LadyCrimson

I noticed Lee Pace plays McCone (I like that chr in the novel), which I can't decide if that's good casting or not. I have nothing better to do right now, perhaps I'll rent/watch it. And yeah ... wouldn't surprise me if they change the ending to be more positive re: main chr. I say that because I think it'd be hard to make it more negative than the novel. Unlike The Mist, the novel wasn't ambiguous. Haha. These films usually just make me want to pull books out of a box and reread them.

Peter Greene, 60 - chr. actor. Probably best recalled re: his unsavory role in Pulp Fiction, but for some reason I always think of his tiny role in The Usual Suspects or maybe The Mask.

^ Is it at least more like the novel? I liked the short novel a fair bit. It's not a total fave of mine but I liked it, especially the ending segments. But that Arnold film had almost zero resemblance/didn't like it much (ok, it had some 80's action-cheese chuckles and Richard Dawson was great fun). I was hoping the new version might at least be better than that, re: the actual King tale, but I didn't/don't have high hopes. 😄

Turn-based counts me out - well, 98% chance of that, anyway. The only Divinity I played was Divine Divinity, anyway (GoG version ages ago), and I assume new Divinity wouldn't resemble anything like that, even if it wasn't TB. 😄 I don't think I finished DD. I remember really liking the early game/early dungeons, having a grand old time. But I don't remember why I stopped. I vaguely feel like I found the enemy power curve too high or something, like jogging two screens over was occasionally akin to exploring the "wrong" way in FONV and running into deathclaws. So at some point after much optional mucking about, gear etc, I followed MQ where I promptly died in some fantastic unexpected fashion, or ran into my usual "story commits choices, ugh" and I didn't want to bother. But maybe I'm mixing up memories again, heh.

Tempted to buy/try "Date Everything!" since it's designed by VA Ray Chase (he co-founded SassyChapGames with Robbie Daymond and Max Mittleman) and voiced by a plethora of VA's/actors, but the game itself - not sure I'd like it. I have liked, say, some otome's if they have a good/fun story but this comedy (?) dating sim looks a bit too absurd or overwhelming (100 dateables seems too many) for me. Although perhaps the silly would be the charm. But I wishlisted it - maybe I'll be in the mood for silly one late night. So for the moment I still stick with an hour or two of more Teddy's Heaven shop-keeping once in a while as a midnight-chaser. Although in a couple weeks I'll probably try 7 Days, 2.5. Maybe. Jars are apparently (mostly) back, which I don't care about - but other things they've changed, I might.

Last round of hubby's back stuff: so far, 4+ days after hospital visit, no result. It's the last non-surgical attempt (injections in various specific spine/vertebrae locations to target specific things), before they decide that nerve surgery is the only option. This last one surprised him by causing leg pain/numbess in one leg. He could barely walk to the car. Spinal nerve connections and all (not uncommon with this shot location, I guess). It went away/leg was fine after a day tho.

A new Kotor type game might be interesting. Let's see - "maybe" 2030? I'll be, what, 63ish (or 62ish?)? By then I might even have built a new PC! Most of those trailers do nothing for me, as usual. All I do anymore is look at the $20-$40 indie/small dev types where I feel I can still find games with gameplay mechanics I actually like. I'm beginning to loosen my notion of wanting to wait/how long to wait re: early-access. If it's cheap enough, screw it. I'll go back to the "if I initially get 30-50+ hrs out of it, good enough" mentality.

Re: Tim Cain news - well, firstly, that's awesome. Secondly - I'd rather it be a new IP. I almost always would rather it be a new IP. Because then there's hope that it could be the one that would reignite in me an interest in an rpg, again, if only for a short while.

You can just watch the first 80 seconds of this video. That's the section that amused me re: the video's title question. The rest is the usual "they ruined a beloved franchise/no longer aimed at original audience" type stuff. But yeah - in terms of promo posters and this franchise (which I didn't know existed until I saw this video) - imo it's awful. But hey, I'm not the target audience anymore so whatever. 😄

Wow. I haven't felt that type of cheer-emotion watching a solo skating routine since Scott Hamilton (not that I've paid tons of attention to such for a long time, mind 😛 ). Back then they were still all doing (or trying to do) triples IIRC. What a performance. And I guess they made the backflip legal at some point. I remember Scott only doing them in non-competitive shows because couldn't do them then.

