[Traveller]

Do the special bunkers whenever you find them. I cant remember what they're called (Cauldrons?) but they're labelled Alpha, Sigma etc and you get some good stuff iirc. Plus some fights in very close quarters!

Such a great game. Streamlined inventory, open world, but you get directed and guided through story points without it feeling linear or forced. And the first time you see a Thunderjaw roaming about...

The lighting is amazing too.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 11 August 2020 - 05:13 AM

[Malankazooie]

The Vantage Points are wonderful. Be sure to visit those. The game's setting is my neck of the woods, so I've been to many of those in the real world. Opening up those vistas and seeing those sites hit me hard in the wonderment feelz, followed by a "oh shit, no way, that's! ....."

Also, yes, do the Cauldrons. They are key in unlocking and facing the progression of machines.

This post has been edited by Malankazooie: 11 August 2020 - 05:51 AM

[Mentalist]

Yeah, I kinda figured that's how I get the

Spoiler

override codes

. The machine descriptions hint at that, haha.

I think there's one on my way to the next main quest. Might check that out before going to the next set of ruins.

Edit: people are reporting that the game starts crashing non-stop after you get to Meridian. So I guess that'll be indicative of whether my PC can deal with version or not.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 11 August 2020 - 02:30 PM

[Mentalist]

Killed my first Bellowback. The blast sling's the good weapon to do that, as it turns out.

Did that while finishing up the "Vengeance of the Nora" quest. That was a fun battle.
Saw a bandit fort, but they've all got helmets and my arrow don't do much. I'm only level 19, so I'll come back there later.

Tomorrow gonna try to clear the Corrupted zone with another Bellowback, then check out the Cauldron, and then probably finally nudge the main quest along and move onto Meridian.

[Morgoth]

I think you'll enjoy this game, Ment. Horizon was such a wonderful experience, with a truly engaging story. And the combat, at least to me, never got dull.

[Traveller]

Don't underestimate the trip lines - I used to lay a series along a set path, then lure the beasties after me into the first stun line. Run in and hit several times, then retreat back to the next, let them follow, and repeat.

Works well in those built up overgrown city streets as well as the forest.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 12 August 2020 - 04:22 PM

[Malankazooie]

For my playing style, the trip lines were pretty much essential later on. In fact, there is an area where I don't think I would have been successful, or at least had a lot of frustration, if I hadn't made use of the trip lines. Maybe other styles knew a way without the trip lines, but for me, they were a way forward..

[Traveller]

There's also a cauldron or two where once you've found the trapped dino, you have time to move around the limited space setting as many bombs and traps as you can. Definitely useful for taking out the smaller ones while you concentrate on the big guy.

[Mentalist]

Traveller, on 13 August 2020 - 07:29 AM, said:

There's also a cauldron or two where once you've found the trapped dino, you have time to move around the limited space setting as many bombs and traps as you can. Definitely useful for taking out the smaller ones while you concentrate on the big guy.

Yeah, that's what I did in my first Cauldron- I put mines at every door to take out all the Watchers, and I used the shock wire to paralyze the Bellowback, before unloading with the Blast Sling.

Played for 4 hours yest. Cleared the Corruption Zone, then the Cauldron (overriding Sawtooths and siccing them onto a herd they were guarding is hilarious), and then went on with the main quest... until I got to the village and got like 4 more sidequests, so took some more detours to check those off.
Level 20 now, and pretty much out of stuff to do in Nora lands. Gonna check out the Hunting grounds to maybe score some more quick skill points; otherwise I think I'll be off to the desert soon. And apparently that's where the game starts crashing a lot, so it's a race to see what happens first- that, or a new patch that's supposedly in the works.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 13 August 2020 - 02:24 PM

[Malankazooie]

I've seen reviews that heavily criticize the issues with the crashing. That will suck big time too if instability and game crashing occurs as you move west into the desert area. HZD is a beautiful game and does a great job of instilling a feeling of discovery and exploration as the landscape changes.

[Mentalist]

Oof, those alligators are fun.

