Gizmo

Legend of Grimrock is announced for pre-order on GoG; (discounted price for a few days). http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/legend_of_grimrock

Awesome! Tim used my video of the Fallout prototype in his presentation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfOVLdmEHkg

Explain plx? Ah... And Activision owns Blizzard right? (I mistakenly thought they had merged when I typed that.) **Edit: Wait, looking on Wikipedia, they did merge sort of (at least it says so; it says that Activision runs the company but left Blizzard autonomous; but does that not mean that Blizzard effectively has the license ~could actually do an Arcanum 2 if they chose to?) It's interesting because of Leonard Boyarsky working at Blizzard, and having worked on Arcanum. It looks like they also have had (owned) Treyarch for quite some time ~I had suggested a "Die by the Sword" sequel... but that too seems to be owned by ActiBlizzard.

That'd be good... I wonder who has the Arcanum license? (Blizzard?) A full blown Arcanum 2 would be great ~so long as it was not a first person hack-n-slash with a few multiple choice questions.

What's (if anything) is wrong with decade old mechanics? (Especially when the recent mechanics are often thought to be over simplified.) I suggested they consider a 'Die By The Sword' successor, or a Blood & Magic successor. (I'd pay the same as I did for Skyrim for either of those done on a modern engine ~direct sequel or not.)

Legend of Grimrock Dated for April. http://www.grimrock.net http://onemansblog.com/2012/01/29/legend-of-grimrock-devs-implement-gui-change-just-to-help-one-user/ This is one I have been waiting months for; (technically though, for two decades ).

Only one? I would hope for several over time (not just RPGs either). Something I would love ~Love! (and buy ) would be a modern take (or even for budget sake, just remake) of "Die By the Sword"; using a modern engine and a more advanced method of control. Die By The Sword was a decade ahead of it's time, and now it's a decade later and there isn't (and hasn't been) anything like it since. If you knew how to play it puts Fallout 3, Oblivion, and FO:NV's melee combat to tear causing shame ~But (admittedly) if you did not know how to play all it caused you was tears and misery. This game was full 3D in 1998 and allowed full dismemberment and or decapitation causing instant death. It had visible area wounding wherever you hit the opponent; and the weapons were under full player control, and that meant that in order to parry or block, you had to manually manage it by actually blocking with the shield or weapon, and your hits were measured for impact force ~separating the scratches from the critical hits. The game even shipped with a move-editor studio app, that allowed players to record custom attacks and defense animation ~then hot-key them later in the game. There is a hack out right now that lets you control DBtS with a Wii controller and its really cool. I'd pay equal to what I did for Skyrim, just for a good clone of Die By the Sword; but a new game based on its concepts and general gameplay would be fantastic. ********************** I would also (personally) like a modern successor to Tachyon's ancient title .Just modern 3d art and AI would be enough; for what was effectively (in the later stages) an RTS that let you make your PC and command an army; while narrating your character's conquering of the world. But of course I wouldn't expect (or necessarily prefer) an exact 1:1 clone of the original, just a really cool successor with a very similar feel to it.... but hey, that video really gets the imagination working. For example, From derived from ; but even a Populous 3 remade to match the original opening intro would astound.

