Friday! A Licky boom-boom down.

[Nefaro]

So I'm knee-deep in IL-2 Pacific Theater, using a DCG campaign, but man am I having trouble getting into it.  I always, always run into the same problem with Pacific Theater campaigns....they're so bloody boring!

The only thing I can think of to make this better, a possible solution, would be to eliminate the mini-map, path markers, etc. on the map and force myself to dead-reckon to target and back using a good old clock and math.  Because the way I play it now, I take off, click on the autopilot, go to 8x time compression, sit around for 10 or 15 minutes until something happens, click out, fight, then RTB, click on autopilot, click 8x, wait another 10 minutes, and then bring the plane back aboard the boat. 

BORING!

There just isn't any drama.  Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I've never been able to find the hook.  I'm open to suggestions.  The game looks better than ever, and I have massive formations of planes flying around, but the missions are so damn tedious.

Maybe I'm spoiled from Falcon.  In Falcon, you have events happening on both sides of the FLOT so even though the flights can be a bit long, you are busy the whole time.  In IL-2, not much goes on during the transit to keep you engaged.

Maybe I should just move my butt and learn BMS.  Well... more like memorize BMS, as I know a good portion of how to fly and fight with it.  Just a matter of burning all the little stuff into memory so I can go through the motions without having to stop and think on where everything is.

I'm really just looking for a fun dynamic campaign and Falcon 4 is one of the very few.   Probably the best after all the community work over the years.  I'd say WOFF is the only other one where the world you're flying in seems somewhat alive, but I've been at that one steadily for months so it's time to change scenery for a bit.

[Anguille]

- Star Trek: Birth of the Federation. My Romulan campaign is coming along...took Cardassia but it's still a long way to go to victory...i lose a lot of ship for each system i take. I'd like to have an Alliance with the Federation but they resist...the other good canditates are the Ferengi but do i have enough Gold-Pressed latinum.

Nice!  You playing one of the mods? 

Yes, Balance of Power.

[Martok]

When you get the chance, Anguille, check out Ultimate Mod 5.  I don't know that it's better than BOP, but it's definitely fun. 

[GroggyGrognard]

Maybe some Commander: The Great War.

Try to finish my Axis turn for Stalingrad Pocket II over VASSAL.

B-17 Mighty Eighth - continue my 25 mission campaign

How is this game? I've always been curious about it.


Thanks,
Groggy

[Anguille]

When you get the chance, Anguille, check out Ultimate Mod 5.  I don't know that it's better than BOP, but it's definitely fun.

Ok...thanks...will check...what are the main features?

Cheers

[Martok]

When you get the chance, Anguille, check out Ultimate Mod 5.  I don't know that it's better than BOP, but it's definitely fun.

Ok...thanks...will check...what are the main features?

Cheers

Well the single most obvious one is that the Dominion replaces the Ferengi as one of the five playable factions (the Ferengi remain in the game as a minor race).  As for other features, I'll be lazy and just pull it directly from dafedz's OP: 


-The Fed GUI has been overhauled and largely recreated.
-New Planetary animations (made for Botf2, finally seeing the light of day)
-Massive number of new buildings
-Buildable Minor race ships
-Outposts removed, Starbases built from the start
-Many Minors have up to 3 buildings available, ranging from tech 1 up
-12 Techs in all to research
-Buildings auto-upgrade with Tech breakthroughs
-Techs split into 'eras', Tech 1-4 *points gap* 5-8 *points gap* 9-12
-New ship models for Feds, Cards, Klings, and Roms, + remade my old 'cookie-cutter' Breen model whose hi polys more oft than not resulted in CTD
-Several new Minors debut [Martok's note: including fan-favorites like the Tholians, Breen, and Orions]


Speaking only for myself, UM5 feels sort of like a blend between Balance of Power and Ultimate Dominion Mod 3, with a chunk of All the Ages added in for good measure (dafedz readily admits he borrowed/stole a lot of the changes/fixes Gowron added to his BOP mod, and that BOP and UDM3 in general seem to have been his main inspiration to do UM5).  The tech trees being split into "eras" is pretty cool, and I'm coming to like the focus/importance of M-class planets.  The revamp of minor races is welcome, as is the fact that you can build their ships (playing as the Federation feels much more authentic when you can have actual Vulcan cruisers in your fleet).  :D 

If I had to boil down my experience (thus far) with Ultimate Mod 5 to one sentence, though, it would probably be this:  The BOP mod with more "flavor", and with the Dominion in place of the Ferengi.  Not a bad thing IMHO. 

[Anguille]

When you get the chance, Anguille, check out Ultimate Mod 5.  I don't know that it's better than BOP, but it's definitely fun.

Ok...thanks...will check...what are the main features?

Cheers

Well the single most obvious one is that the Dominion replaces the Ferengi as one of the five playable factions (the Ferengi remain in the game as a minor race).  As for other features, I'll be lazy and just pull it directly from dafedz's OP: 


-The Fed GUI has been overhauled and largely recreated.
-New Planetary animations (made for Botf2, finally seeing the light of day)
-Massive number of new buildings
-Buildable Minor race ships
-Outposts removed, Starbases built from the start
-Many Minors have up to 3 buildings available, ranging from tech 1 up
-12 Techs in all to research
-Buildings auto-upgrade with Tech breakthroughs
-Techs split into 'eras', Tech 1-4 *points gap* 5-8 *points gap* 9-12
-New ship models for Feds, Cards, Klings, and Roms, + remade my old 'cookie-cutter' Breen model whose hi polys more oft than not resulted in CTD
-Several new Minors debut [Martok's note: including fan-favorites like the Tholians, Breen, and Orions]


Speaking only for myself, UM5 feels sort of like a blend between Balance of Power and Ultimate Dominion Mod 3, with a chunk of All the Ages added in for good measure (dafedz readily admits he borrowed/stole a lot of the changes/fixes Gowron added to his BOP mod, and that BOP and UDM3 in general seem to have been his main inspiration to do UM5).  The tech trees being split into "eras" is pretty cool, and I'm coming to like the focus/importance of M-class planets.  The revamp of minor races is welcome, as is the fact that you can build their ships (playing as the Federation feels much more authentic when you can have actual Vulcan cruisers in your fleet).  :D 

If I had to boil down my experience (thus far) with Ultimate Mod 5 to one sentence, though, it would probably be this:  The BOP mod with more "flavor", and with the Dominion in place of the Ferengi.  Not a bad thing IMHO.

