Tale

Yes, it changes one thing during the approach on the beam.

It is never specified that Reaper tech is the target. All synthetics is the target and it doesn't discriminate. I know that saying it targets Reaper tech is a popular fan interpretation, but that's not what they're going for. It's along the same lines as Synthesis, where the space magic is also affecting AI in general, but also specific subsets of carbon chemistry. Even Eezo cores are based on Reaper technology, after all. If it destroyed Reaper tech, all ships would be destroyed.

If you have trouble understanding the Catalyst's reasoning, do not worry. This only means that you are still sane.

It makes the same sense that electrifying yourself makes you into an AI, and that "organic energy" can give robots DNA while simultaneously making organic lifeforms part programming. It's the kind of logic that has EDI, after Synthesis, proclaim "I am alive." What was she before? Didn't we already go over this three times?

Bioware always wanted the ending to be relatively happy. Bittersweet and triumphant. If the EC adds any sense to it and we get anything other than the absurd original ending, I'd call it right pleasant. I view the original ending narratively like drunk driving. Their intended destination is a-okay, but at some point they veered into a ditch and I'm not sure they see the problem.

Decided to clear some of my backlog with low hanging fruit. Started Rochard yesterday, finished it today. A fun little sidescrolling shooter, with some significant physics manipulation. Low gravity, a gravity gun style weapon, and some interesting stuff on that such as propelling items to jump further or swinging around on stationary objects. I can recommend it if you like sidescrolling shooters and you see it for $5. The $9.99 if you really crave a sidescrolling shooter. It's good, not exceptional. And my backlog is not down because the new installment of Penny-Arcade Adventures released today. So - +.

I got cheap chinese crap made to order today. Also, the reveal that my camera phone is terrible.

Old thread here. Saw Brave this weekend with my sister and her family. It was a pretty good movie, but it seemed to be too standard a story for what I've come to expect of Pixar. A rebellious princess who doesn't want to be forced into marriage, trouble ensues. Only this time she's Scottish.

Closing this thread up and starting a new one. New thread.

Artistic integrity. It's the answer to any question you may have about Mass Effect 3. This is probably the No.1 reason I don't want games to become art, eventually everyone will start disguising their inadequacies as art. Pretty much what a lot of the Fine Arts world is now. There's a fine response to it. Bad art. I'm fairly positive Bioware's intent is not that the galaxy is screwed. So I anticipate that it's 1.9 gigs explaining how everything we know about the universe already that implied it would be screwed is wrong. Which I just can't see happen without it being heavy handed retcons and handwaves.

Galactic Civilization 2. Just had a Diplomatic Victory. Started off evil, went neutral with Xeno Tech, allied up, and kicked evil off the map. Good guys kicked themselves off pretty early. I'm kind of surprised it went down so easily. I didn't have to blow up any suns! I really wanted to blow up a sun. Everyone starts surrendering when the Terror Star enters their territory.

Galactic Civilizations II Picked it up on Steam because I had a craving for more GalCiv and never played Twilight of Arnor. I own half the galaxy even though I don't have any combat ships. And the reason for that is because everyone keeps surrendering to me. Nobody likes me, but I guess they hate each other far worse. It keeps freaking me out. I'm just playing along, not at war with anyone, minding my own business, when I get messages about improvements being destroyed. "Wait, what? Why are my improvements getting destroyed?" "Hold on a second, I don't even own that planet, that's halfway across the galaxy from my region." Then I click through all the popups. BAM, my civilization has now tripled in size.

He rocks that beard. He looks too normal without it.

I question that consensus. But it's readily possible I'm missing something in that. I thought the only reason we ever thought that was South Park was before we knew it was Onyx.

South Park isn't flash. And I'd be skeptical of whatever Kickstarter project they end up going with being flash.

Are you playing Stranger's Wrath on PC? Just Add Water is supposed to be nearing the HD release. Though it keeps seeming further and further away.

Verdict on Receiver 4 YAYS out of 5. Only game I've played where I died because I paniced and dropped my magazine during a reload. Dropped it twice. You get your mixed moments of feeling awesome with panicing and fumbling like a fool. Then there are moments where you're completely out of ammo so you're scouting for rounds and to see if you can afford to try sprinting through a room. So it has a nice survival element in that. I would love to see these mechanics as part of a larger game context. Something that's not combat focused, so the combat gets to stand out more with tension. Or a more content-full roguelike with multiple guns and better area design. Receiver has some... lighting problems.

Receiver released today. This was thrown together as part of some 7 day FPS challenge. The mechanics seem very cool. I already bought it to show there's an audience for this kind of thing. Is it any actual fun? I'll report on that to the What are you playing now? thread later today.

I saw season 1. It turned out I recorded these two episodes today and they're running in the background while I do other stuff. I thought season 1 was terribly boring. Alien invasion series where they almost never fight aliens. They spent more time fighting each other. Then the few times they fought the aliens, they won with silly stuff. I think I have a hard time suspending my disbelief about an alien invasion that conquers earth, but has trouble finding a group of people who hang out in broad daylight. Nor is there any real indication of a broader plot to the series or objective.

Thief Walking speed is painful. Strafing speeds are reasonable. I could walk sideways around the map faster than I can walk forwards.

Might be good. My only fear is that history has instances of a studio making a terrific game, becoming a hot property, then the publisher forcing them to rush out their next project to cash-in. Hopefully, Eidos/Square Enix aren't going to do that, but there's no assurance. Not to say that's necessarily common. But I'm going to be prepared for it.

That's the bad thing about being so high level. None of you will rent my pawn.

To make 3D and extend Duke's appearance in it. Test screenings claimed he didn't get enough time.

I've heard that few games make a profit. But I've never been quite clear on whether that was the game industry equivalent of hollywood accounting or not.