Aristes

Oh, I didn't know that Bethesda owned the rights. In that case, it makes perfect sense to include Van Buren design where they can.

Yeah, I caught myself the second time I put it in there. I've just gotten used to using Boulder/Hoover interchangeably. Don't know why. I think the name has been Hoover Dam since before I was born. The idea in the your link sounds great. I also think it would be good to use some of the Van Buren design, assuming that Obsidian can do so legally.

I don't really want to get into possible story-lines, Pop, but I think there are a variety of locations that have potential around which to build stories. For example, There's McCarran, Nellis, Area 51, UNLV, Lake Mead, Boulder Dam, and, course, the Strip. If the team wants to use some of the local flavor, there is a lot of difference between the various parts of the greater Las Vegas area just like every other large city. For example, there's the strip, Las Vegas, Sumerlin, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Green Valley, and a bunch of other little places with different and often opposing attitudes. Boulder City is closer to Las Vegas than Area 51. Baker is certainly no farther away, and the challenges surrounding the PC as he tries to traverse the mountains provide not only an opportunity for the design team to create quests and objectives, but also allow for variation in settings, from desert to moutain to forest. Assuming they use lake mead, there will even be lakefront and underwater areas. Don't be fooled by a satellite view of the lake. It is much larger than a lot of folks might think, even shrinking as it has. It even has little islands in the middle of it where my family camped when I was a child. There isn't a large subway network, so those of you who hated the "dungeon hack" aspect need not worry about Obsidian implementing it in quite the same way as Bethesda. Still, there's plenty of opportunity for underground fun between all the places. Area 51, by reputation, has a huge underground network of bunkers, of course, and Hoover Dam has potential for spooky experiences in the dark as well. I'm looking forward to the New Vegas title. and not just because I'm a native. I had great fun with Fallout 3, and it seems to me that Obsidian is in a great position to improve on some of the defects. I don't expect the dialogue or story to be the equivalent of PST, but Mask of the Betrayer displayed a happy felicity of writing talent. I'm more excited by this game than I've been about any game in years.

I'm thrilled it's in Las Vegas. That should include not only the city, of course, but the surrounding desert areas, like Red Rock and Mt. Charleston. Lake Mead is close enough to fit in a larger landscape in the same way that the larger DC area included locales outside of the city itself. Las Vegas can be a cheesy tourist town if that's all Obsidz wants to do with it, but there are tons of places outside the city limits that would be quite interesting and the city itself has plenty of opportunity for post apocalyptic nuances. A little Kitsch isn't so bad as long as it's used sparingly to flavor. Maria: I believe the Aliens project is on indefinite hold.

I'm quite happy to have a new obsidian RPG that isn't attached to the NWN franchise. Fallout 3 was great fun and I played it for many hours. I'm sure I'll enjoy The FO: Vegas title. Looking at KotOR franchise, it seems to me that Bioware did a better job at polishing the product before shipping, but Obsidian did a better job with the atmosphere and plot. If Obsidian has can make sure the engine is optimized and the glitches are at a minimum (and don't forget that FO3 wasn't short on bugs in the first place) then the areas where they excell will carry the game. I look forward to a tight story, memorable and interesting NPCs, and a great post-apocalyptic atmosphere. I'm sure I'll buy alpha-protocol if it ships for the PC, but the apparent loss of the Aliens game means that FO:Vegas is the only RPG title that Obsidian will ship in the near future.

Hey, happy birthday, bro! And I forgot to mention congrats for winning the writing contest also. I was out of town for about three weeks when that all was hot and heavy.

I have two characters in WoW I'm trying to keep alive as long as possible. I have a level 24 rogue and a level 21 shammy who haven't died. I don't play them a lot because I'm stuck doing other stuff when I play, but I do enjoy playing them and I find I'm a lot more deliberate when I do quests now. I don't just run into the quests to do them. I'm careful and plan a lot better. I just finished FEAR Project Origin on hard. Big Whoop. You get an award and no different ending. Hey, at least Painkiller gave you a new area and a special ending if you finished on the hardest setting! I don't mind. I'll probably replay the game on easy just to get the last bits of intel I've missed and the final two powerups I have somehow overlooked.

Yeah, well if you think it goes downhill at 30, it picks up a lot of steam by the time you're 40. I've always been a big guy, but I've only been obese over the last ten years. I want to get back to my 200-220 pound range. I was strong as an bull, thick as a tree, and lean in all the right places. Now I'm strong as a cow, thick as wax paper, and lean in my pocketbook. I'll probably start pumping iron again. I don't think I'll ever get back to the shape I was in during my twenties but losing some weight and feeling better would be good. Of course, this has nothing to do with pirates, but it would be base hypocrisy for me to complain about topic evolution.

Remember to share a pic or two. taks junior was kind of tiny in the pic starting this thread, for reasons taks mentioned.

We went to the car show in Buena Park yesterday. My niece lurves me! haha She's only 5, so she doesn't know any better yet. Anyhow, I love kids. They like to have fun. They like to laugh. The don't have nearly as many hangups as adults do and the ones they do have tend to be funny. Great times. I'm glad your son had a great birthdaay, Mark.

Okay, so the point of the thread should have been that those fat assed Americans thawrted the pirates. Twice. Now the pirates have sworn enmity against every fat person in the United States!

I never liked the idea of the DK class, but I don't really care. I tend not to spend much time worrying about what other people play/do. Some of the more frustrating quests irritate my guildies so much that I have a character who does the quest but never turns it in so I can do it for guildies. ugh.

