mkreku

Well, it is true that gaming seems to have had a golden age (1990-2005 or somewhere there). Before that, games were mostly really annoying (as in, no saves, extremely simple mechanics, extremely high difficulty) and pretty short. Then something happened, and we got games that had 100+ hours of game time, fascinating mechanics, open worlds and so on; the golden age. I had a lot of fun during this time with my Wasteland's, Ultima's, Daggerfall's, Gothic's, Fallout's, etc. The last couple of years, the trend has been to improve graphics and cut back on the actual game. The reasoning seems to be that the player has to have fun at least every 30 seconds, the player should never feel any remotely bad feelings (as in being punished for dying, being able to fail a quest, having game mechanics that they don't understand within 10 seconds) and completing the game (with a full 1000 points achievement list) should be accessible to everyone. This is what's referred to as "streamlining". Quest arrows, mini-maps, breadcrumb trails, constant checkpoints, one-button combat, these are all part of this streamlining process. It's like game developers are climbing all over themselves in their attempts at coming up with the next aid to remove the last shred of challenge in the games. Basically, I think the problem is that game developers don't know what streamlining is supposed to mean. Making an interface slick, intuitive and uncluttered is good streamlining. Making it impossible to fail a quest is bad streamlining. Writing quests that makes players interested in solving them is good streamlining, making quests where your only reason to go talk to someone is the big golden arrow above their head is bad streamlining. Creating a world that's interesting and accessible is good streamlining, having to have your players rely on a breadcrumb trail is bad streamlining. To say that quality only has declined is wrong though. Graphics, physics, the technology as a whole has shot through the roof. What we see in games like GTA4, Crysis, Halo: Reach, Killzone 3 etc. is stuff we could only dream about a decade ago. Fallout 3 is a great example of this: I remember playing Wasteland as a kid and imagining how it would be to actually wander the wasteland on my own, seeing it through my own two eyes, trying to survive in a war torn, highly radiated, wild world. Now I (almost) can. It's amazing. I suspect that it's somewhat of a scenario where the technology has outrun the rest of the development stages. The technology has gone so far so fast, and so much is needed for a game to be considered an AAA title, that almost all the budget and resources has to go to making the game look amazing. But once the technology has stabilized and this kind of graphics and functionality becomes standard (as in, available for a more reasonable prize and with less work), game developers again have to distinguish themselves with more than fancy graphics and physics. Maybe that's when the second golden age arrives?

Yeah, we saw: http://forums.obsidian.net/index.php?s=&am...t&p=1075305 There's a discussion about it in the last pages of the Dungeon Siege 3 at New York Comic Con thread, if you wish to participate. Personally, I believe those are bogus requirements. It's too early.

My current rig: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit Intel Core i7 920 (@3.2GHz) 6 GB 1600 MHz Corsair XMS3 Gigabyte X58A-UD7 motherboard (with USB3/SATA3 support) Powercolor OC Radeon HD5870 1GB GDDR5 Corsair Force Series F120 Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB Asus VH242H 24" (1920x1080) I still haven't decided! I'm running on the stock cooler. But now I am eyeing this: http://www.corsair.com/products/h70/default.aspx I will decide soon.. I think. I just copied a file from the SSD to the 2TB, and I reached 237MB/s! It stayed between 149-237MB/s the whole time. Lightning fast.

I don't mind ordinary bugs much, but if that crash that required me to restart the entire computer is still there, I'm going to have to come and pour sugar in the gas tank of Sawyer's new Fallout-themed motorcycle.

I have no clue what to do.

You can activate the steam version via VPN/proxy and play it now Well, I heard rumours that Josh needed a new bike so I took responsibility and ordered the Collector's Edition from Webhallen. I threw the dice, now I have to stand by it.

I want to know how something so hyped could be so unappreciated. I rarely found it difficult, but always found it absorbing. Yeah, sure, whatever. But does it make you touch yourself with excitement? ... (I'm going to get banned for sexual harassment. Again )

Even Puerto Rico gets it before Sweden?!

Two more days to wait and I have no idea why I am reading this thread still. Living on the edge.. of spoilers!

Perhaps. I was going by the fact that Fallout 3 was released in October 2008 and Fallout: New Vegas in October 2010. There may have been a delay between the two projects though, in either direction.

Not to me. Remember, this is a game that's coming out several years after Fallout 3, thus they had all those extra years to work out the original's kinks. Of course, while building a game of this size there's bound to be new kinks introduced into the mix..

That might have been your brain.

From the Eurogamer review: Oh. Em. Gee.

What is curry? I usually buy Vulgarlic chicken when I go to my favourite Indian restaurant. I'm not even sure that's a real Indian cuisine. It's probably fake.

Only three more days now.. Kind of sucks knowing you guys will be roaming the wasteland for three whole days while I'm still waiting for my expensive pieces of plastic crap to arrive.

Is there anything resembling an assassin in this game? I want to put the double ass in assassin.

A short click for a fast attack, a long click for a powerful attack, several clicks for attack combos, soft clicks for sexy attacks, hard clicks for added innuendo, a million clicks for therapy, etc.

My only comfort is my mind picture of J.E Saywer bathing in hundred dollar bills. Naked.

Jesper Kyd is definitely my favourite game music composer. Just listen to this tune from Assassin's Creed 2: http://www.jesperkyd.com/ (it automatically plays when you enter his homepage) I've even suggested his name for Piranha Bytes (for Risen 2), but I'm not sure they could afford him.

For that price I'm expecting a live atomic handgrenade. At least.

Am I the Weirdo then?

Hey Sawyer, I bought the Collector's Edition. It cost me $115. You can thank me later for your new motorcycle.

Please let this game be good. I just convinced one of my female friends to buy it for her Xbox 360..

I'm interested, Labadal.