SC: DA PC Anyone

[MONOLITH]

I dunno guys... maybe you're becoming too picky in your old age?

I feel better now. I got further along in Vegas today.   :yup:

[Ronin]

I dunno guys... maybe you're becoming too picky in your old age?

Entirely possible...

[BajaBravo]

I had a glitch on the 360 where on the last level when I popped on my goggles and turned on the NVG's, I didn't get any green effect. It was like someone popped on a light or something. It happened even after coming in on different places/days. It wasn't game-breaking, but it was annoying.

That might not be a glitch...

Gamespot SCDA Strategy Guide

Night Vision - Enhanced
The final upgrade unlock is enhanced night vision, which is basically your standard night vision - but with colors! That’s right, instead of a fuzzy green view, you get a fuzzy full-color view. This is more or less an aesthetic difference; you can see people moving around just fine when the nightvision is green. Enhanced night vision, then, is basically a large gamma correction to make the dark spots much brighter than they were previously. Unfortunately, this can sometimes make it difficult to tell whether or not a semi-lit spot on the ground will be green or yellow on your light meter, making it generally more necessary to flip back from NVG to regular vision before moving in a sensitive area. On the plus side, you'll be able to see the light meter on Sam's back more easily.

[BajaBravo]

I finished Vegas and GRAW and when on a Fight Night Round 3 binge that left my thumbs numb. Now I'm ready to tackle SCDA again. :sc:

Last time I basically summed up on the first JBA HQ mission. I flanged around for ages and still couldn't figure out what I was suppose to do. I guess there is some advantages to linear missions after all. :tongue:

I hit the strategy guides for help and managed to baby step my way through it yesterday finally. I want to avoid doing that too much because it does spoil things of course.

I started into Mission Four (Oil Tanker), which is the mission featured in the PC demo. I was really taken back at how much better it looks on the 360 than on my poor PC. I also found out that it helps to have the vibration turned on the controller. :tongue:

[MONOLITH]

You're in the same pattern as me. I want to get GRAW and VEGAS out of the way before going back to SC: DA.

I'm way behind you though, and now GRAW 2 is just around the corner. :hmm:

[Aramis]

That's how my nightvision looked and I just assumed it was a glitch. I rarely use most of the gadgets so I didn't even pay attention to what I'd unlock.

I don't use the grenades, the shotgun attachment, any of that stuff. I used the sticky shocker once or twice on civvies that I couldn't get past any other way. I don't know... I just enjoy the game more using just his knife and his natural skills.

I'm kind of jonesing for this game again. Even though I jsut finished it I will probably play it through again. Maybe this time I'll use more of the other weapons.

[Ronin]

I found looking at the objectives list a fair way to try to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing.  Not how to get it done.  But at least I had an idea _what_ I was supposed to get done.  Although, for some things they really don't give you a clue where you might find the info you're supposed to get.

When those levels start, I go ahead and do the obvious stuff.  Then I save my game and wander around looking for what I'm supposed to be doing.  When I find one of those I reload my game and head to that task.  After that one's done, I save my game again.  So I can do them in any order and the time I expend just trying to figure what I'm supposed to do doesn't count against me.  If I come back to replay that level, I'll have a pretty good idea of how to go about it.

A couple of things, though, like getting information it's hard to know where to get it.  Is it in a computer?  Or in a filing cabinet?  Or is there some other place you're supposed to get it?  Those things bear some thought and usually I have to wander around until I find something I can interact with.

I had a problem at the JBA base at first because I didn't think I could knock anyone out there.  I'm still not sure if it's a bad idea.  It probably is.  I have knocked one guy out and nothing bad happened.  But that might have been because no one found the body.  They have to get found eventually, though, right?

There are some tricky places in the hotel in Shanghai, too.  They seem pretty hard to deal with.  But they are actually not too hard to deal with once you get the "lay of the land" so to speak.  The game also uses triggers that, once you figure them out, make beating that level with the most trust easier.

One thing I have a problem with is that they ding you for killing people but in some places you are clearly expected to kill someone or you just can't proceed.  Or, at least, it seems to be pretty difficult.

I had a heck of a time getting onto the tanker without killing anyone.  In one place there's two guys guarding two places with thin ice. I waited for both to clear on patch then I broke through it.  A few seconds later one of the guys just falls through the hole and dies anyway.

The blowing snow on the front of the tanker is probably one of the best weather effects I've ever seen in a computer game.  It's very well done.

