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For me, I don't want to give them something for nothing. What will I gain by connecting my Windows to an account. They need to actually offer something worthwhile for doing that.

For gaming, I don't really care unless it's an offline game, because then I'm questioning why I have to log on. For what made me this way, I give you the NBA 2k series, in which each new edition was more and more online until now, where it's basically a requirement (if not one in fact at this point) even if you never touch multiplayer modes. The offline game has been gutted and has been stripped of features to "encourage" online play where they can sell you stuff and show you more ads. Oh, and if you lose connection while playing the game dumps you out without even saving your progress.

You misunderstand, at least in my case. I don't mind needing internet for gaming - if the online is needed for a gameplay function. Like playing with a net friend who lives in another state/country etc. Or downloading a digital game onto my drive. Kinda need the internet. Most of the time, games that require always online, I have zero interest in anyway. What I do mind is a company deciding I need to be online for a reason that is not specifically game circumstances required - like it's SP (or it's SP but online req. because they're too lazy or too telemetry or store app focused to create a SP/offline function). Nor would I wish to have to be "online" and login to Microsoft just to play Dungeon Keeper on my PC. --I don't mind if online/app is used for some gadget/device/service that no one really "needs." Those vacuum donuts, ringcams, house remote controls, whatever else. Do what one wants, use what one wants, up to individual. although I think people getting too used to/emotionally dependent on that stuff breeds ... well, Wall-E comes to mind. But that's very subjective/just me. --I do mind if companies start wanting to make online/app required to access something like a dishwasher cycle, a fridge setting, a car feature you paid for but can't access without online. This is what many companies seem to be trying to get people used to - almost grooming the public in some strange way - and I refuse to get used to it. I will wash my dishes by hand before resorting to this sort of nonsense. Pretty soon you won't be able to flush your toilet without being subbed to some flush-switch online-bootup for your bathroom waste disposal "device". And then there's Microsoft possibly trying to prep people re: needing to online-login to your O/S, just so you can utilize your separately purchased photo editing program, which is not ok. And more likely, it's all a precursor to then eventually making Windows a monthly pay service O/S.

WindowsPass

Probably has to do with the imminent release of Bloodlines 2.

If you plan to use Gambit effectively your focus should be to ensure you never miss/graze or else you won't get your resources back. You also want to have as much Guile as possible to have close to 100% Hit to Crit. With all that in mind, some key items are the Cap of the Laughingstock, Gauntlets of Accuracy/Gloves of the Dungeon Warden, Ajamuut's Stalking Cloak, Devil of Caroc Breastplate. For weapons the most effective combo, maybe not as sexy as two daggers/stilettos, is Scordeo's Edge & Rust's Poignard. For the other items you want more perception/intellect/beneficial effects duration - Whispers from the Depths ring gives Acute that stacks with other active intellect buffs (like from Ripple Sponge or Potion of Mental Prowess), Strand of Favor, Ooblit. For resting bonus probably the buff from The Abyss (25% beneficial effects duration) is the most useful for you (even more if you plan to use Scordeo's Edge with Blade Cascade).

Seems the most exciting prospect of this game coming out are all the inevitable exposé pieces that finally reveal just what the hell happened with this game's development.

Dragon Age: Veilguard was added to GamePass so I played it while I wait for Outer Worlds2. I thought it was pretty alright. Easily my favourite of Dragon Age sequels though it is not a high bar to pass. Few complaints, sure. Tonally, it is a bit inconsistant - but that's something I would say about every Dragon Age game, but Origins. The game is probably quite a bit longer than it should have been (again, Dragon Age staple). Combat sucks and gets really boring - again nothing new to DA... though as it tries to pivit a bit more into action-RPG territory it hurts it by how clunky and unresponsive it feels. There is also artificiality around the quests and systems which I found really detracting from the narrative. I don't know if it's because game's origin as liveservice, or just current Bioware team sensibilities, but how game was structured, how quests were presented I felt really made it difficult to feel immersed in the narrative, and therefore care. But it is not all bad. Like Inquisition I think story has more potential than Veilguard takes advantage of - and I do feel they are playing loose with some established lore. But for a very casual and distanced DA player it felt like it actually paid off on many things that previous games were establishing. Companions were alright, and I quite enjoy some of their banter. Finale is pretty alright, if contrived at times. I don't think it is a great game, but frankly best I have seen from Bioware since Mass Effect2 (didnt' play Andromeda nor Anthem though). I enjoyed most of it, but it's overstayed it's welcome and I am glad it is over.

If you want to compare two daggers vs. two stilettos then I'd say two daggers are better. Mainly because Pukestabber + Lover's Embrace is a very good combo when it's about attack speed. Both weapons' effects apply to both weapons which makes you very fast. But Rust's Poignard (stiletto) is also very good, especially if you critically hit a lot (Bring Down is good), also because it comes in legendary quality which is very nice. With Azure Blade in the offhand you can also have a nice stiletto setup: if you fight near your party members it gains a lot of accuracy (Cloak and Dagger: +15 accuracy if near 2+ allies, but only for the Azure Blade). I would simply do a weapon set of dual daggers and one with dual stilettos. You want a backup weapon set with alternative damage anyway: should you meet enemeis who are very resitant or even immune to slash damage (daggers) you will be happe that you can switch to the pierce damage of stilettos.

Also the special thing about PoE1 and INT influencing AoE is that it has increasing returns, because INT does not actually increase the area size by 6% per point of INT but the radius(!) of the AoE. Because the area of a circle is Pi * radius², this leads to pretty nice effects once you put a lot of points into your INT. In Deadfire this was changed (because it was too good obviously) - there every point of INT does indeed increase the area by 6% per point, not the radius.

i really want to have a real date for the fall update release so that way i am not sitting on thumb tacks the entire time so if the dev team read this could we get a date please and thank you

Yeah, we were all busy rolling in money and honeys.