Wistrik

That's a bummer, and may prevent me from getting rid of my current computer when I upgrade again. I don't want to have to turn things down just to play games that ran great on older hardware. That's quite odd. BG was wicked fast on my old AMD K6-based computer, and still is on my AMD Athlon64 system. It was BG2, with all its built-in data compression and clunky engine that ran like a hog. I have experienced some oddities like yours in other games though. Ultima IX pauses for some unexplained reason whenever I open a book for reading, something that never happened on older hardware that could barely play the game. IWD2's semi-transparent backgrounds for floating text really lag the game on my newer computer, which never happened on the aforementioned older system. Perhaps it's an issue with WinXP versus Win98SE when it comes to running older games, I don't know. This is one of several reasons I broke down and installed Tutu, even though I'll have to practically redo Tutu to bring it up to my standards of quality. What did it for me wasn't the pathfinding, though it's certainly bad, but rather the inability to sleep inside a building and have a movie other than the outdoor camp scene. Not to mention that I had to flag the indoor region as outdoor, which led to other issues. BG2's "fix" for pathfinding was to rescan nodes at regular intervals. This prevents characters from wandering around, and saved Bioware from rewriting their pathfinding code. It's not perfect, but it's what we're stuck with. Thankfully the AI is fully programmable, as IE scripts are very simplistic. There are limits, but fights can be made more believable with a modicum of effort. If you wish to stay with stock BG, you might try the Fields of the Dead mod. It attempts to improve many things, including AI. I'm not sure about this. SSI's Gold Box games all provided the free attack against a fleeing creature. If it happens in the IE games, it's nearly undetectable thanks to the bastardized personal rounds system. (I so prefer SSI's method of dealing with battles. Tactics didn't revolve around the Space Bar.) Edit: I seem to recall IWD2 re-instating this free attack. I love CRPGs at low levels, because that's usually where the rules shine. Sometimes a game can be a bit too difficult, but usually it's a lot of fun. Once combat becomes easy, I begin to rely on the story and puzzles to keep me occupied. If those fail, the game ends up in the dust bin. As I recall, Minsc hasn't the best dexterity, so his THAC0 is hideous. Get him some DEX equipment and he does much better. You could try him with a bow, since ranged weapons tend to be more useful in BG (they're almost useless in BG2). According to D&D rules, 15 is above average, and 18 strength is heroic. Don't give in to the Powergamer within you. That said, Khalid is better off dualed to a mage and kept in the back of the party. I usually make fighter type characters for BG because of the lack of decent tanks. (And I don't invite evil characters into the party, so Korgan is out.) I hope that all made sense. I'm a real medicine head right now. Being sick sucks.

Here's my list. I just realized that I haven't played very many games featuring developer-created NPCs. Mariah - Ultima IV, V, VI, VII, and IX - my first full-blown magic user party member with a name I've always liked <monster> - Bard's Tale series - any monster/creature that joined the party to help in the fight. Always enjoyed these guys, even if they didn't last long. Loved it when dragons joined the party and would breathe on the enemy. Imoen - BG/2 - excellent thief, pretty funny gal, and a loyal friend Aerie - BG2 - more spells than I could shake a stick at, and I really enjoyed her personality after the counseling was over. (Her initial whining didn't bother me that much. I tried to put myself in her shoes and that helped a lot.) Minsc - BG/2 - not much to say; he's hilarious, especially when interacting with Boo and other characters Lilarcor - BG2 - his timing can be perfect sometimes; great source of laughs for the brief time that I use him Mazzy - BG2 - her in-game avatar doesn't do her justice; I really like her personality and the way she carries herself Nathyrra - NWN:HotU - more realistic romance that ends with the admission "I love you" rather than a night in the sack. She's drow, and she's my all-time favorite henchman. (I solo NWN, SoU, and HotU until she arrives.) Elanee - NWN2 - beautiful, good-aligned, level-headed, and somewhat firey, she's like an improved Jaheira. My only complaint is the sudden admission of feelings and subsequent romp in the sack at the conclusion of the friendship dialogs. Khelgar - NWN2 - somewhat thick at times, but generally good for laughs and a decent warrior, regardless of which training path he takes.

Interesting, but I'm more of a fantasy type person, so Dragon Age is what I'm waiting for. I can always watch an "Alien" movie when I want to see "blood" spraying onto things and causing nasty acidic burns.

