OT 19/3: COVID-19 Isolation Chamber/Panic Room

[Felonious Python]

Is Homeland any good? We’re running out of shows to watch quick here...

8 seasons. Somebody likes it. The first two seasons are particularly well reviewed.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Happy Easter!

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[Felonious Python]

Hillsborough pinned the mandatory mask discussion to Thursday.

Politicz Pro Tip: Authoritarian tendencies during a crisis generally get framed as strong leadership.

 

[Felonious Python]

Assassin's Creed II is free to keep for the next few days on Uplay.

Humble put out a new bundle and the $1 tier is an absolute banger.
Humble 2K's Game Together Bundle (pay what you want and help charity)

The Darkness II is above average, Sid Meier's Pirates has aged well, and Spec Ops: The Line has some heavy subject matter for the current cultural mood, but it's 100% worth the dollar. 100%

The BTA tier is pretty uninteresting. Bioshock 1 (which is a great game, but is carrying the tier). Civilization 6 has been out for a while, so the third game from 2001 isn't really worth it.

The $20 tier is kind of for very specific people. NBA and WWE (essential workers) were rather poorly received by critics and players.

You can get X-Com Complete on sale for around $6.50-10. Borderlands GOTY Enhanced was in the dollar tier of another Humble Bundle, but goes for like $10. The Handsome Collection (Borderlands 2 and the Pre-Sequel, plus all the DLCs for both) goes for around $6, but has appeared on GreenManGaming for $3 before. Borderlands games seem to frequently be in these bundles, so if there isn't an urgent need, you could wait.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Anybody watching Better Call Saul? Last night’s episode was the bomb yo. 9.9 rating on IMDB btw, after a 9.8 episode last week. Totally deserved too.

 

[JoVel]

Anybody watching Better Call Saul? Last night’s episode was the bomb yo. 9.9 rating on IMDB btw, after a 9.8 episode last week. Totally deserved too.

It's on its last season right? Just started watching a couple days ago. Only a few episodes into season 1.

 

[Felonious Python]

Community is on Netflix in the US. That was a popular show in 19/3's of yore. The show's creator is Dan Harmon, before he co-created Rick & Morty.

'I Think You Should Leave' is a Netflix exclusive comedy show that I adore.

Peaky Blinders isn't a comedy, but its pretty much mandatory viewing for our demo.

Is Schitt's Creek actually a good show? Every season seemed to get more and more praise, which is sort of unusual. It didn't really seem like a show I'd watch.

 

[LightningStrikes]

It's on its last season right? Just started watching a couple days ago. Only a few episodes into season 1.

AFAIK there is one more season coming in 2021. Keep watching, totally worth it.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Community is on Netflix in the US. That was a popular show in 19/3's of yore. The show's creator is Dan Harmon, before he co-created Rick & Morty.

'I Think You Should Leave' is a Netflix exclusive comedy show that I adore.

Peaky Blinders isn't a comedy, but its pretty much mandatory viewing for our demo.

Is Schitt's Creek actually a good show? Every season seemed to get more and more praise, which is sort of unusual. It didn't really seem like a show I'd watch.

Community was/is awesome! Still baffled it got canceled.

 

[Felonious Python]

Have you guys ever heard of pluto.tv? It's owned by ViacomCBS. Pretty impressive service for one I've never heard of before.

Pluto TV - Wikipedia

 

[Felonious Python]

Twitter is freaking out that GTA 6 is in 'early development', thinking they just started. 18 months after Red Dead Redemption 2 was released. Seven years after GTA 5.

I kind of doubt it. The genesis of this was an article on Rockstar's improved corporate culture. Where the crunch and overtime gets truly horrible is in the final months and weeks before release, when they have a set date that everyone is counting on. Nothing's been shown, no date announced. Easy peasy right now.

I wouldn't be surprised to see GTA 6 put a teaser trailer out there in the coming months, maybe E3 in June. Society sort of needs it right now. GTA is big enough that it doesn't need a trade show to get attention, so it could be at any time, but Sony and Microsoft can compete over who gets the teaser, which seems like a smart business move.

 

[Hoek]

Came across a decent hockey movie called Indian Horse on Netflix. It's really more about what First Nations people had to go through in Canada but the main character managed to escape it for a bit through playing hockey.

 

[Coopers Gum]

Why is no one talking about Half Life 3?

 

[Felonious Python]

Why is no one talking about Half Life 3?

HL3 or HL:Alyx?

Probably the ridiculously high cost of VR.

 

[Hoek]

Yeah I can't justify spending $1000 on a Valve Index for this one game. I have a PSVR that was much cheaper and have enjoyed it for a bit but now it's collecting dust so not eager to shell out more cash until there's more to play.

