@BlueOcean Oh, I've used the XS controller a lot! I actually like it's ergonomics more than elite 1, and slightly more then x1, but not as much as elite series 2. It really impressed me in terms of feel and finish compared to the x1 stock controller. I loved the x1 stock compared to ds4, but the xs definitely is an upgrade.
Haha, I never had that problem with Nintendo because US..... We had the two tone purple SNES, then then the weird N64 and gcn controller then into the gray, D's, gba, Wii, wiiu, switch..... So 360 was actually the first color coded console I had. Technically PS2, but the shapes prevent it from being as confusing and Nintendo, Sega, Xbox with the same letters...
But the backward Nintendo vs Xbox buttons still confuse me. And Phil! One time he was at the Nintendo booth at E3 playing super lucky and kept dying. He realized it was the button mapping and commented to the Nintendo rep their buttons are mapped backward
Iirc, Xbox mapping matches Sega Dreamcast mapping (they did what Nintendont) but the colors are reversed. Ps in Japan actually always matched Nintendo but outside Japan was opposite (which happens to match xb.). With PS5 Sony forced Japan to go with the western format though. "Japan is important to us"....sure, Jimmy.... So this is the first gen the Nintendo layout is only for Nintendo. Drives me crazy. "No, it's Nintendo 'A'"
@NEStalgia I don't disagree with any of that, just pointing out that you can't really make any meaningful conclusions with such a narrow sample, especially with current circumstances. The PS5 for example, has apparently sold more than PS4 at the same stage in it's life, but not in November in the US is seems. So where? When? Was November a particularly slow month for new stock, or were they being sold somewhere else? You just can't tell from the article.
To me, it's hard to tell whether staggering the release between the regions would've made a huge difference either given the component shortages - how long do you leave between regions? Would few weeks have made any difference? A few months? Estimates suggest the component shortages are set to last into 2023 so staggering the release might've made little difference this time around. Sure, you'd have a bit more of a chance of picking up one if you're lucky enough to live in the first region to release (presumably the US), but then after that initial release window you run into the same situation we have now where nobody seems to be able to get one.
It's been a year since both released and you still can't just stroll into a store and pick up either a PS5 or XSX in the UK at least and seems like its a similar situation in the US. You have to believe both Sony and MS had estimates of how many they'd be likely to sell - even if they were based purely on last gen numbers - so would've known if they could manufacture enough units for a global launch. Whether they've underestimated demand, or it's purely down to current circumstances I guess we'll never know for sure. It may be telling if they go back to a staggered launch next gen.
@dmcc0 I'm making something of an assumption, here, but with the shortages, it seems likely the "more than PS5 for the same period of time" was mostly contributed to with the launch wave last year. Sony was making that claim back in the original launch window. That said, I don't remember the articles and what they said, but I remember also questioning that claim on a few Push Square articles back in January or so where the numbers they were releasing didn't add up to match that "more than PS4" claim. And that was almost a year ago. I think there's some funny verbiage going on with some of those claims. Someone pointed out that (for Sony's numbers) only 15% or so of the consoles went to non-traditional markets. But again, I'm not sure how reliable many of those numbers are, as they're selectively groomed data by a single mfr. The Niko data is the only independent data we have, and the only region-specific data. In the most important month of the year. And it's dire. True, it's just one point in time, maybe it doesn't tell enough, but it's the only snapshot we have.
Staggered releases would have to be months unless they have tremendous production capactiy. Sony did that with the PS4 launch and Japan, but obviously today with so many regions it would have to be more separate regions. MS has never launched in as many regions as PS and Nintendo, and this is the first time Sony attempted launching in all regions at once. Obviously this time, with a shortage and strange conditions, a staggered release would probably have meant delaying the release in some regions until they amassed adequate launch inventory. It also means simplifying supply chain, and getting more production online synchronized with demand more quickly, at least under more normal years. Yeah, this time would have been a mess with the chip shortage, but even under normal supply conditions, this global launch would have been a trainwreck, and a regional staggered launch would prevent that, even if this particular launch would have still been a mess with the shortages. The more obvious answer would be regional production, but the entire electronics industry fubared themselves 25 years ago in that regard.
