1741

Well, Brian, to be fair, I’m not even in Mexico yet in RDR. And don’t get me wrong - I like it a lot. I think I’m just more disappointed when a game looks like it could be my ideal open world game, and then it lets me down with scripted predestination.

But I’m playing it a lot anyway, and enjoying it, in spite of that. Splitting my gaming time right now between JC2 (on the PS3) and RDR (on the 360.) And the occasional continuing of my young pitcher’s career in MLB The Show: 10. ;)

1742

OK, Brian, I think I understand your points better now.

Been playing a lot of RDR lately. Still not in Mexico, as I enjoy just riding around and exploring and taking my time.

I played JC2 before playing RDR. I think had I played RDR for a long time before JC2 I might share some of your feelings.

JC2 is an absolute blast to play. Really free-form, you can accomplish missions any way you like. You can get EXTREMELY creative in accomplishing missions in ways the designers probably never thought of. Kudos to them for the freedom. And the play between missions is also extremely free form. Lots of sand in the sand box, lots in the world that allows me to use my imagination and creativity.

But I can see how playing RDR first would impact your perception of JC2. JC2 comes across a bit “cartoony” after RDR. A bit less “deep” or substantial. RDR does indeed create a living world that is full and lush. I was just riding around last night (wife is out of town so more play time! ;) and a thunderstorm came up. On my surround system, it really felt, well, real. Down to the details. Weather is very well done. I like that I was making a long trek one day and got into an area where it had obviously rained earlier, with mud puddles, etc. Such attention to detail, and in particular such attention to creating a living world, goes a long way with me. As I suspect it does with you.

Yeah, the lady waving me down for help when I know the bad guys are waiting to ambush me does get old. I now kill the bad guys, and hogtie her and try to come up with places to take her (usually I drop her off in the middle of somewhere like the saloon in Thieves Landing.) I do wish she wouldn’t just disappear, but eh. I do VERY occasionally have something unexpected happen - I chased down a stolen wagon for a guy, and as I was getting out of the wagon and he was thanking me, he got bitten by a rattlesnake and died. And I also was chasing a stolen wagon, came up on it, shot the guy driving, and got an honor hit. Hmmm. Then I saw the blue dot was continuing to move away. Ah, damn. How was I supposed to know the guy driving this wagon as fast as he could wasn’t the thief?

Anyway, yeah, I think I get ya. I may have felt the same if I’d played RDR first. I still love JC2 and I’m still playing it, they are just very different games that require very different expectations going in.

1743

Did a few more faction missions last night. They are quite entertaining! I especially liked the “blow up the huge antenna on top of the 100-story building” – excellent cutscene at the end. I can’t wait until I unlock the machine gun in the black market – I will upgrade that puppy like there is no tomorrow…

1744

The last (announced, at least - man, I’d love even more!) set of JC2 comes out next week.

Once it does, I’m diving back in, and might actually do some missions. :) Can’t wait for the monster truck and hovercraft!

1745

What’s in this last set?

1746

After googling I looked on eidosgames.com, justcause2.com, steampowered.com, xbox.com, and a couple of other places but came up empty. No one seems to be talking about it.

1747

You just develop your Google-fu, Grasshopper!

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-5094-Just-Cause-2-Has-More-DLC-Incoming--Full-Details-Right-Here.html

See the image at the bottom.

1748

Ah, maybe you used “more dlc” as part of your search, or something…

New stuff: Agency Hovercraft, Chevalier Classic, Rico’s Signature Gun, Bull’s Eye Assault, Monster Truck, Tuk Tuk Boom Boom.

1749

That’s awesome. I never thought I’d ever consider buying this much dlc for any game, but I can’t seem to get enough.

1750

At $2 a pop it’s totally worth it too, if it was priced less as an impulse buy I’m not sure I would have bought it though.

Also <3 the Tuk Tuk Boom Boom

1751

No monster truck, but the rest is out. Tuk Tuk Boom Boom is free and everything else is a buck each. A one dollar hovercraft finally justifies the existence of DLC.

1752

Hmm, but the monster truck is on PSN. Is it a Sony exclusive?

1753

I see the monster truck on stream now. Guess I know what I’ll be doing later.

1754

What exactly is causing statues to topple when I’m miles away from the scene? This has happened to me a few times now.

Edit: Oh, I think it’s caused by citizens crashing vehicles. At least, I remember observing a few citizens do some pretty zany things on the road for reasons unknown, and I can easily see that affecting certain objects if the timing is right. Was this by design? I’m almost paranoid enough to think it’s caused by me destroying tires with a stray bullet, or something, thus starting a slow chain reaction that eventually ends with the statue. Trouble is, the locations are far apart.

1755

Citizens or militias or combat zones, Barstein. Seems like there’s constantly some war going on when you fly or drive anywhere remotely near anything. So if something blows up while all the fighting is going on, you get credit.

1756

Thanks, Zeke. I had seen a few skirmishes not provoked by me but never actually witnessed property damage, even to vehicles. Then every now and then the game would announce the destruction of some statue somewhere (and possibly other items I didn’t quite catch) and credit me for that, which was confusing.

1757

I’ve grown fond of mounted guns. I’m even halfway decent in wide open spaces against groups of guys. I’m so hooked on them, I’ll even walk 1km carrying one, sometimes, just so I can make sure I have one with me when I take out a new settlement or base. I wish there were an achievement or reward for carrying them long distances. Kind of obsessive, I know, but I think this game fully supports that sort of thing.

Ran into a weird bug with the AA-guns at some base that crashed my game. I equipped one and it began to rapidly flick back and forth (or maybe spin) in such a way that I couldn’t direct it. Upon exiting the gun it proceeded to dettach itself from its base and, still rapidly spinning like a top, it moved away and floated up into the air like a balloon. I did it a second time with a different gun and made the mistake of trying to take control of it after it did it’s thing but before it got away. Instant CTD.

1758

I know what you mean. I had to force myself to drop the damn mounted gun when I was slogging all over one of the airports with it. I couldn’t resist wasting a 747 with it just to see the explosion.

Last night I played from 10:30 to midnight, then saw it was midnight and said, OK, just a bit more. Then I unlocked the tank-car and the next fucking thing I knew it was 1:45 am. Shit fuck, I’m tired. At this point I’m done even trying to complete random settlements – I’m at 27 hours and still <20% complete, and I have the entire black market unlocked, so there’s not much left to go for except extracting the maximum amusement value, which for me at this point is faction missions. Still, at least the end is in sight.

1759

The Monster Truck appeared on Marketplace on Thursday.

My son was hella-amused that it floats. He got it stuck pretty far offshore, and was trying to tether it to a passing boat…

1760

I get that with big guns too, but as soon as I jump into one and it starts spazzing out I get the hell away, so I’ve never gotten the CTD. I’ve never seen it float into the air either, that’s pretty funny.