it "objective." Yes, games rate lower on my scale if I, personally, don't like some of the elements. That's the point of both the scale and my blog in general.<br /><br />Despite what you feel is a generally negative review, <i>Wasteland</i> currently sits at #14 on my list of more than 200 games that I've played. The scores that you criticize as "low" are actually quite high in comparison to other games. Keep in mind that the GIMLET has to have room for the tremendous improvements we've seen in areas like NPC interaction in the last 10-15 years.<br /><br />A theme throughout the entire history of my postings is that while I appreciate humor, I don't appreciate goofy humor--or "zany" humor, as you have it. I never will, and I will always be at odds with other readers about that. It's one of many burdens I must bear.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-85114566506690709102015-11-25T23:32:54.145-05:002015-11-25T23:32:54.145-05:00I played Wasteland as a kid when it came out, and ...I played Wasteland as a kid when it came out, and I've found time to replay it multiple times since. I've really enjoyed reading through this series of posts, but I think the final rating is a bit low.<br /><br />It's clear you didn't appreciate the genre and much of the humor that came with that, but I don't think it's fair to say that the game failed by not being realistic. That may have been your expectation, but the game is clearly not trying to exist in the real world. Yes, it's located in the US south west and there was a nuclear war, but it's clear it exist in a zany alternate reality of nuns with energy weapons and cannibalistic hot dog stands. It's a world where the improbable and outlandish actually happens -- undead, robots, cloning, and Scorpitrons. It's a subjective call, but I'd given it a better score for "Game World". A big reason why I enjoy replaying it is revisiting this distinctive and unrealistic world. It holds my attention more than Forgotten Realms.<br /><br />I also have a hard time understanding the low "NPC Interaction" score. It's got a pretty good cast of varied NPCs that will join your party, and I think maybe you missed some of the stuff they can do. And there are a few memorable non-joinable NPCs that you interact with outside of combat. It's definitely not as good as later RPGs, but I feel like Wasteland should rate higher than Pool or Radiance or Curse of the Azure Bonds here.<br /><br />I can't argue that "Encounters and Foes" and "Magic and Combat" measures up to the tactical combat of the Gold Box games, though a '3' is pretty low for the latter category. I'd give it at least a '4', as it mostly moves along smoothly, with little frustration, and engages just enough with questions of what group to attack and with how much. I've never found this to be an obstacle when replaying the game.<br /><br />It's useful to keep comparing to the Gold Box games, and I think Wasteland boasts a much larger set of interesting "Equipment" and the "Economy" is significantly better, though still far from perfect. At least in comparison to Pool of Radiance, I'm not sure Wasteland got the extra credit here it deserved.<br /><br />I think I could make similar arguments for some of the other categories as well, but I'll wrap it up here. I'd rate this game in the low 60's as a peer of PoR and CotAB. The tactical combat is not as good as those games, but it makes up for it in a lot of other areas.asimpkinsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-54958904250810197432015-11-15T15:17:06.534-05:002015-11-15T15:17:06.534-05:00I'd agree with you except for, you know, the r...I'd agree with you except for, you know, the radiation and mutations. And is there a single clean bathroom in any of the <i>Fallout</i> games? CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-52499983302596419682015-11-02T01:21:10.553-05:002015-11-02T01:21:10.553-05:00I always thought that "post-apocalyptic"...I always thought that "post-apocalyptic" is actually the total opposite of bleak and unappealing.<br /><br />Sure, civilization just pressed the hard-reset button, but much of the infrastructure and technology is still there. What is NOT there is the large human population; basically what caused an apocalypse will be the insane explosion in numbers of our species.<br /><br />So, you might see loss but I see it more as an entire garden seeded after a harsh winter and we can finally see some sprouts coming out of the ground.Kenny McCormickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01553499727945099493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-86415942879057214812015-11-01T01:11:03.680-04:002015-11-01T01:11:03.680-04:00"On the other hand, I don't think the cha..."On the other hand, I don't think the character's sex or nationality ever had any affect on gameplay."<br /><br />The bathrooms in the bar are sex specific. The prostitute refuses female clients.Matthewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-30263334004028973962014-12-18T10:02:08.215-05:002014-12-18T10:02:08.215-05:00Good to know I'm talked about at major release...Good to know I'm talked about at major release parties. Next step: get invited.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-21397096672198915472014-12-17T19:44:31.662-05:002014-12-17T19:44:31.662-05:00Unrelated to most things but a tiny bit related to...Unrelated to most things but a tiny bit related to this post, your name (well, your "name") definitely came up in a conversation at the Wasteland 2 Release Party. I do not remember the context at all, naturally, but it might have been when I was talking to the guy the RPG Codex sent to interview people.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-72810116244480551842014-09-24T14:26:38.095-04:002014-09-24T14:26:38.095-04:00I was wondering how W2 turned out, so thanks for t...I was wondering how W2 turned out, so thanks for the mini-review. It does sound like a game that I'd enjoy, though it's hard for me because I find the subject matter so bleak and unappealing. I've been enjoying <i>Fallout: New Vegas</i> recently, but I have to consciously put the whole "post-apocalypse" thing out of my mind CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-2781775151050821312014-09-24T03:24:40.474-04:002014-09-24T03:24:40.474-04:00With the recent release of Wasteland 2 I went thro...With the recent release of Wasteland 2 I went through these old posts for comparison's sake. I'm not sure how far I am in the game, but I'm impressed how tightly connected they are. It takes place in many of the same locations, and several of the major NPCs seem to have been the heroes of the first game. It's nice to see how the world evolved.<br /><br />There are some other odd spots, though, like one of the aforementioned NPCs saying something like "we've never been able to find evidence that people survived outside our little slice of Arizona", despite having been to Vegas in the last game. The game uses a nice 3D globe for the world transitions, and it's quite interesting to see the Earth in this setting since it shows huge blast marks across most of the world, and clear signs of sea levels rising (Florida's disappeared, Brazil is heavily flooded, etc.)<br /><br />Overall, while I know you wouldn't get to it for probably 20 years in your blog, I suspect it's a game you'd quite enjoy, Chet. Immersive world, lots of reactivity and roleplaying choices right out the gate as well as throughout the game, and a dialogue system that would probably reward your meticulous note-taking since sometimes there are "secret" keywords that can help you out. I also suspect there's a legitimate "join the bad guys" path, but I haven't gotten far enough to say for sure one way or the other.<br /><br />Also, sorry if this shows up as a weird double-post. I started to write this on another Wasteland entry and I don't even know what happened. My phone wasn't happy about it.Natehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08098875250377735658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-88693338918818631492013-11-13T18:17:53.423-05:002013-11-13T18:17:53.423-05:00Kinda strange that Base Cochise is described in th...Kinda strange that Base Cochise is described in the outro as 'the greatest threat man has ever known', given that most of the world's population was actually wiped out by nukes the century prior.Tristan Gallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16769219573533545742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-34453514886569755302013-01-26T19:27:32.216-05:002013-01-26T19:27:32.216-05:00Yes, the existence of the Kickstarter campaign cam...Yes, the existence of the Kickstarter campaign came up in my threads ad nauseum when it was going on. Good for them.<br /><br />I never really wanted to "quit"; I just had trouble getting into it. It was a weird time in my life. Lots of other stuff, much of it unpleasant, going on.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.com