I think the initial launch was wildly underestimated demand. I think they had sufficient production for the first wave but just didn't get the demand. Lack of resupplying has been largely shortage circumstances, I'm sure. But regional launches used to be the norm, even in electronics, since forever. Even laptops and the like went regional, because it just makes sense. It's a case of following Nintendo's (or Apples?) lead again, I think. But Nintendo launches are always a disaster for a year+. Of course I also think the internet has done what the internet has done, like toilet paper and yeast. once word gets out a think is scarce, then EVERYBODY HAS TO BUY ONE RIGHT NOW! I still remain convinced a significant segment of demand isn't normal demand but is FOMO demand simply because it's scarce. Nintendo causes that INTENTIONALLY. I'm not sure these guys did it intentionally, but unfortunately artificial scarcity is probably going to be here to stay in the industry because it's too profitable, even if it wasn't artificial this time. Basically EVERYTHING becomes a limited edition, even the vanilla version.
@NEStalgia I did see a graph on website somewhere recently (can't recall where exactly) that showed sales of PS4 & PS5 from their respective launches and PS5 was marginally in front until recently. I don't know what their source was, or even if it was accurate, but I did think it was pretty suspicious given the current shortages, but even Sony themselves were saying fairly recently that it was outselling the PS4, but I guess it's possible that those sales figures for the US in November were a low blip due to lack of stock. The figures quoted in the article were combined across all 3 manufactures too - it's likely that sales for PS/XB were even less than half given the Switch is likely outpacing the WiiU sales in the comparable period.
@dmcc0 Yeah, Switch is orders of magnitude greater, and they've had a relatively stable supply due to being an older design. XB, thanks mostly to a decent supply of S, is no doubt well above where X1 was as well, and the numbers already include it. If we were able to see numbers of just XSX & PS5 without XSS or Switch affecting the numbers, It would probably look much worse, even.
MS doesn't give us the raw numbers. Sony....I'm not sure what they're doing, but they keep contradicting themselves, and I keep feeling like they're spinning numbers, counting heads twice, doing something funny with the math or how they report it. I can't figure out what, but, going all the way back to launch, their numbers just never add up to their own statements.
@NEStalgia Then, I didn't understand this sentence: "I haven't held an XS controller with the rubber grips". You're right about the USA SNES controller but the letters are also swopped, so still confusing. Phil also had trouble playing Luigi's Mansion 3 😁. N64 is OK. the GameCube controller, A button is the central button and it's green like on Xbox. Wii has a weird TV remote layout. It's DS, 3DS, Wii U and Switch what confuse me. SNES, not so much as B is the main button. It was also my first console so that position for the main button is the best and running and jumping in Super Mario World was never an issue unlike for other people that had played on NES and complain about that. Actually, I hate that in some new Nintendo games the jumping and running buttons don't match the SNES controller layout.
The Elite Series 2 has become my favourite controller ever, too. It's fantastic!
@BlueOcean Oh, I mean there's the limited editions and design lab versions of the XS controller that have rubber grips on them (they did that with select X1 controllers, too.) vs. the stock ones with just the textured plastic grips.
Somehow I never had a problem going from NES to SNES, the controllers felt so different it didn't trick my brain much. Though I also often used the (S)NES Advantage arcade sticks
Yep. V2 turned both of us off for a long time due to the permanent battery....but it's just such a great feeling controller I haven't thought of that in quite a while. How do you like the charging case, btw? Or still running wired?
