Raithe

I have to say the current one works fine for me...

Eh well her current one won't play ME, for some reason the graphics chipset crashes it out.. although she's been working her way through DA and sundry dlc and expansion.. She's pretty much using it daily for various things, including sorting her ipod music.. but she's wanting to spend money so she has a laptop that will let her play ME1-3, DA2, Deus Ex HR, a few other things.. and that she won't have to worry about upgrading for another 4 years or so.. Heh, I mostly showed her the Alienware site to do the "yes, this is silly money but look it's SHINY" She's kind of looking at it in the vein of "Okay.. if I say it's a grand for a laptop that's expensive..but I use it everyday..and if I'm still using it in four years..that's worth 250 for a single year..." I think I might have put her on the path to too great a temptation...

It's not the end of the world, but you can see it from here... No .. wait..that's a different thread..

She's not a tech geek , it was literally the "ooo shiny pretty lights" because of Alienware's funky backlit keyboards and such on laptops. Her last laptop she judged by the prettiness of the graphs set up next to the laptops displayed at the shop.... At least it was the "oo thats a pretty graph, will this laptop do what I want?" sort of question. One of the somewhat disturbing moments in my life was getting asked to help put up the stripper pole in her room when she took up pole-dancing for exercise. And then when she came back from one of her repeated trips to work at a ranch in Montanna she made me a present of some exceptionally ...loud... cowboy shirts. I actually wore one out once, and my friends looked at me and did the whole "dude, does your sister think you're gay?" Anyhowt, on to the day.. doing the ultra final scan of this report before I send it merrily along its way. I think I shall note that I've read too much American writing. Actually, I blame the assorted rpg books I've read in my lifetime (and character sheets I've filled out). My spelling these days seems to be turning into an atrocious mix of proper English and Americanised spelling... and it bloomin varies within the same document. Heh, and I just caught that for some reason I'd put "Columbia" in half the places it should read "Colombia". Thank you Replace All.

Spent a few hours playing ME2.. First time I've actually kicked it off from the very beginning with all the dlc as well..

Muah-Hah-Hah! I cackle evilly. My sister is looking for a new laptop. I just introduced her to Alienware. She's now sitting there, alternating between "Oohh..Pretty lights" and "Oh you bastard!" for showing her that place...

Urf. Well tis been a delightfully sunny day here... although the morning was a touch distracting with the puppy doing about a dozen things mentioned previously (although nothing in the vomit or bodily functions style). However, I have a roughly 19 page or so report written now. Technically I'd say its finished, but I know I'm probably going to keep poking at it over tonight and the early part of the morning before it has to be sent off. But I'm going to force myself to take a break from such tweaking for a few hours now.. I need a serious mental palate cleanser. I might dabble at some ME2 or some such.

Reread through my posts the last 3 months or so. See how many include variants of "bloody puppy" "puppy threw up" "puppy eat the antique such and such" "puppy took a dump on the carpet" "puppy tries to eat the cat" and other assorted... However, I will also point out that walking cute puppies can induce pretty women to linger in your area. Also judge whether you'll have time/energy to walk it appropriately....

Project Snowblind was actually fairly decent for what it was. I mean that was originally designed as a much more FPS spin-off from Deus Ex, but with the crash and burn of DE:IW they decided to take it as a seperate game and universe. It might have been much more combat geared, but they did try to keep a certain amount of "multiple paths" within that.

If it hadn't been a Deus Ex sequel it would have been considered a better game. Among things that came across for me, was that the developers had pushed hard the idea that you'd be dealing with different factions and would be able to double-cross them on missions and it would all shape up how the game went... In practice, you could double-cross them to your hearts content and they'd be right back offering you another mission and there were no real consequences... There were a lot of interesting ideas in the game, but it just didn't gell together the way the first Deus Ex did. If you could ignore those issues, it was mostly entertaining.

I'm in need of a mental palate cleanser. So considering doing a fresh run through of ME2 when I get the free time..