I was expecting a lot more LOL corny sounds. There is a bit of that (mostly the dialogue bits) but the sound effects are pretty fun and nifty. Every time the engine duh-duh-doo-doo-doodoooo-wherrrr types went off I both laughed and admired. They broke it up into four short parts, this is the first one.

Tons of news clips re: this but I found this one the funniest. "Now the bear with the big butt has a friend." LOL At first I thought it was one of the tiny rectangular vent holes, but guess it's the main (human/worker) access "window/hole" which are larger - which based on the ones I've seen/owned, I *can* see a black bear fitting into, but the video is hilarious.

Yeah, I get it's a main aspect of the game, ofc (not a peaceful game, lol), I just meant there seemed to be at least one early (?) quest/thing where you could do it that I saw, and sometimes that means there's more like that - like the kinds of constant run/avoid speed runners might take advantage of. But I have no clue, maybe they were using some glitch to their advantage, or it was still a tutorial area with different rules or something. It does look (story, npc) cutscene heavy but Chinese games I've tried before, it probably won't bother me much (vs. US games). I was planning on using original language/subtitles (even if text translations aren't always awesome), the Eng dialogue/dub/whatever sounds horrid. Combat mechanics probably are a bit more than I want - I find constant parrying/dodge timing annoying/difficult AND tedious/boring vs. exciting/gratifying - but I'll probably try it at some point. If it was offline I'd just mod it but - plus re: waiting, I'm curious if they'll actually mellow out the supposed multi-multi menu nightmares a bit. they've supposedly said they're "looking at that" re: complaints.

^ Ok I finally found one of those 15+ hr videos re: the story questing (vs long reviews/should you buys/guide to, et al). To me it looks like most grunt combat you could mostly brute force if you felt like it, or avoid entirely (example: keep running and click on quest things fast enough to trigger cutscenes before enemies can engage), but bosses seem pretty "souls like." Lot of optional bosses one doesn't have to do, of course, too, but story bosses same mechanics. There is a story-mode difficulty and an "on screen parry prompt" option, but doesn't sound like it tones things down a lot if you're wanting to mostly story/explore. Although they could change this later. So think I'll wait a few months and see what they do/change with the US/international version of this game. Another one of those "wish it was/had an offline/SP version" because that aspect looks great (I'd even pay vs. free to have one). But then they couldn't deluge you with "buy this costume" menus. Or that yacht for super whales.

Anyone here try that Where Winds Meet (f2p, cosmetic MT only) that seems to be all the rage? My main concern/bugaboo (outside of the always online I think) would be combat. Game world looks like my kinda thing (you can SP it/ignore the MP elements entirely) but combat looks like some form of souls-lite, with the constant circle, parry/dodge to not die, type mechanics. If it's "lite" enough (Tainted Grail) I might find it tolerable/fun but if it's too much like Sekiro et all... I keep meaning to try it since it's free to download, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I might this week - but just curious if anyone already has and could speak re: combat.

Making a chunky chicken/veggie/spinach soup - put some cubed wheel gouda cheese in it to melt for flavor, and a small amount of ham bits. Change of pace from my more typical flavors. Might've put in too much onion (well, for hubby's tastes) but spoon-tastes say I'll still like it just fine. 😛 Soup on a cold evening, then maybe another movie. Then maybe a couple hours of game in the wee hours. I do like my quiet life. Hope everyone (if applicable for your area) had a nice thankful holiday.

Train Dreams (film, via Netflix) A meaning/purpose of life (one man's life) film? There's no plot per se, shifts from scene to scene, moment to moment, not tons of dialogue, contemplative. I'd say the ending is slightly unsatisfying - or too abrupt perhaps. But it was beautiful in many parts. Although, if one cannot stand film narration ever, it has a lot of it (Will Patton as narrator). I have no big love for narration but it didn't bother me much here, with the way the film is structured. It's kind of an Oscar-bait film I suppose. Anyway - Joel Edgerton does some of his best work I think, and William H Macy (in a very small role) added a lot. Not a best ever, for me, but for the film type, maybe a 7.5 or 8 out of 10.

Tried watching a few episodes of the modern Quantum Leap show. It was ok, but had little of the charm of the original, at least in those early episodes. Not that I was a huge Quantum Leap fan but I like the original's first season or two. Netflix recently acquired (or reacquired) several of my fave k-romedies from 10-15 (more or less) years ago, trucks of doom, amnesia, life in danger and other old tropes and for a couple of the older ones, cheap cinematography/extra soapy feeling, included. Which is awesome because I can nostalgia rewatch/skim through them this winter. Sidenote: kdrama "huge forehead covering" male haircuts back then were hilarious, sometimes.

