The Amazing Race Game Thread

[Nazgul]

4 hours ago, SwAg said:

No, I don't play Fortnite because I'm not a trashcan at video games.

 

4 hours ago, SwAg said:

Call of Duty probably has the best battle royal, though.

I beg to differ on Fortnite. That game has such a large skill gap that to win games you absolutely cannot be a trashcan.
I'm decent, and have over 400 wins, but there are many times where people just absolutely toast me with how fast they do everything.

I've played CoD BR and it's okay. Like most BRs, I feel as if only a small handful of weapons are viable - but I have no complaints.
I also quite enjoy the general speed of Apex Legends, which I have been playing a lot with my friends / brothers. I think all of the BR's out there are enjoyable.

[Nazgul]

17 minutes ago, Pickle Rick said:

You knocked me out now want my help.......

This challenge would have gotten us back in the game if not leading so I guess it was good for everyone but still.....

Thank God you and @The Orca are out of the game. We ALL dodged a bullet. Wowie!

[SwAg]

24 minutes ago, Pickle Rick said:

You knocked me out now want my help.......

This challenge would have gotten us back in the game if not leading so I guess it was good for everyone but still.....

To be fair, I didn't do anything, I wanted to randomly kill Malfatron, but i was not online.

[SwAg]

Just now, Nazgul said:

 

I beg to differ on Fortnite. That game has such a large skill gap that to win games you absolutely cannot be a trashcan.
I'm decent, and have over 400 wins, but there are many times where people just absolutely toast me with how fast they do everything.

I've played CoD BR and it's okay. Like most BRs, I feel as if only a small handful of weapons are viable - but I have no complaints.
I also quite enjoy the general speed of Apex Legends, which I have been playing a lot with my friends / brothers. I think all of the BR's out there are enjoyable.

Well, you can grovel all you wish, but it is an average game that is immensely enjoyable in limited quantities, which is my view of basically all of the battle royal games. 

I recognize that is different than my initial sentiment, but that was a half-joke.  Battle royals are basically a conscious sensory overload that epitomizes the "it is better to be lucky than skilled" mantra, as the only consequence for failure is a queue timer.  The skill-gap is virtually identical to every other shooter on console because of the mechanical limitations of the game on console.  On PC, yeah, the skill gap is well beyond the typical skill gap due to the heightened capabilities on PC, particularly in relation to structure building----which is inherently overwhelming due to the game's premium on high ground.

I'm not alone in this sentiment.  There is a reason why most eSports competitors and major streamers harbor disdain for it, which is likely the porous damage mechanics that would have been passable in 2007.  At least Apex foregoes the typical battle royal setup, which saves it from the same criticism.

The only reasons I praised the Blackout Game Mode is it is the one battle royal (sans H1Z1 and CS:GO) in which you have consistent damage distribution, bullet recognition, and more polished / "realistic" shooting mechanics generally, while maintaining the whimsical aspect of a battle royal.

BUT, to each their own.  I don't consciously try to rain on the parade of those who enjoy those games.  But, I cannot resist my gaming elitist tendencies when someone broaches the topic with me.

Yeah, I'm a huge nerd.  Don't roll your eyes, as if you didn't know I was one based upon Mafia, you nasty fish people.

[SwAg]

Somewhat relatedly, the new Sea of Thieves Battle Royal mode will probably be the worst designed battle royal, but it also has the potential to be the most fun.  Not really due to it actually being fun, but more in the way that stupid humor is still funny.

[Nazgul]

11 minutes ago, SwAg said:

Well, you can grovel all you wish, but it is an average game that is immensely enjoyable in limited quantities, which is my view of basically all of the battle royal games. 

I recognize that is different than my initial sentiment, but that was a half-joke.  Battle royals are basically a conscious sensory overload that epitomizes the "it is better to be lucky than skilled" mantra, as the only consequence for failure is a queue timer.  The skill-gap is virtually identical to every other shooter on console because of the mechanical limitations of the game on console.  On PC, yeah, the skill gap is well beyond the typical skill gap due to the heightened capabilities on PC, particularly in relation to structure building----which is inherently overwhelming due to the game's premium on high ground.

I'm not alone in this sentiment.  There is a reason why most eSports competitors and major streamers harbor disdain for it, which is likely the porous damage mechanics that would have been passable in 2007.  At least Apex foregoes the typical battle royal setup, which saves it from the same criticism.

The only reasons I praised the Blackout Game Mode is it is the one battle royal (sans H1Z1 and CS:GO) in which you have consistent damage distribution, bullet recognition, and more polished / "realistic" shooting mechanics generally, while maintaining the whimsical aspect of a battle royal.

BUT, to each their own.  I don't consciously try to rain on the parade of those who enjoy those games.  But, I cannot resist my gaming elitist tendencies when someone broaches the topic with me.

Yeah, I'm a huge nerd.  Don't roll your eyes, as if you didn't know I was one based upon Mafia, you nasty fish people.

Being "immensely enjoyable in limited quantities" can be attached to any game though.
As a primary console player - I do tend to disagree with you on the skill-gap being identical to other shooters. Obviously the gap will be smaller on console than on PC, but it exists, and it is certainly higher than your average CoD for example - where is mostly head-glitching and run'n'gun / stationary sniping. Structure building in Fortnite, even on console, separates everyone. I am probably an above average builder - but often find myself buried under the Taj Mahal in seconds. And yes - high ground is definitely paramount, but I'd argue that's the case (since you're comparing this to other shooters) for any shooter as well. 

