StackOverflow / CodingHorror dude finally joins 2 million gamers...

[Darren Dirt]

...enjoying the large-field randomized death-at-any-moment terror that is PUBG

https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-existential-terror-of-battle-royale/

And the way he describes it, the emotional experience he had when first playing, actually kinda sounds appealing even to me, The Laziest Gamer Ever.

Also, he mentions a free game that is kinda-sorta close, perhaps that's something to check out first before investing in The Real Deal. ("Fortnite's Battle Royale mode")

But I really like Jeff Atwood's description of why this game is so appealing to himself and so many others, hence this post.

[Darren Dirt]

On the Atwood blog, one of the comments pointed out that in November 2017 the always entertaining "Extra Credits" youtube channel discussed similar aspects of PUBG -- identifying it as basically a "thriller movie in game form" (as opposed to "horror")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz9CqEgaIlo

[Mr. Analog]

PUBG is fun for a lot of reasons but it is absolutely rife with cheaters right now and you will get sniped through solid rock

One of my first experiences with the game was landing in a small town (only 2 or 3 houses really) with at least two other guys. I managed to land on the roof of a building and get inside it, there I manage to pick up a few odds and ends and got myself a shotgun. Now I knew that there were two other people hanging around so I crept around inside this house closing all the doors and I hid in the bathroom the the shotgun fully loaded pointing at the door, sure enough a little time goes by and I hear somebody enter the house. They start searching through every room, finally getting to my door and WHAM! I let them have it with both barrels. It blew half the door away across the hall and took them out.

So I looted them, some low level armor, an SMG, a rifle, more healing stuff... nice

Now I know the other guy was still around the town because I hadn't heard anything so I knew he'd be looking for an opportunity. Maybe we both killed each other maybe one of us was wounded either way he came exploring. This time I closed the bathroom door I was hiding in and went across the hall to the other room with the half blown-off door and closed it behind me. Again, heard boots clomping around and then go silent as somebody was sneaking around this time. I wasn't standing in the door but I was against the wall room with my gun aimed around head height. I heard him get close to where the body was. Now this guy figured I was an idiot and stayed in the bathroom so he opened the door and started unloading.

I turned the corner and took his head off from behind with a shotgun. This time even better loot.

I was all geared up and it was just in time as the circle was closing in. I started moving back into the zone narrowly avoiding a bombing run (thanks shack, thack) there were around 20 players left, this is where the game switches focus somewhat. Now you either move or hunker down depending on where you are and where the circle of death is focusing in on. I moved from tree to tree, cover to cover. I got close to a small town, heard a vehicle ripping up the road. I went prone in a bush, the car guy didn't see me but I heard plenty of rifle fire from the town. I decided to make a wide circle around the town to flank them while they were busy with the car. Then I had to decide; do I try and go in and pick them off or should I go find a place to hide until endgame. By this point in the game things had been pretty slow, so I figured nothing ventured nothing gained - and of course I already had two kills... why not? Well my decision was made for me as somebody else must have had the same thought and came up behind me and SMG'd my butt - I survived and then we were stuck between some minor cover (a clump of rocks or something) I had to get bandaged soon but I also had to deal with this threat. Anyway this dummy's gunfire caught the attention of one of the defenders in the town and that game ended with a bullet to the head from long range.

The game itself consists of 3 phases:
1. Free-for-all loot grab
2. Travel to safe zone OR if you are in a safe zone fortifying a position
3. End game

The end game is pretty ridiculous, you'll have less than half a dozen pushed into a very small spot, it's like a powder keg, one person gets seen and the guns start blazing - then it becomes a kind of free-for-all. Everybody by now should have decent armor and a decent amount of equipment - so everything starts flying around including grenades. It's crazy.

The game is a tense one and can be fun but it can also be brutal, punishing and relentlessly boring. A lot of people stream this game and feel compelled to not hide in a bush for 90% of the game so try and stay on the move, this makes you a target. Non-streamers can hunker down in a good position for pretty much the entire game, their strat is to pick off people moving around the map. They'll often set up traps like trying to make a house look "untouched" to lure a player in. When the game goes well (like in my story) you have TONS of fun.

Overall it's a fun experience, it's even better in groups.

Now Fortnite is very similar on the surface but it includes two mechanics that completely change the tone of the game; crafting structures and extreme terrain.

There is movement tech and building strats you need to figure out quick to stay alive in this game. There's not much waiting around or sneaking in this game. You want to stay mobile and you want to be able to build defenses. Building defenses works against you because it also marks your position really obviously.

To get a better idea watch Vinny's video on it, he's played a lot of PUBG and offers some better insight than I can give:
https://youtu.be/Hd0CAwdRXPg

[Darren Dirt]

Fantastic writing buddy, thanks for that engaging story.

Fortnite wouldn't have the cheaters though right? And btw have u tried its "Battle Royale mode" -- maybe it's less crafting focus and more like  a pure clone of PUBG but more cartoon gfx. ?

Hmmm

[Mr. Analog]

Fantastic writing buddy, thanks for that engaging story.

Fortnite wouldn't have the cheaters though right? And btw have u tried its "Battle Royale mode" -- maybe it's less crafting focus and more like  a pure clone of PUBG but more cartoon gfx. ?

Hmmm

Please watch vid, Vin shows everything you need to know about Battle Royale mode

[Darren Dirt]

!!! That was actually time well spent, I cannot believe I watched the entire 115 minutes. He was so clueless at first. He got better over time.

In the end man he still sucks at building (esp. compared to his executioner when they were down to 4). But that sure can change strategy - fun stuff!!!

[Mr. Analog]

!!! That was actually time well spent, I cannot believe I watched the entire 115 minutes. He was so clueless at first. He got better over time.

In the end man he still sucks at building (esp. compared to his executioner when they were down to 4). But that sure can change strategy - fun stuff!!!

Vinny's a good streamer, he's logged a fair chunk of time in PUBG (though not as much as many other streamers) I felt like I got a good taste of the game. From my reckoning I feel the gameplay phases are still part of the game but there's less hiding and more using terrain to gain advantage. It certainly plays faster (in a good way) but the tension doesn't feel the same. Also I would hate to get screwed over by the extreme terrain (massive cliffs, large bodies of water) in the end