General video game discussion

[GMMichael]

the game's non-combat gameplay loops are very zen, good to listen to podcasts to.

Would you elaborate on these? I thought it was a Call of Duty-like.

But speaking of game zen . . . Hopping on a transport truck driven by AI can be a pretty relaxing experience in Arma 3.

 

[MarkB]

Would you elaborate on these? I thought it was a Call of Duty-like.

Not even close. Elite Dangerous is a space sim, a reimagining of the granddaddy of space sims Elite.

It supports a wide variety of activities, including combat-focused ones like piracy and bounty hunting, but also others like trading, courier missions, passenger transport and asteroid mining.

Its game.map is a 1:1 model of our galaxy, only a tiny percentage of which has been settled, and much remains unexplored. One of the gameplay activities is to strike out into unexplored space and survey some of the vast quantity of procedurally generated unexplored systems, gathering data which can be sold to stellar cartographical institutes upon your return.

 

[trappedslider]

Yeah, I'm just getting a handle on that, exploring my first couple of planets. So far only bacteria, which seems both less lucrative and harder to track down than other forms, will be looking for something more interesting next time.

Bacterium are the least valuable, while Stratum can be the most with everything else falling in between the two. There's also the bonus from being first footfall.

After mapping a planet, if it' sonly bacterium I tend to skip it. So far, I've found one planet with 7 different signals and one with 5.

 

[MarkB]

Bacterium are the least valuable, while Stratum can be the most with everything else falling in between the two. There's also the bonus from being first footfall.

After mapping a planet, if it' sonly bacterium I tend to skip it. So far, I've found one planet with 7 different signals and one with 5.

Thanks, good to know.

 

[trappedslider]

well MS/xbox has done a round of layoffs and closing Microsoft is closing down Xbox studio The Initiative, with Perfect Dark killed as well — joining Everwild and ZeniMax's new IP, and other unannounced projects

Matt Booty's email to staff:

"Following Phil’s note, I want to share more about the changes to the Studios business units.

We have made the decision to stop development of Perfect Dark and Everwild as well as wind down several unannounced projects across our portfolio. As part of this, we are closing one of our studios, The Initiative. These decisions, along with other changes across our teams, reflect a broader effort to adjust priorities and focus resources to set up our teams for greater success within a changing industry landscape. We did not make these choices lightly, as each project and team represent years of effort, imagination, and commitment.

Our overall portfolio strategy is unchanged: build games that excite our players, continue to grow our biggest franchises, and create new stories, worlds, and characters. We have more than 40 projects in active development, continued momentum on titles shipping this fall, and a strong slate headed into 2026.

For those directly affected, we are working closely with HR and studio leadership to provide support, including severance, career transition assistance, and where possible, opportunities to explore roles on other teams.

To everyone across our studios: thank you. Your creativity and resilience continue to define who we are. I believe in the strength of our teams and the direction we're taking on the path ahead." — Matt Booty, Xbox Game Studios

 

[Gradine]

We're reaching the end of the AAA-studio system as it buckles under its weight and the AA and indie studios continue to run laps around them producing higher quality games at a fraction of the cost and much higher overall job satisfaction.

 

[trappedslider]

Today is not a good day to be working at Microsoft/xbox

 

[GMMichael]

Today is not a good day to be working at Microsoft/xbox

There's a good day to work at Microsoft?

 

[Reynard]

What is/has/will everyone be getting from the Steam Summer Sale (if anything)?

 

[Thomas Shey]

What is/has/will everyone be getting from the Steam Summer Sale (if anything)?

I Don't Do Steam.

That said, everything on my wishlist is on sale on GOG, but I've firmly told myself a sale has to be pretty steep before I'm buying anything new until I do a serious attack on my backlog.