Now, I am not a Fortnite "fanboy," and while I do enjoy the game - I know it has its faults. They struggle with balance / keeping it competitive for lower-skilled players. It can be an enjoyment hindrance with Billy Bob using all of the noob-friendly items they've added to the game over the past few months. They've lowered the material cap, etc. I understand that they need to keep it competitive for those Billy Bob's though, or they'll stop playing.

I do actually agree with you on the gun-play of Blackout. It definitely feels the best. It seems like I miss too many shots on Fortnite when I am directly on someone (bloom), and Apex Legends can frustrate me with it's seemingly forever time-to-kill. As a whole though - I do enjoy BR games for what they are. Even if I can be a bit over-competitive at times with them (I swear it's lag and not me!). That's all for me hijacking the thread with this topic.

[SwAg]

I don't disagree with those criticisms.  But, I think my issue with that explanation (and my own explanation) is that Fortnite is a shooter, and the skillcap is largely unrelated to shooting.  Plus, by the time I was done with Fortnite, I basically had the master build designs bound to four mouse buttons, so I literally only had to spin my mouse and press the same button sequence in the high ground battle.  Essentially autopilot, where if I have to audible, I just restart the cycle immediately after.

On the high-ground point, I agree to an extent.  Just in my view the distinction is that it is important in other games, but in Fortnite, it is nearly insurmountable.  Whereas in other shooters, it can be compensated in other ways.

I'm a purist.  If I play a shooter competitively, I want the shooting to be premium.

I'll keep hijacking.

[Woz]

13 hours ago, Malfatron said:

in retrospect, naz and i should have bombarded woz/gopher so they got lower than first

Yeah, I was a bit confused why you left us alone.

[Nazgul]

9 minutes ago, Woz said:

Yeah, I was a bit confused why you left us alone.

Becsuse we had an agreement. Also because the sucky teams kept attacking each other. 

There was no point to not take advantage of that and keep our advantage up top.

[Woz]

16 minutes ago, SwAg said:

I don't disagree with those criticisms.  But, I think my issue with that explanation (and my own explanation) is that Fortnite is a shooter, and the skillcap is largely unrelated to shooting.  Plus, by the time I was done with Fortnite, I basically had the master build designs bound to four mouse buttons, so I literally only had to spin my mouse and press the same button sequence in the high ground battle.  Essentially autopilot, where if I have to audible, I just restart the cycle immediately after.

On the high-ground point, I agree to an extent.  Just in my view the distinction is that it is important in other games, but in Fortnite, it is nearly insurmountable.  Whereas in other shooters, it can be compensated in other ways.

I'm a purist.  If I play a shooter competitively, I want the shooting to be premium.

I'll keep hijacking.

So, I'll come at this from the perspective not so much a player but as my son's intelligence officer/strategist.

First off, my son chooses to play Fortnite on his tablet. I've tried to convince him that switching to the X-Box would make more sense (for build battles), but he likes the tablet. To his credit, he's actually pretty solid at building quickly even without the bindings.

What makes Fortnite interesting to me is the regularly evolving storyline and the effects that has on the map. At the end of season 7 (February), earthquakes started rattling the island and cracks formed in the NE quadrant, leading to the creation of a volcano and jungle biome. They had dimension warps back in season 4, which "brought" part of California into the game creating a desert biome (and for a nice touch, scattered a bunch of props from the game in a California desert). The game evolves the story and the story evolves the game. The LTM modes can be goofy ("Green for St. Paddy's Day"? (all uncommon ("green") weapons) really?) or fun (I <3 Disco Domination ... don't @ me).

If you're looking for a realistic shooter with accurate representations of weapons, then Fortnite isn't for you. It's cartoony and comical. But that's part of where it's enjoyment comes from.

I wonder if high ground isn't so much the issue as knowing how to control the vertical aspect of the game. If you've built up vertically, that's great, but I (or more accurately, my son) can use explosives or regular weapons to tear down your tower and watch you tumble to the ground. Yes, high ground is important, but it also becomes a crutch for some players (watch them tower, then gopher their heads looking for a snipe ... oops, now they're trapped by the storm). Building and controlling the resulting build (especially with multiple players) is more where the game is at.

Again, not your cup of tea? That's fine.

[Woz]

10 minutes ago, Nazgul said:

Becsuse we had an agreement. Also because the sucky teams kept attacking each other. 

There was no point to not take advantage of that and keep our advantage up top.

To be fair, I only took the shot at you because I saw an opportunity (I think I was originally going to hit Whicker). Had you not been regularly knocked hard in that round or two, I would have left you alone.

What stunned me was then you guys didn't retaliate like I expected.

[Nazgul]

1 minute ago, Woz said:

To be fair, I only took the shot at you because I saw an opportunity (I think I was originally going to hit Whicker). Had you not been regularly knocked hard in that round or two, I would have left you alone.

What stunned me was then you guys didn't retaliate like I expected.

I didn't have a chance.

By the time I first got hit and was able to hit anyone back I was down to like 3 health.

[Malfatron]

26 minutes ago, Woz said:

Yeah, I was a bit confused why you left us alone.

#collusion

[bcb1213]

This is a team competition.  One submission per team.  If you have already handed in an entry please get with your partner and resubmit or just tell me no change 

[Woz]

39 minutes ago, Nazgul said:

I didn't have a chance.

By the time I first got hit and was able to hit anyone back I was down to like 3 health.

And yet, you and malf then went after Rags. I was fine with it for understandable reasons.