General Discussion [ Page 18 ]

Digital Foundry Looks At The Best Video Cards & CPU's in 2017

I found the Digital Foundry YouTube channel this year and have been sharing many of their videos since. They did some end of year wrap up videos and two I wanted to highlight were the best CPU's of the year linked above and the PC Graphics Review below. The CPU video is pretty interesting as AMD and Intel have been locked in bitter competition making for a very wide and interesting selection but the GPU story isn't as compelling with the Nvidia 1080 leading the pack. It's a great card it's just that it's expensive and there aren't many great alternatives. Hopefully AMD or Intel can release something to give Nvidia a run for their chips but outside of that 2018 might... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 01/03/2018 at 04:24pm

As for that AMD and Intel bitter competition...
https://www.neowin.net/news/security-flaw-patch-for-intel-cpus-could-result-in-a-huge-performance-hit

For most desktop users it will be negligible but this may drive some change in the market

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/03/2018 at 11:55pm

I know when I read that I was really surprised. I wonder if this performance workload hit will effect gaming as much as it seems?

Travis Admin wrote on 01/04/2018 at 03:24am

It kinda depends on the game apparently. Depending on who you listen to, anyway. CPU intensive games that do a lot of asset swapping would be hit the hardest.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/04/2018 at 03:28am

Yikes. That's a lot of shooters if I understand how texture loading works. I'll talk to one of my game dev friends because I'm interested how much this might impact things.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/04/2018 at 03:32am

Here's something: http://www.pcgamer.com/serious-intel-cpu-design-flaw-may-require-a-windows-patch-but-probably-wont-affect-gaming-performance/

Travis Admin wrote on 01/04/2018 at 04:46am

Microsoft got the patch out for Windows 10 already, and here's some anecdotal evidence: GTAV with everything cranked, driving super fast in the rain and doing crazy stuff still stays at a steady 60fps and that one is pretty CPU intensive.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/04/2018 at 04:57am

Was the 60fps on your system? If so that's good news if that's what you got before the patch!

Travis Admin wrote on 01/04/2018 at 05:10am

And further anecdotal evidence, Wolf 2 is the same as ever.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/04/2018 at 05:11am

And yeah sorry I had this page open already and missed your question. Yes, it was my system. It's v-sync so I can't tell if there's a frame loss past that.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/04/2018 at 05:23am

No Man's Sky, which I know is CPU intensive, doesn't seem to suffer either.

This is all on a Skylake i5, and from what I've read Skylake and newer will probably see fewer issues.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/04/2018 at 05:26am

That’s awesome to hear.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Cheerful Ghost Game of the Year Winners!

Happy New Year everyone! Thanks for helping make the last year on Cheerful Ghost amazing. We're starting things off in 2018 with our 2017 Game of the Year Awards results. If there's a clear runner up, we'll share that as well.

Best AAA Game: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
This should come as no surprise. Breath of the Wild has been topping Game of the Year lists all over the place, and with good reason. New game mechanics and a sprawling, sometimes intimidating open world breathe new life into the Legend of Zelda series.

Runner Up: Super Mario Odyssey. Nintendo had something to prove with a new console launch, and have they ever! This one is my personal GotY... Read All Happy New Year everyone! Thanks for helping make the last year on Cheerful Ghost amazing. We're starting things off in 2018 with our 2017 Game of the Year Awards results. If there's a clear runner up, we'll share that as well.

Best AAA Game: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
This should come as no surprise. Breath of the Wild has been topping Game of the Year lists all over the place, and with good reason. New game mechanics and a sprawling, sometimes intimidating open world breathe new life into the Legend of Zelda series.

Runner Up: Super Mario Odyssey. Nintendo had something to prove with a new console launch, and have they ever! This one is my personal GotY (but I'm playing Breath of the Wild now, so that may change) because of how it effectively brings fresh ideas into the Mario series and left me immediately wanting a sequel.

