Bargain Thread 2017

So I bit the bullet and bought the game before it vanishes, and a couple of notes;

You create an account to log into the game the first time you get to the main menu, before selecting any mode to play. In future sessions, it doesn’t ask for any login info. Please note, the login is through the publisher Digital Extremes (which is active), not the development studio (not active). No clue what happens if the publisher goes belly up at some point.

The free DLC doesn’t show up in Steam’s DLC list, but it’s in the game (including Tiefling and Warlock character options)

Don’t forget you can take an additional $0.17 off (making it $1.57) with code WINTER10! ;-)

On Sword Coast Legends, I did a little digging in the Steam forums and it is as @Dan_Theman describes, you create an account with Digital Extremes (publisher) to hook you into the games servers, but if you’re only going to play single player it doesn’t use the account again. You can put Steam in offline mode and play the single player game to your heart’s content, so even if the publisher should fold or shut down the servers, the game is still playable as a single player RPG.

Note, also as Dan mentions, only the developer, N-Space, went under. The publisher, Digital Extremes, is still alive and well, and publishes the popular Warframe online game, so they should be around and have plenty of server resources to keep Sword Coast Legends online presence active for some time to come. Since Digital Extremes has actually been issuing patches for the game and finished the free expansion after N-Space went under, my guess would be that they would issue one final patch to remove the online account requirement (and features) form the game should they ever decide to shut down the servers.

Any idea of the mod scene for this game? That was the promise, much like NWN and NWN 2 (man, those are two games I would love to have on steam with Workshop integrated, but I don’t feel like purchasing them again).

It’s dead, never took off. If you buy it, do so for the singleplayer campaign.

I bought SC:L at release and never installed it, sigh.

Thank you. Probably still will enjoy it. Always liked party based RPGs.

Now, Dwarven Warlock, here I come!

I know how you feel. I already own Darklands on GOG (it’s on sale there right now for $1.49). But the combat graphics looked dated when the game was released in 1992 and they certainly haven’t improved over the past 25 years.

Still, Darklands game hasn’t changed and some day–if I live long enough–I will play it again. It is the best game of its type that I know of.

PSN has a Christmas sale going on. It’s a pretty big one:

  • HITMAN: GOTY Edition : 40% off (upgrade pack also discounted)
  • Most of the old Assassin’s Creeds: 60% off
  • Talos Principle Deluxe: 80% off
  • Darkest Dungeon w/Crimson Court: 60% off
  • Lords of the Fallen Complete: 80% off
  • FX3 Pinball tables?: 40% off
  • Overwatch GOTY: 50% off

Spotlight 3 Bundle live at Fanatical. $2.49 for 10 Indie games on Steam. Not sure if any of them are very interesting.

The terrible looking House Party is the Star Deal of the day at $4.49 (69%). I see what they did there…

GOG Winter Sale has begun. Spend $15 and get Hard West FREE. Drop by in the next 48 hours and claim Grim Fandango absolutely FREE. Also, Stars are back. Buy a “Star” for $3 and open it to reveal a random mystery game worth between $6 and $45. How much does Bad Rats retail for again?

While you are there, click through to GOG Connect as they’ve added 18 titles. If you own any of the 18 on Steam, it’s yours free on GOG. This batch includes Homeworld Remastered, Baldur’s Gate EE, Darkest Hour, The Final Station, Rebel Galaxy, Outlast, Sunless Sea and more.

Spend $40 and Master of Orion (NuMOO) unlocks. Does this mean you get both if you spend $40? Is there a consensus here that either are worth getting?

I’ve liked some of the Fanatical bundles so I took at look at this one. My quick research results of items in the bundle:

  1. Death Point: action/stealth, mostly positive reviews. Steam says “similar to Door Kickers” which I know a lot of us liked.

  2. Eternal Winter: interesting looking survival/base building/open world game in a snow environment. Early access. Mostly positive reviews so far.

  3. Mold on Pizza: Whimsical strategy game where you control mold forces and try to take over a pizza. Mostly positive reviews.

  4. Earthtongue: Simulation, pixel graphics. “Care for a miniature ecosystem in a strange world, exert limited influence to encourage the growth of different fungi and bugs and try to maintain the balance of life.” Very positive reviews.

  5. Drive!Drive!Drive!: Racing game. Features driving on multiple tracks at once? Only a few reviews exist, and they are mixed. Looks like it comes with tons of tracks though.

  6. Hunter’s Legacy: Looks like a Metroid-style platform action game where you control a cat hero? Looks cute, but reviews are mixed.

  7. Devil in the Capital: Adventure. Only a few reviews, mostly positive.

  8. Divine Ascent: Strategy/puzzle, isometric view. Only a couple reviews but they’re positive. Race other players to be the first to build three temples.

  9. MegaRace 1: Racing game. This is a blast from the past that us oldies on here may remember. One of the early CD-ROM games. It’s not great. Stars Matt Frewer.

  10. MegaRace 2: Sequel to above. Don’t know much else, I never played it.

Earthtongue is a very interesting and quite fascinating pixely life game. Considering the full price of that game on its own, I’d rather throw my money directly at its developer though, than have it lost amongst the load of junk of that bundle.

Whoops, well um, just disregard my post :)

What? I’m gonna sue!

Lol, shouldn’t that be in the thread about “wreck a game by changing one letter”?

So… it’s an Iranian point-and-click noir adventure game where I assume the bad guy is going to be the West? That’s kind of interesting isn’t it?

I doubt you’ll find anything edgy from what looks like the endemic casual gaming publisher of Iran, with which Strategy First seems to have nailed some batch of publishing rights as they have been flooding Steam with those this summer, and have made them regular Bundlestars fodder since then.

I liked it. I recommend bumping up the difficulty if you want an actual tactical experience. Otherwise you kinda steamroll most encounters like you’re playing a party-based Diablo.

My issue with playing Darklands these days has less to do with the combat (which is still functional if ugly) and more to do with the text making my eyes bleed.

I concur that this font didn’t age well. Even filters won’t help it much.

Darklands is one of those games that absolutely begs for an “Enhanced Edition” or modern makeover. Keep the core system that made it so fantastic in place, but update all the graphics and fonts, streamline the UI and maybe expand it just a little to feel even more open worldy. I’d pay $20 for that in a heartbeat.