SteveThaiBinh

So Blonde got a good review at Adventure Gamers. I think I'll give it a go next week.

It hits Wikipedia before Team Gizka. That doesn't mean that people associate Wikipedia with KotOR2, just that it's a place people go to for information, as is Team Gizka (since they have a progress update feature).

None of the above. Neither 'side' will win (that would be a Fukuyama-style End of History, and I don't believe in those). A simple repeat seems unlikely, too. More likely there will be a change in the nature of the 'sides' to something subtler, less obviously good vs. evil, and the divisions will continue. I do, however, predict a lessening role for Jedi and the Force - force users are the aristocracy of the Star Wars universe, and while the aristocracy make a lot of history, they don't make History.

I agree with taks - discussion of religious beliefs is off-topic. For complete understanding of ghosts, we would at some point need a convincing theory as to why they exist (or don't), but for the sake of this thread let's stick to methods for establishing and testing that they do or do not exist.

Probably the coastguard. Ghosts can't swim. I think samm makes the key point. If we investigate ghosts with seriousness, we must allow the possibility that they exist, and therefore, that they can suffer. In that case, investigation that might cause harm would be unethical.

We shall see. I'll probably buy this game, though I doubt Bethesda has made as much progress on core weaknesses as I might wish. Still, I got a lot of enjoyment out of Oblivion, so why not? I'm a bit surprised by how successful it is, though. 4.7 million units shipped? Fable II is doing well, and I think Mass Effect was a big seller too, right? Surely this is great news! Western-style RPGs have found the mass market, and a secure financial future, without morphing so completely into FPS that they lose all role-playing elements. Now the endless drift towards 'action-RPGs' can halt.

People have varied experiences trying to run the game wtih Vista, and there are lots of different solutions to different problems. You might find something useful in the FAQ.

I'm a bit worried about the atmosphere in this thread. Let's all calm down and make sure we're not just throwing accusations around. This is Obsidian's forum and we can't allow discussions here that might reflect badly on Obsidian's good name. On a few specific points: I think that's going a bit far. A lot far, actually. Obsidian made TSL, LucasArts published it. TSLRP is just a mod, and lots of games have mods. I believe this is the publisher's decision. LucasArts could close Team Gizka down with a letter if they chose to do so (I believe this has happened with other mods for other games). On the other hand, most publishers and developers see modders as a good thing - they work for free, they enhance the gaming experience of the publisher's customers. Look at Bethesda and Oblivion - the OOO mod, for example, was described as an 'overhaul', but Bethesda was happy for it to be discussed and promoted on its forums, because it gave players more options and more ways of enjoying Bethesda's game. There are no losers here. The integrity of Obsidian developers and artists is unassailable.

It is? Are you saying that the 'surge' hasn't worked then?

Can we not speed this up a bit?

140 years of UFO sightings

It's nothing to do with that, it's a feature of English that it's very flexible and a particular combination of letters can support a number of diferent pronunciations.

If it means 'recoil', then go with an English spelling that's closer and with less ambiguous pronunciation, like 'Rekoyl' or 'Recoyle'. You can insert a hyphen after the prefix re- if you like: 'Re-koil' etc...

This is a key misunderstanding. This thread and its previous versions are about the US presidential election, so there is discussion of US racism. The fact that we don't qualify every statement with "but of course there is racism in Europe too" is not because we believe there isn't racism in Europe, but because that's not the issue under discussion. I appreciate that acknowledging our own imperfections helps keep the debate on a higher level and reduce irritation in American participants who might otherwise feel their country is being attacked in a one-sided and unreasonable fashion.

What constitutes going 'extreme left' in the current US context? I mean, what are the policy areas and decisions he'll be making in the near future that will indicate whether he's viewed as leftist or moderate. Is it purely taxation and expenditure on public services? The big thing everyone's talking about is Iraq and Afghanistan but I don't see those as particularly left/right issues.

The election of Obama offers a tremendous opportunity for us in Europe (and elsewhere) to raise and confront our own issues of racism - that's a great American gift to the world, potentially at least. Has anyone on this thread said that Americans are more racist than Europeans? All the talk in Britain the last few days, in the papers and on TV at least, suggests people think the reverse - we have a lot of work to do before an ethnic minority Prime Minister is elected.

Congratulations, America.

Yes, and remember to check before you leave the booth that you voted for who you intended to vote for. I still can't believe you trust those machines!

Where's the link to the vibrant Alpha Protocol 'community'? You ashamed of us?

Another reason, as if one were needed, why Obsidian is awesome.

-_- -_- -_- -_-

Adventure games have always been relatively rich in female protagonists, from Rosella to Kate Walker and Victoria McPherson. One reason I like to have a choice between male and female characters in RPGs is because it adds to the replayability of the game. If I like a game, then when I get to the end I don't want it to be the end, and it doesn't have to be. I know that if I replay with a character of the opposite sex, some NPCs will react differently to me, some options and quests will open that were previously closed off. Even if only a tiny percentage is new content, it makes the second or third playthroughs every bit as enjoyable as the first. Of course, any game with multiple paths will achieve a similar outcome, as it looks Alpha Protocol will, for example. So I would echo random_n00b and say another reason I like to have the choice is because I like to roleplay lots of different people, not just one who is like me (although my first playthrough will often be just that). Thirdly, I like romances, the more the merrier, and Carth was not whiny!

If you don't like DRM, is boycotting the most effective means of applying pressure for what we want, which is DRM-free games? Probably not, since Storms of Zehir is only in production because NWN2 and MotB sold well (I think a dev has said that). A better approach is to buy lots of games from Good Old Games and Stardock. Let's show the publishers that the DRM-free model is financially viable.

Will this embroidery have choices and consequences? How about romances?

They both come across as competent and probably able to do the job if they surround themselves with the right people. What did you think of the format of the debate? I gather it's a new one. I kind of wish the moderator had got more involved and challenged them on their answers a bit more, but I suppose supine deference is good practice for the candidates as that's how the press will treat the eventual winner.