aries101

Oh, Raptor Jesus... Please tell me I'm not the only one sick of "cautionary tale of [symbol of advancement or technology] gone wrong." Wizards/Scientists dabbling with [symbol of advancement or technology] that puts the entire world in danger due to their hubris and attempts to play god. Why does it seem like everyone is obsessed with a new anti-industrial movement? It's like we're in a neo-romanticism. This is why I love Doctor Who. So often it's science and knowledge that save the universe. Ancient evil comes from the deep! What do we do? We science that fudger to death! I agree that this is trite and has been probably been done before many times. I like Dr. Who, too, especially the new BBC series which I deem much better than the old Dr. Who from the 1970's or so. I don't know if Mass Effect will be a cautionary tale of Mass Effect, since all I have gone for this statement is what the good doctors has told us about it. Seen from my perspective, however, it is a very interesting plot and story for Mass Effect, especially since it probably touches on subjects and topics and discussion we will be having the next 10-50 years or so about what a human is or can be ? Will people for instance see Lt. Commander Data as a human in the future? This is probably a good thing, I think

Here's a link to one of the analysists I was talking about earlier: http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=c...1&Itemid=59 I hope EA gets their investment back...

Some analysts think that John Riccitiello did give too much money for Bioware & Pandemic. And indeed he might have done so. He paid Bioeware and Pandemic nearly a million US dollars pr. developer. He must be convinced that they are worth this kind of money. According to several webpages, EA has said that they think this money would be earned back in 2010 or 2011. They plan to have the two companies release 2-4 games (or more?) comined for the years 2008-2012 (or so). They also plan to earn 300 millions US dollars on Bioware & Pandemic in the fiscal year 2009 and 2010. It can of course be done, but not without rushing projects, releasing mediocre games and such things, I fear. But we can always hope that Bioware & Pandemic will sell so many games that even is satisfied with their market share of the rpg market. As for NWN2 and expansions, Wizards of the Coast own the D&D license. However, Hassenfeldt Brothers aka Hasbro owns Wizards of the Coast. Hasbro has given the D&D license to Atari in order for Atari to make computer role playing games (or crpgs).

The game, Mass Effect could very well bye inspired by the anime-series? of which you're talking. However, I sense that Mass Effect also has gotten some inspiration from Star Trek, Star Wars, the 1950's, 1960's and the 1970's ideas of what flying around in a spaceshipo 2-400 years from to day, would be like. It seems that Battlestar Galactica etc. also has been an inspiration for the Bioware devs. The good doctors once said in gamespot? interview that Mass Effect is a cautionary tale of Artificial Intelligence gone wrong. It could well be that Meshugger's projection on how Mass Effect's story will pan out, could be accurate. It could also be that it weren't. Let's hope for the later - shall we - as this will be a lot more interesting than another tale of machines gone bad.

Oblivion horse armor is not really a game, though. It is what it says it is: Horse Armour to put on your bought horse. If you somehow lose this horse, however, the horse armour messes with the horse's id that vanishes it into oblivion and you won't be able to get that horse back ever again. Shivering Isles might be the game (or expansion) for you, I think. This is based on other people's experiences, not mine, since I haven't gotten around to playing Shivering Isles yet. Other people mention that the like the split personality of the game, the contrast between the gloomy and brightful look in both dementia and the other side of town. They find this expansion truly amazing

No, you're not. It really could have happened this way. Or it could have been meant to be. And by that I don't mean in a fated kind of way, but it could be that Elevation Partner who merged Bioware/Pandemic two years ago, made a strategic business decision at that time to work closer with EA Games. And that John R. was meant to leave Elevation Partners to become CEO of EA - just to buy Bioware. Ray & Greg could have made a deal with John R. and Elevation Partners those two years ago, meaning that they, too, will get a lot of money. Not that this is a bad thing, but actually selling their own company for mere mammon e.g. money to the dev, eh, I mean EA, is pushing it (over the edge), I think. To me, however, this move is fishy at best. And it also means that John R. probably stands to gain of lot of money from this merger as EA stock? will go up a lot, I think. It could maybe be seen as insidertrading? or something else. I'm not sure this move would be legal in Europe at all. I know (or think?) that it probably won't be legal in Denmark since when you hold a trusted position in company as say a CEO e.g. you're not supposed to line your own pockets with said company's money. And as far I can tell, this is exactly what John R. and Ray&Greg are doing. I could be wrong, though. According to a thread over at the rpgwatch.com forums, Patrick Weekes has been saying that's nothing going to change. I have tried explaining to him, and others, that there will be changes, maybe not at first, but slowly during the years. And I don't think EA would like the Bioware devs. to post as much as they do on the Bioware forums. A former EA employee quickly killed the Bioware Wednesday... Now I fear EA's takeover of Bioware means that they, EA, will kill the Bioware devs. interaction with the fans, and lastly, axe Bioware, if and when their products fail to meet the expected sales. As much as good chemistry between Ray&Greg and John R. accounts for something, John R. has only one resonsibility. And that's to make much more for EA's stockholders. But we'll see what happens... /aries101

Yes, there is rather heated discussion about this at the Bioware forums http://forums.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic...rum=22&sp=0 Interestingly it is that not one Bioware dev. has come aboard the thread to say that this is just a rumour... Here's a web article about this: http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfra...08/daily43.html I sincerely hope this is just a scam and a rumour, but you'll never know which rumours on the internet are true or not. As others have pointed out, I don't understand this. Bioware is big enough to make it on their own. They have gotten some big publishing deals with Microsoft with whom Bioware has said they have a good relationship with. But I guess money talks and the good doctors took a taxi to the dark side with all that money. I fear for Dragon Age's as well as the Sonic RPG's fate. Either they will be cancelled or they will be made into wii games ort action console or pc games... But we'll see... edit: No, EA won't be getting their hands on Newerwinter Nights as Hasbro has given the D&D license to Atari as as publisher and probably Obsidian? as a developer. /aries101

I hope that the mentioning of Torment in the press release will mean that we get a good as story and as great a dialogue as was in Planescape: Torment. The elements in MotB seems fascinating and remarkable as the expansion seems to target a specific audience.... As for the expansion period being prolonged, this is a very good thing It means that they will have enough time to make the game as bugfree as possible...