@NEStalgia I was a bit confused, the X/S controller is texturized but it's all plastic. I get it now, ha ha. I'm using it without the cable because I wanted to check the battery and yes, it lasts forever. The charging case is great. I haven't charged it again yet and it's almost full. It's slightly lighter than the first version and the weight is more balanced. The paddles are much better. I use the lightest tension on the sticks. We weren't sure about this model because of the built-in battery but unlike the PS4 controller, it doesn't last a few hours 😂. If it ever dies before the other components, I'll just run it wired, the plaited long cable is good enough. The Series 2 is the best controller I've used, I don't have any regrets. With the first version I had the default layout on profile 1 and the one I was using more (Doom) on profile 2. With the second version, I can have three different profiles at the same time and if I long-press the button, it goes back to default. That's awesome, 1 vs. 3 profiles on the fly.
@BlueOcean I just keep it on the charger daily so I don't think I'll ever see the battery drop to 50 before it's dying. Keeps it charged, and keeps dust off it, so it's perfect. And yep, lighter, weight, more balanced, better paddles.... I also use the lightest tension (in theory that's the same tension as the old one.) I figure the sticks will drift long before the battery is close to wearing out, anyway.
The multiple profiles is really cool, though, honestly I mostly just map the long paddles to L3/R3 and rarely use the upper paddles. I'm not even sure what they're bound to! If I were doing manual clutch in Forza or something I'd want to use them though.
It's already started a mere month after multiplayer launch, people are complaining that they've completed the battle pass and hence have "nothing to do". This kind of mindset annoys me, how about playing games for fun?
Sometimes I think that's part of a larger issue that the personality type most attracted to online play must generally be a compulsive natured person. Which also explains how profitable they are...
@Grumblevolcano A guy said in the comments section that some people only play games to unlock cosmetic items and he's right, people are nuts.
@NEStalgia Have you played Octopath Traveller? I bought Dragon Quest XI Definitive Edition because I don't want to spend Game Pass time on games that are long and worth buying. Same thing for Tales of Vesperia. I thought Octopath Traveller was not worth buying but I watched a video and I think that I like it quite much. I played Bravely Default, do you remember that thread? But I stopped playing when the "end" came and then I had to redo stuff (wtf?). Anyway, I'll go back to 3DS and beat Bravely Default eventually. It seems that Octopath Traveller is another game worth buying even if it's on Game Pass so if I get it I can keep playing other Game Pass games.
@BlueOcean tbh I'm not a big fan of octopath. I was super hyped for it when it launched on switch, bought the limited edition with the popup book and everything. I loved the first chapter, but the game hints of a grand adventure that never happens. There's a pattern to it of small dungeon of few rooms, then massive damage sponge boss battles that go on forever before they ohko you in area attacks and then you have to start again. Like bravely there's not much of an adventure it's largely a series of boss battles that last way too long.
That having been said, fans of it are big fans of it. It's more like SaGa, which I've never been a big fan of where it's all about the grind, and not so much about an epic journey. You may like it if you're into grind focused classic 16 bit era RPGs.
I played through the first 2.5 acts just just didn't feel interested enough to go through the next "loop" of the towns. The boss grinds just didn't appeal to me.
@NEStalgia No, I'm not fan of that either. I wouldn't mind those bosses if there was a great adventure in between or grinding was fun but it doesn't seem the case. The short video looked nice but I guess it's just the aesthetic. I will try it before it leaves Game Pass then.
@BlueOcean definitely try it on GP. You may love it. It's just a very niche type of jrpg, but a good example if you happen to like the niche. I'll say that if the whole game continued like the beginning makes it seem it will it would have been game of the generation. But it it mostly repeats that pattern, and the bosses get more damage spongey as to iterate through the towns.
