Maria Caliban

My only real problem with the character models is that the head and neck of every female suggests advanced osteoporosis. It appears no woman in the Forgotten Realms has ever learned to stand up straight.

This is important for a Drow pimp.

Getting back money after you've preordered is a pain in the ass. Even if the game never ships.

As someone who has gone through large portions of various games in God Mode, I'd have to say that doing so is most likely against the principles of play the developers intended. I wasn't disagreeing with you. I was just trying to broaden the definition of cheating so it was based on the spirit of a game instead of the specific rules.

Neato.

CrashGirl: "hmmm. What if you define cheat as breaking rules for the purpose of winning?" That's not in my dictionary. However, I'd question what constitutes a rule and what it means to break one. It appears the rules themselves are quite mutable, not only goes the game give me difficulty levels that alter gameplay rule, but the developers release patches that alter them as well. If the rule itself is what's important [Three shot burst to the head with Viper 5 using armor piercing rounds does 35 pts damage] then why does changing my difficulty level mean that I now do 45 pts damage, while the AI opponents do 25? Either: 1) That's not a rule 2) It's a rule that the developer's of the game don't feel like following I'd suggest that it's not the rule itself that matters, but that rules are just the tools game developers use in service of a greater principle. I'd suggest that cheating is not breaking the rule of a game, but neglecting the principles behind those rules.

Your drow is tiny. She should start drinking milk.

As I said, I don't believe you can cheat at a single player game. To cheat is to deprive someone of something via deceit, or to defeat another through trickery. Suggesting you could cheat at a game of solitaire is like suggesting you can cheat when you're single. There is no one to cheat.

Hmmm, I can deal with that. I tend to see a difference between genre fantasy and generic fantasy. The Wheel of Time and the Icewind Dale trilogy are great examples of what I'd characterize as generic fantasy, though the Wheel of Time has no elves or dwarves. The Tough Guide to Fantasyland would be the bible of generic fantasy.

I remember when NWN 2, there was a long thread in which many of us cracked open the toolset and got to modding. Does anyone here still mod? Will anyone be entering the contest?

I'd suggest that you can't cheat at a single person game.

Then make a game that is pure love. pr0n: the game. I'd release it for PC and the wii.

I'm starting to wonder at the schematics involved here. Is 'generic fantasy' just the term people use for any setting with elves, dwarves, magic, and a technological base from the dark ages to the renaissance?

Umm.. no. Have you seen the PC women in NWN2?

I think an RPG in which you attacked people with cricket bats would be awesome. Sort of like American McGee's Alice.

Wow, my first day in the big city: Neverwinter. I hope people don't discriminate against me because I'm a beautiful, chaotic good, duel-wielding drow.

Neat.

Is a Viper 5 really more recognizable than a sword? The average person uses neither. It seems to be just another type of fantasy weapon.

You're awesome because you agree with me and because our avatars are cousins. I believe that in CoC, you don't even have a weapon at that point. In SH, you first see Pyramid Head in a cutscene where he's raping a manikin demon. You hide in a closet while he passes by dragging its body. I don't think it's a coincidence that these are both horror filled games. As the PC is 'weak' instead of a rogue 10/fighter 2/ranger 4 with a +5 cold iron sword of flame, the player cares more about surviving than beating opponents. The earlier point about interface is important as well. A FP game or the behind the shoulder of CoC and SH makes running, climbing, sneaking, and other environmental interactions pleasurable. A party based game (unless it was party in a pocket) or a isometric view is great for strategic battles, but not so good for environmental interactions.

It's easy to confuse yourself with this game.

I'm going to say that this discussion is getting silly. Of course, neither Aliens nor DA can claim wholly original elements. I'll also point out that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Beyond Good and Evil, Fallout, BG2, Planescape: Torment, Half-Life, Vampires: Bloodlines, and damn near every great computer game does not have completely original elements. kirottu, If I may be so kind, the issue seems to be that you haven't enjoyed the Bioware games you've played. On the other hand, Volourn and I have enjoyed them a great deal. If this is the case, then you probably won't like DA and we will. As for what about DA interests me: A dark fantasy setting Instead of a plethora of races and classes, they've streamlined the choices and concentrated on making them more meaningful. The lack of an alignment system An influence system for your companions Origins that provide prologue stories and influence NPCs reactions throughout the game. Magic being rare and feared No instant health or mana potions Resting and companion swapping only available at campsite An injury system Superior weapons and armor are obtained by crafting rare metals instead of picking up another +2 longsword from a fallen orc. I think Knights of the Old Republic was the apex of fruit-loops fantasy gaming. At no time did I feel menace, depth, complexity, or realism. Everything was bright and easy. On the other hand, that's Star Wars. If Bioware can give me a Song of Ice and Fire as well as it gave me Star Wars then I'll be happy.

You left the building withou the flash drive? Did you find Strelok's secret hide-away? I found it, then spent fifteen minutes searching it for the flash drive. It's bright white and stuck in a dark corner behind a pile of stuff.

Why should consumers be anything but selfish when it comes to shelling out $60 for entertainment? If I didn't feel like being selfish, I'd donate the money to Greenpeace instead.

So far, my favorite part of the game is that mind melting mutant. I've encountered one invisable mutant so far, but I spotted it while it was still cloaked and killed it with a few head shots. The mind bender is EVIL though! I was walking down a corridor when I hear a mutant growl. I assumed it was another cloaked mutant hiding in the darkness in front of me, so I'm creeping along when I'm suddenly yanked along the hallway then face punched back to my body. My vision is blurry, so I decide to waste the ammunition fire blindly into the darkness. This doesn't work. At all. After being torn from my body twice more, I decide to run like the frightened girl I am. I turn tail and am sprinting down the corridor when my now horribly double vision makes out a figure. IT WAS BEHIND ME THE WHOLE TIME. But, I swear is wasn't there before. How did it get there? No time to think. Fire blindly. Run, run, run back to the darkness now. I now am in complete blackness and I can't see a damn thing, the walls won't hold still. I duck behind a outcropping. Okay, vision starting to get normal. First aiding self. It obviously has great long-range strengths, so I'll going to hide behind this outcropping. Sneak a peak down the hall. Yeah, it's following me. Switch to shotgun. I'm gonna blow off its swollen head as soon as it rounds the bend. Just steady shotgun...steady...steady... Not steadying. Am blurring again. Vision is turning red. Metallic whining in ears. What's happening? Oh f--k. Oh f--k. The closer it gets, the worse this becomes. If it gets close range, I'm helpless! Lob a grenade! F--k that, lob two! My vision is now red mush. Tossing grenade where I think mutant is. Vision is jerking wildly left and right. Did I toss it anywhere near it? Tossing another. Imma gonna get you, you mother- Massive explosion. Redness stops immediately. No more whining. I got it! Igotit-Igotit-Igot- Massive explosion. Maria dies.

I'm trying to understand what conclusion you've made about me that led you to this statement.