bhlaab

Interesting http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/58609 NPD's Top Ten (4/26 - 5/2) 1. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $32 2. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20 3. Left 4 Dead / Valve / $29 4. World Of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $39 5. Empire: Total War / Creative Assembly / $50 6. World Of Warcraft / Blizzard / $20 7. Fallout Trilogy (Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics) / Interplay / $20 8. Demigod / Gas Powered Games / $39 9. The Sims 2 Apartment Life Exp. Pack / EA Maxis / $20 10. Spore / EA Maxis / $50

It's tough to blame the writers too much for it because of the ridiculous 80 character limit. So instead of actual dialogue you're left with brief summaries of gigantic concepts. >I can't believe my Dad is dead >I'm glad my Dad is dead >I've accepted that my Dad is dead >Goodbye!

It'd be sweet if we met a relative of Three-dog in New Vegas, but he/she won't be able to fight the good fight with their voice because his/her tongue was cut out. I think it would be funny if the radio in new vegas was completely mercenary in nature. Like you'll be walking along and just hear happy jingles for Slaver services "Tired of Tribal Tantrums? Bored of Bow-Legged Boors? Well, thanks to our patented inspection process, when you choose the Khans for your servant needs you only get the brightest and strongest! The quickest and the most alert! So remember, when you see the Khan branding on their arm, you know that stands for K-wality!" Even though I was playing a super good guy, I had to kill three dog because I got sick of his constant preaching.

Great! Then don't buy the Fallout brand name and call it Fallout! Fallout 1 and 2 were slow and ponderous but guess what I liked them and a lot of other people liked them because I, and others, appreciate slowness and pondering. Yes, I'm aware things have to "move forward". I'm not expecting 256 color sprites here. Look at Dragon Age, they're more or less making a game that plays extremely similarly to Baldur's Gate but updating the look and the feel for the HD, high-budget generation. Hell, look at Diablo 3. Barely changed at all gameplay-wise AND exclusive to the PC. You think that's not going to sell? My point is, if Bethesda wanted to make another Elder Scrolls game, why didn't they? Why'd they have to dig up a beloved franchise, completely change it to fit the mould of an Elder Scrolls game, and try to pretend like nothing happened? Of course the fans will get mad, that's like... like releasing a new Pink Panther movie with Steve Martin in it instead of Peter Sellers! I mean, yeah, Peter Sellers is dead and Steve Martin is the only chance we ever have of more seeing Pink Panther movies. And sure, Steve Martin USED to be a talented develop-- I mean, comedian, but is the lack of respect for a legend like Blac--Peter Sellers and watching the Pink Panther franchise slowly wither and die in mediocrity really worth it just to see a brand name again?

Fine with me. I rather Obsidian make games that sell than have Obsidian make one or two more games then die as a company. If they're compromising themselves, then they're already dead.

Oops, Bioware's going to have to do damage control again!

Has anyone tried out the turn based mod for Fallout 3? It works surprisingly well-- not enough to actually play the game with though (buggy, not enough information displayed to be tactical, AI doesn't work with it 100% properly, nothing like initiatives and dodge chances) However, even gimped to hell and buggy I still find it way more fun than fo3's default combat. Oddly enough, more balanced too, since the enemy will just kick the bejeezus out of you during their turn if you don't keep a nice distance. Like I said, though, I wouldn't play through the whole game with it. Just fun to mess around with.

There's actually a rumor that a new Redneck Rampage is being made by blizzard of all companies

That would end up into too much trivial micro management. I don't think so. You would just have to gather some food & water apart from ammo before you leave town. I think it's a neat idea, a nice addition to the feeleing of town safety vs. dangerous wasteland. One [or both] of the first two games required that you actually had a canteen before a long trip, or you could get dehydration damage. *Ausir would know the exact details (or could find them). Yeah, but it was stupid because you auto-healed as you travelled and the dehydration would be a one-time-per 5 HP hit at most

Troika tried, and failed. Yep. Good thing, too, as their games didn't sell well and while I haven't searched metacritic yet, they probably didn't fare too well there either. But you know what does sell well and does very well on metacritic? Those FPS games where americans shoot the bejeezus out of middle eastern people. So I guess the best thing for the industry is if nobody released games that weren't about americans shooting middle eastern people. The 18-24 demographic can't be wrong... ever.

There are probably very few people in the industry making the games they want to make and you've already said the reason why.

Interesting thing I found linked there, which was written in 1997: http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.ib...019a2f20f3c552e Speaking of betting your career on it, where is ol' Tim now?

