Lancer

Planescape:Torment is simply the greatest RPG ever made on any platform. It's greatness has already been explained to death by myself and many others on this board (and others)and so if you haven't played it yet.. Then shame on you. It's a perennial classic.

Over-rated: Call of Cthulhu Under-rated: SLA Industries

Over-rated: the puny blue pearl of life we call Earth Under-rated: Other planets

I know what you mean. People don't realize this but Northeast summers are extremely hot. It's cold in the wintertime but also very hot in the summertime. After having lived 12 years in NYC and having suffered though those awful summer heat waves, I think that Orlando and Phoenix are pretty nice in comparison. The only thing comparable would be the Carribbean.

You live in a swamp too? Yes.. I am Shrek the ogre.

Kissimmee? Cool.. My home is in Casselberry actually which is right outside of Orlando but nobody's ever heard of Casselberry so it is easier to say Orlando. So far I would say that the heat in Orlando and Phoenix are pretty comparable. Temps run higher in Phoenix (it can get over 115 degrees in the summertime) but the lack of humidity makes the heat survivable. Although Orlando doesn't quite get to 115, the humidity makes it feel about 15-20 degrees hotter than it actually is. It actually felt even hotter in Orlando the last few weeks before I left then it has been here. Although Orlando does get real hot, the frequent rainshowers subdues the heat at least temporarily. In Phoenix, though, it hardly ever rains so there is less respite from it overall. If you don't like humidity I think you would find Phoenix's climate more tolerable in general. And since Phoenix is not a swamp (like Florida is) there isn't that mosquito problem... There's just scorpions and snakes instead.

I am in graduate school here in Phoenix but Orlando, Fl. is where I hail home. I am originally from NYC, however.

Out of topic comment: I loved Marvel comics.. Makes me want to run a Champions game

Why, thanks! :D

Rebuttal: I would put classes under the under-rated category. It seems people overwhelmingly prefer skill-based to class-based systems so classes are hardly "over-rated." 3e is over-rated but classes are more like under-appreciated.

Over-rated: Mages Under-rated: Knights, Fighters, Paladins

hehe :D . To tell you the truth.. I have always wondered why so many adults are appealed by Harry Potter. To me they are children's books plain and simple. But hey..whatever makes people happy I guess. *shrugs*

J.K. Rowlings revived reading among adults too! :D Look at how many Harry Potter fans there are above the age of 20!

Rebuttal: Wolverine. is. cool.

Over-rated: The "thin-is-in" philosophy Under-rated: curves

Over-rated: higher education Under-rated: obtaining success in life through other venues

I'll remember to look at my Shadowrun/Cyberpunk equipment listings again.

Games like Deus Ex and Syphon Filter are definite sources of inspiration! Procedures on creating fictional agencies....Agency structure, ranks, how to get promoted, how to become a covert op within the said agency...etc Futuristic covert op equipment lists...What we think covert op technology and equipment would be like 100 or so years from now based on our own guesses from contemporary science fiction....and so on

And that's the thing.. changing the PC from a freelanc merc to a government agent will be very different in the details. It is one thing to have a Mr. Johnson to work for.. But it is a totally different beast altogether when it is the CIA. And I am not looking for a ruleset..Actually, I already have one(FUZION). I just wanted to see if there was a guidebook that specifically went over how to design and run a covert ops campaign down to how to become one, agency details, training, procedures, perks and what not.

A Shadowrunner performs ops covertly. They are illegal, and one must rely on stealth and gadgets. You said in the future. Take James Bond and put him in the future and he'd be a Shadowrunner. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Take James Bond in the future and he'd be Denton in Deus Ex. The operative phrase is "traditional military/intelligence" agency. Shadowrunners tend to work for an illegal individual, a drug lord, (i.e "Mr. Johnson") which does not fit the government/intelligence agency requirement. Covert ops like Gabe in Syphon Filter, or Denton in Deus Ex, or James Bond work for a governmental agency. Shadowrunners are hired illegal streetpunks (hence cyberpunk or "tech goth") and not covert operatives much in the same way that street thugs aren't covert ops.

Ohhh.. I didn't see this one. I only saw the Holy Grail :D Was this one very funny as well?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ok.. without being esoteric, could you care to explain the "reference?"

No I didn't..I knew what you meant. You were making a sarcastic remark for Eldar basically saying that everyone else is the same except yourself. My little speel was really made to qualify Eldar's original comment that we are all "the same." Something that I both agree and disagree with on different levels.

Whether we are the same or different is a philosophical question which depends on what level you are talking about. We are all the same in the sense that we are all humans of the genus "homo" and the species "sapiens." However, we are different in the sense that we all have our own combination of different life experiences, attitudes, tastes, likes, dislikes, peeves, customs..etc.

true that.. except I'll add one more thing.. over-rated: trying to be different just because OR trying to be the same as everyone else just because (both extremes are bad) under-rated: being yourself no matter what