[Traveller]

Not too worried about that yet. Also just reached level 20 - got that Bellowback heart for the outfit, found the second power cell, and finished up the Revenge of the Nora in that area, anyway.

Looks like I'll be heading west now as all quest markers are there.

[Traveller]

Briar King, on 09 March 2017 - 05:53 AM, said:

I'm really blown away by the load time of this game! There is no load time except when you boot your save up.... how the fuck did they pull this off? Other developers need to be supremely jealous of this whole game.

^^ Yes, totally - I keep thinking this, as I am constantly amazed at the smoothness, speed, draw distance, lack of that texture pop-in so common in other games. It's kind of mind blowing.

I've been hunting Bellowbacks for a while now, rolling away from that fire attack is very Dark Souls! Arrows into throat and tripwires work well. There are three around the ruins which remind me of a souls boss fight when you take them all on.

I got the reclaim trap perk which I've used a lot already, you can plan an attack, set them up, lure machines into them, hit them when they're down, then lure them to the next. Then pick up any I didn't use.

(Haha I can't believe I only just found the craft potions menu, I've just been using the up direction button to heal. And I've now made a load more shock and bomb traps.)

This post has been edited by Traveller: 09 March 2017 - 07:49 AM

[WinterPhoenix]

OK first things first, I'm guessing this is just me, but is anyone else a little bothered by the way they pronounce Aloy's name? I feel like there is is an intentional allusion here, she is after all a mixture of the old world and the new (her focus), an alloy if you will - I'll just keep saying it with a short 'a' in my head lol

On to more serious matters. My god this game is great, and the lack of load times is genuinely incredible, coming off the back of playing Skyrim it is just insane.

Clocked about 8 hours yesterday. Did everything I could find in the valley - in the middle of a sidequest to find Dreamwillow still though - had just reached the Nora Hunting Grounds when I realised it was 4AM and I needed sleep! I'm level 10 already - btw guys, there's a trophy for reaching level 50, so I don't think you have to worry about the cap just yet - really no idea what to focus on so far except stealth which makes some kills incredibly easy. Using the Carja Sharpshot Bow atm, found a Very Rare +37% damage mod in some scrapper piles off to the far left of the first region, so modded it with that, can one shot the Grazers if I hit them in the eye.

Did anyone else find the powercell and both metal flowers in the first region? One of the flowers is on some tall cliffs off to the left of the map, you can get to it easily from using the left gate out of Rost's encampment. Also did anyone find any other datapoints (text or voice) in the valley, aside from the 10 or so you find in the ruins - both as a child and a adult. I searched that valley up and down, couldn't find any other datapoints.

Oh and I freakin' love Aloy's hair lol Literally almost every character I create for RPG's is a long haired, red-headed, green eyed woman

[Traveller]

I knew you'd start on the collecting!

I've got quite a few datapoints and metal flowers now but I'm not searching for them specifically - I like the stuff they're revealing though.

(You've probably noticed that there's a trophy for knocking down all those straw practice machines too, I make sure to knock them down when I find them)

[WinterPhoenix]

Traveller, on 09 March 2017 - 03:13 PM, said:

I knew you'd start on the collecting!

I've got quite a few datapoints and metal flowers now but I'm not searching for them specifically - I like the stuff they're revealing though.

(You've probably noticed that there's a trophy for knocking down all those straw practice machines too, I make sure to knock them down when I find them)

Lol, yeah this is how I play RPG's, guess that DS3 thread gave me a rep But yeah I won't be satisfied till I've found them all. To go back to that review you brought up earlier, I don't think I've ever played an open-world RPG that I thought was genuinely over-saturated with collectibles, though I have played a few where I found the map underwhelming in those terms. At any rate I think we can both agree that this game is neither of those things. The crafting system as well is wonderfully handled and seamlessly integrated thus far, and do think they've struck a decent balance when it comes to raw resources/Ingredients. Strikes a great and happy medium between complexity and accessibility/enjoyability.


The female merchant just inside the main gate of the Embrace sells 4 maps, each providing the general location of the 4 different sets of collectibles across the entire map. I'd already scoured everything in the valley before I procured them, the merchant doesn't show up until after the Proving. There doesn't seem to be any similar indicator for datapoints though, excepting of course the info caches provided by vantage points, which are grouped as collectibles.

I played for like 4 hours before I even thought to check the trophies, I was that engrossed lol But yeah I did see the Grazer Dummies trophy, went back getting them all, as I'd just left them alone as decoration.

