Brickyard

I was watching this film again over the weekend, and remembered something I though of the first time watching, but forgot to mention in my post. Did anyone (who's seen Big Trouble in Little China) get the feeling you were actually watching Egg Shen vs David Lo Pan instead of Yoda vs Sidious? Especially in the first room (before they rise into the Senate chamber). It was so much like that fight from the above movie, I remember chuckling a little.

Have him get Gran Turismo 3. It's usually $15 or $20, and can be found in the PS2 classics section. Very much worth the money. Gran Turismo 4 is more of the same, but better, but still full price at the moment, if he's looking to wait. I also really like EA's F1 Challenge, though I don't know about it's availability in the US (if that's where you are). I have it for PC, mostly due to the mods you can download (a whole slew of them...about 50 or 60 downloadable, working, tracks, and carsets from just about everywhere - CART, Mini Coopers, Le Mans sports cars, etc). But the core racing on the PC is pretty good, so I would guess the same would be said of the PS2. I like the racing on F1C for PC better than the racing on GT3 for PS2, but GT3 is an actual game, whereas F1C (at least for PC) is pretty much just a racing sim (that can go online). The big draw for the mods is that you can download a few old classic tracks, including the 172 turn, like 27 mile long classic Nordschleife.

Well, using this system posted earlier: 90%+ = The best 85% - 90% = Second tier 80% - 84% = Great; but some major flaws 70% - 79% = Solid, and fun; this game won't win any awards though from me 61% - 69% = Some good parts to it; but overall I did not enjoy it as much as I could have 60% + lower = Worthless game I would rate the RPGs I've played the following: Baldur's Gate 1: 88% Baldur's Gate 2: 95% Icewind Dale 1: 78% Icewind Dale 2: Haven't finished it Neverwinter Nights OC: 70% Neverwinter Nights SoU: 65% Neverwinter Nights HoU: 85% Morrowind: 90% (I realize the plot isn't the best, but the exploration aspects, and character building, as well as usermade mods, are top-notch, IMO. I don't really consider it an RPG in the "classic" sense, though, but others seem to) Diablo 1: 70% Diablo 2: 80% Kotor 1: 90% Kotor 2: 69% (I feel there was too much wrong, though it did have loads of potential to be great. But overall, I was more disappointed with the lacking parts than impressed with the good parts - overall negative impression) The best game I have ever purchased, however, isn't an RPG, but an RTS, and that's StarCraft. I'd rate that 99%, and throw in Tetris at 97%. And F1 99-00 Challenge (PC, with mods) at 98%.

As a PC gamer, I'll likely end up with ONE of the new consoles, unless I get the others as gifts. My 2nd choice will always be Nintendo, because of the Zelda titles. Too bad there's not another Nintendo game that I really want to play, cause I missed out on the latest gen Zelda games. But if I got a 2nd one, Nintendo would be it. As for 1st choice, I really can't see it being anything other than the PS3. Looking at the current XBOX, there's only 1 game that's XBOX-only that I'd like to play but can't, and that's Jade Empire. And if I didn't buy a Nintendo console to play just Zelda (which I'd rather play more than Jade Empire), then I'm not going to buy an XBOX for Jade Empire, especially hearing how short it was (however good it was, short is bad). I've already got about 2 dozen PS2 games, so PS3 sounds good there, and the main game I have on my PS2 is Gran Turismo, which I'm pretty sure is PS2 only. So I figure GT 5 will be PS3 only. If for some strange reason, in the future, Bioware, Obsidian and Bethesda start releasing all their games for XBOX-only, odds are my first reaction will be that I'd be really upset with all of them. Then I might (or might not) break down and buy an XBOX. But probably not. And I won't get a PS3 until the price drops some, and at least one major title I want to play is out.

Yeah, I meant FF 10, not 11. Was thinking of 11, since a friend plays that one (I don't), sorry.

Well to be fair, World of Warcraft is radically different than Warcraft online. Playing an RTS vs other people isn't near the same as playing an MMORPG. As for which to recommend, they're all pretty much the same at their base. Guild Wars is pretty cool in that it doesn't have a monthly fee. First impression I had was that it was a 3d version of Diablo 2. But the story (from what I've seen) is better, and I like the class system, also. Ultimately, though, it's a game about Guild vs Guild PvP, so if that's not what you're interested in, eventually it'll have no point. As for it's quests, I've only found 2 that I couldn't complete with the in-game henchmen. One is Pre-searing, and ultimately not really important, and the other is one that gives a really nice chunk of XP, Post-searing (Althea's Ashes). But my two characters are levels 13 and 15, so I've not seen the whole game yet (level limit is 20). IMO, Guild Wars is a much better game than EverQuest 2 (the only other recent MMORPG I've played), if only because I bought it and that's it. No more fees.