"Women are the root of all evil. And teenage girls have yet to learn how to use their power for good." Edit: After all, there was a reason Harem doors had locks on the outside as well.....

I do have to say.. having been buried in various research the last week or two related to drug cartels, assassinations, death squads, kidnapping, human rights abuses, torture, bombings and general shenanigans... It really does seem to put you into an emotional place filled with a whole lot of angst, depression and general anger. Which has been a little disconcerting. But still. As ever, onwards with a fresh cup of tea.

Same here. We call it "winter" Yes, but tis supposed to be the middle of Summer here...

It's being a miserably grey and drizzly day here. Some quiet moments pondering on the nature of obsession, and trying to get past the sunday procrastination and general meh feel to actually do stuff. So as expected from me, I shall enjoy a fresh cup of tea, maybe nibble at an eccles cake for that added sugar rush, and see how things develop.

Actually one interesting fact that came up was that while initially the British Empire had some issues with the Native Americans when we entered the New World.. we actually established proper treaties with them about how far we'd push into the country. Who knows how that might have turned out in time, but it was one of the matters that annoyed the colonialists who kicked off the American War of Independance.. That His Majesties government of the time refused to let them expand into the natives lands... It wasn't all about Tax and Representation

You know that stage where you're sat staring at the word processor, dozens of articles and assorted research laying around you, an established structure in the document and large chunks of it filled out ... and then your mind does a shivver and you just can't focus on which next step to do... Do I rewrite this section, do i start on that.. maybe I'll start re-reading this research and oh look another 10 minutes has disapeared on me... Maybe if I polish that paragraph or find something else to add some emphasis... On one hand I can actually say it's kind of fun. Also bloody annoying. In about equal measures.

To be fair, the occasional onrails shooter segment in a game can work for the storyline..and a certain element of cinematic drama. I wouldn't want the whole game to run like it.. but odd moments within the game can be enjoyable.

Shiny.

Uh huh. I'm sure the Chinese and Koreans who suffered under the Japanese of the time would say they weren't exploited. Or the Japanese having their ports forced open under American guns... Although the USA generally liked to push the "economic empire" more then an outright political one. The Germans like so many in Africa and the many insurrections they faced from natives.. including what was termed "the first genocide of the 20th century" It's pretty much impossible for any nation to take an "Empire" without someone getting screwed over. Sure, the British Empire had the bad habit of getting the natives brought back to blighty, giving them an education here, then installing them back in their own countries as the local bureaucrats and administrators... I have to say, that was frankly appaling behaviour on our part.. But I'm beginning to sense a little thread dereailment here.. Edit: And I'd say we're superior because we did it better then anyone else, for a lot longer ... and happened to naturally let it go into the Commonwealth, and keep on damn good terms with the majority of our former conquests.

Hm, so the fact that I know people from France, Germany, Italy, and Poland who all think that the UK isn't a part of Europe 'proper' is a lingering attitude of superiority about the British Empire?

So, you Brits don't consider yourself European? What then? Sorry to disappoint you, but you're not special. Ah , but we're not European either. It's a bit political thing. The majority of the population in the UK doesn't want to be dragged into the EU idea. There's a bunch of other issues involved, but one of the key is that the majority of Europe runs based on Napoleonic legal systems. We don't. Plus there's a shedload of cultural aspects to it. Most of the people I know from the continent tend to think of the UK as "seperate, but kind of hanging onto the outskirts" of Europe 'proper' rather then as a concrete part of it.

What "last few BioWare games"? Because Dragon Age II sure as hell didn't do that. You either pre-ordered it before you could get a good idea of how it played or were screwed and didn't get the Signature Edition with the additional character and quest. I thought the whole Lost Prince missions and added character were available to anyone who picked up a copy of DA2? They did it with DA, they did it with ME2...

If its like last few bioware games, people will have access to that mission and character with every copy of ME3 regardless of collectors edition or not. Just that "encouragement" to not buy second-hand games.

And the announcement of what the Collectors Edition will contain is now out.. Content Revealed Edit: And yes, that is a "Robotic Dog" as an extra...