One thing I also found out was that after you knock someone out, even if you drop their body into the water and they die, you don't get dinged for killing them.  And they are clearly dead.  Odd scoring system with that.

I'd really like SCDA if it weren't for the hand to eye coordination mini games.  The lock pick and hacking mini games aren't about H2E.  But the one where you build bombs is definitely one of those.  And the only one I've had trouble with (and apparently defusing mines is even harder).  In fact, I've had so much trouble with it, I stopped playing the game.  I can't seem to get past that.  So far, I've made about 45 attempts (three run-throughs) and still haven't made a single bomb.  It's a shame that they put elements into these games that you just can't bypass if you have trouble with them.  The bomb-making is a primary task (I think).

SCDA looks great on my PC.  I don't have a 360 to compare it to (and only an analog TV to run it on anyway).  I've tried to fire it up on the 2.8Ghz P4 I have with a GeForce 6600LE and 1GB of RAM.  It's pretty slow on that.  I haven't tried rolling back all the settings on it to try to speed it up.  I may try that, though.  I'll post how it runs on that if/when I try it.

[Ronin]

Update on SCDA system requirements.

I installed it on a system of mine configured as follows:

Intel D865PERL motherboard (socket 478)
Intel 2.8Ghz Pentium 4 - Northwood - 533Mhz bus
1GB Kingston PC3200 RAM (DDR400)  (2x512MB interlaced)
1 Maxtor DiamondMax 120GB HD (8GB cache - PATA)
PNY GeForce 6600LE with 256MB VRAM - AGP 8X


The game installed just fine then installed the version 1.02 update.

When I started the game I just used the default settings.  It defaulted to 1024x768x60 video mode.  I changed that to 1024x768x72 in game.

I started a new game, watched the intro.  Video was smooth and only had a few tiny stutters as it kept hitting the hard drive.  Gameplay started and I did not notice the transition (I just knew when I could start).  I played through the first level.  I didn't notice any choppy video, sound stutters or screen stutters.  Gameplay was smooth and I did not notice any frame-rate drops.  Even when turning quickly.  The controls were responsive and I did not have to hold commands for them to be recognized.

I don't know what the frame rate was but it was good enough that I would not mind playing through the entire game on that machine.  On a faster machine it would probably look better since I didn't have much of the eye candy turned on.  But the frame rate was good enough that it did not intrude into game play.

It stutters a little bit as it plays cut scenes.  But that's the only thing I noticed while playing.

Hope that helps anybody wanting to know if their PC can play it.

I have read reports on the SCDA forum about people having lots of crashing issues.  I have played this game about 40% through on one machine and the first mission on another.  I have had only a few crashes.  It only seems to do this when restoring from a saved game and once while loading the second part of a mission. I have had no crashes while actual game play was going on.

[Aramis]

Those mini games really aren't hard on a controller. They just mostly take time, which I think is the point. You might want to try it with a controller. If you don't have one I'd recommend the 360's wired controller for windows. It rocks and I have had one since before my 360.

They're spatial and trying to do that with a mouse/keyboard must be hard.

I think the same things about the JBA headquarters sections. I wander around and see the sights then go back and do a runthrough. They're kind of annoying and my least favorite, though they arne't hard after the first one or two where you now know where about everything is.

[Ronin]

Those mini games really aren't hard on a controller. They just mostly take time, which I think is the point. You might want to try it with a controller. If you don't have one I'd recommend the 360's wired controller for windows. It rocks and I have had one since before my 360.

They're spatial and trying to do that with a mouse/keyboard must be hard.

I think the same things about the JBA headquarters sections. I wander around and see the sights then go back and do a runthrough. They're kind of annoying and my least favorite, though they arne't hard after the first one or two where you now know where about everything is.

Well, it could come down to me just not understanding the mini-game...

On the mine building mini-game I didn't realize (I was only watching the side view) that you have to use the left/right AND the up/down keys to line up the thingy for the mine.  Once I realized that it wasn't that hard.  I got 10 in a row.

These mini games are NOT explained well enough.  You're left to flounder around on some of them with no clear understanding of what you're supposed to do.  And I hate not being able to use the mouse the way I normally can.  This game _should_ have been ported with some recognition to the fact that PC gamers use a mouse and a keyboard and not a game pad.

I do not like the weapon and gadget selection method.  It's designed for someone using thumbsticks.  Not a mouse and keyboard.  I much prefer the way it was in ALL the previous games. Being forced to endure a console interface is not making me happy.  Especially now that the game seems to crash about 10 times per level.  I wouldn't mind that so much if I didn't have to reboot my PC every time AND then wait for it take two minutes to load the level again.

