I opened the map editor and had a playable map with decent terrain ("savannah"), a half-dozen enemies, an alarm and a building up and running in about 15-minutes. It actually looks way better than the 3 or 4 arcade maps I've played so far, which are inexplicably crude-looking considering how easy it is to get a plausibly 'official' -looking quality FC5 map outta da box (obviously it's way more complicated than that, but still).
“Since they are mostly dirty and red neck outfits, I don't really care much about the clothes. ”
I plunged into the mountains west of Clegget Bay and south of the radar station, and was amply rewarded with loads of great new unexplored vistas, critters to kill (my go-fund-ammo is pushing $160K), and bitchin' combat scenarios. Frequently in the middle of massive pile-ups of MG-mounted pickups, choppers, "judges" (mangy wolves on drugs), apex predators, RPG dudes, snipers, long-hairs in leather trench-coats, and baldies with baseball bats. Good job I brought along two GFH: the bow bitch Jess Black and a sniper gal. Dunno how many choppers I've downed with incendiary shotgun shells, sometimes I forget to switch 'em out and set myself and compadres on fire.
“Man Stole Daughter’s Girl Scouts Cookie Money To Pay For Erotic Massage”
Saw some pretty cool z-axis + physics glitches: on a mountain side I came across a cultist and his hostage on a rock face about 30 feet off the ground. When I shot the cultist he flew straight up in the air outta sight and didn't fall to ground for several seconds. The hostage slid down the rock face a few feet, not far enough for me to undo her ties. On another session, I was crossing a bridge with NPC Jess Black a few yards behind, when she suddenly shot straight up about 100 feet into the air, maybe to dodge a speeding vehicle, I was too startled to notice. She popped a parachute and floated back down.
“you know things are bad when we’re using a show about chernobyl as escapism”
Not as spectacular, but I've been noticing recently that motorbike dismounting is by astral projection and that npcs shot in boats almost always fall through the hull.
"We all have flaws, and mine is being wicked." James Thurber, The Thirteen Clocks 1951
I'll look for those. Haven't seen any motorbikes around. Do you mean those 4-wheeler ATVs? I like shotgun-blasting cultists off 'em. Oh yeah, tonight saw a ground-sky cylindrical grove of tree trunks (?) from a certain direction.
“you know things are bad when we’re using a show about chernobyl as escapism”
Ah, ND. I'll ready for it in a few months or whenever it goes back on sale. Still playing FC3 + Ziggy's Mod from time to time, mainly for the change of environment. FC4 I unfortunately started over and now I'm reluctant to put myself through the slow grind of building decent skills + weaps, even though I've got the souped-up bow mod on it. But I guess I'll be back at it some point.
“Heavy Metal Singer Kicks Phone Out of Fan’s Hands During Show”
I got FC5 a few weeks ago and have put a few hours of time in. It's typical Far Cry, which is no bad thing, but not earth shattering either. Just been re-reading this thread and trying to avoid the spoilers.
I've cleared the first third of the map (John's area) and though it's enjoyable, the missions and scenery are all a bit samey. I'm hoping for a bit of a mix up with Jacob and Faith's areas.
I think some of the graphical glitches you both mentioned must have been patched, not seen a single aberration, unless you count the Judge Moose, which randomly teleports. :-D
So far I'm liking it as not played any FC for around a year, the mechanics feel familiar but fresh, it does look very pretty but at the moment I'd say FC4 was the crowning glory. It had the right balance of seriousness vs all out what-the-fuckery, way more interesting NPCs and a better storyline.
There's a lot to dislike about the FC5 missions and story, although they are considerably more tolerable when you complete and go back with your full loadout accessible (ca$h, guns, ammo, everything except some skill points pertaining to GFH), you just have to get to a store or peddlar, and then you're off to the races.
But I like it best in post-missions mode, where if you are careful not to kill the last dude, you will have access to 2 fiefdoms fully populated with peggies, their trucks and helicopters (all but in Faith's region on account of you are forced to kill her, and it's bye bye Peggies there) and there's also the arcade which has some amazing user-made maps that can be way tougher than any of the missions (search on AKAFootloose).
I did really enjoy FC4 for it's exoticness, and I mean to continue playing it, but didn't find the NPCs notably more interesting, but kind of stupid and irritating. I've got mine with an 'arrows and bolts' mod on it (basically one-shot kills), making those weapons way more fun.
My preference may be down to familiarity with USian mores and scenery (which I think FC5 totally nails, having spent no time in Montana) and, well, I have an axe to grind, unfortunately there are no axes in FC5, so I have to make do with the panoply of firearms on offer in every corner of that benighted land ... The bows and arrows are awesome too. Pretty sure there's no such animal as an incendiary shotgun shell, but fuck me if they don't take down a chopper with the pilot screaming.
Are you planning to do New Dawn?
“I’m afraid I have some bad news: The Alien trilogy as an analysis of the process of grief.”
I normally favour a stealthy approach in games like this but have found it really easy not to mention fun to rock up to an outpost with an armoured jeep, start firing rockets to get the Peggies attention, then let rip with the roof mounted machine gun. It's only failed to work the once when an RPG heavy took me out before I spotted him. Yes, it lacks finesse, but it gets the job done.
I'm not planning on New Dawn at the moment, got far too many other things to be working through in my unplayed Steam list. :|