Yup, I have a PC, and I also have Morrowind, KOTOR and KOTOR 2, which I think are 3 of the "4 or 5 RPGs for XBOX", so XBOX isn't really an option. And for Morrowind, I've got like 100+ mods installed. Don't consider Morrowind a "good RPG", but do consider it a really good adventure/exploration game. I really like the game, but not as an RPG. So FFXI, would that be "typical" of JRPGs? If I like that game, chances are I'll like many of the others? And the Zelda games, those are or are not "typical" of JRPGs? I've played them all through Ocarina of Time, and really liked them, especially Ocarina.

Well I finally got my PS2 to be able to read "blue discs", so for the next few days I'll be playing Lego Star Wars (just plain stupidly simple, but SO MUCH FUN). After that, I'll seriously play some FFX, and then see what I think of it. If I like it, I'll take a list of the games given here and look for a couple. Thanks again.

Well I don't really know if I like JRPGs, to be honest, as FFX is the first one I've gotten (apart from all the Zelda's up to Ocarina of Time), and I've only really played the intro so far. And yes, I do like racing games (most of my racing time has been spent on EA's F12002 and F1 Challenge and their multitude of mods on the PC), so a car-type RPG sounds intriguing. Not sure if a mostly cinematic game is to my liking, but I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for the suggestions.

I've had a PS2 for quite some time, mostly for racing games (Gran Turismo, Need For Speeds, WRC game), and also for the two LOTR movie games (good hack-and-slash fun). But with the lack of many decent PC RPGs lately, I was wondering if someone could kindly direct me to a few of the more decent RPGs for the PS2. I did pick up Final Fantasy X over the weekend, but haven't really given it a try yet. I heard that Final Fantasy X-2 is pretty childish (heard it was designed for 14-year old girls from one person, and someone else completely agreed). So, any other titles (and they don't have to be new, just "new to me") that people highly recommend for good storylines and decent fighting/leveling systems?

First off, I don't really "cry". Teary-eyed, most definitely. But not until later on (definitely not while a teenager). First time I ever remember getting really teared up was when watching "Glory" for the first time. At the end, when the Black regiment who volunteered to lead the charge (knowing that most of them wouldn't make it) is marching through the rest of the White Union army, and get nods from previously racist and hateful soldiers. That just was huge. Since then there's been a few moments. Couple spots in "Braveheart", "Shawshank Redemption", "Rudy", a spot in that movie (forget the name) with DeNiro as the hurt deep-sea diver trainer and Cuba Gooding Jr as a trainee, end of "A Few Good Men" with Harold and Cruise's character (after the trial is over), more that I can't really think of. The one that's most consistant, however, is "Fellowship of the Ring", and parts of the other films. First off, I admit I'm a fanboy. Mostly because I didn't think they could ever be made into quality films. Couple spots are: 1 - When showing the effect of Gandalf's fall on the rest of the Fellowship outside Moria. The music and the visuals get me almost every time. 2 - When Boromir dies. 3 - When Frodo pulls Sam into the boat at the end. 4 - In Two Towers, Sam's "Great Stories" speech while walking through the woods: "I was being serious, Mr. Frodo." "So was I Sam, so was I." 5 - The charge of the Rohirrim toward's Helm's Deep got me the first time for some reason. 6 - "My friends, you bow to no one." in Return of the King. For those, it's most assuredly the combo of the music and the scene. The LotR soundtracks are the only soundtracks I own, as well as the only music "without words" that I own (big time 80's hard rock fan). I notice a tendancy for my misty moments to be either times when one person earns another's respect, or bravery in some sort of battle (or the sadness afterwards), or leading up to the battle. Probably typically guy-ish emotional moments, I guess.

It's really easy to get through the Mira parts without leveling her up, I found. Vs the Wookiee, just hit and run. It'll take a long time, but you'll eventually get him. Same vs the lions (or whatever they are). And mines are a really nice thing, also. On the way to the door there's only 1 fight I found I had to do, and that's the first one vs 2 of those hunters. If you can get an adhesive grenade on one (or both), it makes it really easy. Hit and run again is your friend. After that, you can either stealth to the passageway, or just run by them all and take it, absorbing a few hits on the way. First playthrough, Mira was the first henchman I didn't level up ASAP, because I had done that with Atton, Bao-Dur and Handmaiden, and realized it cost some Jedi levels on Atton, so with Mira I made an effort to not level her until I had enough influence to convert her to Jedi. Second playthrough (which I haven't finished, but I have all the henchmen converted), I didn't level any of them until they were converted.

