RPGmasterBoo

Yes and that's the problem -release date is so close and the game is practically an unknown.

Everybody's playing Baldur's Gate.

I don't get the point of brothels - you go in, lose cash, the screen goes black and that's it. Nothing to see at all. What a waste of fictional money. Not that we're going to be lacking much in DA - Morrigan is so pushy, you would think she's Abigail's (*the Witcher) sister or something.

DLC is crap, unless its free. I don't want to be spoon fed game content for a third of the games original price - either make a full game with a full price or an expansion half the price. Everything else is just milking people.

Oh look, tiny Imoen!

Bought the Thief Collection and started playing Thief: the Dark Project. Getting the game to run is a chore, but since I never played the first one I thought it was about time to. So far the game mechanics work better than most newer games, quite impressive.

Right the whole world is wrong, from south america to japan, only the US is right. They should also bomb everyone who disagrees into dust, like they usually do. This should also be a feature of everything from movies to computer games, because such heroism can't be given enough attention. By the way, the soviets don't exist for just the last two decades. And as I recall Hussein ended up swinging from a gallows pole. What a good way to promote democracy

It's mostly about the story(of GLaDOS) with some nice quirky humor thrown in, the puzzles are more of a backdrop. Also, it's one of the few games I instantly replayed just to hear the commentary mode, it's worth it. I might do that as well. Valve's commentaries are very informative and interesting. At least they were for Episode 1.

Finished Portal. Wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Its a nice distraction, nice level design but too short (around 3 hours of playtime I think) and no replay value. And a bit too easy after cracking my skull on Braid.

Rat.

Oh, I wasn't saying anything is beyond criticism, I was just eager to hear some other supposedly fleshed out game characters. My thoughts exactly. He is less one dimensional then the rest of the KOTOR cast, but that's about it. I don't see what so deep about April Ryan, at least in the first game. She's a well developed and thought out typical teenage girl. Yes its, much better than most principal characters in adventure games but its hardly spectacular. As for the second game, I couldn't bring myself to play that rubbish and gave up after two attempts.

Because its safe to assume that we don't need to argue the depth of most Torment characters. Funnily enough, I played all those games and never felt that. But Syberia and Thief were long ago... I'm assuming you mean Jolee Bindo from KOTOR. Don't see whats so deep about him apart from a little moral relativity, so out of place in SW's fairytale universe. Andrew Ryan either. He's not a character but a spokesperson for a philosophy of questionable value, much like Rands own characters. Deekin also is a vague memory. Triss is well thought out I agree, a woman balancing between her feelings, duty and ambition. I would add Imoen, from BGII onwards, summarized in her character change from joyful youth to distraught maturity. It might be jarring but its quite good. As well as both of the romances Aerie and Jaheira, they really gave depth to the characters. Viconia was a bit of a parody.

I keep on getting killed in Gothic II and forgetting to save. Its so frustrating.

As in this: I stood before another sensory stone. The base of this aquatic blue stone had been sculpted so it appeared to have melted into the pedestal it rested upon. A stream of perfect azure tears dripped down the sides, framing the inscription beneath the pedestal:

Note: It could also come of as corny or presumptuous, yet it didn't, also it could have been an emotional blank - but it wasnt. I think you're arguing different points. Most of us here, I assume, feel that Deionarra was a very "real" character. Being fleshed out to the point of knowing her favorite color is obviously not necessary. Indeed many "fleshed out" characters in say Mass Effect feel absolutely trite. Therefore while you're probably right in the point you are arguing it has no meaning beyond pointing out that Deionarra's appeal obviously doesn't stem out of a conventional character build. Not only that, she apparently doesn't need one at all to have an impact - which is quite hard to achieve.

I disagree. Deionarra is fleshed out not by her own person but in the memories and other information the Nameless One receives during the game. It's kind of like a character in a novel who is actually rarely in the scene but commands attention through other characters. The game refers to Deionarra quite a bit, and that is something that makes her intriguing even if she doesn't deliver the lines herself. She means, as in knowing more about the character, her motivations, likes and dislikes etc. However these aren't prerequisites for connecting to her fate, and neither does the lack of conventional character development lessen my impression of Deionarra. Now thats a feat. i cant help it:

Perhaps but there was an instant feeling of connection to the character, as if its someone you've really known before. She felt real, but I suppose that's a subjective experience. And that. Though all the other companions were just as good. Wish I could have opened Fall-from-Grace's journal.

Oh yes. And she gets like ten lines of text and is still better fleshed out than 90% of game characters. Her sensory stone experience is an emotional kick in the groin.

Oh I sympathize. I practically got all weepy and sentimental when I first saw Leliana, until I heard her open her mouth. That was a rude awakening to say the least. I wonder what's happening with these voices actors. The only thing I've seen so far is either unremarkable or irritating. This was one aspect that Bioware did well.

Whose, Imoens or Lelianas? And in what way?

I want Imoen Leliana. If she only had the formers voice... eh... I'd so do a Geralt on her.

I think her looks fit her role fine, if she doesnt get ruined by dialogue or voice acting. Though I get what youre saying, warming her tent isnt that appealing, she looks quite... undead.

By all means. When games are crap in general the least we can do is discuss ways to make them at least playable, and original too, if thats not too much to ask for.

Dark Reign Possibly the most intelligent RTS ever built, featuring programmable unit AI and complex waypoint system. Buried by Total Annihilation or Starcraft or whichever mega popular RTS came out at the time