@BlueOcean I definitely would say that Octopath is "from the school of Bravely Default." They have a different "feel". I tend to think of BD as more "story/dialogue" focused, though that's not necessarily true, OT has a decent amount of dialogue as well. BD has a bit more of an adventure to it, maybe just because it's linear, while OT with it's 8 stories tends to feel like a short story collection that gets stretched out. I've never been able to put my finger on exactly what doesn't click for me with both series, though. For me, the point of an RPG is the journey between points, like a road trip movie. Both BD and Octo have a similar design where the journey between points feels like a few screens padded by relentless random encounters to make 12 inches of screen real estate feel like a long slog journey (or in the case of BD2, it's not random encounters, it's just mostly unavoidable screen enemies) In both series the "space between" dungeons feels like an after-thought to facilitate grinding and add a sense of navigation, and in both games the "dungeons" also feel like a few screens designed to wear you down before the meat and potatoes of the game which is the boss battle rush.
For me I could have dealt with that in BD, if the game didn't require relentless grinding the jobs system for what feels like gimmick bosses that kind of require full parties of one or two specific asterisks. I ground my way through the first BD until maybe the last or next to last loop and couldn't do it anymore. I bought Bravely Second ( which I thought was BD2, but apparently it's not BD2, because BD2 is BD2.....) and I just couldn't be bothered anymore, I barely got into it and put it down. I tried the demo for BD2 (which is BD2, not BD Second...) and there were things I liked about it more than the earlier games and before I set into the dungeon I was thinking I might finally like the series, but going through the demo dungeon it was the same setup of a brutal grind that wears you down for an OP encounter at the end that kills you in a few rounds, and then you're back to the start. Feels, again, like a gimmick that you're supposed to figure out what you really needed, while only getting a few turns before getting wiped out to try to figure it out. It's a design that doesn't reward progress, it punishes progress until you progress the "right" way. It's one thing to progress forward until you hit a brick wall boss, and then you have to figure out how to beat that boss. It's another to require grinding jobs over and over to get the right skills to beat a boss.
Octopath is kind of the same. The battle system is fantastic, and at the first boss (I played the knight first so I think of that as the first boss), it was a damage sponge, it was hard, but there was a save right before it, and although it went on too long, it was still a rewarding fight and I thought I'd love the game. The whole first chapter/first phase of the game was great, and the balance felt right. But, for each character there are 4 chapters, and each kingdom has 4 towns, so each character starts in one kingdom and their tale takes them to one of the 4 towns in another kingdom each of the other 3 chapters (eg, Knight is in the grass kingdom, the dancer is in the desert kingdom chapter 1, but the knight's 3rd chapter town is one in the desert kingdom, etc.) But generally speaking, while the character's 4 chapters to tell an adventure story better than BD tends to, the gameplay feels like a repeating loop. Chapter 2 is a new town in the 8 kingdoms on harder difficulty. Chapter 3 is a new town in the 8 kingdoms on even harder difficulty. Chapter 4, same. But the thing is each chapter's kingdom story exists of the town itself, a few connecting screens between the towns, a few dungeon screens and a boss that lasts half an hour plus, and if you get killed you keep restarting it. You can grind, and that helps, but the battles just last forever, do so much damage, and, for my liking, constantly change weaknesses, and constantly throw out area effects. And that second or third chapter has a tremendous difficulty spike compared to the first on the bosses.
The world is clearly designed to mimic old SNES style RPGs, but the bosses tend to feel like Square's attempt at doing an SMT type of thing. But SMT has a very careful balance 30+ years in the making, and it's battle systems feel much faster paced, and with all the buffs/debuffs has a lot of different ways to approach a boss other than trial and error guesses at how to handle it. Plus, the old SNES RPGs generally didn't have great gameplay balance either.... Even the legendary Chrono Trigger had obscene boss battle difficulty spikes that weren't fun.
All that said, I'm a huge SMT fan but I find myslf not getting into the new one at all. I'm not sure why. I haven't even died yet. But there's something missing for me that it doesn't feel engaging and makes me even more cautious in play without being as addicted as 4, or even 2 (though 2 is so archaic it's hard to get into...it still hooks me easier than 5. IDK why. It even shares an interface with SMT#FE which I love.)