Best Indie Games (tie): Cuphead and Thimbleweed Park
Cuphead's charming sights and sounds coupled with intense platforming and Nintendo-hard boss fights seem to be a winning formula. If you could imagine the direct opposite of that game, it might be Thimbleweed Park, a game that seems like the LucasArts adventure game team made a game based on Twin Peaks or the X-Files.

Best Update/DLC/Expansion: Hearthstone's Kobolds and Catacombs
With 135 new cards and a new single-player Dungeon Run mode, this expansion is getting a lot of love from Hearthstone fans and has a well deserved spot on our list.

Best Mobile Game: Metroid: Samus Returns
One of the reasons I really want a 3DS, Samus Returns takes the series back to its side-scrolling roots in a reimagining of Metroid II from the Gameboy era. It expands on that formula with new abilities and, of course, much better visuals and sounds.

Runner up: HQ Trivia. A new take on trivia games, in which half a million people play for a pool of money by testing their knowledge of trivia. Technical issues aside, this game is a lot of fun to play. Just hide the chat.

Thanks for voting in this years awards, and here's to a great 2018!

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 12 - Star Wars: The Last Jedi Holiday Special

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is out and as per Cheerful Ghost tradition we dedicate an entire episode to it. We talk about what worked and what didn’t and take a long look at the fan criticism of this movie.

Currently The Last Jedi holds a 93% Critic rating and a 56% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans have many conflicting opinions and are having fierce debates over the film’s merit, so we have lots to talk about. Get ready because this conversation contains some intense debate and nothing is off the table for discussion.

WARNING: This episode is full of spoilers, and as such you should also expect the comments on this post to contain them as well.

Do not expand the... Read All

Cheerful Ghost Game of the Year Nominations

It's the most wonderful time of the year! We got a new Star Wars movie (stay tuned for more from us about that) AND Cheerful Ghost Game of the Year award season is starting! And as always, we need your help to make it awesome.

This is the nomination thread, so drop your nominations in the comments. We will keep nominations open through Christmas. The categories are the same as last year:

Best AAA Game: This category is for the Call of Duties and the Fallouts, the big games with big publisher backing.

Best Indie Game: The games that go their own way, sometimes self-published.

Best DLC/Expansion/Update: Any addition to a game that had a very positive effect, from... Read All

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 12/19/2017 at 02:44pm

My nominations:

Best AAA Game:

Super Mario Odyssey: Perhaps my game of the decade, this game is just a masterpiece from beginning to end. It brings together Mario's history and new, wild mechanics to create something simultaneously nostalgic and fresh.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus: Expanding on the previous games with better and weightier plot, new mechanics, and a fresh coat of paint.

Horizon Zero Dawn: I'm ashamed to admit I haven't finished this because other games kept distracting me, but what I played was a beautiful and very unique game blending adventure, RPG, and stealth mechanics into a perfect stew.

Best Indie Game:

Cuphead: Beautiful art and insane difficulty combine for a very memorable game. Like Super Meat Boy, you can always see what you were supposed to do, so you never feel like the game is punishing you. There are no "THE GAME CHEATS!" moments.

Superflight: A small game developed by grad students as part of their curriculum, but the polish would suggest otherwise. Beautiful flight mechanics, crazy tricks, and a chill and relaxing experience. This one is a great game for decompressing at the end of the day.

Best DLC/Expansion/Update:

Diablo III's Necromancer pack: There's not much here aside from a new class to play, but wow, that class is fun. I felt that it perfectly achieved the game's goals of making you feel like a magical badass while also keeping the sense of a threat from the enemies.

No Man's Sky's Atlas Rises update: This is the biggest update yet, and wow, does it ever shine. One of the games biggest complaints was that it was as wide as the ocean and deep as a puddle. This update added significant depth, weight to your actions, new activities, new ship types, and even the first hints of multiplayer.

Best Mobile Game:

HQ Trivia: This is less of a video game than you'd expect on this list. It's a live game show, and you are a contestant, along with half a million others. Twelve questions and you're out after your first wrong answer. Whoever survives after round 12 splits the pot o' cash. My wife and I have had a ton of fun with this one.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 12/19/2017 at 06:44pm

Best AAA Game: Zelda Breath Of The Wild (that came out this year, right?)