Don't buy this game, Mono.  Not for the PC, anyway.  It might work alright on the 360.  But it's crap on the PC.

[MaddGIJoe]

I'm renting this game on GameFly... I gotta say this game is pretty kickass.  I'm sorry for all of you PC guys out there (thank god my parents only have a shitty Dell and I don't have the cash to make a comp :-P)

[MONOLITH]

Don't buy this game, Mono.  Not for the PC, anyway.  It might work alright on the 360.  But it's crap on the PC.

Already have it for the 360. Already started it back when I first got it. but got distracted and pulled off to do something else. I'll go back to it after Vegas and GRAW are done.

and M2:TW.
and DOW: Dark Crusade.
and X3:Reunion.


Ugh. Gaming hell.

[MaddGIJoe]

I just beat Splinter cell (on Normal since I'm not a SC vet)  Fun game.

[Fixxxer]

I'll go back to it after...are done.

and X3:Reunion.

Then never, cause X3 never finishes.

Gotta love an ever-evolving universe.

[MONOLITH]

True. I guess in this case, 'done' means when I get temporarily bored and need something different.   :yup:

Actually right now, I'm totally hooked on Dark Crusade. DOW rocks.

I think one of the best RTS skirmishers ever.

And for DC, they redid the whole campaign thing. Instead of the usual scripted and corny storyline with canned missions, the SP campaign is more like a board game 'RISK' style, where you choose your race, then attack various provinces of your choce until you conquer the entire planet. Each province plays out in skirmish mode, against one of the other 7 races trying to do the same thing. The more provinces you control, the more resources you get, etc.

It's very similar to that sub-game that came with the BFME 2. Think M2:TW, where you have a world map and attack various provinces on your way to world conquest.

I like this style. Much more free style gameplay. A bit more tactical overall, and no heavily scripted missions, stories, or cutscenes.

Good stuff.  

[Fixxxer]

I know you're not a huge fan of MP, but you should hit some DoW MP skirmishes up with Demon and I. We usually go up against NPC teams cause, well, I suck. I'm too slow in building units/defenses so I'm easy to annihilate.

[MONOLITH]

I know you're not a huge fan of MP, but you should hit some DoW MP skirmishes up with Demon and I. We usually go up against NPC teams cause, well, I suck. I'm too slow in building units/defenses so I'm easy to annihilate.

Actually, now that I've completely mastered using the Necron, I just may take you up on that.

[Da Fish]

Necrons?

Tau Kroot FTW!!

Also I like the way you can add stuff to your General, increasing his toughness and general all out badassness.

Although I'm not too certain about the whole ability too attack while units are "invisible". still a fun game though.

[MONOLITH]

Necrons?

If you play as the Necrons for a bit and really get to know it, it's almost unbeatable in the long run. Only a full on base rush can beat them early on.

Try this out...

As soon as the game starts, take your hero and run him across the map and locate the enemy base. Let your hero attack the base until he dies there. Every time the hero respawns, it's where he last died; this means you can pop him into the enemy base at will and instantaneously.

Also, the "Flayed" units, the ones that look like the crab head zombies from
Half Life2, they seem very overpowered, they kill anything, and on overwatch, they are unstoppable. You make them inside your HQ (the Necron Monolith, heh heh) and they stay garrisoned inside the HQ until you call them. Now, you can have them spawn directly to anywhere on the map from the HQ.

This means, an entire army of flayed ones can suddenly spawn inside the enemy base at almost anytime. (Your hero clears the fog of war to allow this).

So, even when the enemy sends a wave of units attacking my base, I simply respawn the hero, and pop up an army of flayed ones with him inside the enemy base, and by the time the AI tries to walk all it's troops back home to defend itself, I've decimated half the base. Do this a few times, and game over.

Also, the hero can have the ability to re-animate dead necrons. So this means that while inside the enemy base (or anywhere), while you have the hero plus an army of flayed ones up to the unit limit, you hit the reanimate ability, and 20 or 30 previously dead necrons pop back up, and you suddenly doubled your unit limit.

And the Necron HQ becomes a walking weapon itself at the top of the tech tree (I suppose the equivelant of the IG Baneblade).

[Da Fish]

You, sir, are a genious!

Possibly, slightly, bending the rules of the competitive game play but war isnt fair is it...