[Video | Wreck-It Ducks virus]

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

[Jak's looking kind of exhausted as he leans against a car out in Kliever's garage.]

Anyone else get frustrated when a player just goes and does minigames for ages? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm as grateful to get played as anybody, but I've been running all over the place because somebody's been doing orb hunts, and I didn't even get anything accomplished.

Not to mention that one we tried three times, but he hasn't unlocked the wings yet so he can't actually reach it. Too far to even get a long jump going...

I don't even mind the ones who just hang around and explore, but he was really focused on orb hunts. And just orb hunts.

Comments

[shiningwaters]

I've had completionists before who just want to unlock the trailer at the end. I've got one right now who keeps sending me to pick up treasures. I haven't gotten to the final battle yet--they're level-grinding. Do they know that with my game, you can play a higher level and get the trailer without having to do all this? Or the trailer is probably up online.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

I don't even have a secret ending. That's back in the first one. They're just doing it for the heck of it.

Like I said, I wouldn't mind if it wasn't all they were doing.

[shiningwaters]

That's a lot worse, then. There's not a reward for those orbs, is there? Or maybe your player thinks there is?

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

They unlock cheat modes, mostly. Some of them are more helpful than others.

[shiningwaters]

I don't understand why people use cheat codes. Sure, it helps, but still. It's like the reaction command system they used in the game before me. I'm glad it was phased out--it almost made things too easy sometimes?

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Some of them are just additional things or cosmetic stuff. Big Head Mode is in there, and a bunch of extra cars.

There's only a few really serious breakers in there. Like the one that lets me turn invisible anywhere.

[shiningwaters]

That's definitely something that can break the game.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Yeah, but things like that take a lot of orbs. And that and the minigames are really all there is to feed all the completionist types.

[shiningwaters]

Well, with any luck, he'll change his mind and do something else. Or lend the game to someone.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Mm. I hope so. Or at least he'll get a strategy guide or something.

Which would basically just lead to him changing his mind and doing something else, anyway, I guess.

[shiningwaters]

That's kind of the point, right?

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Well, yeah. Though I've heard it takes the fun out of it for some of them.

Still easier on my legs, though.

[shiningwaters]

I can sympathize. My player blocks too often and doesn't dodge. A barrier doesn't stay up forever.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Wow, seriously? Not at all? Yeah, that could get to be a problem.

[shiningwaters]

I'd like not to get shot at sometimes.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Yeah. I spend a lot of time wishing I wasn't getting shot at. Especially since you can probably block longer than I can; using a shield runs me out of Eco pretty fast.

[shiningwaters]

That is a lot worse.

[lightning_strike]

One of those today huh? We've had a run of ridiculous players today who didn't even get past the first level.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Oh, ouch. Sorry to hear that. I remember one day nobody got past the arena fight. Everybody gave up when they kept dropping me in the lava.

And I'll point out that lava hurts.

[lightning_strike]

The game is on rails and they keep dying to the first boss. Maybe they programmed it too hard even for a jet neuroi.

Ergh. I'm so glad we don't have to deal with lava.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Huh. Have you tried talking to him about it? I mean, yeah, no one can help the way they're programmed, but usually the first boss is supposed to be easy mode anyway?

[lightning_strike]

The thing is, that the players keep hitting me. They're supposed to be flying in tandem with me, but since this is supposed to be "realistic" they keep shooting me down! And then the boss defeats us.

Fortunately damage only registers on my strikers but I've impacted the ocean many times today.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Oh, wow. That's, uh, pretty special there.

[lightning_strike]

They were playing on the randomized difficulty mode, which turns on friendly fire. Urgh. Hate that mode.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

That's a pain. It's like when somebody forgets that all the civilians in Spargus City are armed and starts shooting at them for the hell of it. Who do they think gets the fun of them shooting back?

[lightning_strike]

Exactly. I don't mind the randomized, but we got a lot of terrible players this day.

Hopefully everyone will deal with it, I think some of us are nursing bruises.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Well, I'd offer to help, but there's not really a whole lot I can do.

[lightning_strike]

That's fine. I'm sure Miyafuji is making the rounds by now.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Yeah, but still. If I thought I could get them past customs I'd bring a few Health Packs over.

[lightning_strike]

Are you stopped by the Surge Protector all the time?

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

No, but I'm lousy at looking innocent.

[lightning_strike]

Ah. Yes, I see where that makes it difficult to do.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Yeah. I walk through looking guilty, I'm going to get stopped. I mean, if you guys are having really serious trouble, I'll risk it, but...

[lightning_strike]

Well we're not really having trouble that cannot be healed and all, it's just that we had a string of bad random difficulty rolls and luck with the FPS.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Well, let me know if you need the help.

[Even if he knows it's a bad idea, he can't bring himself to cut the offer off entirely.]

[lightning_strike]

I know. I'll ask when we really need the extra heal packs in our area. [She's appreciative, just a little stubborn.]

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

All right. Just let me know.

[lightning_strike]

Okay. I will.

[fightbymoonlight]

There was a player a while back that wasn't interested in the main game at all, just the bonus stages. Which wouldn't even be so bad, but he kept taking me to the same one.

I had to do the same dance at least a dozen times that day.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Oh, wow. Seriously?

[fightbymoonlight]

It happens sometimes when a new song is released. But this particular one was really popular, for whatever reason. I don't think I'll ever understand it.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Geez. If they like it so much they should just buy the soundtrack and play the actual game.

[fightbymoonlight]

Yes, but that would make sense, which I'm starting to think is way too much to ask of some players.

Sometimes I wish they never added those bonus stages and just left the game as a pure fighting game. All the dancing is just embarrassing.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

Eh, I'm used to the minigames. They're part of the draw, at least for my game. It's just annoying when they keep going for and failing the same challenge over and over.

Especially when they seriously haven't unlocked the solution yet. They're so close, too - they're stalling on rescuing Seem to orb-hunt, and that's when I get Light Flight.

[fightbymoonlight]

I'm not sure whether to admire their persistence or be annoyed at their stubbornness. Possibly both.

It must be very frustrating if they're that close, though. But I'm sure they'll figure it out... eventually.

[precursorstone_gun_nest]

"Both" sounds about right.

I sure hope so. I'm learning more about that market square in Spargus City than I ever wanted to.