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 12/19/2017 at 06:47pm

It did, yup!

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/19/2017 at 07:15pm

+1 for Zelda BotW for Best AAA Game.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 12/19/2017 at 07:58pm

+1 BotW AAA
I agree with Travis's DLC picks, too.

I'd like to put Ark for Indie game, because it just released. I'd also like to nominate the new DLC, Aberration.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 12/19/2017 at 08:35pm

Oh and I think Civ6 goes in there somewhere, too.

vdogmr25 wrote on 12/21/2017 at 08:59pm

Best AAA Game: Resident Evil 7. It's been a long time since Resident Evil actually scared me. Good times.

Best Indie Game: Pyre. Supergiant was once again able to make a game where all aspects of the game come together and support each other in the wonderful story of redemption, political intrigue, and fantasy sportsball. As with other indie darlings of this year, the art, music, and gameplay are spot on.

Best DLC/Expansion/Update: StarCraft 2 going free to play. SC2 has had a good boost in players with the addition before co-op mode, and between that and going free to play, I've been able to pull more friends into the game who were hesitant to pay for a game as daunting as StarCraft.

Best Mobile Game: Jackbox Party Pack 4. A stretch of the term "mobile," but this game is available for everything (even roku and apple tv), and each person plays using a mobile device. I take it with me to nearly every social gathering as there's a game for everyone in this, and is incredibly accessible. (Monster Seeking Monster is the best one)

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/21/2017 at 11:29pm

Triple A: Metroid: Samus Returns & StarFox II(i'm open to recategorizing this but where else would it go? ).

Indie Games: Thimbleweed Park & The End is Nigh.

Best DLC/Expansion/Update: Full Throttle Remastered, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, StarCraft Remastered & Hearthstone: Kobolds and Catacombs.

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/21/2017 at 11:34pm

Actually drop Samus Returns from Triple A.

Best Mobile: Metroid: Samus Return & Stranger Things(I still need to write up my thoughts about this). I might have more games later too.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 12/22/2017 at 04:02am

Wait there's a Stranger Things game?

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/22/2017 at 05:23am

What Travis said^^^

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/22/2017 at 07:48pm

Yep.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/22/2017 at 08:50pm

Ok, I downloaded the ST game.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Episode 11: Stranger Things 2 Special

The power of Netflix shows keeps rolling and Stranger Things 2 is a fun testament to how great steaming shows can be. We talk about the new season, compare it to the first one and talk about where we’d like the show to go next.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/15/2017 at 08:27pm

No talk of Billy? What did you all think of him?

For me stranger things 2 is stranger things' aliens. You got more monsters, seemed more heavy on the action, plus Paul Reiser.

ST2 was on par with the 1st season for me. I definitely like the demogorgon better than smoke monster, but ST2 had some better character dynamics. I really liked Dustin & Steve in season 2, they were my favorite.

I also liked that they are expanding the show outside of Hawkins. 11 having her yoda like moment with 8 was a lot of fun. I can't wait to see if they introduce other numbered kids with powers. What powers should they have, if they do?

Speaking of numbered kids, was 11's mom, the first one with powers? Did she get them naturally, or were they from some sort of experiment?

If you all haven't watched Beyond Stranger Things, I would suggest you do so. There is a lot of good talk about the show in that show.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 12/16/2017 at 06:55am

Minor spoilers in this comment...

