What are you all playing right now?

[emjay]

I'd forgotten what an awesome, unique, and almost obsessive experience it was to play Stardew Valley. I'm playing it again now because of a recent massive content update.

It's like Maslow's hierarchy of needs enacted in a computer game; you start with nothing, struggling to fulfil your most basic needs but by the end you can be working on purely aesthetic, almost "spiritual" goals, like designing your farm or carving out a nice little relaxing space for yourself.

It's not very Buddhist to play the game in the sense that it's all about goals, building things, achievement and accumulation... but at the same time, I think it has more potential for that than most games. I'm kind of always on the search for a "mindful" type game, that remains enjoyable even without goals... where you can just enjoy the moment without constantly striving for something. Essentially sit back and smell the roses so to speak.

This delivers on both fronts I think; naturally speaking, I love goals, and that sense of incremental, cumulative achievement, which is the essence of this game, but at the same time, you can just sit your character down in the moonlight, torches burning, a jukebox on playing your favourite in-game music, and enjoy the moment. I just love this game so much, how much it brings to the table, and how it's almost completely impossible to switch off from it (as seems to be similarly the case with the game you guys are all obsessed with, BG3 ).

[Silver]

I think I'm the only one here obsessed with BG3.

[no one]

Just finished another round of, Do You Look As Dumb As You Drive? 

[emjay]

I think I'm the only one here obsessed with BG3.

Hehe, seems like the whole site to me ... never seen a game go viral quite like this before.

I'll probably give it a go at some point, although it is pretty expensive, because although I have a love/hate relationship with RNG in games, I love probability as a concept, and that's the essence of those sorts of games... DnD, Warhammer etc. So it does seem quite appealing even if it's the polar opposite of games like Stardew Valley; hellish (from what I gather ) versus cute and fluffy.

That said, I'm more interested in the combat side of Stardew at the moment, so my life is all about re-rolling stats and RNG at the moment too, I guess it's just the endless variety and replayability that comes from being able to reroll stats/builds that makes either of these games appealing.

[Silver]

I purchased BG 1&2 (enhanced editions), but I just couldn't get into it. I think the games are just too old. Good thing the bundle was on sale.

Therefore, back to BG 3.

Afterwards, I plan on replaying Forbidden West and Valhalla.

Until SW Outlaws becomes available in August.

[Silver]

Tried stealing the idol before dealing with Kagha. Not a good idea.

[Angrboda]

Starting Hellblade 1 using the XBOX client on my PC. First I had to clean the dust off the controller, it had been so long since I'd used it. Then I had to get a pair of headphones connected, because they recommend playing it that way. Then I discovered that the Bluetooth sound was glitching with the game. It turns out that I had an after-market set of Bluetooth drivers installed. I got things ironed out, but it was 20 minutes before I could even start the game. PC gaming has more options, but mostly I wish that things would just work these days.

[Silver]

Decided to go another route.

*sigh*, I'm never finishing this game. Still, I do have more hours wracked up in Valhalla.

Anywho......

Forest Gnome Warlock Fiend, going to take the Devil's Sight passive feat and then Pact of the Tome for haste. Don't need Chain when I can get Shovel for free.

The others in the party will be a fighter and two sorcerers.

[Fake Messiah]

I'm playing nes Tennis on an old psp. Sadly, although the game is 40 years old, it seems to be the best tennis game.

[Silver]

Changed it up again. Swords bard with three sorcerers. Gonna haste the crap outta the game.