Tigranes

Now, now. Let's not be homocultural. (Yes, go on, adopt that ridiculous term with its ironic undertones, go on) I liked the idea of achievements when I first heard them, because I think they'd be fun for silly, weird or odd things that you do - and, especially, if the list of achievements is never revealed until you do them. All you know is there are 10 achievements in a game, and then, ding, you might get one for finding a dozen secret passages in Thief, or sticking fifty arrows in a single target like a pincushion in Oblivion, or destroying a hundred cliff racers in Morrowind. Things that are a wry sort of communication between dev and player and reward you for playing the game your way. But y'know, now we have ridiculous achievements for, say, completing compulsory plot points (YOU ARE A GREY WARDEN, CONGRATULATIONS) that are like, well, getting a medal for having arms, and the list gets published even before the game. Kind of pointless, you'd think.

Annie Carlson, Brian Mitsoda (Doublebear) and Gareth Fouche have provided feedback on the upcoming AOD combat demo. I think the thing that really makes me look forward to AOD's combat (and I otherwise wouldn't, because I always prefer squad combat and tend to see one-man TB combat as pretty dull) is the way in which you can really differentiate playing styles within standard categories (like 'fighter') and really see that translate into playing experiences... or, so it is said. The entire system seems to be built with that in mind, that playing a shield basher or net thrower or sneaky bowman or whatnot is all possible and differentiated with real consequences to how you fight and how well you fight. Feel free to moan about the graphics again, but it looks good enough for me, technically speaking. Art direction is nothing to write home about, but (this might be completely wrong) nobody on the team strikes me as particularly artistically oriented, so it's hard to expect anything else.

DnD did a lot of good for the gameplay, I think, if not as much for the setting (though it could have done). The very fact that you were bringing in such a big system into RPGs instead of making your own just meant you were going to always end up with a lot of things, sometimes a lot more than you needed or wanted. Spells weren't being made on the spot for that game, you were picking from a huge list. I actually see that as a good thing, since BG2 for instance became a festival of spells and abilities and whatnot. Of course not all of it's going to be useful or even used, but that's inevitable. Better than being 'streamlined' like some later franchises. Besides, the IE games with their plethora of D&D and RTwP were the best tactical combat we've seen in RPGs since - it's decidedly more complex, challenging and interesting than KOTORs, Elder Scrolls, Jade Empire, Mass Effect (wait, I can't say with certainty for that one since I haven't played), the Witcher, etc. I mean that in terms of tactical combat, the range of things you can do and the short-term strategies you can set up, by the way, not in terms of how 'fun' it is. I think someone will come and hit me in the back of the head with TOEE, but I found the first 30 minutes hideously boring, so I've robbed myself of the chance to see whether it's the tactical combat masterpiece some say it is (or the load of buggy crap others say it is). And of course there're games like Wizardry 8, but that's before.

You save the Sword Coast region from an iron ore crisis, banditry and eventually a fruitless war with Amn, then you save Suldanessellar, then you foil a classic villain's attempt at godhood. Sounds like a lot of 'saving' here. TOB's storyline could have done a lot better without Melissan - and with more intrigue between the Five, or more active intervention from the Tethyrian regime.

It had the best quests, but the fights were disappointing, IMO - especially with the juggernaut party you inevitably end up with by that point in IWD2. I see it more like a mini 'city' really. BG1 had a lot of 'use-in-all-situations' cheese, I actually have all six characters running around with ranged weapons by default - then only the couple of tanks need switch to melee. It gets a lot more interesting with SCS mod where mages actually use Protection against Normal Missiles a lot more. Running around in circles always works because of this odd design decision throughout the BGs where enemies rarely, if ever, got to be faster than you, but it's not that fun after a while. Having played BG2 before BG1 though, it was just great fun to have spells like Charm, Sleep and Web actually work. Sort of like that cathartic experience in the Oasis.... Spell Sequencer (Fire Shield, Stoneskin, Mirror Image), Improved Alacrity, Greater Malison, then unload every insta-death spell known to D&D. Ironically, the Oasis battle really lets you play Irenicus (as you see him in SOA cutscenes), which makes a lot of roleplaying sense...

I think Torment reached 500k (not counting stupid $5 version sales like 10 years later)?

You used to be able to browse his (small) backlog on myspace, but it's since gone private.

I've never come into contact with any xkcd fans, so his strips remain mildly entertaining. That said, since I consider most webcomics 'mildly entertaining' (i.e. good time killer), I don't consider seeking out webcomic fans a fruitful endeavour.