I would like the "Something I can sink my teeth into" RPG... with combat on par with Temple of Elemental Evil ~Doesn't have to be D&D, but that would be fine by me. An odd thought just came to mind ~it's not something I had planned to suggest, but... Back to the point... I might like a game that is a blend of Planescape, ToEE, 'Ancient Domains of Mystery', 'Dwarf Fortress', Diablo 1, 2, or 3... and Realms of Arcania; not to imply a fantasy setting ~though fantasy is fine. Any engine would likely be fine also. Oh... and CUDA aware AI (for events and game-world politics). ToEE has the best D&D TB combat I've seen bar none. Torment was a joy to read and interact with. A.D.O.M. is thick with PC detail and tracks the character's adventures and presents a suitable eulegy for them in the event the PC get's killed. DF... Just the fact that the game constructs the world at install was good impression enough. Diablo is just plain cool, and the graphics of either of them are more than sufficient IMO. R.O.A. is the kind of game where while crossing the mountains on the overland map it might decide that one of your PC's fell off the mountain. They can also get sick for walking rough country without shoes, or trudging through water; sleeping in the rain unprotected. (And shoes in the game wear out if you walk far enough in them). CUDA... Imagine if the engine used hardware physics support ~not for flapping tapestries or rock slides, but for mapping a player caused flood on dynamically created terrain that was unique to the specific install of the game, and only those towns that were actually flooded had crops lost and property damaged ~and economic troubles/ price hikes/ desertions where residents move to other towns and those then become crowded. Where an NPC death (if they were well liked) spawns a public funeral in that town. NPCs maybe take to adventuring on their own and loot dungeons before you get there (or be found dead in them). It would be really neat if the technology could be used for massive parallel NPC AI at all times ~even while the PC is resting.

Diablo was like that; and I did regret not buying it sooner; (after I picked it up at Walmart for $10). I thought (going in), "How could it (KA) possibly be bad, with McFarlane and Rolsten?". They each have a quarter century in their craft and I liked their work. In hindsight the demo reminds me [strangely] of Hard Reset; (another of those "This is really cool and I'm not going to buy it" kind of a games; of course... not that it resembles it in any way .) Its not bad [iMO], just bland and nothing new; (including the sound issues I experienced, that caused NPC voices to be distant for nearby characters and close for some characters that I'd wandered away from).

I was underwhelmed by the demo ~and this surprised me.

I remember UPN, but I've never heard of CW. (Of course, it not surprising to me... I haven't had a TV for years. ) I wish either Obsidian (or even Bethesda; or a collaboration of both); would look into the RPG catalog of Palladium Books, and strike up a deal with them for one or more of their RPGs. Like this one for instance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_Supernatural

You can't make the hero react to hits as the player is always outnumbered and would be constantly stun-locked. Oblivion occasionally induced some form of stagger on the player and it was annoying as hell. I should think its the risk of fighting when outnumbered ~Don't if you can't handle more than one**; But The opponents don't react either, they looked like stiff animatronics going through their motions. **Perks could be used to add stun resistance (or better... additional evasive animations reflecting greater skill at combat.) I see nothing wrong with permanent stun lock if the PC is attacked by several opponents... Its what would happen.

I usually start Fast traveling as soon as its available. *New Vegas really annoyed me though... There is some condition (Crippled leg perhaps, or Overloaded) that prohibits Map Travel ~at least in HC mode (not sure about standard play). It amounts to deliberately withholding Map travel at a time when Map travel is especially desired. ~~~~~~~~~~ I was watching Skyrim gameplay today (on a podcast), and noticed two odd things. One was that the man playing could not drop an item carried in third person (You know how it just floats in front of your PC when picked up). Changing to FPP allowed it to drop. Second was that Opponents and the PC didn't seem to react to getting hit. They just beat on the PC and took his hits like it was a Nerf toy he was swinging. *Is that a detail setting perhaps? (were it set for a low-spec machine). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Bucket Trick: [skyrim]

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/lands_of_lore_1_2 Lands of Lore 1 & 2 hits GoG!

I think it had something to do with the rain ~raining everywhere (including under balconies and overhanging roofs; all of that would then need to have collision geometry). [CPU cycles spent on raindrop checks...]

Legend of Grimrock just hit their 'Alpha' milestone. The game is playable start to finish; It takes 10 hours (if you are a dev with maps). http://www.grimrock.net/2011/11/02/alpha/

Kind of odd and sounds unbalanced. Does that mean (and I suppose it does), that mages' have combat & healing & summoning spells? (IE. Effectively all mage/clerics)Why would anyone want to play a warrior PC? Is Bioware edging away from (fictional) religions in their adventure games?