Yeah, Vader's "Nooo!" was pretty weak. I also agree that Yoda's mixed up lines were a little too mixed up at times. But this movie is a whole lot better than the first two, for certain. Before three weeks ago, I had seen Episode 1 once, and Episode 2 twice. (I bought the DVDs the same day I got Guild Wars.) I already want to see this one again. Some of the dialogue between Anakin and Padme was pretty bad (but what's new?), but not near as bad as Ep 2. But overall, this movie rocks, IMO. I especially liked Obi-Wan near the end. Really felt badly for him. And the music through much of the Vader-Obi fight was pretty moving. Sort of got chills when Anakin lit up his saber in the Academy with the Younglings...surprised they put that in there. Perhaps that's the main reason for the PG-13? Funniest part was when Yoda walks into the Emperor's chambers and just force knocks the two red-clad guards Glad to see the memory wipe on 3PO. Lot of co-workers are planning on going tomorrow, but I was lucky to be able to go today. Planning on going with them tomorrow if I can.

It seems pretty simple to see that the reason that some associate homosexuality with pedophilia is simply that they are both outside the "norm" in terms of sexual behavior. Not that they really are similar at all, though. And since sexuality has mostly been a moral behavior in religious-dominated societies, and there's been only one accepted choice (heterosexuality), the morally unaccepted choices get lumped together. Whether it should be that way or not is beside the point, or a different point altogether.

It was green. Definitly green. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You know what, I'm so glad I was wrong on that (just rewatched the beginning of Phantom to check). It means I'm not too far gone into Star Wars-mania. In anticipation of Ep 3, I realized I had seen Ep 1 only one time (initial theater viewing), and Ep 2 only twice (initial theater viewing, plus a revisit to watch Yoda again). Couple weeks ago, began hearing that Ep 3 was really good (and my brother-in-law has seen it, about 1.5 weeks ago here in Indy in a preview screening), and more and more people were stating it rivaled Empire. So I went and got Eps 1 and 2 to rewatch them, refresh memory, etc. Didn't find I liked the movies any better, but did repeatedly watch the various fights. Not knowing Qui-Gon's saber color after all that watching makes me feel better about myself, for some strange reason. Not that knowing it is bad, but my bro-in-law is so far gone into Star Wars mania, it's scary (he's been in line now for about 18 hours, still almost 5 hours til midnight, and he's ALREADY SEEN IT). He's got both a Jango Fett and Stormtrooper outfit (fully molded plastic, etc). And his license plate is STR WRS.

Who does it look bad to, though?

The only thing about adding homosexual romances to RPGs that bothers me is a very simple one: the effort to put them in takes away from stories/quests that I, myself, might actually play. In exactly the same way that romances for female PCs take away from possible extra stuff that I might come across. I'm a guy, and I play guy PCs. I like females, so my guy PC likes females. Completely selfish, but in a world where each successive "best RPG ever" has less and less story, I selfishly want as much as I can get. Of course by no means am I advocating that romances for female PCs should be eliminated. It wouldn't bother me one bit if they were, but if the demand for them is sizable enough, of course they should be included. Same goes for homosexual relationships, of course. If the demand is actually there, by all means add them. But if the demand is really tiny, then leave them out and give me more story to play. Very selfish, sorry.

In general Morrowind comments, I rather like the game. Not at all for the same reasons that I like BG, BG2, NWN:HotU and KOTOR, though it had some aspects of BG2 (in terms of mods) that the rest really don't have. I think the problem may be that the industry labels it an RPG, which Morrowind clearly is not. It's an adventure game. It's an exploration game. And it has some quests. While I loved some aspects of K2, in terms of conversing with the Henchmen and some NPCs, and adore BG2, as I think it's simply the best game ever made, and feel the same about some parts of the NWN's, K1, BG, etc, Morrowind is the one game where I've actually been the most engrossed in, ever. But that is one very specific aspect of the game, the exploration and landscape. Do I wish the Morrowind world was populated by NPCs like the ones Bioware is famous for sometimes creating? Surely I do. I would love quests like the Manaan trial, influence of henchmen (well, henchmen in general), etc. But I would also have loved a KOTOR that was as big and explorable as Morrowind. Something that had a ton of things to do that weren't directly tied to the main quest, and a world that wasn't so damn limited in where you can go. I still think the scenery in Morrowind is still way ahead of KOTOR/K2, in terms of graphics. It looks so amazing to stand on a cliff overlooking the sea, and see the sunrise (or set). Nothing like that in the RPGs that I play, unfortunately. I also really like the way you build your skills. You can be any combination you want, just do it. Sure, some things are so much easier to level in than others, but the concept that you learn by doing is a great one. But like I said, I don't consider Morrowind to be an RPG, but and adventure/exploration game. And it's a really good one.