I don't understand. Honest engine. What you suggest isn't a legal issue in the first place. It's a political one. Pure democracy, aristocracy (oligarchy), and monarchy aren't an either/or proposition. In terms of early American views of government, you can't separate them because they are inextricably intertangled. We didn't end up with one or the other or even the other. We ended up with something meant to accomodate folks with a wide variety of views all along the spectrum. If anything, the folks at the pure democracy end of the spectrum got the shaft. Just look at the writings of early republicans for ample evidence on that point. (Think Jefferson, not George W. Bush). I'm sure I made some sort of silly slip, especially since I'm one of the hoi polloi who lacks a law degree, let alone a background in early American history. I'm just a guy with a high school diploma and a few books. Nevertheless, my point has always been largely the same. The US constitution lacks the component for direct democracy and I dislike the fact that we have ballot initiatives that pit the judiciary against the explicit will of the people. Anyhow, Enoch, I'm not offended. Hell, I'm jealous. I wish I had a law degree also. I'm glad to have the information. Having a fresh perspective is worth a few bruises on my ego.

Maybe it wasn't you, Enoch. Maybe we, the unwashed masses who don't practice law, are the Larry Tribes. Don't know. Don't care. If we don't understand the nuances of the law, it still falls on us to help legislate, doesn't it? I mean, even Iowa has a referendum. Here in California, we have the trifecta. Referenda, Ballot Propositions, and Recall. So, despise us all you want. I certainly don't have the education or background to comment extensively on the technical aspects of the law, but that doesn't stop ballots propositions from falling on my plate in virtually every single election, does it? I read the posts here and I'm glad to have a more informed perspective, especially since I take you at your word that you have a legal background. However, I'm subject to the law, even without a law degree. I help create law, in the form of ballot initiatives, even without a law degree. Because of those same ballot initiatives, I help decide the law by amending the consitution, and they don't even ask if I have a high school diploma when I show up at the polls. So, since I must make a decision in each election, I will certainly discuss these issues. If my ignorance shows, so be it. ...But there are a lot more people with me in the unwashed masses than there are legal professionals of any stripe. Get rid of the ballot initiative and I'll be happy to settle for elected officials to decide these issues. Makes voting a lot easier.

I'm going to read Paradise Lost again soon. Otherwise, I don't know what I'll read. Probably more biographies, butI might break down and order something completely new and different.

I'm looking forward to Diablo 3, but I'm hoping I don't have to buy a new rig to play it. Right now, it's not mine that worries me. It's the wife's. ...And nowadays, we both need a computer powerful enough to run the latest games.

I like Dennis Miller's style. I'm not really qualified to judge his commentary since I have so rarely been able to see the games, but I thought he had his good points and his bad points when I did see him. Some of his jokes fell a little flat and others were funny in their own way, but too cerebral for a yutz like me trying to concentrate on the game. I found myself ignoring him a lot and just watching the plays. Madden might be the bar right now, but I wouldn't be unhappy if they got rid of the color commentary and just talked about the game at hand. That's from someone who doesn't get to see many game, though, so it might be a misguided thought. Remember, this is Dolphins year to go all the way and win! Hey, stop laughing! It's gonna happen!

In most heroics, and remember I haven't raided post WotLK yet, CC is pointless. The tank goes in, gathers everyone together, and the party wastes 'em. That was essentially true with good tanks on heroic in BC also, though, so I guess I can't complain too much. Sap now works on a whole slew of baddies. No one needs it, but it works!

It got stumped at Odysseus, which I find really weird. It managed to get Rodion and Sir Isaac Newton before hand, though. It's really not a win/lose game though. ...Or I guess you could say it's a game where he can win or lose. Not so much a competition between you and the genie.

I was just about to post the same information, Gftd. Norton calls it a high risk. downloader.swif.c

Well, according to all the groans of pain and suffering on the fury side of things, I'd say arms, but there were laments of suffering for holy specced pallies a while back and I notice there are still paladin healers.

Oh, 1k per character? I guess, if it's a paid ability like flying, then I'll probably buy it for... I don't know... no one at the moment. I don't feel the need to use it for any of my characters and, unless I really feel the need to do a heroic or whatnot, I don't play with anyone other than family and my characters already have a slot. ...And I can solo just fine with any of my characters. Finally, I don't really care about PvP. I don't mind it. I do it from time to time still, but I don't do it enough to warrant spending cash that will likely go to other folks fast flyers anyhow. On the other hand, I can see getting it somewhere down the road maybe. This is pretty typical in WoW -- using gold as a way to balance the game. Provides pretty crappy balance if you ask me, but It's not all that hard to get 1kg in WotLK. Hell, you can have 1kg in less than a day just by adventuring at 80.

If that's the case, then I'm okay with it also. You could always go to the city to respec. Now it just won't cost you the cash, I take it. EDIT: Oops. I guess not. Will there at least be a cooldown?

Dude, I don't have much of a stake in the DRM fight. I'm just saying that offering the tool this far out from release lets them use their DRM piracy solution for the most critical time period and then allows folks to bypass at a later date. I guess you can take my statment to the effect of, "IF they use the DRM solution, THEN this isn't a terrible idea at some time after release."

It actually makes sense, from what I understand. As I've heard, the piracy problem hits companies hardest right when the game ships or even a little before. If the game's out now, then this might add on sales or simply make life easier for legitimate customers. Cheap ploy or not, it might be beneficial.