Every time I see "news" re: PC parts/prices "panics" etc, I pat my PC and compliment it, to encourage it keep running for, oh, say, 5 more years. It's not even the money, for me - it's becoming principle/disgruntlement. Also, my old tablet is still going like a champ, hope it works for another 8 years. I seriously use it more than the desktop for browsing/youtube etc. Makes me happy I'm no longer generally interested in any of the big name new titles. I'll also be keeping an eye on where that Steam machine goes. Could be a decent solution for ppl like me, in another generation or three. Wouldn't be my ideal solution but I'd probably like it a lot more than a PS/Xbox, the way things are going. Also - it's cloudy and cool and I'm just going to stay in bed all afternoon. 😛 Also also - current hubby back treatments did zip.

Always loved this story-song. When I was really little, it even made me sad. Poor Big Bad John. : / But I never knew there was a "sequel song." I don't like it nearly as much, but hey, I don't have to mourn for Big John anymore. 😄

Ah. Well, I didn't read all their announcements or dev blogs or any such. I just knew it was being made/probably saw some "upcoming" videos, quick read the store page, and bought it on ea-release. I still think it's a weird thing to utilize early-access for. I know "everyone" raises the price on full release, ofc.

Karate Kid Legends - in a review of The Long Walk, the young Asian actor in that was mentioned re: this movie. Which made me go "There's yet another KK movie?" ----certainly can't hold a candle to the original film (RIP, Pat), but there was enough scattered nostalgia-bait to make me smile. I liked the middle section with the father chr. the most, it had the best chr. moments imo - the bully vs underdog aspects didn't work for me here because it seemed to take backstage, thus "don't care". I liked it a fair bit better than Will Smith's son version - although since - outside of J. Chan - I actively disliked that one, not sure if that's a glowing endorsement. Last Samurai Standing - battle royale, short series, in the after-Edo period. Desperate ex-samurai get into a thing - with over-dramatic political/rich conspiracy in the background. ----I wasn't super feeling it until the 3rd episode. 3rd episode was a corker imo and convinced me. Once the number of people is whittled down a bit, series starts to come together better. ----action sequences, mostly awesome. Camera work, choreography. ----No magic/superpowers, but some of that anime speed/strength, especially a couple chrs. ----you'll hear "it's like Squid Game" a lot perhaps in reviews. But outside of the rich politicians making bets (which IS very squid game feeling), the rest isn't. ----mostly action, some humanistic elements, good cast, I ended up liking it. Action stuff: 8.5/10, overall: 6,5/10

They pointed out a camera on one of the halftracks (tanks) early in the walk, IIRC. But that was about the extent of it in the film. Also, IIRC, the novel had 100+ walkers, they would walk through towns/larger areas more often, with lots of side-fans/watchers, cameras, adding to the audience spectacle/sport-event of it. The decision to only have that slightly at the end wasn't a great one, imo. I wish they'd kept the watermelon-tossing man in there. Edit: also, Stebbin's chr. was given short shrift in the film. He was really important/influential in novel.

Teddy's Haven (a fantasy shop simulator type game) - early access, single person dev, asset pack flip use I assume. Dev does small updates very frequently, like adding a new shop item, performance tweaks, other things. Recently he placed a giant new door into a rockface, purpose unknown. They've set it up where updates shouldn't require a new start, which is great. Haven't really played a "shop simulator" game before. They all mostly looked kinda boring/static, plus I don't care about being a mechanic or power wash or lawn care business. This one caught my attention because of the smallish "outside/world map" aspect, and cats and stuff. It has one of those (over time) repetitive loops (get resources to make stuff to sell/expand shop), and as you unlock/purchase more upgrades/crafting the loop becomes more interesting/fun. So it's charming, a bit funny, the fact you're not locked into a shop/can explore the small world is initially rewarding, and it's possibly the coziest of no pressure coziest. No time pressure, no combat, etc. There's no real challenge or boundaries (this is on purpose), it's a vibe, a design/deco shop layout, busy work. So it's been perfect for my current zone-out brain. Would I recommend it to the regulars of this forum? Nah. I mean, if such is your thing, it's a pretty good time waster. And it's cute. And has cats. And penguins, goats, giraffes occasionally show up to buy your wares, because I guess animals occasionally need a good dagger or two - which is funny. And you can buy this tiny Oreling, feed it excess stone, and it'll grow, and grow, and grow.....I'm still wondering if it has a size limit.