Didn't Qui-Gon use a yellow one? Myself, for my own character, I always use two sabers, a normal and a short (assuming I actually find a short in K2). Much more interesting than the double-bladers, IMO.

Sure, an all-Jedi party is overkill in K2. Pretty much any 3-person party is overkill in K2. It just comes down to play-style, really. I would rather play with all-Jedi, given the choice, in a Star Wars game, than someone like Mandalore. Little to no party interaction with him is just another reason on top of the Jedi thing, as well as simply being annoyed that I'm forced to use him for a pretty long trip.

As metadigital says, there is no real personal information asked for. They do as for your age and gender, but that's it.

I think there is a fix on the Restoration Mod page for the Criminals buggyness. And as long as you aren't TOO Dark at whatever the trigger point is on Nar Shaddaa, you get Mira then, as well (she's for LS and neutrals, Hanharr is for DS). In my DS game, the same problems the OP is having with Handmaiden and Mira are frustrating me, as well. I constantly had to do nice things to keep gaining (or keep from losing) influence with them both, then do evil things when they weren't around to keep myself truly evil.

In no particular order in each category K1 - Liked: Bastila - except she should have never been allowed to be turned by Malak. Jolee - best overall NPC in either game, IMO. Juhani - wish her story was a little more deeper, but liked her as a LS Revan. HK-47 - hilarious. K1 - Disliked: Zaalbar - Wookiees are dull. Canderous - Canderous is dull (as a party member). K1 - Neutral: Carth - sort of interesting, sort of whiny. T3 - Not much need for him. Mission - Good on Telos, not much use after. K2 - Liked: Atton - liked his story quite a bit. Seems to be really the only K2 henchman developed well for either LS or DS. T3 - did a lot with this little guy for K2, and he became interesting. Visas - with more story, would have been a lot more interesting, but what was there was really good. Bao-Dur - I think it was more his voice acting that I liked, the very precise way he seems to end his words. Interesting character. K2 - Disliked: Mandalore - Canderous is a dull NPC (as a henchman). Should have been a non-henchman, or at least had something interesting to do when he became a henchman. GOTO - worthless and pointless. HK-47 - not sure if it's dislike or disappointment. by the time I got him built in my first playthrough, it was so late in the game that I didn't really use him. Hanhaar - never even had him as a henchman (got Mira for my DS game, but haven't been able to get the desire to finish it). but he's a Wookiee, and therefore annoying, and therefore a henchman I don't like. I don't ever WANT him as a henchman. K2 - Neutral: Handmaiden - not a whole lot to say, really. kind of blah, except when Visas talks to her. K2 - Hated: Kreia - really the only NPC in either game I truly despise, since about halfway through Telos on my first playthrough. just simply annoying, as well as so obviously transparant, as well as crazy.

