2012 Steam Summer Sale: DEAD!

[SunnyD]

If I buy some games and do not install them, are they tradeable...If so i may buy a few extra games.

How can I tell in my games library if a game is tradeable...thanks for any help on this matter.

No.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

EDIT: nevermind

 

[OCNewbie]

Can you buy a game, that you don't already own, as a gift, and later on decide to gift it to yourself?

 

[Whirlwind]

OK...I figured it out....purchase as gift....Then choose option to store gift in inventory

 

[Tweak155]

Can you buy a game, that you don't already own, as a gift, and later on decide to gift it to yourself?

Yes you can.

 

[carling220]

Was expecting good things from Dragon age have to wait and see, does not look as graphically sharp as I would have liked, though.

Eldar scrolls oblivion is available now which i think is a similiar rpg type game. Anyone know how this compares to dragon age in terms of the game, and also graphically?

On the fence about Crysis 2 also after hearing mixed reviews.

 

[JD50]

How's Magicka?

 

[cytoSiN]

Was expecting good things from Dragon age have to wait and see, does not look as graphically sharp as I would have liked, though.

Eldar scrolls oblivion is available now which i think is a similiar rpg type game. Anyone know how this compares to dragon age in terms of the game, and also graphically?

On the fence about Crysis 2 also after hearing mixed reviews.

Besides the fantasy settings, TES and DA are completely and totally different. I'm sure you can find hundreds of detailed descriptions on the web, but in short, TES is focused on an open sandbox with realtime combat, and DA is slightly (if not completely) on rails and features tactical combat more akin to KOTOR and similar games. If you're interested in beautiful graphics, open worlds, and basic hack-and-slash combat, TES is for you. If you prefer a more guided experience, slightly less beautiful graphics (but still good imo), and more involved, tactical combat, DA is for you. Personally, if you like RPGs, I think you should play both.

 

[cytoSiN]

I'm torn re: Deus Ex...should I buy now for $7.50, or wait until holiday sale to grab GOTY edition for (most likely) around the same price?

 

[Aikouka]

How's Magicka?

I really like Magicka, but I'll be the first to admit that it's not a terribly easy game.

The game has 8 different spell types that are bound to QWER and ASDF. You are able to combine these in a queue bar and cast them in one of three ways: on yourself, AoE or directed. The spells include nature, which means you can heal yourself with it. As a quick tip, healing yourself using nature isn't that strong. It's far better to use nature + earth (I think that's right... it might involve barrier too... I'd have to check) and cast it as an AoE. It will put "nature landmines" on the ground that heal when they explode. These heal for a ridiculous amount (they can heal enemies too). Also to note, as you queue up magic, you move slower.

There are also predefined spells that you can cast if your queue bar has a certain combination in it. The most common one is Haste (ASF I believe) as it... well, makes you run faster.

The game definitely tests your thought process as it doesn't make things very apparent, but you just have to think, "well... what if I did this?" Here are some examples (I'll spoiler tag them in case you want to figure the tricks out on your own):

Spoiler

When fighting the big spider in The Stars are Left DLC, she'll randomly web you. You can easily break out by queuing up a single fire and casting it on yourself.

Spoiler

When the dragon casts a spell on you that inverts your movement (i.e. Left is now Right) and your spells, you can break out by casting dispel on yourself.

Spoiler

There are mobs that can cast some really powerful elemental spells that can pretty much one shot you. You need to put up a barrier (element x 4 + barrier -> self-cast)

Also, the game is about a billion times easier in co-op, because in single player, you get one death per checkpoint. In co-op, as long as one player is alive, they can resurrect you.

 

[gothamhunter]

Divinity II DKS on flash sale now. Woot!

 

[cytoSiN]

Divinity II DKS on flash sale now. Woot!

It's $10 right now. I got it cheaper, and if you're patient with Steam and Amazon you probably can too, but this game is AWESOME and it's one of the few games that, imho, would be worth it at $50 or $60 retail. I still smile every time I think about jumping off a cliff a mile over a river, turning into a dragon, soaring to the riverbed, turning back into human form, landing behind a pack of monsters, and incinerating them all with a massive fireball. BUY THIS GAME NOW IF YOU'VE BEEN ON THE FENCE.

