Monte Carlo

All the same, I can't get excited about it. The pre-defined PC thing is really a deal-breaker for me, everything else just adds to my initial indifference. It's still interesting, as a gamer, to observe what Bio is doing with the franchise and with CRPGs in general. Even if I think they are becoming a crusading force for mediocrity.

The Americans seem to favour non-reciprocal relationships. Union Carbide / Bhopal? Silence. Gulf of Mexico / BP? Uproar. The decision to release Al-Megrahi was loathsome and stupid. Indefensible. Then again, the American government makes loathesome and stupid decisions and nobody orders them to attend the political hearings of other sovereign governments. And if they did the Americans would refuse, and quite rightly too. That a handful of senators wish to whip this whole thing up with the BP angle seems to me more to do with the Democrats forthcoming kicking in the November elections than anything else. The presumption that you can summon UK politicians to give evidence betrays the 51st State mentality they have. I'd tell them to bugger off, too. I don't remember the USA being overly helpful around IRA terrorist prisoners and extradition in the 70's, 80's and 90's, for example. There is an occasional anti-British vein in American politics that I will call Mel Gibsonesque - we're all Redcoats / evil imperialists really, despite nowadays being a small and relatively insignificant island that offers nothing but material and political support to the USA. Under Obama, this tendency for some reason has accelerated to the point where I'm beginning to view America in a far less positive way than I did previously. I appreciate that the American government isn't analagous with the American man or woman on main street, and in my many visits to the USA have found them to be friendly and charming. It's just that American governments have a tendency to hubris that under Obama simply keeps increasing exponentially.

Bioware has a history of implementing grand features like this, it's to their credit by-and-large. Prime example? BG2 Strongholds. Most gamers will play BG2 once in one class and access one stronghold. Bio wrote, what, five or six? Magnificent, but futile from a mainstream gaming point of view. I think the origins are the same, but agree with Grom in that it simply wasn't viable to see them through. Which was when Bio hid behind the hype to conceal how, after the initial fireworks, they petered out like a damp squib.

A Bioware minion wrote of the art direction for Hawke... I presume that where this person works this actually makes sense.

Thanks, I'm going to order one on Monday after a bit more research, I'm going for more memory as per your suggestion, a faster processor and some other minor upgrades. I'm a bit disappointed that on a rig like this you actually have to pay extra for a Bluetooth module. I've not used Windows 7 yet, my gaming rig is still Vista. Any views / advice with regards to games and backwards compatability. For example, it seems inconceivable that I wont be installing some old Infinity Engine games on this rig.

Hurlie, would you go out of the box on the spec or would you beef up the processor / memory / video card? Linkie

Thanks, I'd rather pay a bit extra and have a little future-proofing.

I said too. Keep up.

I have a nice gaming rig, it's getting on a bit but eminently up-gradeable and I'm happy with it. I'm about to buy a laptop, I'm lucky in that I can afford a decent one and I've always been curious about getting an Alienware rig. Anybody have any views or advice. I'll be using it for writing and internet access too. FWIW I'm aware of people's love / hate with Dell but personally having had one or two I've had a pretty good experience. Cheers in advance, MC

Because, like, it can't be a genuine role-playing experience unless I grapple with dilemmas like having to slaughter kids / old people / puppies. What a crock. It seems that, as usual, a sizeable proportion of Bio fans want to (a) cyber every object in the game including barrels (b) have a soppy romance with anything else not bolted down and

From that preview: Yay!

Hmmm. The +5 Armour O' Spikiness. It feels a bit Dark Sun for some reason. Maybe the desolate landscape, it has a sort of fantasy PA feel which could be potentially quite interesting. Hawke looks like a younger, well-fed Duncan. I still don't want to play a pre-defined character or be a tamagotchi in Dave's fantasy novel.

MOAR FIGHTING IN TUNNELS. This is the bit Bio are good at, not soppy romances or silly fan-fic style back stories. DA:3 TACTICS: MOAR TUNNEL COMBAT is the title we are all waiting for.

Anything to do with Twilight should trigger a forum taste filter and be erased.

Tunnel Fighting urges are tough, I feel your pain. I find that the original Sacred Gold, which is so cheap it's silly, booted up and played for an hour or two scratches that itch. There a couple of half-decent BG2 mods that also provide an adequate tunnel-fighting fix.

STOP. Start your own soppy knitting circle thread somewhere else to discuss relationships. This thread is about ME. Solving problems. And stuff. Girly men.

@ Wals. There are some up-armoured 432s floating around, but there are also enough really old ones to buy. The Mastiff was bulk-bought and is apparently v. popular, I don't know if there are any serving types who could tell me if that and Vector basically put the resurrected 432 programme into mothballs again. If I wanted an old 1960's vintage Abbott SP gun I'd be laughing. But I don't. I want to drive it around a field. It's been a big thing I've wanted to do for many years, my dream would be a tank (a Sherman, one that was actually in use with a WW2 Yeomanry preferably) but I have to be realistic. Maybe I need to start smaller, maybe a scout car of some description.

Currently researching the purchase, upkeep and maintenance of a vintage armoured fighting vehicle. Seriously. Am thinking of either an ageing FV432 APC or maybe an old-skool M1 Halfie. I need a field to drive it around in.

BG2 used to work fine, to be honset it might be all the mods including Widescreen.

Company of Heroes Online, which will be free to play (no doubt with lots of DLC) goes live in September. This is the good bit though, if being griefed by pro-smurfs all day isn't your bag, is that the single-player campaign (The original 15 mission USA Normandy one) ships free too. Given that it's possibly the best WW2 RTS ever, that is an astonishing opportunity, it still looks and plays great.

Hmmm tried to play BG2 but for some reason the vocals don't work (music and ambient sound does). Damn Vista.

Alternatively, hire yourself a US Naval Aviator's uniform, No. 1 dress white's, and re-create the final scene from An Officer and a Gentleman. OTOH, I remembered that a lot of you Scandies are peacenik hippies who might not dig that whole military vibe. Give it a try anyway, it's easier than Wal's 'hidden jewellery' fiasco which proves why I'm the guy with the problem-solving thread and not him.

Thanks a lot, man. That's thirty minutes laughing like a t***. Anybody who dares question the innate awesomeness of the Internet needs to read that thread!

12 years. Wow. It doesn't seem that long ago. And in many ways it's yet to be equalled!

Maybe you should do some research next time before you put money into the sand. Yes, mum, will do.