DemonKing

After checking out the trailer I couldn't detect anything that looked like firearms - it all looked like pretty traditional swords&sorcery stuff to me. Does this mean guns have been dropped? Personally I hope so as I don't like tech getting into my fantasy...

I'm a digital only reward guy and I can't seem to get this working - everytime it asks for my address information it tells me something went wrong. I don't have to enter an address but it wants a phone number and I've tried all sorts of phone number configurations but perhaps it is looking for a number of digits/format one might find in the USA? Could that be what is tripping me up?

I can't believe they spent $40million making the steaming pile of excrement that was DA2 - they were working with an existing engine and only really had to develop the story/dialog plus some new art and sound assets. If it really cost $40 million to make Bioware are in more trouble than I thought. Well, it will be interesting to see what Obsidian can produce for 4 million (particularly considering a substantial portion of that is already committed to making two major cities and a megadungeon).

I was wondering how much Planescape Torment and IWD 1&2 cost to make and if it was anywhere close to the $4million raised for Project Eternity. Obviously 10 years have past since the last of those games were released but I was just trying to get a feel for exactly how much could realistically be achieved with $4million.

When the original Half Life came it it was revolutionary in that it featured a lot of stuff that would become ubiquitous in the FPS genre for the first time: * Scripted sequences (Call of Duty would never have existed without these). * AI more evolved than just advancing/shooting (I remember hiding in a pitched gunfight and hearing "Fire in the Hole" as not one but *two* nades landed right next to me). * Complex puzzles in a 3D environment. * An actual storyline with (semi-) interactive NPCs. * Complex environmental hazards not seen before (slippery floors, electricity, acid, radiation, automated machine guns etc). Sure after 10 years it doesn't stand up as well as it did on release, but it was pretty amazing to play when it came out. Sure some of the later alien levels are a bit silly but Black Mesa really seemed like a real place and some of the levels (such as Surface Tension) are still fun to play through today.

I replaced the PSU 5 months ago as the last one burnt out. I guess I'll try the thermal paste and see how I go as there didn't seem to be any left when I took the heatsink off.

OK I was happily playing Red Alert 3 last night and my PC died. I actually smelt something akin to burning. I tried a reboot and it lasted about 5 minutes before dying again. After that it didn't get past the boot screen. I took the top off and the smell seemed to be coming from the CPU heatsink. I took it off and checked out the cpu - it looked ok (well ok for something which has seen continuous heavy use for almost 3 years). I waited a bit and then plugged everything back in and then turned the system on - this time the system and heatsink fans wirred for a bit and then shutdown. Power is getting to the motherboard as the light is on and I just swapped in a new PSU a few months ago, so I doubt that is the problem. Do you think my suspicions are right and the CPU heat sink is buggered? I guess that means I need to buy a new CPU at least (the heatsinks come with the CPUs right?). Not a big problem as it was probably time to update anyway...however is there any possibility it could be a motherboard problem? I don't want to buy a new cpu and then find out it was my motherboard all along (unlikely given the smell from the heatsink, I guess.). Thanks for any tips!

Unless Storm of Zehir is amazing I wouldn't be too fussed about a new NWN2 Expansion. The core engine is just too clunky and, while I prefer the full party control over NWN, the limitations of the camera make the tactical combat a shallow replica of the IE engine games. I wouldn't be suprised if we see a 4th Edition game announced at some stage, likely it will either be BG3 or NWN3...

For a start: * Games where some keys can't be properly customised (usually console ports). * Games with check point only saves that mean you have to repeat tedious sections over and over again. * Mini-games. * Games which use the IP of previous, fondly remembered games, but which have gameplay radically different to the original, beloved games and/or butcher the IP. * NPC Romances. * Expansion Packs/patches which dramatically alter the gameplay of a favourite title.

Can anyone there recommend a good scanner for home use? I'm mainly looking at scanning documents, old photos (not slides or negatives) and maybe stuff from books/comics.

Seven Cardinal Sins of CRPG development: * Thou shalt not decide to create an "Action" CRPG. * Thou shalt not create a 1st/3rd person real time combat system for your party-based CRPG. * Thou shalt not create a game that looks and plays like a FPS but where your chance to hit an opponent is based on statistics. * Thou shalt not waste precious development resources on romances with irritating NPCs. * Thou shalt not require us to play inventory tetris. * Thou shalt not throw so much treasure at us that by the end of the game we are leaving +3 swords lying in the dirt. * Thou shalt not be so lazy and unimaginative that the only way to sustain the challenge throughout your game is to autolevel our opponents.

This game has been hovering on my "somewhat interested" scale for a while, but I must admit from recent previews I've read it looks like it might be a sleeper hit...if it's an indication of a new direction for EA (ie something new and original for a change) that alone will be worthwhile (although they'll probably cripple it with hideous DRM...). Hopefully EA will release a demo shortly.

