Walsingham

I understand Sawyer's point about balance. However, I personally have no problem with getting varying payoffs on skillpoints across the timeline of a game. That is I don't mind investing in energy or big guns early on if it pays in spades later. This was particularly true with Fallout Tactics. I understand sacrifice for gain. Don't make me face a flatline playing curve throughout. It's boring. It's doesn't forceme to learn new tactics or abandon old ones. Now, with regard to his point about folding skills together, that I don't get. But I would suggest an alternative. Specialisation. Basically, you can only get so good as a generalist. Past a certain percentage you have to narrow your focus. Shadowrun used to do thi svery successfully. Gun -> pistols -> revolvers -> .357 magnum -> a specific .357, for example. Balancing specialisation is tricky, and it militates against trying multiple weapons which is nice for variety. But specialisation is cinematic. I'd rather get my variety in combat from the bad guys using different tactics; different weather conditions, different terrain. The example I'd use is the line regiment in Empire Total War. Most European powers stick with line regiments throughout, and they get better and better. The variety comes from fighting in different places, and against things from Elephants to seige mortars. Same tool, different canvas.

The companion mod looked interesting. Changed their combat AI and spruced their looks.

I believe that if anything, she'd do YOU.

I don't think I mentioned I saw Das Boot. It really is awesome. Had to watch it in three tranches, but was superbly paced.

I can't take a claim that the US has massively worse mental health levels very seriously. But more importantly I can't see how it's relevant to the OP.

I'll say this low and slow: BECAUSE THEY LIVE THERE. If the people who live on the islands say the name is 'Falklands', and they vote freely to stay British, then I say we ****ing listen to them. End of.

Yeah, slave labour which costs about 45000 a year to maintain (not violent offenders, who cost more). Then does an unreliable menial job which a machine could do better and cheaper. I don't think slaves have been an economic option outside mining for about 200 years!

Sorry to hear about your father in law, Hurlshot. Hope your wife is coping OK. ~~ My Valentines woo-fest got out of whack and I had to spend two days effectively holding station, but once launched totally successful. Probably a first for surprise presents of creativeness.

Feeling a bit better, thanks to Nina Simone. EDIT: Proving that I quite literally can't dance, I just did a groovy side-shimmy ...and pulled something in my shoulder.

Would you care to develop that point, Orogun?

They may not be walsausages, but stem cells can literally mend a broken heart: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9080921/Scarred-hearts-can-be-restored-to-health-with-stem-cell-treatment-say-researchers.html

Having watched four episodes of The Wire yesterday I can see how some aspects of gang life would help with the Army. But the things it won't help with are what the British Army calls values and standards. http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/v_s_of_the_british_army.pdf Selfless commitment - not really Courage - definitely a demand for this Discipline - in some ways, but no the all the way round discipline the Army wants ...the good kind Integrity - *snort* Loyalty - Ostensibly, yes. But the actual mechanics of dealing directly conflict with this. the reality is likely to be otherwise Respect for Others - *guffaw*

Not in romantic mood today as close friend hit by sudden family death. They had been so full of happiness recently. Just awful.

According to Shake Hands with the Devil (from memory), the Belgians merely succeeded in breaking discipline by acting like hired goons, and ****ing what llittle credibility the UN had with the various parties. Their CO was furious.

I have completed and giftwrapped the steel, copper, and silver necklace I made yesterday (with the aid of a friend with a forge - never go without one), pink champagne, chocolates. Oh yeah. Ready to crash and burn. Wish me luck, chaps.

Following from other comments, without wanting t obe too prescriptive, I'd suggest an innovative setting. Possibly something ostensibly shiny-shiny. But with a flawed protagonist. A screwup with obvious weaknesses, sometimes en-nobled by better intensions or scruples. Surrounded by hordes of staggeringly well-crafted characters. Criminal investigation would be cool. But it's a tricky one to do well. i.e. make it so you can draw the wrong conclusions and follow dead ends and get the wrong fellah sent to the dragon chair. The dragon chair is like an electric chair except it's more flamey, and it's got wheels.

Kickstarter's a damn good idea, if you ask me. Speaking which, whatever happened to that film about the moon nazis?

Maybe they just like the band Kiss?

Having thought about it more I think perhaps the weirdest thing is why a marine would imitate any other military outfit. I thought the POINT of being a jarhead was refusing to kowtow to anyone. Let alone a bunch of ubermensch wannabes who got soundly thrashed.

Mexico reckon they've lost 40k to just their bit of the war on drugs. It's pointless debating the figures with Junai because he believes a New World Order runs everything, hence any number is going to be greeted with joyous relish. 50, 500, 500 million makes hardly any difference.

probably a bigger brain. Harder to occupy.

That's old news. Amd quite honestly while I can see it's a publicity own goal, if I'd just shot a bunch of ****ers whose stated intention is to enslave a nation and systematically rape its intellectual and social life then I'd probably vomit on them. But posing with SS flashes?

Junai, I honestly have no idea what the hell you are trying to say. ~~ Back on topic, did anyone else not know there was a candidate called Fred Karger in the race? Right wing paper the Daily Telegraph actually has a piece decrying his absence from offical sanction or planning. Apparently it's because he's gay. This kind of discrimination makes my blood boil. However you feel about gayness the notion that it's the ultimate standard beyond which a man cannot go - even when he's cheated on his wives, abandoned pinciples, thrown tantrums or advocated military capitulation - simply makes a mockery of any moral standards at all. It seems to indicate that the GOP, and indeed all conservatives, ultimately are just sex-obsessives rather than having anything useful to offer. I know I'm a reactionary old bastard. But I like to think I have better things to judge a person on than where they prefer to put their dingaling.

It's a pretty simple sell, Oblarg. "These programs are only for dumb lazy people. YOU aren't dumb or lazy. Join me in abolishing them." Which forgets the awful truth that they're also for unlucky people. And I guarantee that you are either dumb or lazy or unlucky. The number of people who aren't at least one must number no more than 3 figures.

I'm on my third plyathrough of vanilla skyrim. No complaints here. Love it. Hated Oblivion, and Fallout 3. Go Beth, go. NTW, I can see how it's perfectly sound that they didn't get a lot of this in first time. Once teh thing is up and running it's a lot easire to tack stuff on parasitically than it is to build the whole engine in the first place.