 

[Felonious Python]

Yeah I can't justify spending $1000 on a Valve Index for this one game. I have a PSVR that was much cheaper and have enjoyed it for a bit but now it's collecting dust so not eager to shell out more cash until there's more to play.

You don't have to use an Index to play HL: Alyx technically, although if you buy the Index, you get Alyx bundled with it. For $1,000, I should say so.

What you do need is a hefty PC already able to run VR, as well as the space to mount the sensors, and then finally the smackaroons for just the headset. Just hope you're not someone who gets motion sickness and headaches too quickly.

 

[Coopers Gum]

HL3 or HL:Alyx?

Probably the ridiculously high cost of VR.

HLA Spoil sorta:

Talkin about HL3. HLA pretty intently makes way for HL3. Think HL3 is only going to be exclusively on VR? Maybe. Hope not.

 

[Felonious Python]

HLA Spoil sorta:

Talkin about HL3. HLA pretty intently makes way for HL3. Think HL3 is only going to be exclusively on VR? Maybe. Hope not.

Valve does seem to be more willing to develop games again. I'm not sure that we'll get a full fledged Half-Life 3 because of the weight that name carries, but maybe Alyx was the practice run.

I read awhile back that they'll be releasing a VR-less version of HLA, so they'll probably be able to make their money back at least then.

Their game Artifact is also getting rebooted. Internally, they're calling it Artifact 2.

 

[LightningStrikes]

You don't have to use an Index to play HL: Alyx technically, although if you buy the Index, you get Alyx bundled with it. For $1,000, I should say so.

What you do need is a hefty PC already able to run VR, as well as the space to mount the sensors, and then finally the smackaroons for just the headset. Just hope you're not someone who gets motion sickness and headaches too quickly.

That still seems like a hefty investment for a (for now) niche product though. And you bring up a good point with the space requirement for sensors and stuff. Does VR gaming really have a future?

 

[Felonious Python]

That still seems like a hefty investment for a (for now) niche product though. And you bring up a good point with the space requirement for sensors and stuff. Does VR gaming really have a future?

As a niche, I think it'll always have a place, but it seems like it's just too complex and expensive right now for wide consumer use. You're unlikely to find a VR set that allows you to wear glasses and play. Couch co-op is basically nonexistent. I'd also guess most people don't want to move a lot either for hours on end because that gets tiring.

VR is just overcomplicating things when you could just sit/lay however you want and press buttons.

 

[Hoek]

I use my PSVR with glasses just fine. I thought they had been designing headsets for that nowadays.

 

[Felonious Python]

I use my PSVR with glasses just fine. I thought they had been designing headsets for that nowadays.

I'm not all that up to date on the 2nd gen VR sets. There's not much hype for any of it these days.

The Index does try to accommodate people who wear glasses. Not every pair will fit, but you can buy after market attachment lenses that will approximate your prescription.

PSVR seems like an exception to a lot of this I feel in terms of accessibility, although the compromise was a lowered resolution for the headset.

The PS4 as a console is/was a loss-leader. They needed to sell a certain amount of software in order to make money. I imagine PS VR at it's relatively low price point works the same, however I don't think it has the library to really justify itself.

edit:
I think that VR that comes with an existing console is the way to do it. I'm a PC guy, but Valve has to sell its headset for $1000, while competing against HTC, Oculus, and anyone else.

Playstation (or Microsoft) can use it as a loss-leader, and they still take a cut on any software sold.

Valve is the big PC games platform, but you're not locked into using them. You can buy through Epic, or GOG, or more easily pirate.

Selling the worst acceptable headset because it'll cost as little as possible is the way to build the installation base. Then you can get developers who actually want to make games for it, and the cycle will continue. You also get standardization because you know the console and headset specs.

 

[Felonious Python]

The last two episodes, especially the last episode of 'The Plot Against America' were actually really good.

 

[TheFurryPickle]

You can get X-Com Complete on sale for around $6.50-10.

Is that the original Xcom games ? because they are far better than the reboots they recently did.

Is Schitt's Creek actually a good show? Every season seemed to get more and more praise, which is sort of unusual. It didn't really seem like a show I'd watch.

My wife chucked this on, I remember it being advertised years ago. Im just about finishing up season 5 - so one more to go.

I think Moira is by far the best character in the whole show. David shits me as he is mincing it up too much where as Patrick is more my exp working with gay blokes - straight acting. But I digress, Alexis is great for a perve..but she is the only decent one to look at, and I could go Stevie as she looks like a lot of fun.


Im barely in the house watching tv these days, running around with the kids digging up the earth.

My latest adventures:

Then at this creek

not so bad