 

[Termie]

Besides the fantasy settings, TES and DA are completely and totally different. I'm sure you can find hundreds of detailed descriptions on the web, but in short, TES is focused on an open sandbox with realtime combat, and DA is slightly (if not completely) on rails and features tactical combat more akin to KOTOR and similar games. If you're interested in beautiful graphics, open worlds, and basic hack-and-slash combat, TES is for you. If you prefer a more guided experience, slightly less beautiful graphics (but still good imo), and more involved, tactical combat, DA is for you. Personally, if you like RPGs, I think you should play both.

Wow, this is really helpful. I have DAO, and it's interesting but maybe a bit too "tactical" for me. Maybe I should try TES. Is Oblivion a good "demo" for what skyrim has on offer?

I'm torn re: Deus Ex...should I buy now for $7.50, or wait until holiday sale to grab GOTY edition for (most likely) around the same price?

Good game but depends how many other similar games you have right now. It reminds me a lot of Mass Effect 2, so my gut is I should go back and finish ME2 before I get much further in DE:HR.

 

[Baptismbyfire]

Let Divinity 2 be my last purchase. I already purchased too many games. Lucky that they were mostly indie games, so they costed few bucks a piece. I actually feel guilty for paying only a few quid for some of these indie games.

 

[cytoSiN]

Wow, this is really helpful. I have DAO, and it's interesting but maybe a bit too "tactical" for me. Maybe I should try TES. Is Oblivion a good "demo" for what skyrim has on offer?

Morrowind is better than Oblivion imo (better story and better combat given Oblivion's issues with scaling), and even though the graphics aren't as good (Oblivion looks amazing compared almost every other RPG out there, Skyrim notwithstanding), there are lots of comprehensive texture packs that I believe work fine with steam. There should be links to the graphical mods for Morrowind in the PC Gaming forum somewhere, but I can dig up a few when I get home if you can't find them.

In terms of gameplay, yes, Oblivion is a decent template for Skyrim, with a few big exceptions:
First, Oblivion had scaling issues (lvl 30 rats, for example) that were probably addressed in a content patch, but I finished it long before that and never went back, so this may or may not affect you.
Second, Skyrim has dragons! The dragon encounters (random and scripted) really changed the gameplay for me in a fantastic way, so keep that in mind.
Third, Skyrim took a more streamlined approach to RPG mechanics. For example, you can still craft gear, but there's no spell creation like there was in the previous TES titles, and that was something I missed in Skyrim. They also removed the standard RPG attributes in favor of skill trees that any character can use. In other words, there are NO CLASSES. So if you level up as an archer, but later want to use a mace/shield, you can practice that style and eventually get very good at that too. It's a different approach that turned some people off from the outset, but it's got its own virtue in my opinion.

All of that said, Morrowind (well, Arena really but let's not get carried away going back to the mid 90s) is still my favorite TES game, so I'd start there if you've never played one before, and if you like Bethesda's sandboxes, try Oblivion and/or Skyrim with the understanding that they like to make somewhat major mechanical changes from game to game.

 

[Kyle]

It's $10 right now. I got it cheaper, and if you're patient with Steam and Amazon you probably can too, but this game is AWESOME and it's one of the few games that, imho, would be worth it at $50 or $60 retail. I still smile every time I think about jumping off a cliff a mile over a river, turning into a dragon, soaring to the riverbed, turning back into human form, landing behind a pack of monsters, and incinerating them all with a massive fireball. BUY THIS GAME NOW IF YOU'VE BEEN ON THE FENCE.

Just picked it up- really don't know anything about it but have seen enough praise in this thread to give it a shot...w/ this, risen and Two Worlds II, I've got too many RPG's to play...now to decide which to start first...

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

booyah! arma 2 baby

 

[lupi]

only 40% though

 

[JujuFish]

Disappointing to see Arma II so expensive.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

only 40% though

True but it's the best deal going on currently.

 

[Kyle]

Wonder if Fable III is work $12...I did enjoy the second but have heard pretty negative things about the third...

 

[JujuFish]

True but it's the best deal going on currently.

It's also almost twice as expensive as Amazon had it just a few months ago.

 

[gothamhunter]

They're being nice with 40%; it'd get sold to everyone who wanted it at 20% off at the end of the sale because of DayZ

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

Yeah but I think the cheapest it's been on Steam has been 50% off. Amazon definitely had it for $12.50 at some point but we're talking about Steam.

If you got a free copy of arma 2 from GMG a few months back you can just pick up Operation Arrowhead for $12 and it'll work for dayz. I still think you're better off picking up the combo from Steam and then you can always add on OA to your GMG arma 2 later on if your friend wants to play.

 

[maevinj]

So should I jump at ArmaII @ 40% or wait to see if it will go cheaper?