In terms of flow and pacing, in some ways, I think World of FF might be the best designed RPG of all time. Maybe not the best difficulty curve (too easy and not enough gimmicks) but the overall flow, passing, and sense of progression and journey are kind of an ideal template to me.
I haven't played World of Final Fantasy but I should consider it now that you're saying that it's so well designed. I haven't tried SMT V. Bravely Default 1, the 1 I've played (LOL) was fine for me until the repeating cycle started, near the end I guess. I had already ground and fought the same bosses so repeating didn't make any sense, they should have saved that for new game plus. The story and voice acting is weird but I thought that the gameplay was relatively fun. I really enjoyed the game up to that point. About the maps, I don't mind bigger maps and bigger stories and they might make the games more "adventurous" but if you know what you're supposed to do like in Bravely Default because I don't like having to guess or looking a guide to know where I should go in games that you're not told and work like all map is closed except a certain point you that you don't know. I think that Ocarina of Time (adventure-RPG) did it great with hints and not so artificial barriers, like the Kakariko north gate closed for reasons that the guard would explain if asked.
I need to finally beat Bravely Default and I'll play Bravely Second sometime in the future but after World of Final Fantasy. I tried the demo on PS4 and I thought it was a chibi gimmick but it seems that it was a wrong impression.
@BlueOcean WoFF won't win any gameplay innovation awards. It's a pretty easy RPG, you can plow through it pretty quickly (for an RPG), some would say it's aimed more at a younger audience even though the whole thing is fanservice to classic FF. The Pokemon collecting mechanic is underbaked and somewhat unnecessary. But the whole adventure and journey just feels great. A true classic "road trip" RPG. I definitely had fun with it, and its still super memorable. Snow making fun of himself, alone, is just great fun. Lots of "blink and you miss it" memey nods of classic characters being "in" on the jokes about them or their games. (The Tidus laugh, etc.) Combat isn't exactly SMT. Or even XIII. But like a Kirby game, it doesn't have to be difficult to be fun.. Easy and cheesy or not, I'd rank it as one of the more fun RPGs I've ever played, after so many srs bsns games try way too hard. Then again SMT#FE is one of my most favorite RPGs ever, too, so give bonus points to RPGs that don't take themselves too seriously as a bias I think
If you liked BD enough, you may well like Octopath more than I did. Some of the hangups I have with BD carried over to Octo for me, but if those things don't bother you in BD, I think you may well be ok with Octo. For me, where BD really started falling apart was having to grind the job classes. Like doing the vampire boss basically needed a party full of, I can't remember what, to take him down, then the next boss basically needed a party full of vampires. Having to grind all the characters up through all the asterisks was obnoxious as heck to me. I know it's the FFIV system but it still seems like an annoying waste of time for me. Octopath doesn't have the jobs system flaw, thankfully, But I dislike when games waste my time, and the damage sponge bosses + area attacks, and what feels like tons of grind needed to be appropriate level (with appropriate healing supplies) seems excessive. Standard SNES fare, but I hate the Azala battle in Chrono Trigger for similar reasons, if that helps
@NEStalgia I loved Tokyo Mirage Sessions (always trying to figure out your acronyms 😅). It was one of the last if not the last game I played on Wii U. It's memorable, the dungeons are meh but everything else is great and really enjoyable: the characters, the progression, the dialogue, the graphics, the music... Probably, I should play the Final Fantasy games that I haven't played yet before playing World of Final Fantasy. And yes, I'll play Octopath soon before it leaves Game Pass and share my impressions. I beat Chrono Trigger on DS but I can't remember that battle. You don't need to maximise every character in Bravely Default nor have to have the same types maximised in your party. I was fine with just two characters being able to deal massive damage/have an advantage and the rest acting as supporters. Perhaps, I found the sweet spot and the possibilities, there were several ways to succeed and that was fun.
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Topic: Uhh guys, my series x just died
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