Storm of Zehir, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, Dragon Age, Starcraft II, Alone in the Dark, Call of Duty: World at War, Project Origin, Tomb Raider: Underworld... Of lesser interest: Red Alert 3, Dead Space, Empire: Total War, Fallout 3, Crysis: Warhead, Velvet Assassin, Mercenaries 2 Unfortunately between work and a 5 month old baby I'm hard-pressed to find the time to game at present - I'm still struggling through Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed and Lego: Indy at the moment!

OK - so we know there must be an Aliens RPG and Alpha Protocol team - are there any others working on unannounced projects?

The art on the Game Informer cover looks like Colin McNeil of 2000AD fame...

I think it's worth remembering that IWD2 was released some three years after the release of the 3rd ed. rules - it would have been a hard sell to send it out as a 2nd ed. game ala BG2 and IWD that had been released in 2000 within a year of the 3rd ed. rule release and before most D&Ders had fully swapped over to the new system. I still would have bought a 2nd ed. version but there's no denying that the 3rd ed. rules did open up some new options particularly with regards to multi-classing. The main problem for me with IWD2 was that the content was a bit up and down in comparison to the original IWD and the focus wasn't as tight. I can think of almost any area in IWD and it brings back some great memories, but with IWD2 I mainly remember the frustrations (Ice Temple, Fellwood and the awful time-travelling Dragon's Eye). Also the backgroud art, music and atmosphere was not quite up to the consistently high standards of the original, IMO.

It's not just you...it seems recent BRPGs (Bioware Role Playing Games and their Obsidian offshoots) have ditched the notion of fun and challenging combat and instead decided fully voiced dialog and romance will make up for it...WHY CAN"T WE HAVE BOTH???? In fact, I would prefer it if they ditched the romances altogether and concentrated on getting the combat right. I wouldn't like to see an IWD3 on the NWN2 engine at all. It's just not a great engine as far as combat goes. I wish someone would develop another engine ala the Gold Box and IE series that was capable of pumping out a couple of series of good CRPGs.

The game's ok but it is the same old C&C gameplay mixed with a few Generals-style powers. Nice graphics but it doesn't really compare to something like Company of Heroes which has nice graphics and actually seems to expand and elevate the genre. I'll finish the campagin but I'm not sure if I'll be getting much multi-player joy out of it.

I guess I'm moderately disappointed, but they seem to be heading (slowly) in the right direction. KOTOR 2 was a sequel to a BIO game clealry pumped out before it was baked properly to capitalise on the success of the first game. NWN 2 was another sequel to a BIO game but at least there was evidence of some new tech (the KOTOR 2 engine seemed identical to the first game) and some evolution to the gameplay mechanics of the original, albeit often poorly implemented. Next up is an Aliens CRPG, which while still a licenced product, is at least an original concept for the licence. With the above trend there's some hope that having "paid their dues" they will produce an original new IP sometime in the future.

I must admit I fall into the category of someone who really enjoys WW2 games (at least good ones) and is a long way from being sick of them. As someone pointed out, it's a really good period as far as technology goes with a nearly inexhaustible supply and variety of firearms and hardware. It lends itself quite well to both FPS and RTS games, as well as more hardcore stretgic and simulation titles. Also most people don't feel too bad about destroying the minions of Nazi Germany, since the regime itself was truely worthy of destruction, if not perhaps, every individual who fought for them. My only question is why on earth are the Krauts in COD2 so obssessed with shouting out "Mutter Boden!" (Mother Soil!)every few seconds? It doesn't make much sense to me, unlike most of the German dislog (my favourite: "Ein Geschenk vom deutschen Reich!" - "A present from the German reich!" when they through a hand grenade down your throat.)

Never bothered pickpocketing in NWN2, but I remember it as a lot of fun in the IE games. You could often get stuff that was unavailable elsewhere in the game by pickpocketing NPCs - I remember in particular getting some good stuff in Kuldahar in IWD. I find magic items to be a little bit boring in D&D 3rd edition - they just don't seem to have the personality of the 1st/2nd edition stuff and come across as little more than statistics to me.

It's a fun title a bit like a more violent version of Thief (including rope bow!). I played a spell caster and really enjoyed it, although by the end you're spamming fireballs which perhaps makes the game a little too easy. Looking forward to playing it again as a warrior type. It seemed like generic fantasy stuff to me so any relationship to the M&M world is pretty negligible.

R600 delayed to Q2 2007 Looks like bad news if you were looking forward to picking up one of these bad boys.

Jesus...wonder what the power supply requirments will be on this sucker (looks at 430W PSU sadly).

Microsoft and Bio have their marketing departments working on that as we type, I'm sure...