Coffee Tastes Better on Mondays: 12/01/2014

@patrickklepek, fuck that dude with the 450 messages. You're awesome.

Yay, LOST rewatch is coming back!

Just realized with Vinny, Patrick, and Alex coming to the office for 10 days, there is going to be more than enough people in the office for 8-player Smash. If Dan doesn't convince the guys to sit down and play I'm gonna be so bummed D:

So @patrickklepek, I think your experience with DA:I underscores why so many players of DA:O were disappointed with DA2. DA2's player character design was basically Mass Effect's player character design, where your role and place in society and in the story was pre-determined by the plot of the game. You could change a bit of how people treated you by picking to play a mage or not, but that was about it.

Personally, I liked DA2. It was a bit like a fantasy Mass Effect. But I played it *before* I played DA:O 100% understand how people who had played that game would HATE the change in style with DA2.

(And yes, they re-used dungeon layouts way too much and the game felt "rushed" relative to DA:O due to stuff like that, but I think the main thing that angered people was the main character stuff and they could have overlooked the asset re-use if they still had that DA:O feeling from the story and decisions you could make as the main character).

People complain all year about how little they talk about games on the Bombcast in relation to other things and we get several at the end of the year that are completely about games, but that's now a bad thing?

Holy shit fuck that guy

Just don't allow anonymous questions. What, people can't sign up for throwaway tumblrs?

Patrick is the man. I can't understand the haters.

It is infotaining, just as much as the Bombcast is. They try to get their favourite games a made-up award and for it to get that award they have to explain its merits and why that game deserves an award. Otherwise it would be the most dull shit ever.

Jeff: I like how mobile you are in Advanced Warfare, that's pretty cool.

Everyone else: Yeah, it's cool.

Everyone: [repeat about other games]

It's why debates exist, it's why people who are extremely good friends will argue heatedly for an hour and then laugh it off and move on. By having to defend something, or push something, you're forced to think about and explain your stance. It's why you have to write essays on cirriculum books, or examine themes in movies you watch in school. Without something pushing you to think about why, conversations are listless and dull and everyone loses out on learning about someone else's passion. I don't care that GotY awards don't really mean anything, but I love hearing people talk passionately about something they love, and that's something you need arbitrary goals and awards to have happen.

At least the shithead sending 450 shit messages gives the air that there's not but a few shitheads out there stalking you, Scoops. Cold comfort, I know.

I come for the sausage-making and horse-trading. I paid for bloooooooooooooood!

I can't wait for Vinny and Patrick to talk Dragon Age all night long this week.

So glad you acknowledged Kentucky Route Zero! I know you'd love it, Pat. I don't adhere to the episodic rule so Episode 3 is currently sitting unchallenged as my GOTY. I'm not sure if you guys still have the "best original song" category but KRZ EP3 is a shoe-in so it's kind of unfortunate that it won't be considered.

I like Game of the Year because it provides an opportunity for grown men to argue incessantly about really stupid, really trivial merits of video games for our entertainment. Long and short of it.

And Patrick, keep doing your thing. Don't let weirdoes who send you over 450 hate messages bring you down.

First time I've commented on your stuff Patrick but don't let obsessive assholes like that get to you, man. You've said in the past that people are welcome to not like you (in reference to stuff like nopat), and I can identify a little with those people - when you first came onto the scene you weren't my favourite GB guy either. Now, these videos, as well as Bombin' and Spookin' are some of the stuff I most look forward to. I hope you know the kind of person who puts in that much prolonged effort just to demoralise you is not doing it because they "don't really like you" or whatever. They're doing it because, in their twisted fuckface brain, you represent some kind of existential threat to their worldview because you mention social justice things every once in a while. Either that or they really just have nothing better to do.

Anyway this was really long winded but keep on keeping on, man. I didn't ask a question this time but if I was one of those questions hidden away in that pile of hate I'd be feeling really appreciative right now.

I haven't had time to watch all of this yet, but thank you.

450 messages of the same thing? What a colossal waste of time. Normally I would say fuck that guy, but really I just feel sad for him, to live a life of misplaced negativity.

@patrickklepek Fun fact Thedas stands for The Dragon Age Setting

No one worth a damn sends 450 hate messages over the internet to someone they do not know.

I really love that.

I don't disagree however I'll just point out that the Bombcast does not give awards and occurs many more times than once a year. 51 more times actually.

Patrick, thanks. Working right before or during the Holiday takes motivation. We appreciate your content :D

I was not aware of this TEDx talk. So I looked it up and found it a good listen. Thanks for that.
For anyone interested, here is the vid I found was the best quality:

@ghettrogamer: It really frustrates me when people talk shit about Patrick, especially since he provides so much content for the site. I would hope that only a very, very small part of the community do this and the rest of us actually appreciate what he does.

@theindomitablesnowman: is that Patrick I'm guessing? I need to hit him up about an EO thing I'm curious about.

Yeah, I'm playing through Divinity now and it's reminded me how much I miss the roleplaying aspect in modern RPGs. Little character interactions that define your party, building a personality and background for your player characters, and essentially playing a role with a significant degree of complexity. Instead of just paragon/renegade where you pick the blue/red choices, you get to roleplay a character pragmatic, forgiving, obedient, loyal mage, or a dreaming, heartless, independent, selfish ranger - complete with your own imagined backstories for why those characters have those views.

It's the kind of thing that's been lost from traditional D&D as we've moved to streamlined RPGs or ARPGs that focus on numbers, skills, and creator-crafted stories over player-driven characterizations.

@spacecouncil: Yes, the Bombcast is a weekly show, but it's got its own arbitrary rules and guidelines as well. That's why it has a host: to give it form and direction when things start to lull. It Giant Bomb just did an annual "Games we thought were cool that we talk about" 20-hour podcast, it would be really boring. Like I said, it would just be the crew saying what's good about a game and agreeing, because they would have no reason to get into the finer points of anything.

@the_nubster: I understand where you're coming from. However "because the calendar year is ending" is also an arbitrary reason. You can make up any reason to "delve deeper into games" What I'm getting at is you can make any reason to look deeper into something. The end of the year just seems convenient, though not truly as its sort of in the middle of a release cycle and doesn't give time for everyone to play everything. It's 100% arbitrary and can be done at any time if this is the manner of discussion.

I hope you don't celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November like all these other conformist schmucks, too, you can give thanks any time you want!

Wow nice new camera.

@spacecouncil: Right... but isn't the very end of 2014 a perfect time to take a deeper look at all the major releases of 2014. I mean you could call it arbitrary, yes, but... what better time to talk about the best games of the year than at the end of the year?

@brando1990: I never said that its a bad idea. I said it was arbitrary, not required and could be done it anytime. i.e. an excuse

Was thinking the same... @patrickklepek, just out of curiosity, what type of DSLR do you use and what lens?

@mancombseepgood: You know, I was looking for a thumbs up button or something, but instead I'll just say I'm sorry to hear that. Houses shouldn't smell like things.

Playing as an Elf is crazy in DA:I. I was treated like a servant by the Quartermaster before she realized I was the Herald... I let her die

Patrick, stop using tumblr. Open up a wordpress site, throw on the akismet spam checker thingie and the jetpack tools that allow all sorts of accounts to be used for commenting. I use it on my muderhobo.club and I have no problems.

diarrhea gives me coffee

Always play games and drink face off. Always.

Only just got around to watching this, and it's great! Thanks Patrick!