Check out this MSN article about an all-electric bike for city goers and whatnot: Enertia I prefer a car too, since I live in an area where it rains most of the year. Plus it's nice being able to haul three or four friends around with room to spare.

I remember flying such systems in Microsoft's old Space Simulator. It even had one of those hydrogen scoop things that only functions well at high speeds. Lots of fun. Set course for Mars and go to work. Took awhile but I got there.

I wasn't concerned about their being real or fake; most of what's online is dubious that way anyhow. What matters to me is they're good for a laugh.

Angry Gamer videos - crack me up... (warning: harsh language and manic behavior) German Angry Gamer my favorite Swedish Angry Gamer I love what the first guy does to his neighbor

I don't know, since I use my own version of UB and my own fixes. You could try sending CamDawg a PM. Here's the README (scroll down to Version History) showing recent changes.

Anyone playing BG2 might like to know that version 4 of the BG2 Fixpack has just been released, and on the 4th no less. G3 Website

I've not changed any of my views according to what I've read in forums like these, and I generally avoid posting in religion/politics threads because nothing ever comes of it. On the other hand, I'll discuss religion and whatnot in person, like with someone at work, if the topic arises. It's easier for me to communicate in person, and to know if I'm irritating someone and should shut up.

A second The Bourne Ultimatum trailer, with a bit more info. Apparently the movies are based on books (I haven't read any Ludlum) so there's hope for an eventual conclusion after all (not that I mind these movies). Watched... Hulk.. earlier. Sorry, I'm just not into comics, but I did enjoy watching him tear stuff up. His dad was a mess . I readily noticed Natacha Atlas' vocals in the background. Rawr.

Hmm, I'll wait to read some reviews on this one. I've heard the whole "our aliens are smarter than ever" thing before, so time will tell. Oh, and 9/11 is my b-day, so it's always been normal, despite what the children in charge of the world happen to be doing at any given time.

Unbreakable - awesome, just awesome. The Machinist - ugh, though I enjoyed the playing of the Theramin (sounded so much like The Day the Earth Stood Still). These guys obviously don't know much about insomnia. I could teach them a few things.

Now that's a beautiful screen shot. What game? Modded NWN2? Oblivion? I love the gold highlights on her armor.

Dry wood doesn't conduct electricity so I'm guessing you'd have to run wires to connect the grounds of the various hardware components. That way you could ground yourself by opening the case and touching the power supply shell. I'm sure if it was well done, a wooden computer case could look very nice. There's also the matter of rock. Ever see a nice looking granite countertop? Really, a computer case could be made from many things, not just metal and plastic.

Here's a transcript of Chase Brandon, the CIA Officer interviewed about the Bourne Identity. On DVD it's interspersed with clips from the movie to augment what is being said. *whew* He talks fast.

Is that the "explosive" edition or something? I've got the original collectors edition and it has the music video but not the CIA interview. On the other hand I get extra commentary tracks. Yes, it's the "Explosive Extended Edition: Includes An All New Beginning & Ending". I haven't watched the alternate bookends yet, but I did watch several other bonus features. Here's a trailer for The Bourne Ultimatum. I'll probably add it to the collection when it comes out later this summer.

Bourne Identity + Bourne Supremacy Got the BI DVD with the ex-CIA op interview and Moby's "Extreme Ways" video (and lots of other goodies). Good stuff all around.

NWN again last night. Got to the pinnacle of the Host Tower and witnessed Her Weakness betraying everyone she knew. It was cool being on the roof, but not as impressive as, say, being on the Imperial Tower in Jedi Knight. Now I'm in Beorunna's well, and looking forward to getting another 100% Innocent verdict on the trial. By the way, I enjoy that trial more than NWN2's trial, for some reason.

Rained last night and this morning on my way to work. Felt great. Now it's warm and muggy. Oh well, nothing good lasts forever.

I thought about building a rustic case out of wood, just for laughs, but haven't actually done it yet. I'm pretty sure it would be quieter than a standard case, especially if I used a softer wood like pine. Could use hinges and a latch for the side panel.

I've had a headache all day, and this made me wince. Ouch.

Wow, lots of claims but no references. Sort of like a Wikipedia article. The sad part is that many people believed that fiction.

The Fixpack is a nice idea, but like Baldurdash before it, it's not without bugs of it's own. That's why I prefer to make my own fixes. I don't distribute because everyone's stuck in a WeiDU mindset, but I don't believe bugfixes should be installed with WeiDU; they should be installed first, and if they're done right, they should never be uninstalled.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=7853