random n00b

Nice rack.

Yeah, so, I know that STALKER is popular enough in these boards to have its own spoilers thread, and I'm about to give the game another go (never finished it the first time around, quit at the entrance to the NPP). So, are there any noteworthy mods? I know about float32, but it didn't do anything for me. Anything that enhances gameplay somehow? Rebalance mods? Co-op? Also, has any of you tried Priboi Story? Looks pretty cool.

Wow, you "reckon I needed to hear it"? Gee, thanks. It's a wee bit troubling however that you're monitoring my needs so closely. Now, how about you lay off the armchair psychology and find a point to discuss that isn't me? This is the second time in my brief time here that you post with the express purpose of attempting to slap me down, rather gracelessly too. Find another pastime. Yeah, you can make a movie about sex, without any sex whatsoever. But again, why would you? Is there any particular reason why you would want to cut out sex in a movie that's heavy on sex, where you wouldn't cut murder in a movie about crime, or battle in a war flick? Not saying it can't be done or that it mustn't be done or anything. At any rate, what you are describing is all part of sexuality. I don't think I have seen any games dealing with that. I don't know if that would lend itself well to the medium, either. I'm perfectly fine with the level of explicitness in The Sims. It works, and the game doesn't need more. But then, what other games are there where sex is featured as just another element of gameplay?

I wasn't the one who said that Basic Instinct could be rewritten to revolve around chess. If you make an attempt at diverting the attention away from elements of an argument that you aren't comfortable discussing, don't get all defensive when you get called on it. So, let's backtrack a bit. You went from:"I haven't seen sex inserted meaningfully into any narrative." to: "My argument isn't that it's impossible. It's that it's nothing to do with games or game writing. People just use sex 19/20 times just to titilate." And now that last bit. I guess it's sarcasm and mockery that's induced CG's (and my own) confusion. Because your stance was crystal clear from the start, and you haven't changed it a bit. Nope. Not at all. Most do, some don't, as proven by the examples provided. At the risk of sounding repetitive: the fact that 19/20 fail at meshing it well with the plot does not prove it can't be done. But no, I'm not saying that flawless plot integration is a must, either. Just my personal opinion that when used well it can enhance certain kinds of stories. As with 99% of the rest of plot devices.

And it is far easier to walk than it is to do somersaults. Never forget that.

We're running circles here. Read what I said earlier about Letters from Iwo Jima. Yes. And movies are made by people, using tools. But let's stick to the topic. But I do! It's the wonderful game of "let's rewrite a perfectly good plot so that it doesn't need to include certain parts so my argument holds water!". I tried, and this is what I got: Michael Douglas would be the one in the left.

You conceded the point? Wow, then what was that comment on Basic Instinct about? No Tomb Raider games that I know of feature plots in which Lara's assets are of any consequence. This does not imply that a game cannot be made in which sex is an important part, much in the vein of the movie examples already provided to you. But the plot of Basic Instinct would make no sense if instead of sex, they were having a passionate game of chess.

Don't forget the mind control.

Marx once thought as you do...

I was not speaking about video games specifically, as I was just addressing your blanket statement earlier, and your nitpicking of Basic Instinct's box office performance and DVD uncut versions, between which, incidentally, you cannot establish a correlation. In a h-game, sex is not an important part of the plot, it is THE plot, gameplay object, and selling point. H-games are pornography, which is out of the scope of the discussion. Again, you could just read some movie's script and be done with it. But movies are eminently visual (wow!), and what is shown on screen is what counts. You can leave some parts to the imagination, but some, you just can't. Once more, it depends on how and to what extent the details are rooted into the plot.

Again, only in times and places where ignorance is prevalent. In the West, we didn't eradicate religion. We eradicated (or greatly reduced, at least) ignorance. Starting to see a pattern yet? This is fallacious on so many levels, that I'm not even going to bother.

Yes. Because you can cut sex scenes out of a movie in which sex is pivotal, just like you can cut battle scenes out of Letters from Iwo Jima. Eh, if you say so. Yes, the plot would have been served the same if instead of going to the movies, you just read the screenplay, too. But it does, since that's the whole point of watching movies. Unless you do that to achieve some measure of higher enlightenment or something, in which case I'd recommend a different medium.

What nonsense is this? Many intellectuals through History have been deeply religious, Einstein among them. Ignorance only goes hand on hand with ignorance.

Yeah, so? Cut scenes or not, sex is fundamental to the plot there. And the uncut version is better overall. Indecent Proposal? What, want to discuss every example case-by-case?

Religion is just the scapegoat. Ignorance is the true problem. Wrong, actually. "Socialist" totalitarian regimes are worse - by far.

You mean an actual sex scene or sexuality? The distinction goes both ways. Yes. Because stuff like Basic Instinct and Disclosure can do without the sex just the same. edited for accuracy

Yes it's not that bad actually... or so I'm told.

Fallout? I assume you mean the first game only...

Is that for real? Wow, that explains it, then. If they don't sell porn flicks, they don't sell AO games, either. Makes sense, I guess. lol puritanism Yes, well. I'm sure everyone is familiar with the quality and consistency of the narrative of the majority of works in which (explicit) sex is featured... ahem. Sexuality, however, is a central part of human behavior. And as such, it stands to reason that it belongs with the rest of social conducts commonly presented in narrative. There's more to sexuality than just the act itself.

I was going to say exactly what Pidesco wrote, so I won't repeat it. What I don't understand is the seemingly irrational fear of the AO rating. If we're dealing with a story with adult motives and adult themes, then chances are that a mature, sensible portrayal of sex isn't out of place. It's not the kind of game a dev would buy for his children to begin with, sex or no sex. So why, then, the fear of getting an AO rating? It's a matter of time, I guess. When today's gamers are making laws tomorrow, something else will be The Book.

Oh, no. Hilde's going at it again...

What do you mean, more "respectable"? Given the situation of isolation in ToD, a (rather numerous) cult is a perfectly credible threat. As for interesting, well. I can't think of other group that's been used more to represent iconic evil as a whole, but that doesn't make nazis "interesting" by itself. More like the opposite, in fact. I see what you mean about the lack of traveling in ToD, but the way I see it, it's just another plot device that can be used to spice up a story, not a must-have.

I just came back from the movies, watched Indy4. It was kinda... meh. It's perfectly possible that the movie just didn't live up to the unrealistic expectations I unconsciously created due to Indiana Jones being my favorite childhood hero, however. But it seemed... uninspired. Some scenes (chief among them the one with the nuke) seem forced and out of place. And I think they got the character management wrong as well, at the end it's just too many "good guys" that detract from the lead, and don't really add anything. Also, it seems that all that made a cool character is gone. Finally, the fake russkies seem... too fake. I'm hoping my impression on that will change when I get to see a non-dubbed version. I can't seem to get enough of Cate Blanchett, though. All in all, this is the weakest Indy flick to me. Congratulations, my friend. You just won the Internets. Haaahaha! Ouch. But seriously, yeah. ToD is the perfect mix of silliness, adventure, and horror. Club Obiwan is probably the best opening of all four as well. Arguing that it lacks nazis and map overlay scenes is just nitpicking, really.

? Doublethink? ? Those are the premises for the upcoming Red Alert 3, right? Cool beans.