I didn't think much at all about Billy. I had to look him up to remember that there was even a character named Billy :D

With the exception of one or two scenes he was just character development for Max, which is fine. He clearly has issues that they may tackle in season 3. In fact I hope they do. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Max smack him down toward the end though.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/16/2017 at 05:22pm

I thought Billy was kind of one note until the end. He could have used a little bit more character development.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 12/18/2017 at 10:02pm

Billy was basically "what if Steve was a maniac." I liked him as a character. He definitely upped the ante as a wildcard human threat, especially the way he specifically targetted certain members of the party. I appreciate that they showed some of his motivation, why he was so aggressive, giving us moments to sympathize with him. I'm glad they didn't overuse him.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 12/20/2017 at 04:43am

Billy was just ok. Although his scene with Karen was gold.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Humble and Yogscast Celebrate the Holidays With an Advent Calendar of Games

The Yogscast Jingle Jam 2017 released today. For $35 you get Rust, Dungeon of the Endless, Qube Director's Cut, Garry's Mod, and two Team Fortress 2 badges. BUT, every day until Christmas, a new game gets added to the goodies.

The games will total $847 and all proceeds go to charity. While the bundle runs for most of the month, they say supplies are limited so if you know you're interested, it may be a good idea to jump on early.

Check it out here: https://www.humblebundle.com/yogscast-jingle-jam-2017

scrypt Supporter wrote on 12/02/2017 at 07:09am

Sweet deal! Those Humble Bundles, I tell ya...

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 12/02/2017 at 07:21am

No kidding! My backlog needed a boost.

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/02/2017 at 08:22pm

Link for people that want to know more https://www.humblebundle.com/yogscast-jingle-jam-2017

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 12/03/2017 at 06:04am

I added that link a few hours ago before I saw your comment there. Yeah, woops. That might have been important info.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 12/03/2017 at 04:52pm

Holy cow.

https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/7h6u7c/the_yogscast_have_raised_2000000_for_charity_in/?st=JAR071Y7&sh=d0640189

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 12/04/2017 at 08:30pm

Wow that’s an insane amount of money for two days.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 12/10/2017 at 07:32am

By the way, if you jumped on this and you've been considering Guild Wars 2, you now own the full game (not just the free-to-play parts) and you have a discount on the new expansion.

There's lots of MMO stuff in this bundle to get you a good ways in with a few different ones.

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/10/2017 at 09:20pm

Whew that's a crazy amount of games there. And it's not even over yet!

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Building A Time Machine For Us Non-Computer People

The Modern Rogue is a great channel on YouTube where two guys, Brian and Jason, learn about cool stuff. From beer and whiskey to fighting with knives and swords to modern tech hacks, these guys cover a wide range of topics. In this video, they build a game emulator from a Raspberry Pi, and keep it understandable for us noobs to computer building.

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 10 - Thor Ragnarok Special

Apparently we all had time to watch the latest Marvel mega-hit Thor Ragnarok. Jon seems to have a huge crush on Chris Hemsworth so the episode may be worth listening to for that alone. Where do we think Marvel films should go next and what are we excited for in the upcoming Infinity War film? Spoilers abound but we draw the mark about halfway through the show.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/05/2017 at 09:55pm

Spoilers, Hulk transforms back to Bruce in the Avengers 3 trailer. Avengers 4 will tie up the current MCU according to Marvel.

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/06/2017 at 04:00am

Yeah, I'm not sure that's much of a spoiler though I figured he be Bruce again at some point but I did like that there was some ambiguity about how his powers would work moving forward. I've been re-watching MCU movies and I like how the Hulk has changed over time to what he was in Thor Ragnarok. For one he is bigger, which is cool because he is obviously eating his Super Mario Cereal which I've heard makes you big and strong.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 12/06/2017 at 03:23pm

Interesting, though, that he’s Bruce, but in the company of Dr. Strange. Meaning, maybe the transformation is Strange’s doing, which could possibly lead them down the road of separating Banner from Hulk, or at least Strange could teach Banner some tricks on how to control (or become one with) the beast.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/06/2017 at 05:10pm

That would be cool if Strange transformed Hulk back into Bruce!

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Happy Thanksgiving & What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! As you all tuck into eating more turkey than you should I was wondering what we will all be playing and watching this weekend? Linked above is my ritual MST3K Turkey Day marathon and they are starting out with the Swedish classic “The Day The Earth Froze!” I’ve been playing a lot of The Adventures of Link and that’s been really fun to play(check my review on it later)!

