mkreku

This might be a first, but I actually agree with 2leetforU.. for once. Baley, you're beginning to get on my nerves too. There's no possibility that you could try to put some thought behind your posts, instead of just filling every thread on the board with one-liners and smileys, is there? No offence, but not every thought that passes through your head is interesting for others to read and for you to put on these boards. Try a little constraint, please?

Even though there's no reasonable way of getting hold of the software anymore, I still don't think it's a valid reason to steal other people's work. It's a pity LucasArts and Bethesda doesn't release their old games for the public (although Bethesda did release The Elder Scrolls: Arena not long ago), but pity isn't enough to turn me into a thief. I'm in a bad position to discuss these things though, as I've been lucky getting a job that supplies me with tons of games, both old and new (we are working on a retro section).

I still think The Underdogs are the best for abandonware. Also, they are pretty strict about not supplying software that hasn't been officially declared abandonware (ie. no illegal games).

Where's my Far Cry?!

Probability.

And which game do you think this works in? WoW has pretty weak PvP right now (although they are working on it), but even at this basic level, it rewards well-balanced groups where everyone plays out their strengths and cover each others backs, to nullify (if possible) the weaknesses. It's great fun when you find the perfect group, with quick-minded people and experienced player killers. Unfortunately, WoW was designed for mass PvP, which means combat one on one has suffered a lot (unless you're a rogue).

Of the two you mention: WoW without a doubt.

Haha, that video is awesome! I am guessing the same guy who did the music in Gothic/Gothic 2 also made the music for the teaser-trailer. It brought back a good feeling of nostalgia for me at least. By the way, I am glad it's coming out in 2006.. because with that kind of graphics, my machine would jump out of the window on the second floor, if I even tried to install Gothic 3 on it.

I think the problem with the new government in Iraq is that many people in Iraq doesn't feel as if it is their own. Sure, they had Saddam before and he wasn't good. But he ended up in power because of their own (bad) choices. This government, although 'democratically' chosen, feels more as an extention of the occupying forces than a real publicly chosen government. Which is why they're getting killed, one by one, in a number of horrible bombings and shootings.

Gothic 3 teaser site..

I'm sorry, but that really has nothing to do with physics. No matter where you hit those zombies, they were always cut in half. It wasn't as if you could slice and dice them any way you wanted (like in BloodRayne). That would have been physics. The ragdoll effects when the two pieces fell were physics though.

Both Half-Life 2 and Doom 3 were more a success of the modellers and world designers. The Source engine sure is flexible and adjustable, but I never saw anything in Half-Life 2 that I hadn't seen before (graphically speaking). I had already seen (and awed over) the Havok physics engine in Max Payne 2. Half-Life 2 suffered from limited map sizes, but excelled (and beyond) in character modelling. Doom 3 was mostly a playground for lighting effects and hardware shadowing. They too have some of the world's best monster modellers, so naturally the enemies were quite impressive. I never felt that what I saw on screen matched what my strained little graphics card had to go through, though. It was like seeing lots and lots of black, while setting the graphics card on fire. I don't believe the Doom 3 engine is capable of rendering large areas, but that's impossible to tell from the actual game since it all takes place in tiny cupboards and narrow corridors. Far Cry, on the other hand, used the tropical island setting, so it's very easy to be impressed by the graphics. I mean, who doesn't think tropical islands are beautiful? But Far Cry also impressed me by incorporating believable physics (except destructable objects), HUGE maps, working real time shadowing and great character models in the same game. The one thing that really blew me away though, was when I was inside some old WWII bunker and walked up to a narrow slot in the wall and looked out, and I could see the island beneath me and, perfectly detailed, another island 2 miles away. The viewing distance was simply outstanding. This is why Far Cry wins it for me (even though Half-Life 2's character models is probably a greater technological achievement).

If you think THAT guy (Oerwinde's pic) looks gay.. Maybe I should have voted for anime nerds after all..

Yeah, I was far more impressed by Far Cry than any of the other tech demos. Of course, it was the first one out in the "new generation" graphics engines, but still.. I never felt they took advantage of the physics enough in Half-Life 2. Sure, it may look great, but only a few times were the physics vital to the gameplay (just as in Far Cry). Doom 3 wasn't even worth mentioning.

How can I be the only one who voted for trekkers? I mean, people who obsess over whether or not the green snoutnosed alien in episode 226 was anatomically correct.. when they're referring to a science fiction TV-series where beaming (teleporting) people around is ok. Also, they actually take their time to learn a whole new nonsense language, just to look cool among their little clique of nerds! On another note, one of the biggest ever trek-stars (ooh, witty) tried to cross over to different kind of nerdery.. check this out: http://homepage.mac.com/evanbaumgardner/iMovieTheater6.html ..and now tell me they aren't the worst?! Edit: Damn. The original movie seems to be gone. Oh well.

I remember how surprised I was when I first heard that Bethesda were developing Fallout 3.. Irrational Games is probably as good a guess as any. But it doesn't feel like a natural choice. Freedom Force is very far from the Forgotten Realms.

I think you should try the Gothic series. It's quite difficult to get hold of Gothic, but if you do, it's well worth your money. Gothic 2 is best played after Gothic, even though it's supposed to be a stand alone game. Both are great RPG's however, and if you can't find Gothic, Gothic 2 is a great game in itself.

I actually review games for a living right now. But I'm also studying to be able to write my own games in the future (computer science).

I wish all americans were as clever as you, Servant of Eru.

I think the idea is great. I'd much rather play one of the "grunts" in the Star Wars universe. I mean, Star Wars doesn't stand and fall with the Force. The Star Wars universe is so fleshed out and interesting in its own right, that no matter who your character ends up being, it would still be awesome to solve quests, travel between distant planets and explore all those diverse cultures seen in the movies. Also, not being a Jedi (or Sith), might make the game less "high flying" and easier (at least for me) to associate with. Not to mention more original.

Well, this is one of those games where instead of hoping to get a review copy (but not being sure) I've pre-ordered it instead. If I also get a review copy, then I'll review it. If not, then it'll be reviewed by one of our other reviewers (and I'll be doing the Second Opinion thingie). Ps. I watched the intro movie. Kind of cool, with two mages blowing the hell out of each other and the surroundings using magic spells. But does it have anything to do with the game?

You mean braindead and smelly?

Er.. the french boil frogs all the time. Anyhow, how much of the info found in this thread do you actually think is true? I don't think the point is to educate anyone. I saw the ad, thought it was cool and useless so I posted it. What did you bring to the discussion..?

FINALLY: ---------- DreamCatcher

I thought Bubba Ho-tep was great! Bruce Campbell is almost too believable as an aging, overweight Elvis with a veneral disease. The only thing I didn't like about that movie was the ending. I guess there won't be a Bubba 2.