Not anymore than regular magic. But it's a moot point because priests don't cast spells. And the one time one of them gets asked to, they point out their talismans have no power whatsoever. In DA... I read something about a Blessing... is that an option in the chantry (to some), but one that has no effects? (or does it?) Generally clerics (in fantasy ~especially D&D settings) essentially ask (pray) for a boon and it happens; the undead run away, the injured get healed. It would be neat to have a setting where there was actually more showmanship involved (mixed with medical know how); but I think it might still be disappointing if that were all there was to it.

I have never played Dragon Age, but wouldn't a priest's (cleric's) spell casting indicate their deity's existence in that world? IRRC a good bit of getting into Vizima involves getting the reverend's good graces. He is found at the Chapel of the Eternal Fire. Many NPCs in the outskirts hold him in regard, and won't speak frankly to Geralt without his approval. Its a church, with a pastor, burial rites, and other rituals... One of which Geralt must complete for the Reverend; That appears like a religion to me. _______________ BTW.. Did anyone here play Curse of the Azure Bonds? I'm reminded of the religion of Moander (some sort of plant god), and all of those cultists that kept popping up everywhere. My guess is that in a fantasy setting, its a bit of a let down if they were just a misguided cult. (And it lends a bit of mystery to the priest's abilities... Just consider Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.)

No, Tim, Jason A, Leonard, Chris, Jason T., and Scott came up with the original idea. According to the Fallout Manual, Page A-4. According to Tim, (in his last interview that I know of), he said that he approached Brian Fargo about it initially, and that he was working on it [the core engine & tools] for about the first year alone... He later brought others in on it, though at that point in time the Fallout setting (as we know it) had not yet been conceived. Somewhere I'm almost sure that I read that the whole retro 50's thing was simply because the artists thought it would be cool to draw. The whole interview is pretty cool, here is a linked playlist of all three parts:

I'd want it to have a hand in programing, core game design, and product packaging (designing the box). (Input on the manual couldn't hurt either! )

I haven't played either DA game yet... But I only plan to try DA1. Has anyone played the most recent Circle of Eight mod for ToEE? I just installed it, and it looks like it starts you out in a shop. I plan to play the main campaign first... Does Co8 replace the main quest with a new one? (or just tinker and improve the original one?)

Different. Its just as beautiful, but they tinkered with the combat to make it more like HoMM'ish. The English translation is pretty bad too; also the English Narrator (and most of the other English voices ) are pretty bad as well. One of the Goblin war-cries is "Goblin!", and another is "Take that!" (spoken like an absolute Smurf). D3, I've read has had its support discontinued already by the publisher; (No new patches). That said... Its no D2, but I am enjoying the game, and D3:Resurrection (the next expansion pack) ships tomorrow. It includes the Undead hoard and some improvements, and (I believe) a continuing storyline. Thieves are royally messed up in D3. Rod planters are gone from the game; replaced by static locations defended by guardians that must be battled for what used to be a simple Rod remove & drop. Units cannot be locked in D3 ; Instead, they auto level up as soon you buy the next capital building... So you can't keep a mix of the higher and lower (sometimes more useful) units indefinitely... they will level up. Disciples 3:Rebirth might ship next year (in the US). Its a repackage of the first D3Ren & D3Res, with improvements. You might want to wait for it and its patches. (Its also supposed to be adding ~restoring, ships to the series; They are also gone in D3.) If you use Steam... There is a Steam Demo of Disciples 3 you could try out. (But I bet it still has the pre-patch bugs!) There are also Youtube videos that are decent examples of play.

Wow. Sounds disappointing. Is Rage better than DNF? (Yes I'm serious ) Right now I'm finishing up the Demon Campaign in Disciples 3:Renaissance, and playing through an IronMan game of TOEE. **Tomorrow I might be playing Disciples 3:Resurrection, but I will finish the first D3 before launching off into a serious game in the sequel.

Try 'Painkiller'. The protagonist is very worried that he'll end up in hell Great shooter, and cheap on GoG. Yahtzee did quite a review of it.http://www.google.com/#&q=escapist+yahtzee+painkiller