Aced another set of hunting trials, cleared 2 more corruption zones and finished the evening's session by taking over another bandit camp.

I'm now level 24, and I still haven't left Nora territory; I think that's the problem with designing an open world with so much extra crap to do, but also doling out XP for every enemy encountered: some players who are just doing everything will keep running into enemies re-treading the same ground, and will eventually get ridiculously over-levelled. Like, my main quest to reach Meridian is recommended Level 12. And here I am, slowly but surely approaching the recommended level for Frozen Wilds; I've already unlocked most of the damage-increasing skills, so the rest of the skill tree is gonna be just some more esoteric stuff. Most importantly, I'm now knocking machines down with only 2-3 heavy attacks;

Also, fighting humans remains a chore.

Need to do a bit more exploring, as there's still a few collectibles and some tasty attacks to grab; over the weekend gonna slot another 2 RAM sticks into my mobo, since some sources suggest that the crashes are due to memory leaks; having 32 gigs of RAM should be enough to brute-force past that, hopefully.

[Traveller]

I compare Ghost of Tsushima with HZD, because although its open world, it still has a direction you are guided along, which keeps the story cohesive. It's also inventory lite, and there isnt an absolute shit ton of superfluous stuff to collect.
Even when you reach Meridian, lots of the buildings have dummy doors and limited access, so you dont waste time rooting through everybody's houses just in case you miss an upgrade material - unlike
Witcher 3, Dragon Age, Red Dead - buildings with indivudual drawers, cupboards, chests to open.

Whereas GoT has the items you need highlighted, and able to grab with one button press - and no inventory to organise. It's just streamlined the gameplay.

In Red Dead I strayed so far from the actual story that i kept losing my place, as it were, and eventually left it without finishing it.

HZD sticks in my head because it flowed like a book, but one in which I was made to feel like I had made all the discoveries myself.

Don't forget to return to your mentors graveside every now and then - Aloi talks about her recent exploits depending on your progress.

[Tiste Simeon]

Ment have you fought one of those Thunderhawk thingies yet? Those things still give me nightmares.

[Malankazooie]

Oh man, memories are flooding back. The alligator machines were a favorite of mine to override. Override one, grab yourself a box of popcorn, find a vantage point on a hillside above and enjoy the show.

[Mentalist]

Tiste Simeon, on 14 August 2020 - 02:10 PM, said:

Ment have you fought one of those Thunderhawk thingies yet? Those things still give me nightmares.

Nah, I encountered some birds on the edge of Frozen Wilds, but I was going the other way. And these ones had a freeze attack, I think.

[Mentalist]

So I stumbled into Frozen Wilds as a level 26.


Umm, yeah.

That starter Scorcher... yeah. Killed it with lots and lots and lots of tripmines


Anyways, I started that story, and then went out and activated the Tallneck. Now I think I'm good. Gonna get back to the main story and go to Carja lands, finally.

Oh, I found a Thunderjaw; not gonna mess with him yet; I think I need a few more skills first.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 15 August 2020 - 04:04 PM

[Aptorian]

While you're up there you could get the spear upgrade.

[Malankazooie]

The Frozen Wilds is an excellent expansion. No slacking or resting on laurels by Guerrilla Games. You'll find a new game mechanic that is interesting and you'll notice something about the machines that will have you panting and repeating "what the hell!."

Ha! yeah, my first encounter with a Thunderjaw was a brown your whites moment for me.

[Mentalist]

Aptorian, on 15 August 2020 - 08:56 AM, said:

While you're up there you could get the spear upgrade.

I need something that shoots frost arrows, b/c I can't explode ice-based machines and that's becoming a liability.

[Traveller]

Malankazooie, on 15 August 2020 - 02:12 PM, said:

The Frozen Wilds is an excellent expansion. No slacking or resting on laurels by Guerrilla Games. You'll find a new game mechanic that is interesting and you'll notice something about the machines that will have you panting and repeating "what the hell!."

Ha! yeah, my first encounter with a Thunderjaw was a brown your whites moment for me.

I've got a feeling I bought the dlc but didnt play it as I was playing something else at the time.