This post has been edited by WinterPhoenix: 09 March 2017 - 08:30 PM

[WinterPhoenix]

First Tallneck, that was cool asf Debating whether to try and clear the Corrupted zone near the Southern gate, still 4 levels below though.

[Traveller]

It's not hard. I love the way that when you fire an arrow at the Watchers, they all look up... presenting you with a nice collection of yellow targets! Which you can then hit in succession, in one nice slow-mo move.

I might have to invest in the jumping/sliding slow-down just because it looks so cool.

[Serenity]

I just spotted that level 50 trophy this afternoon, too

I finally got to Daytower and spent some of the shards I'd been hoarding on a couple of Shadow bows, then modded them with the best tear, damage and fire coils I had. Should make things interesting. Plus I got out of the DLC armour and got the medium Protector armour. The main damage I seem to be taking is melee, so it should help.

Must admit, I haven't been bothering with the collectibles. The only ones I've been doing are the Vantage points.

Like BK (I think) said up-thread, it's great fun overriding a Sawtooth and setting it on another

[WinterPhoenix]

Anyone tried much of the Hunter's Trials yet?

[WinterPhoenix]

Yeah I thought Forager early made sense, maximising your return on resource gathering. I made resource and quiver carry capacity upgrades my priority for obvious reasons as well. Want the Tinker skill as well so I can reuse mods, don't know just how rare those Very Rare mods are.

[Traveller]

I've only found two with the high (30+) damage which I've already stuck on bows. I got the forager skills early too along with those maps.

Completed the first Trials; much easier when you've got some arrows with the high tear to remove components quickly.

Anyone using that rope weapon that ties things down? I might get it just to add something new and see what it does.

[WinterPhoenix]

Need a Shell-Walker heart and a Bellowback Heart for the heavy Protector and Silent Hunter armour's respectively. Haven't seen any of these creatures yet though, can get the Survivor one now though. I like the stealth, but Silent Hunter gives no extra protection, not sure how necessary it is for sneaking, so thinking I'll go protector, just gotta find a Shell-Walker

EDIT: Bought Survivor for now, jacked up it's Melee defence with mods. Will see how sneaking is impacted by not wearing my medium Silent Hunter

This post has been edited by WinterPhoenix: 09 March 2017 - 08:31 PM

[Traveller]

Had to take down about 10 Bellowbacks to get a heart.

[Traveller]

WinterPhoenix, on 09 March 2017 - 04:17 PM, said:

Traveller, on 09 March 2017 - 03:13 PM, said:

I knew you'd start on the collecting!

I've got quite a few datapoints and metal flowers now but I'm not searching for them specifically - I like the stuff they're revealing though.

(You've probably noticed that there's a trophy for knocking down all those straw practice machines too, I make sure to knock them down when I find them)

Lol, yeah this is how I play RPG's, guess that DS3 thread gave me a rep But yeah I won't be satisfied till I've found them all. To go back to that review you brought up earlier, I don't think I've ever played an open-world RPG that I thought was genuinely over-saturated with collectibles, though I have played a few where I found the map underwhelming in those terms. At any rate I think we can both agree that this game is neither of those things. The crafting system as well is wonderfully handled and seamlessly integrated thus far, and do think they've struck a decent balance when it comes to raw resources/Ingredients. Strikes a great and happy medium between complexity and accessibility/enjoyability.


The female merchant just inside the main gate of the Embrace sells 4 maps, each providing the general location of the 4 different sets of collectibles across the entire map. I'd already scoured everything in the valley before I procured them, the merchant doesn't show up until after the Proving. There doesn't seem to be any similar indicator for datapoints though, excepting of course the info caches provided by vantage points, which are grouped as collectibles.

I played for like 4 hours before I even thought to check the trophies, I was that engrossed lol But yeah I did see the Grazer Dummies trophy, went back getting them all, as I'd just left them alone as decoration.

I wouldn't say other games have too much in the way of quests, but a game is over saturated with collectables, in my opinion, when you're searching for things on a map at the cost of the game. Like to the point where you're lokking at the minimap or checking the big one to navigate, rather than playing the game and moving around a landscape more naturally.

What I'm liking now is being free to roam through the land, without looking at the map; exploring and fighting, and when you get close to a bonfire it shows up on the hud. Without a hundred things to collect I don't feel like I'm missing out on things that aren't even necessary to the game.

[WinterPhoenix]

Traveller, on 09 March 2017 - 08:49 PM, said:

WinterPhoenix, on 09 March 2017 - 04:17 PM, said:

Traveller, on 09 March 2017 - 03:13 PM, said:

I knew you'd start on the collecting!

I've got quite a few datapoints and metal flowers now but I'm not searching for them specifically - I like the stuff they're revealing though.