I would like to see Obsidian make a sci-fi game set in setting other than the Fallout setting. Maybe a post apoc setting in which the pollution finally has caught up with humankind, or maybe a game in which the global warming finally has taken its toll on us. It could be either cyberpunk or steampunk - or a an original IP made by Obsidian themselves. Up in Noreay deep within the frozen glaciers of the Tundra there seeds from every plants on the Earth. This certainly makes my imagination fly --- I would love Obsidian to make a steampunk adventure game that takes place in the early 2200's. (maybe a game based on the ME' IP ?? Mass Effect's setting would be great as a setting for an adventure game, maybe with some easy stealth sequences and combat sequences plotted in (of course, they should be optional to the player, though), the setting could even be based on Drew Karpashyn's book 'revelations'. Being from Denmark, I would really like to see Obsidian make a decent classic rpg game set in a viking setting about the year 1000 or so. The plot could revolve around the ancient Gods of the vikings vs. the monks, or it could revolve around some of the ancient Nordic myths, legends and tales. A good decent western rpg would be great, too

Hi Did you try going into the Configuration menu --- and changing the resulution to 1024X768 (or something similar) --- Note, however, that these modes in BG2 are unsupported... aries101

HI Not playing hitman myself i still appreciate when other people say that the new hitman game is a great game. It makes me feel good -- knowing that Denmark, Europe, has a very good game making company. And that other people like the product; the game

HI I still think you should buy Oblivion - with the 'tab' key you can change between 3rd person and 1st person view. This really has helped me a lot - since I tend to get motion sickness when camera only are displaying 1st person view/mode. The same goes for Morrowind. I would recommend Baldur's gate Series, Icewind Dale Series (and now, they can be bought in compilation series). Also, you should get the NWN Gold (or premium edition) - it is the one ehich also includes three CEP (Community Expansions) mods. Jade Empire is nice also. Hope this helps --- aries101

HI As I'm sorry as the next chap to hear about Ataris (and hereby Obsidian's) trouble financially, it does not come as a very big surprise to me. When Infogrames and Atari fusioned and the D&D License went to Infogrames/Atari, I suscpected it could well end this way. Why ? Because, IMHO, infogrames and atari today are more it in for the money than in it (the gaming industri) in order to make decent games. When, and if a company (any company, not just a game company) needs to ship a title at a precise date in order to not go chapter 11 - then something is very wrong. The same can be said for the fact that a company fusions with other companies or lays off loads a peoole in order to get black number on the bottom line. [black numbers meaning a profit]. Of course, I'm not blind to the fact that companies, including, gaming companies, shold make money. But the reason (or why) they has to make money, just shouldn't be for the sake of making money - the main reason, should be, IMHO, that the company wants to make good games (or rpgs) for the gaming comminuty. And you what: People are not (that) stupid: They can easily see through all the hype, all the commercialism, all the xx and yy that a game company uses to sell their product (game). And if a game isn't up to their expectations or is too easy or isn't good enough in playablity - people simply won't buy the product. And this the game companies simply have to realize - people play computergames not to fill the gamecompanys hunger for money - but simply because they ave fun playing them. And it brings them hope, comfort, joy and they are feeling something when they play i.e. rpgs. They want to suffer with ther main character, feel saddened as the PC does when a a comrade dies in combat, and they want, at least in their fantasy, to know, that they have helped this world to be a better place - by doing the quests in the game, both the main quest and the side side quests. [i mean, you feel good when you have found a way to release prisoners from slavery etc. etc]. This is want I want to see in a good (rpg) game. And ridable horses, compas, fast travel, etc. etc. aren't something's that bothering me - if they aren't in the game. What I care about is the gameplay, the main quests and the side quests beeing welll done and well written - and maybe not something you haven't seen so far. And just this is what, Bioware, DLA, and Obsidian does. bye

HI I might have the solutin for you. Try to go in the BG Config program (can be found in start - all programs - Black Isle - BG2 Shadows of AMN (or BG - Throne of Bhal, if you installed this). Now click on the BG congig icon - then under graphics - (at the near end of the menu) - choose display. Click in display - and you will see a split screen: To the left there is headline named Game Resolution. Under this there are two options: 640 * 480 and 800 * 600. Under this there is an option for 'unsupported' mode. And the first option is 1024 * 768. Select this option by checking the box to the left next to it. Note that this might cause the world and characters to look really, reallu small. Whar I do is playing BG2 with a game resolution of 800 * 600. And it works just fine. I hope this works out for you. bye aries 101

Hi I do not think that either one of them will win the console war. As I see it each platform/console appeals to different targets group. Xbox 360 appeals to a more mature audience that PS3 does. Typically PS3 will be bought by families, while Xbox 360 would be bought by a bit more mature audience e.g. fathers, males over 25 or 30. And Wii, is as understand is, a console for kids. So each of these console have different strengths and weaknesses. And each of them will be bought by different targets group. bye aries101