Xard

I don't know if it is engine or art direction AND engine but BG2 visuals > Jade Empire Are you trying to say second rate Chewbacca with zero personality is better and more interesting character than twisted, original take on wookiees that illuminates dark shades of those creatures way Star Wars hasn't done elsewhere. (Which is funny when SW movies recognize beast, dangerous nature of wookiees.) Or Handmaiden with her echani philosophy and elektra complexial tendencies (lulz) when it comes to Exile and mysterious blind sith are weaker characters than Bioware Stereotype No1 Bastilla and furry? Carth the crybaby is better character than ever so flimsy Atton or tormented Bao-Dur? Mission Vao is better than G0-T0, droid run amok with conflicting commands? HK-47 in k1 over HK-47 in k2 not to mention T3-M4 which actually is character in K2. Not to mention Nihilus, Sion and Atris as adversaries > Malak Kreia of course beats everyone

of course, but point here is that it WAS China with magixes on it. And that's why eastern people - esp chinese - were frustrated with the game's shallowness. THAT is JE's main problem in everything. In characters, in themes and their handlings, in game mechanics... Anyway, problem with not enough background research was that JE's setting turned out to be some goofy, unbeliavable and shallow dream version of China. Hell, even as fantastic wuxia it fails as Zoma might tell you

Volo, explain how JE's mostly formulaic, cliched and uninspired writing can match Kotor 2 or hell, even Kotor 1? I'm not saying JE was badly written, it wasn't. Occasionally it was very good (demon/girl, ghost children) and most of the time decent. That's what Bio does, decent, occasionally good writing. But it wasn't anything brilliant like K2 that is full with quote material. For example there's nothing on quality and nuances of Atris confrontation in early game, or Handmaiden, or Mira and Zhaalbar etc. Not to mention Kreia. Most of the party members in JE are uninspired cliche sacks (failed jokes like Henpecker Hen, dullness to max like Dawn Star, the Stereotypical Stubid Brute whose name I already forgot, stereotypical tough grumby monk ((what a difference between him and Dak'kon who are the very same archetype!) and goofy madman/scientist) and plot and world resemble Disney take on China and its culture. Hmm, maybe. It still wasn't good as far as eastern art directions go, though this is propably bit unfair as Bio guys are western.

TIME - Special Issue: The Republicans, Page 15 I'll write more about this, and try to post an on-line article or a better picture, tomorrow. summarized:

Cream - Strange Brew

whole game is over the top. In a bad way. btw, that's just YOUR opinion. Only interesting mission from Tien's Landing I remember were ghost children (game's best) and getting husband for crime boss Anyway, not liking missions =/= they're rushed

ahh, you're just trolling Volo is right on rushing thing

you can't srsly claim JE's writing is better than K2's

egad, I lol'd No Metallica 4 my guitar epics Well, maybe Enter Sandman but only that. Less stuff after 70's on my guitarz list the better. Heck, how could I forgot Fripp/King Crimon's Red? It's best rock instrumental ever! Jeff Beck - A Day In Life edit: also some Mark Knoppfler/Dire Straits. ...as I said, horrible job.

The rushedness showed in most quests in Imperial City being really underdeveloped and boring. The Lotus Academy was just a retread of the Sith Academy from KOTOR, and they had to resort to even a second academy! Plus you had the arena which took up the bulk of the time there. Also if you look at the world map, it's similar to maps in other Bio games, but this one only has 2 locations, with there really being no point to traveling between them. Clearly there were originally supposed to be more locations, but they got cut. And what weak area in HL2? Uhh, that's called Standard Bio Developing It had nothing to do with "rushing". Hell, Bio games are not rushed Imperial City is chockful with different missions, theater, battle circle, two masters fighting for control of school, the "western" ****...

how did this rushedness show? JE is many things, but being rushed isn't one of them That's like blaming weak area in HL2 as rushedness

yeah, as you might've noticed since I didn't make any other mentions on it I gave up on the idea Well, it already managed to have: David Gilmour/Pink Floyd*: Dogs Sheep Coming Back to Life Money Run Like Hell (preferrably Live version) And from his solo material: Take A Breath Jimi Hendrix: Fire All Along the Watchtower Voodoo Child (THE GREATEST GUITAR SONG EVER) Little Wing Freedom Purple Haze Night Bird Flying Crosstown Traffic Manic Depression Highway Chile Machine Gun From George Harrison/The Beatles I Want You (She's So Heavy) Pixies/Joey Santiago: Debaser Wave of Mutilation Number 13. Baby Dead From Frank Black: Ole Mulholland Freedom Rock From Slash/GNR: Welcome to the Jungle Sweet Child O Mine Eric Clapton/Whatever band he plays in; Layla Sunshine Of Your Love This was as far as I got before I realized the idea was utter madness (and I hadn't got on to Van Halen, Jimmy Page et al AT ALL yet!!!!) Anyway: Jimi Hendrix - Hey Joe *I didn't want to include Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Comfortably Numb, Echoes etc. other Gilmour's guitar skills masterpieces like those because they would've breaken the mood by being so goddamn beautiful instead of RAWWR LETS RAWK

Frank Black - Ole Mulholland my favourite Black song

Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing

Jimi Hendrix - Fire

Guns N Roses - Welcome to the Jungle moar guitar epicness hmm, this is it. I shall make and burn album cleverly named GUITAR EPICZ

Frank Black and the Catholics - Blast Off kickass guitar epic

Jimi Hendrix - Stone Free

ermm what that's way wrong analogy

Jimi Hendrix - Bold As Love

I think I mentioned earlier that anyone with this belief is clearly under 25. Or a virgin.

Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing I just got Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix OH YEAH

The Beatles - Penny Lane

Ranger, I'll write answer tomorrow unless someone else first writes why D&D is superior as turn based That had nothing to do with it really, the story is what set's those two games apart. Plus the music, voice acting, production, design, art direction........ and gameplay and stability. Why I brought IWD1 up is because I knew that apologists would rise up to defend Troika with arguments like "they weren't given enough time!", "Atari ****ed them over!" and similar.

You mean the NWN2 OC? The slideshow? oh dear. That was a painfully uninspired ending. It seemed to scream, "Sorry, we're out of money." The battle slideshow before with Nasher was painful too. Why not cutscenes? I know people here tsk tsk Bio for using them too often. But if there's ever times story-wise for a cutscene over a monologue, it's to heighten the dramatic tension of the plot right before the end-game and to provide closure to the story at it's conclusion. If we could have a cutscene before the duel in Act2, why couldn't we have had them there, where they made much more sense? The slideshows gave off a terribly familiar feeling (for those of us who played TSL) of 'lack of finish' to the NWN2 OC. Slideshow at end to show consequences of your actions is ancient BIS/OE trademark that has been present since Fallout. poolofpoo was being clearly sarcastic though because narrating was horrible. And Nasher clip wasn't cutscene for obvious reason; GAME COULDN'T HAVE HANDLED IT Remember resource hogness of NWN2's engine