Yeah, you need no help in looking like you do, that's for sure. Hey, the most successful (both critically AND sales wise) Fallout game to date ripped out GURPS and the isometric doll angle and replaced it with something else. How is that possible?! And yeah, who has ever played a Mario without running or jumping on things. Except Mario Kart. And Mario Tennis. Or the other billion Mario themed games out there that aren't platformers. Even RPG's! Go figure. So feel free to continue looking like an idiot. Well now that you've called me an idiot I don't think I will. I think I'll just go play Fallout First Person Shooter With Brief RPG Elements. That is what it's called right? Just like Mario Golf is actually a golf game and they don't try to pretend that it's exactly like the main mario games so they call it something different? Anyway, I want to relate a short anecdote to you: I put jars of my own dead skin on ebay it was very successful critically and (AND!!) sales wise so what I'm wondering is if that makes it as good as, I don't know, Citizen Kane? Considering that we're trying to pretend that quality is entirely subjective I think a jar of my own dead skin that I sold on ebay is as good as the timeless classic made by Orson Welles. This is the idea I am putting forth. Please don't call me an idiot if you don't think this is the case.

Because, unlike you, they realized that Fallout was never about a camera angle or a combat system. It was about a setting and a story. I believe the nailed the setting but failed on the story. Wow, and here I am looking like an idiot thinking that how a game plays is more or less how it is percieved. So what's Mario about? I'm going to say running and jumping on things, but feel free to correct me.

GREAT! They did away with all that dang obsolete material and made something BRAND NEW! Something with ZOW! Something that is IN YOUR FACE and is ALL THAT AND A BAG OF CHIPS. Only problem is, why did they attach that old, smelly obsolete brand name to it if they were so inclined to make something new???

He means design-wise, which is true. They make no effort to explore outside of their niche.

Revitalized a dead franchise? It wouldn't have been dead if they hadnt outbid Troika for the rights in the first place. And yeah, Obsidian is making New Vegas, which is nice, but it's not like they're in a position to do anything outside of the "new vision" for the franchise. And it's obvious from the design choices they've made in this DLC pack that Bethesda isn't going to change their ways and publish anything challenging at all (and by challenging I'm not referring to difficulty)

Jesus, how can a developer so oblivious be so commercially and critically successful? It boggles my mind.

That's fine, that's not artificial. Those are limitations based on the player's build and equipment, meaning that a clever player could concievably fudge their way inside whenever they feel like it. But take a look at Vault 87 in Fallout 3. RAD-X and gear don't work, you're *going* to die if you try to go in. The only entrance is through little lamplight meaning: No Entry Until the Designer Says So. Because what if the player somehow makes it in there before they're Allowed and gets the GECK? That would ruin their delightful scripted event where you're kidnapped. And what if you go in there before your father is dead? Boy, telling a completely linear, unmutable story in an open world sandbox game that is supposedly focused on CHOICE sure is tough! Blecchh.

The hell with that, why artifically fence off areas? Especially in a game that considers itself a "sandbox". Let the player wander in, allow them to grab plot-critical items before they're even told about them. No more key-only doors! No more 'unconcious' NPCs! No more super-radiation! It's not sequence breaking if there's no sequence to break.

I'd say Oblivion is crap because it came after Morrowind. But if Oblivion was Elder Scrolls 1 I'd think it was pretty fun for what was, because I wouldn't have already experienced better. I'd say Doom 3 is crap because it's not a proper Doom game. But if you accept that it's doing its own thing and take it all on its own merits, it's well done and all-around a cool experience. Likewise, If Quake 4-- Well nevermind that last one. What I'm getting at is that Invisible War is crap.

The round window and alpha overlay are somewhat distracting. Not to mention, there's already this out there: http://fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2304

I'll go with C for 10,000...because I need a new computer for this going-to-be-a-pile-of-crap-game. And I don't mean the gameplay. I love the gameplay. But the first two games barely run on my computer, even though games with better graphics, (like Left 4 Dead), run very smoothly. Left 4 Dead uses an engine from 2004, and was developed by one of the most well-funded studios in the industry STALKER is made by a handful of people in the Ukraine, cut em some slack! (Not to mention the engine is doing much more intensive things than Left 4 Dead)

Wow, I didn't realize Violette Szabo was so into tight leather pants

Only a couple parts of Fallout 2 were particularly groan-worthy anyway, and most of them were special encounters as well which means they can get away with being stupid