Raithe

I would throw down that romance isn't inherently bad as a concept in an RPG. I would say that the majority of current trends in romance in-game can be a touch silly. In many ways its as much a part of relationship building that should happen between groups of people involved in quite often deadly adventures, but I do wish we'd see more of the other aspects as well as romance. In other words, the nature of friendship and rivalry and building those sorts of relationships between companions , not just the "make the right dialogue choice, give the right gifts, and have a safe-pseudo-pg13-rated sex scene in the middle of the game" type of events. Whether its simple companionship, best-buddy bromance, or pseudo-sibling establishment between people, that can be help flesh out characters and involve you deeper in a story. Especially when companions and other party members have their own inter-connected stories beyond the main game plot. But it simply comes down to that meaning a lot more trouble to write out, and develop game mechanics that will handle in a non-simplified/childish manner. So it seems easier for most rpg's to focus on throwing in a cheesy-romance than doing anything that's actually deep.

Hm. I'm really not sure how I take this approach... Hitman - Announcing Hitman

Interesting perspective on the parents of Rachel Doleval: https://homeschoolersanonymous.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/the-media-is-doing-exactly-what-rachel-dolezals-abusive-homeschooling-parents-want/ The bit I like is how she has turned around and done the "yes, these are the people that raised me, however, they can't prove that they are my actual parents. Sure they have a birth certificate with their names listed, but the certificate came a month or two after I was born. There are no actual witnesses that they gave birth to me." You really have to admire that dedication to a role.

Veteran Suicide Prevention Network Built by Veterans

So.. Fallout 4 comes with Pipboy Edition

I think Dumas was paid by the word for that one. He could have cut out quite a bit without hurting the story. That's one of the few books that's ever defeated me. I had to read it in high school, and while everyone else apparently read the 300 page abridged version, I picked up the 1000 page unabridged version. After 700 pages of nothing really happening, I just couldn't take anymore, and never finished it. I keep meaning to read Patrick Rothfuss's newest book (The Slow Regard of Silent Things), but I really haven't been in a reading mood lately. Not sure why, just can't read for more than 20 minutes or so without getting really restless. The start is slow, and it can get bogged down a touch. But when you get through the lessons of the Abbe Farria, and the escape from the Chateau D'ilf... Then you get the joys of slow-paced vengeance spilled out in that Dumas style. Sure, it isn't quite as action-oriented as the likes of the Three Musketeers, but I find it a good romp with plenty of detail.

Well.. SWTOR - Fallen Empire I'm guessing it all links to that good ol' Sith Emperor...

And Bruce is going to be happy.. ign - First ME:Andromeda story details revealed

For the new spin of Random News thread.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG8V9dRqSsw Mass Effect to Johnny Cash..

Okay, giving GTA V a whirl. I have to say, while I don't object to games being a little tweaky to "cheat" against you, I find blatantly ignoring their own physics engine to be a bit annoying. The Franklin vs Lamar race where Lamar is strictly on rails and can slam through cars as if he's in a 6 ton tank, and if you get ahead of him, he will slam into you, and drag you along walls while ignoring all physics effects before you get spun out and he keeps going on his merry way. Or the other effect when you get ahead of him, that at specific points along the race he will suddenly shoot ahead at many times the possible acceleration.. and if you happen to be in that path.. your car will get thrown into the air.

Okay, let me throw this in.. As I recall, part of the story of Kotor 2 does throw in that Revan starting recovering old memories of what he had encountered during that period of wandering outside of the Republic, chasing down the remnants of the Mandalorians - this is pretty much regardless of whether LS or DS - and as such, he carefully removed himself from his associates and went travelling on his lonesome to discover the truth. If he was LS, he did this to secure the safety of his friends and allies while he tried to discover what basically scared the bejeesuz out of him. If he was DS, he did it so he would understand the secret, and not let anyone else use the knowledge to harm him or destroy his control. So we don't really get a clear time frame for how long after KOTOR I events he did the wandering off. That left a few years during which the Republic was still recovering, and the general "Sith" that had been under Revan and Malak still exist in some format. That allows plenty of fragmentation, groups struggling to take control, and such like.

Haven't been playing too much of late. Dabbled some with Valkyria Chronicles. Pondering on the urge for some retail therapy, considering whether to grab GTA V with the 25% off voucher from GreenManGaming or wait and see if the Steam summer sales include it.. hmmm....

Epic Times - Man Caught on Camera Drugging a Woman's Drink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Zl41oMa5I

Things everyone should know.. 22 Incredible Facts About the Life and Career of Sir Christopher Lee

Its funny because its true..

The True Scale of Tony Blair's Business Empire

Okay, I'll probably take some schtick for this, but I sat down and watched.. Barely Lethal. Hey, it has Samuel L Jackson for the background scene chewing, and Jessica Alba for the general pretty. It's still has a few amusing moments, the concept of a teenage girl raised in a "quasi-government assassin factory" who manages to fake her death so she can experience high school.. but all of her pre-conceptions are based on the high-school films she's managed to sneak viewing over the years. So she's acting off of Mean Girls, Clueless, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and the like. So you get a few pokes at the Hollywood teen/high school/college film industry. Oh yes, and it has Sansa Stark in it.

Epic Times - Jerry Doyle mugged on European Trip So, someone who just didn't like his acting?

Not strictly film I guess, but I watched the 6 hour mini-series Count of Monte Cristo from 1998. The Gerard Depardieu one. And yes, I watched it in French, with English subtitles. It's always nice to see a good adaption, although I was at first thrown by how they shifted the timelines around and told a chunk of the first half via flashback scattered throughout the rest of the episodes. Heh, and I've noticed a lot of adaptions like to change it so that Dante and Mercedes end up together again.