K1 (from a guy-Revan point of view) 1 - I would have had you start the game with Bastila, as her padawan (or her as your temporary teacher, whatever), and then get separated, where you then must rescue her. Basically I would have made the beginning to the point where you STARTED as a level 1 Jedi, not a non-Jedi class. 2 - The mid-game is pretty solid. Make Manaan more interesting is really all I can really complain about. For a neutral planet, it's surprisingly straightforward. Though I loved the murder quest, the rest is pretty dull. 3 - The ending, I would have had it so that Revan was the one who was captured and in the process of being turned, and it came down to Bastila to save YOU. Or fail to save you. No possibility to turn her to the Dark Side. She either saves you, or dies trying. 4 - Less Wookiees. No Kashykk. I know it's "Star Wars", but that's really the only part of the game I disliked...Wookiees. I hated hearing their howls, and I didn't like that the return to ship feature was disabled on their planet. No problem with the quests there, other than the Wookiee "voicing", though. Beyond those, I would have of course liked more interaction with NPCs, a longer game, and tougher combat, but it was, overall, a very satisfying game. But Bastila should have been the hero, no matter how you played (as LS or DS), while you, as Revan, should just have been an enigma of some sorts. K2 This one's hard, because I wouldn't have done it in the exact same mold as K1, meaning you wouldn't be a former Jedi with memory loss. No Exile at all. I felt like I was playing a cloudy version of K1 the whole time. But assuming the story is basically the same... 1 - Make my choices matter to the story. Too many of the "plot" cutscenes felt totally out of my control, like I was watching a movie. Too much contrived stuff. Kreia gets owned by Sion, yet easily takes out all the Jedi, where one of them has a bit too much power for me to take out, yet I destroy Sion so easily. Atris has a lot to say, and you get to interact with her, yet no matter how you go about it, the result is all basically the same. In the end, the game drives you straightforward, very convolutedly and confusingly, to kill Kreia. And the first time I talked with her, I didn't like her, and wanted to kill her, and it wasn't long into the game (somewhere on Telos) where I realized she was the ulitmate bad guy, yet I couldn't DO anything about it. She never felt "gray" to me, always evil (as both LS and about 1/2 game DS). 2 - Don't take me from the first planet to a fixed-in-stone second planet (again, identical to K1). Let me choose once I leave the mining station. 3 - More lightsabers. I'm a Jedi, I should have a lightsaber. Visas should have a lightsaber, Kreia should have a lightsaber. Every time I get someone new to teach, the first thing we should do is make their first lightsaber. This is Star Wars and Jedi. Any plot that has you not having a lightsaber for a significant portion of the game is bad, and any plot that has you with 7 force users, technically "Jedi" per their class descriptions, but only 4 lightsabers, is bad. Each one should have their own customized lightsaber, so you don't have to switch out the ones you do have amongst the 3 members you take here and there. 4 - Finish up the HK-50 plot. Might give a purpose to HK-47. For that matter, finish up all the NPC stories in some meaningful way before M5. And for sure put in a finish to the Remote getting cornered, as well as give a reason why Mira was on the surface fighting Hanharr. I know all the cut material has something to do with all this, but I don't know what any of that cut material is, as I'm trying to stay spoiler-free for when Aurora's mod is done, so that hopefully things make sense. 5 - Write a plot that somehow involves GOTO, or leave him out of the game. Obviously should tie into the HK-50 plot, as Goto hired them. 6 - Either give Mandalore some interaction after he's part of your party, or don't force me to take him anywhere. A few sidequests would have been nice. 7 - The influence system should have made sense. It was a great idea, and at times was brilliant, but it simply should not be possible for me, at fully DS, to influence Handmaiden, also fully DS, by doing NICE things. But that's how it works. When she's fully DS, she should be influenced by DS acts. Playing through (even only partially) as DS really made me see how bad this system can work. I just realized I'm not really saying how I would rewrite K2, as much as complaining. I guess I would rewrite it from the beginning. This is Star Wars. There is Good and Evil. If you want to go the "neutral" route, I don't think you're really Star Wars anymore. You could go with the sometimes good isn't really good, or sometimes evil isn't really evil aspect, but in Star Wars, when good isn't really good, it's evil, and vice versa. Jolee worked in K1 because he, basically, wasn't important. Kreia, for me, doesn't work in K2, because she's central to the entire story. And in K2, it matters not one bit how you go from waking up on the fuel station to fighting Kreia. You can go the Light path or the Dark path, but the end is exactly the same. The journey, however interesting, simply didn't matter. And for me, the journey wasn't interesting enough to get to the predetermined ending we were given. If you are going to have the story based on Kreia, a neutral, trying to destroy the Force, it should either be with you, as a LS, working WITH the Jedi, or you, as a DS, working WITH Sion and Co (and then taking over for them). But the story as written, with you working WITH Kreia to run around and be chased by Sith and collect Jedi Masters for her to kill, only to eventually kill her on M5. Even if you know from the beginning she's up to something that you know you'll not agree with when you find out what it is (and can't even ask her about, either).

Mandalore is the most annoying character in K2 simply because you are, at one time, forced to take him with you for almost an entire planet. GOTO would be worse, except you never actually need to take him anywhere, thankfully. He could have been a great character, but the writers forgot to give him any interesting interaction with you while he's a forced party member, so you just have to take him along because you need him to meet whoever it is he knows. Maybe I'm weird in that I like to have 3 Jedi as my party, though? In K1, once I am able, my party is 100% Jedi (Juhani, Bastila and/or Jolee). In K2, in my first playthrough, I was able to convert both Atton and Handmaiden (and could then replace Kreia for my all-Jedi party), and in my 2nd playthrough (which I didn't have the urge to finish, sadly, but got through Telos, Nar Shadaa and Dantooine), I converted all of them (and am Dark Side). I guess the need for a ranged character would be better if the combat was difficult, but unfortunately it isn't. The only encounter I have problems with is the final Sisters fight and the Jedi on Dantooine, which are solo anyway (and I have not been able to beat the Dantooine Jedi without using mines, come close often, but never been able to finish him off straight up 1v1, but that could be my DS build).