(You've probably noticed that there's a trophy for knocking down all those straw practice machines too, I make sure to knock them down when I find them)

Lol, yeah this is how I play RPG's, guess that DS3 thread gave me a rep But yeah I won't be satisfied till I've found them all. To go back to that review you brought up earlier, I don't think I've ever played an open-world RPG that I thought was genuinely over-saturated with collectibles, though I have played a few where I found the map underwhelming in those terms. At any rate I think we can both agree that this game is neither of those things. The crafting system as well is wonderfully handled and seamlessly integrated thus far, and do think they've struck a decent balance when it comes to raw resources/Ingredients. Strikes a great and happy medium between complexity and accessibility/enjoyability.


The female merchant just inside the main gate of the Embrace sells 4 maps, each providing the general location of the 4 different sets of collectibles across the entire map. I'd already scoured everything in the valley before I procured them, the merchant doesn't show up until after the Proving. There doesn't seem to be any similar indicator for datapoints though, excepting of course the info caches provided by vantage points, which are grouped as collectibles.

I played for like 4 hours before I even thought to check the trophies, I was that engrossed lol But yeah I did see the Grazer Dummies trophy, went back getting them all, as I'd just left them alone as decoration.

I wouldn't say other games have too much in the way of quests, but a game is over saturated with collectables, in my opinion, when you're searching for things on a map at the cost of the game. Like to the point where you're lokking at the minimap or checking the big one to navigate, rather than playing the game and moving around a landscape more naturally.

What I'm liking now is being free to roam through the land, without looking at the map; exploring and fighting, and when you get close to a bonfire it shows up on the hud. Without a hundred things to collect I don't feel like I'm missing out on things that aren't even necessary to the game.

Ah I see where you're coming from now, I think that's just a difference in the way we play then. See I'm always looking at the map to make sure I've not missed anything, even with this game I am doing the same to find collectibles as I go. I wouldn't say it's detrimental to my experience of the world in general though, I still stop to look in wonder at the staggeringly beautiful open-world they've managed to create here. I did the same for Thw Withcer as well. Having played for about 10-11 hours now though, I will give this game the lead graphically

This post has been edited by WinterPhoenix: 09 March 2017 - 09:37 PM

[Serenity]

Just had my first encounter with a Snapmaw. Triple Shot came in handy.

[Traveller]

Serenity, on 09 March 2017 - 10:42 PM, said:

Just had my first encounter with a Snapmaw. Triple Shot came in handy.

Does that automatically use 3 arrows for every shot?

I'm having trouble finding wire for some reason. I'm always running out. Found a second cauldron though.

[WinterPhoenix]

Had a go at the trials in the Nora Hunting Grounds, first two (Components and Log Traps) I got blazing suns first try. Tearblast ammo on the Carja sharpshot is easy mode for removing components, the log trap I just got lucky, all the Grazers stampeded right past one of the piles. Need the Carja tripcaster for the next one, I fear I wont be as good at that one.

Then I spent a good 40 minutes trying to find a vantage, took me forever to actually get up there lol

This post has been edited by WinterPhoenix: 10 March 2017 - 12:51 AM

[WinterPhoenix]

Briar King, on 10 March 2017 - 12:33 AM, said:

Tag that location please like Trav and I did for the new bloods QT and RLY to find out on their own. I can't find those Vantage pts at all and I'm constantly looking up in Focus mode. Urgh

Sure thing, the name of the datalog don't actually spoil the location though, the area is called something totally different on the map, it's the title of the log you get for finding it. But yeah I'll tag it and tag any names in the future, or just not use them at all I guess, sorry about that.

Just about to see if I can do the Tripcaster trial.

EDIT: Just deleted the name in the post, can't find the spoiler tags on my PS4. I've solved the spacing issue though

This post has been edited by WinterPhoenix: 10 March 2017 - 12:58 AM

[WinterPhoenix]

Oh, BK, if you're having trouble finding vantages the best way is to look for yellow handholds, or yellow paint. Aloy will say something about using your focus when you're close enough to the area, mind you, you'll almost certainly have seen it by then anyway. You don't always need to go the way the yellow route describes, first one I found I just jumped up a few boulders, came round the back of it, but the next one was impossible any other way. The issue is the general area for vantages given by the maps are fairly large to be looking for what can be sneakily hidden bits of yellow - if that last one was anything to go by! So it can get annoying, if the first couple are anything to go by then they are generally high enough that just aiming your focus up will be fruitless, which really sucks :/

This post has been edited by WinterPhoenix: 10 March 2017 - 01:13 AM