Timogorgon Member wrote on 11/23/2017 at 09:30pm

I'm hoping to get in some time with the FFXV multiplayer expansion. You know, once I wake up from my turkey induced coma.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 11/24/2017 at 03:26am

I downloaded and played the free Wolf2 demo. I also played some Minecraft, and my daily TES:Legends and Faeria. Later, I got really into Faeria, so I spent a few hours playing it. Words With Friends is a daily thing for me, too.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 11/24/2017 at 09:17pm

A little Ruiner, some Prey, and the ever-present Rocket League.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 11/24/2017 at 09:46pm

Mainly Animal Crossing on the iPhone. Some Mario + Rabbids.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 11/25/2017 at 09:03pm

I got Mario Maker on 3DS and that’s been really neat. My levels aren’t great and follow no pattern but it’s fun just to see what you can do.

vdogmr25 wrote on 11/26/2017 at 02:12am

Mostly idlers. A bit of SC2 co-op when friends are online. Thanksgiving MST3K is the best idea, though.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 11/26/2017 at 02:14am

It was a good lineup. Play the news that season 12 is coming to Netflix was awesome to hear!

vdogmr25 wrote on 11/26/2017 at 02:21am

Haven't watched much of the new seasons yet. I should get on that.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 11/26/2017 at 03:41am

> Haven't watched much of the new seasons yet. I should get on that.

It's a really fun season and does justice by the legendary run of the original show while moving it forward for a new audience.

Travis Admin wrote on 11/26/2017 at 06:02am

Super Mario Odyssey for me this weekend. Absolutely stellar so far. I don't think it hits the magic of Galaxy 1 or 2, but that was basically peak Mario. Each game does something unique with how powerups work, and this time they work by taking over the creature you throw your sentient hat companion on. Damn these premises are weird.

The Switch is a nice console too. Everything has that Nintendo production value, much like Apple, where it just feels like everything was manufactured perfectly. And then also just like Apple there are one or two software quirks that have you scratching your head.

Poor Wolfenstein 2 keeps getting backburnered. And Horizon Zero Dawn is shivering in a corner wondering where I've gone.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 11/26/2017 at 04:53pm

Mario Galaxy was really a special game. Might be, story wise, one of Nintendo’s best.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 11/26/2017 at 09:47pm

Travis, if you are looking for a switch friend, my code is: SW-3340-4301-0747

Travis Admin wrote on 11/27/2017 at 04:15am

I legitimately didn't know there was a place for Switch friends :D

I'll get on that!

Travis Admin wrote on 11/27/2017 at 04:16am

Mine is SW-2203-2113-5548 for any other Switchers

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

The Fight For Net Neutrality Rages On. Please Pick The Right Side.

https://www.savetheinternet.com/sites/default/files/styles/1275_wide/public/topics/topic_net-neutrality.png

"Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers and governments regulating most of the Internet must treat all data on the Internet the same, and not discriminate or charge differently by user, content, website, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or method of communication. For instance, under these principles, internet service providers are unable to intentionally block, slow down or charge money for specific websites and online content."

The Internet is one of the best inventions of humankind and if it didn't exist I wouldn't have a job. It's reach is vast and there is no end to how future humans will use it and have it better their... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 11/22/2017 at 04:11am

If you can spare the money, please consider donating to the ACLU and EFF, who fight for net neutrality. But, nonprofits vs the weight of the US government... it's a hard fight. They need more than they have.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 11/22/2017 at 04:24am

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 11/22/2017 at 06:54am

Like we have a lot of choices for internet service providers. If I don’t want Comcast I can have severely slow internet through centurylink.

Travis Admin wrote on 11/22/2017 at 06:20pm

That's part of the problem. We don't have choices, so capitalist competition doesn't affect ISPs as much as it would if there were options. So Comcast in your case could decide they want to charge a premium for Netflix access, and since you don't have reasonable alternatives, you'll have to pay.

If there weren't regional monopolies it would be less of an issue. Still an issue, for sure, but less of one.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.