Guard Dog

Just to be clear, because I'm obviously not American, now that the US government can monitor your communications why is this such a contentious point? Are you worried people will suddenly just get arrested for no reason? What are you worried about ? Well, let's see Bruce. In the last 6 years this administration has asked local police to take particular notice of people with pro-life or other religious freedom message bumper stickers. They have marked out veterans, the people who I'd argue love the country the most as likely terrorists, all while refusing benefits to victims of actual terrorism. They have "weaponized" the IRS into their own private thought police by using them to persecute people who participate in unapproved political activity. They asserted it would be ok for the President to order the summary execution of American citizens using drones. They set up a website where citizens could report people who were speaking ill of the affordable care act. They have admitted they are already monitoring every e-mail and phone conversation. Now they want a peek in our private internet use. What could possibly go wrong with that huh? Fat chance Obama will veto this. The words freedom and liberty do not exist in that despicable little man's vocabulary. I don't know what kind of country these people want to turn us into but it will look nothing like the one I served and lived my whole life in. The best we can hope for is this trend continues will be benevolent despotism. But I think Americans will wake up one day in the years ahead and realize they are living in Orwell's Oceania. But I won't be here to see it. They will have to kill me .

Just for laughs:

That's still going strong? I used to play that game religiously, but then they started changing the way they rated pitchers and I found it really messed with the "accuracy" of the game. A pitcher like Tom Glavine, who wasn't exactly a fireballer and who walked a decent amount, always sucked in my games when I'd replay historical seasons, even though in real life he was tremendous during that same stretch. I finally gave up historical replays and created an all fictional game with fictional teams. I've enjoyed it so much more since. The problem with the historical games is when excellent players aren't excellent it just ruins the immersion. Plus I found I always had biases against certain teams because of what they've done to my favorite teams in real life. You should go give the web site & community a look. Markus & Co. have come a long way over the years. Plus there is just a TON of user made mods & content :http://www.ootpdevelopments.com

Ditto. Although maybe I'm becoming more jaded in my old age. I really can't seem to rile up any strong emotions over a story like this. I guess when it comes to governments my expectations of them are so low when something like this comes to light I'm just not surprised.

Here are my babies, Tommy & Sunny Smiles:

Out of the Park Baseball 15. I've bought every version since 8. It's only the best sports sim ever. Except the last three versions of Football Manager I guess.

Oh wow. The government lied about something it was doing. I'm shocked.

Now we're talkin'!

Christmas at home. We were talking about New Years in Vegas though. If not we'll buy tickets to the Peabody NY Bash.

Just got home from a work trip to Atlanta. Got tickets to see the Alabama/Mizzou SEC championship game. Loved it. Work trip went well, weather wasn't too bad. I think Tommy is mad I didn't take him because I usually do. He won't come to me or let me pet him. He'll come around. My other dog Sunny doesn't care. She was just happy I was home.

So on a scale of 1-10 how is this looking to you guys? 10 being "must have" and 1 being "go back and play the original".

It's called shock. Unfortunately (for you) it will wear off. I think you'll be laying off the squats and dead lifts and concentrating on the bench for a few days.

That's what happens when you back Liverpool. Hope it's nothing serious. Liverpool will be the death of me. Best case scenario, this is an infection and I'll get some medicine. What I really think: Someone is trying to poison the patriarch of all patriarchs. Well good luck and just to be safe prepare you own food for a while.

Oh now they certainly need to sell. I doubt the kickstarter paid for the entire development costs. I'm sure Obsidian has invested some of it's own capital in this project. But more to the point we want it to sell because we want more of these kinds of games don't we? If PoE sells well there is a good chance a publisher will underwrite a sequel. If it sells really well and demonstrates there is a market for this kind of game we may see a few other projects in the vein pop up at Obsidian and elsewhere. Best case it can lead to a CRPG renaissance. That might be overly optimistic but it is certainly possible. Computer games have become something like rock concerts. Every show has to be bigger, brighter and louder than the last. More lights, more pyrotechnics, etc. But something is getting lost in the enhanced 3D graphics and more detailed textures that chew up more and more resources on our computers... if our computers will run them at all. Why do you think we still talk about Torment, Baldur's Gate I & II, Fallout II etc all these years and games after they disappeared from store shelves? Those games had a story to tell. You didn't play them you lived them. Sometimes modern games will still catch the lightning in the bottle. I thought Fallout New Vegas did that. But for the most part they are really pretty and pretty empty. That's why I'm encouraged by not just what I see about PoE but about who's making it and I hope there will be more to follow.

<<< not the failclowns? No they cut him loose as soon as the truth came out. Of course shortly after that he was on his way to prison so there is no way to know if they'd have done that otherwise but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Well, I hate them because they hired that filthy dog killing savage to be their back up QB. I hated the Eagles for the same reason. But that's just me.

I think that is what has decided me against buying it. I'm a fan of bioware, but I don't have, want, or like consoles. I want games that will run right on my laptop or at least can be modded to run right. And from what I'm reading here, DA:I does not really meet that description. Thanks for the info and thoughts everyone. I believe I'll pass on this one.

Jets lost again. That makes me happy. If only I could be this happy after every Jets game.

I just spent the last six consecutive hours reading through a 627 page MOP (engineering term... Method of Procedure) looking for redundancies, inefficient process, and cost savings. I think I'm blind. The only thing I can do now is play Morrowind and wait for Monday Night Football to start. Go Dolphins.

Just got three months worth of work that must be completed by years end. Guess I better get on it.

I am so stealing that line for my next work conference call!

I'll be honest, I really can't see it. Accepting economic security at the price of an all powerful government seems like a fools bargain to me. Limited freedom enjoyed only at the sufferance of a government that can take it away is not freedom. In the US Greens, Socialists, & Democrats (for the most part) do not value individual rights or liberty. They are in favor of a government that to a greater of lesser extent has control over a great part of our lives.

Little things I hope it has: Bard music in taverns - I never realized how much it adds to the atmosphere. News of events in one part of the world to be talked about in other parts of the world Deep interaction between party members. If each NPC has their own personalities, goals, views, etc they seem more alive. I'd like caves and nights to actually be dark. They are supposed to be anyway. Make light sources something useful and desirable.

Yeah I think we are well past the point of big changes

So... what I'm seeing here is there are a lot of folks here who really don't like freedom. Not really. They like a government who tells them what to do and how to do it. To each their own I guess. I can't really see it myself but to each their own.