AdzPearson

As someone with dyspraxia (a condition where it's sometimes difficult to concentrate on multiple tasks, among other things), I was initially worried about Marauders showing up often While the initial encounter was definitely a pain, I actually found them easier to deal with later in the game. You get a lot more space to move around, so it's easier to both escape them and take care of other enemies.

In my opinion, the worst encounter is the first; just an unfortunate side-effect of having it in a confined space to teach you how the enemy works.

I used to play games on 'Hard', particularly during the time I cared about achievements. I also played games on 'Hard' for a challenge. These days, though, I tend to spread my time to do other stuff, so I I usually play on 'Normal' to make sure I finish it. Very rarely choose 'Hard' now. Doesn't mean I'll shy away from challenging games like Dark Souls, however.

Yeah, the lack of a leaderboard really reduces the pressure in Overwatch. No one can outright say 'You're the deadweight! Leave!', which is very reassuring. For the longest time, I was scared of solo-queuing, as I like to play games for fun and not get chewed out by people who clearly have problems of their own. I know it shouldn't really get to me, but it can be pretty exhausting and a bit of a downer. That's not my idea of having fun. With Overwatch, that doesn't really happen a lot. I'm glad I've found an online game with little to no pressure.

It's not perfect, of course. Just yesterday, I was in a team with a player who proceeded to sulk when no one responded to them (it's very common for people not to talk via chat). They decided the best way to deal with it was hang around spawn and occasionally block entrances with Mei's wall. However, I'm finding it pretty rare and it's still a lot of better than the elitist-filled FPS games (e.g. CounterStrike).

@riostarwind Thanks for adding my group to the list. :D

Some friends and I will be doing an Extra Life stream for the first time. We'll be doing it from 10am on the 7th of November for 24 hours. However, we'll staying up an extra hour for every £250 we get (maximum of 4). We'll be playing a mixed bag of stuff (more details on the donation page), but it'll mainly be multiplayer stuff we can all take part in. There may even be the opportunity for viewers to join in with some of the games. If you have the time to come along and/or donate, that'd be great. Thanks for reading.

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@animasta: Yeah, I could see how that would be the case with the newer games. Even as a long-term player, FM13 has never gone well for me. When I had some little signs of success, I was unfairly sacked by various teams. As soon as I saw that FM14 had similar issues, I've avoided it like the plague. FM12 was the last installment that was fair, but still challenging (in my opinion, at least).

Yeah, I considered managing Melilla myself. There's also one or two teams in the Canary Islands that play in the Spanish system. While it's not reflected in the game, I find it fun to imagine teams like Real and Barca travelling quite a fair distance to the home games of those teams. If you want another one, there's a team in the Russian 2nd tier (SKA-Energiya Khabarovsk) that are based all the way in the far east corner of Russia. Pretty much all their opponents are based in European Russia, so their journeys are...quite something....

But yeah, I'd recommend sticking to England for the time being. Much easier to get to grips with. When you're ready, some of the other leagues are fun.

Nice post. It's pretty cool that someone unfamiliar with football can get into FM. It doesn't strike me as a game that's very friendly to newcomers of the sport. This has kind of changed my mind. Maybe GB covering Football Manager one day isn't so far-fetched...hmm...yeah...probably not...

I've played a lot of FM in the past. Used to play as Everton a lot (as I support them), but now I generally look to start as a small team and build myself up. Feels a lot more satisfying that way. I've managed in Poland, Russia, Holland, China...all over the place. Had a lot of fun doing it. I haven't played it a great deal recently, but I'm sure I'll get back into it at some point.

Being from North Wales, I was also pleased to see that you're managing Colwyn Bay. It's my nearest Welsh team that play in the English system. I've also managed them on FM myself. League 1 was as far as I got before the financial situation got too restrictive. Looks like you have a chance of progressing with the sale of that promising youngster, though. Hope you continue to do well.

I wouldn't feel bad about shortening it down to a top 5. I only played five games from 2013 IN TOTAL (one of which I didn't finish XD). That's why I ended up putting older games in my Top 5. I'm not the best when it comes to playing current games. I tend to play older games that I've missed in previous years. It's proven to be a pretty good system.

Your write-up for Fire Emblem just makes me want to play it even more. Definitely sounds like something I'd be into. Grinding...fun? I need to see that for myself...

Pepsi. I know, such a surprise. My profile doesn't hint towards it all... XD

I will drink Coke now and again (Cherry in particular), but I prefer Pepsi by miles. As for Dr Pepper, it's another of my favourites. Such a weird, but awesome drink.

@living4theday258: @Cathryn: I don't have PS+, so I can't take advantage of that deal. That said, given the convincing argument, I might get round to it one day. Should be able to put it in somewhere during the year, seeing how short it is. I suppose it's only fair that I at least give it a shot.