Thanks...playing a few turns already. I guess what stopped me is that i still had in mind that back in the days, it wasn't as easy to install a mod...this one comes with a full installer! Great. I would have preferred the option to add major races but it's fine as i can play 2 different games on the same computer (Balance of Power and Ultimate Mod 5)....looking forward to meet the Dominion on the battle field... 8)

[Martok]

As am I.  :) 

One thing I will mention (credit goes to Flocke over at the AFC forums for pointing it out) is that right now (and for better or worse), UM5 is faster-paced than BOP.  Colony ships are cheap, colonies develop more quickly since you don't need to upgrade anything, and M-class planets are surprisingly common. 

Unless/until dafedz releases a balance patch/update, I'm thinking of using Ultimate Editor to either increase the cost of colony ships, reduce the frequency of M-class planets, or both -- not sure yet what I'm going to do there.  Still fun, though! 

[Greybriar]

I've spent more time playing World of Tanks this weekend than any of the other games I've played combined. It's because of the Military Parade Weekend special. The cost of garage slots has been reduced from 300 gold to 100 gold. There are numerous other specials featuring things for 50% off as well as discounts for a number of armored vehicles.

You can even get 5 Large Repair Kits, 5 Large First Aid Kits, and 5 Automatic Fire Extinguishers just for logging in. My favorite mission is Victory March which awards 80,000 credits if you win five (5) battles where you place within the top 10 XP earners; it is available: on Random, Team, or Historical Battles maps for Tier IV or higher, and can be repeated up to three (3) times a day--that's 240,000 credits daily!

The specials end tomorrow morning, Monday, May 12, 04:00 PDT (07:00 EDT).

[undercovergeek]

I spent a lot of time trying to like Arma III. It looks amazing, everything on full, i'd be happy just crouched behind a rock counting the moss and watching butterflys go passed. Im playing through the campaign and whilst its constructed great im just dieing so regularly and restarting i have no connection to my character, die, restart, die, restart, die, restart, its not that immersion is broken, its shattered to bits - i want to like it, and spent 5 hours trying my best - it might be one for the recycle bin - itll be the only way to remove the temptation

[GDS_Starfury]

Not you, too, Jarhead!  Am I going to have to start Friday threads on Wednesday now?!  ;)

This is going to be a feast or famine weekend time wise.  If I have none, it will probably end up being Warlock.  If there is copious amounts, I have four MP games going currently: 2 Civ IV BtS games (on opposite coasts no less), an EUIV MP with Kushan and maybe a Warlock MP with Tuna and W8taminute.

such a slut you are.

[MetalDog]

If I am such a slut, how come I am not in a MP game with you, too?  ;)

[PanzersEast]

Got some good gaming in this weekend and was unexpected...... just some observations from late... late night gaming and working down my list.


Rome Total War II
I must be burned out on the TW series as I found the ai just lacking as it made stupid tactical and strategic decisions.  I was playing Sparta and Macedon could have wiped me out several times but went parading around the strategic map like a band of crack addicts looking for a fix.  Not sure if I will continue playing this as it put me off.

Endless Space
I've put some hours into this game and picked it up again and then put it back down.  Not sure if playing EU IV and CK2 have spoiled me, but the game felt lifeless and just empty.  By about turn 40 I was bored to tears.


Civilization V
Played the most this weekend and after getting back into it, I really enjoyed the game.  I am a little surprised as it did not stick with me earlier, but after loading a couple of mods and setting down with it, I really enjoyed it.


Birth of the Federation -  Ultimate Mod 5 v2.1
Fired this one up and started as the Klingons to just mess with the galaxy.... enjoyed it.  I am still learning the mechanics of the game, but thus far I prefer  it over Endless Space and others... it has character that's for sure.

B-17 Mighty Eighth
Old game but continues my squadron commanders campaign and looked a little silly as bad weather through 2 missions but a hamper on operations.  Missed one secondary target but on the 3rd mission we where able to deliver the package to the primary target.  Overall having a blast with the game and one big reason is I finally got my stick mapped to the gun controls which makes it a ton easier to play.  We have had minimal losses at this point as well, but it is early.


Couple of games I un-installed as I do my spring cleaning.
- Banished
- Endless Space
- Sword of the Stars II


PE

[Ubercat]

If I am such a slut, how come I am not in a MP game with you, too?  ;)

This reminds me of Leo DiCaprio in Gangs of New York asking Cameron Diaz, "Is there anyone in New York you haven't f***ed!?" She says "Yes, you!:

[Tuna]

I was sick as a dog this weekend.. and my wife was supposed to go away for a Scrap Booking weekend (so would've been a gaming weekend).. But she had a fall a few weeks ago and was still not feeling right.. So we both were kind of 'down' this weekend... What lil time I had went to Fallen Enchantress and a couple failed FSX flights  :(