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*laughs* So damn true.

So, the networking turned out to be a major issue - likely due to the spaztastic connection I have in my apartment - giving me 3-10 second freezes every couple minutes, and more frequently during battles. We'll be testing the game out using the VLAN application Tunngle - which is similar to Hamachi, except supposedly compatible with the game.

Putting the networking issues aside, I enjoyed myself enough to stick around in spite of the resultant frustrations. I played as the Berserker, and enjoyed punching things to death, even though it got me killed multiple times. I think having three good friends to play with helps greatly, but I'll be playing the single-player tonight to compare.

So, at the risk of derailing this thread entirely, what'd I miss over the past two years?
I already pre-ordered a copy of Overgrowth months ago, naturally, and have been reading the Wolfire Blog occasionally.

I want to get this game so bad... but I don't have enough money right now for more than one new 60$ game, and since the only damn thing anyone I know plays is COD, I'll be getting that instead so I have something multiplayer. Oh well though, I ended up getting Dead Space for cheap in the spirit of Halloween instead, and its pretty amazing.

We should play a bit sometime. I'm currently level 34, though.
Gamespy ID is "bucket_the_beggar"

Just consider your little tirades here as practice writing for the essays.

Is this game worth buying? The graphics style looks a bit odd, and I'm not sure if another FPS is worth the price tag...

It's mostly worth playing if you have friends to play through it with you.
Single-player has been interesting enough for me, but I have the most fun when playing with friends.

Fournine wrote:It's mostly worth playing if you have friends to play through it with you.
Single-player has been interesting enough for me, but I have the most fun when playing with friends.

In that case, I'd better not buy it. IGN.com reviews are helpful, but they don't really tell you that kind of thing...

Alrighty. I tend to be around after dinner.

We encountered some specially-named Rakk called "Rakkinigno" or something, which one of our party members pointed out was a reference to Diablo II. It was also carrying a shield that was also a reference to the game.
This special Rakk is located outside of Tannis' dig site, near her first journal in West Rust Commons, close to the out-of-bounds turret.

Renegade_Turner wrote:No response to my post. I was hoping someone would have a good reply. lol

I still don't know how to get a Gamespy ID.

Sorry, been busy.

Renegade_Turner wrote:Also, does anyone else think that Borderlands is really Gearbox's homage to a number of other games which it borrows aspects from? Cases in point being RPG industry mainstays, Fallout, Bioshock and World Of Warcraft, but also Halo.

Don't forget Diablo.

The setting is indentical to Fallout's, as is the RPG/FPS genre hybrid.

Have to disagree with you there, Fallout 3's combat system is based entirely around your stats. You can miss a point blank shot if your stat for the weapon you're using isn't high enough. While in Borderlands the number of times you hit is based on the players own ability to aim and shoot.

The shop system is literally (literally) identical to Bioshock's shop system

Its a good shop system, although I'd once again compare it more of a hybrid of the Diablo 2 gamble system and the shop listings.

Borderlands also features a big evil baddie company in the form of Atlas, which is an allusion to the name of the pivotal story character in Bioshock, which is itself an allusion to a book by Ayn Rand named "Atlas Shrugged" (the State in Rapture itself followed Randian principles, i.e. it featured an anti-statist, free enterprise economy).

Personally, I think you're looking too deep there. Atlas (Borderlands Atlas) is a huge company that lays claim to much of Pandora. Unless I'm missing something, they don't really develop that much further.

The skill and class system is like that of World Of Warcraft, with the inventory colour coding concept of the weaponry and equipment being the same, e.g. the best equipment is coded in orange in the inventory, etc.

This could also be to appeal to a wider audience and more Diablo homages. :p Remember, Gearbox has specifically stated that they love Diablo.

As regards Halo, the health/shield system is reminiscent of the same system that featured in Halo.

Gearbox did develop the Mac/PC version of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo Custom Edition. But yes, you're right.

To me, "Borderlands" appears to be Gearbox revelling in the immense joys of game-making with the use of allusions and references to other popular games, in the same way that "Inglourious Basterds" was Quentin Tarantino revelling in the immense joys of film-making.

Gotta agree with you there.

Really though, I think Borderlands is mostly just a mash-up of really good gameplay mechanics and ideas all wrapped up into a shooter. It all drops goes down to money making in the end, although for the developer, its all about making a great idea and making a game people will love, while for the publisher, its about how much cash they can make off of it.

Edit: Due to my foolish nature, I ended up playing Borderlands all day instead of doing my Global Marketing and Trade Finance essays.

The games addicting isn't it?