I don't know. Durlag's Tower had the better story which was delivered effectively throughout the dungeon, whereas WK's was hardly interesting until the final dilemma. DT also really really had you on tenterhooks watching out for traps, and made you really scared to touch anything, which is virtually unique in all IE game levels. Finally, DT had the chessboard fight. :D My epic trilogy run is in Sendai's Enclave, although I already finished WK. Just Abazigal, Balthazar then the final fight. TOB really needed a big proper city with lots of quests and talking (as well as providing a middle-step in loot/xp development), Amkethran really kind of sucks.

I've got a couple of online contacts who I've known for ~7 years. Considering that's a third of my entire lifespan... At work, database keeps breaking which means I have to actually be pretty efficient to meet deadlines.

The invasion of China was a preoccupation with various Japanese regimes throughout the 19th century, and the steps taken to invade and eventually annex Choson/Korea in the late 19th century was explicitly a build-up to a general invasion of China. You'd have needed some massive changes in the direction of the country to have a situation where they weren't getting their nuts itchy about China. Wonder what Hitler would have done without the war. I mean, what happens if he goes with anschluss and everything, but just stops short of Poland? Or if he took Poland, people let him, then he stopped? How long would he have held on to power?

Hello threads are statistically the least nicest places on any given forum.

So your opinion of these games, in fact, stand quite apart from the TB v. RT debate. You like some games and you don't like others, I don't see why you'd need to squish all that into boxes to substantiate some sort of dichotomy. TOEE was just terribly made, the concept wasn't bad. But then, Oblivion was awesome in concept, and just had a few tendons snapped while it was running to the finish line.

I think people who don't like RT are in the minority. They're both fun in their own right. Wait, Daggerfall was TB? It sure as hell wasn't when I played it. Granted, that lasted all of 20 minutes, so...

We did it because we hate Star Wars, you, and your favourite ice cream brand.

As long as the Veteran mode is 'too good' it won't be too bad.

What if you recognise the last frame as a punchline, but as a very poor and stretched one?

I'm pretty sure I've seen one somewhere, but can't remember where.

Yeah. You can only make a top 10 out of the games you've actually played, after all. No need to look at him like some sort of... squid. Anyway, I was never a big fan of the SW setting - one suspects that without lightsabers it wouldn't have been nearly as popular.

I've been playing BG2 with SCSII mod which implements this all-seeing eye, and it is an annoyance, but I feel it's the best compromise to make the Infinity Engine have 'shouting' enemies (i.e. enemies that sound the alarm to each other) and prevent FOW-related cheese. It makes just as little sense that you can fire cloudkills and fierballs from outside the FOW and they'd stand still and never think to look around for where the balls of hurt are coming from. I just wish it's possible to have the AI 'lose' you once you've been found. Conversely, I think Dorotea went overboard with Longer Road - third time trying and it seems I've screwed it up again. For thsoe not in the know, the mod allows you to recruit Irenicus (similarly to Sarevok) at the beginning of TOB, bargaining with him and promising a Bhaalspawn soul. Of course, you have the option of convincing him, through dialogue and your key decisions throughout the game, to not do that and try and redeem himself. It's written very well (given that it's from an author of an actually good Irenicus fanfic) and it's got sensible, harsh C&C, but it's just very easy to screw up. Be just a little snarky in the very first dialogue with Ellesime and you'll never recruit him at all. He pipes up all the time and you have to be right on target, sardonic and witty sometimes, honest and up front in other times. There're also a couple of things you *have* to do (like complete a related mod quest and save the kid from the Lich in Amkethran)... but the global variables show that I haven't been able to convince him yet again. Gah. You can hardly ever tell until much later, either.

Consider it a contact-by-first-degree rule; if your link directly opens up to objectionable content then there's not much scope for dodging it. With something like Zero Punctuation, you get to actually take a look at the site then press play to listen to the profanity. Anyway, everyone feel free to PM with objections, but I will have to eviscerate your dogs afterwards. Shock and horror. At this rate Diablo III will coincide with me starting my PhD.

Volourn is right. *scrub scrub*

I don't think anything in rpg design should be limited by arbitrary rules.

Interesting pick. I'd generally agree, except The Age can be pretty damn lefty when it gets worked up. SMH can be a bit sensational, too, but I don't really think there is one intelligent, principled newspaper you can trust in Australia, unfortunately. Better than NZ with the Dominion Post...

I doubt very much that Sega or Obsidian would want to hold on to the game until after Christmas 2009. October's looking like a good date for them.