BruceVC

I like your list, I'm going to think about my one and post later

While Cracked is an edutainment website, their latest article on Sochi is a decent summary of what's wrong with Sochi. It's not just institutionalized homophobia affecting the games. I particularly like the comparison between Beijing 2008 and Sochi 2014. Summer Olympics, bigger by a factor of three, cost about 80% of Sochi's budget. And you can't say China is a frugal spender either. I find it amusing that the budget of Sochi is the entire GDP of Guatemala or Bulgaria. That's some scary statistics...there does seem to serious budget bloat around Sochi

I will say unequivocally out of all the comments you've ever made that's the one I disagree with the most, anyone who thinks BG: TOB is a bad game isn't worthy to discuss RPG at all !!!

Sigh. There's a reason all the IPs we see on kickstarter are the ones that were dead for all practical purposes. In spite of having had its halo tarnished a bit, DND is still far from dead. In fact, a DND game showing up on kickstarter would orobably be the most certain way of figuring out that the IP is no longer valued by its owner. I agree, I would pledge unconditionally to another decent D&D game like BG3

http://kotaku.com/q-a-baldurs-gate-ii-enhanced-edition-took-a-lot-of-w-1507720763 Guys here is quick read around all the work to produce BG2 : EE For me the most interesting part of the article is the discussion around BG3 and how Trent Oster is not only keen to make the game but is making a semblance of progress in the required negotiations with Wizards of the Coast

"Tulip O'Hare, Jesse's beer guzzling vampire ex-girlfriend..." And this show is a non-starter. You can't combine Tulip and Cassidy, not when their interactions are so important to the story. Artistic license? Someone like me who doesn't know the original story wouldn't know any different so it could still be excellent Its like adapting Spider-Man and merging Mary Jane and Harry Osbourne into a single character. Oh well if that's the case that wouldn't quite work

I always heard the missing part as "where women grown and men plunder", but I don't really trust my own ears. --- Roughly ten years ago, possibly more, I got hold of the Shadowrun PnP book and wanted the other players and GM's to have a look at it and read it through, since I thought it was wicked cool and held lots of promise. The replies I got was "Lol, sucks, magic, cybertech and elves - really? We'll stick to vampire." Fast forward to modern times; "Hey, have you heard of Shadowrun Returns? Awesome game, I really liked the world and concept of it. I actually bought the new rulebook and I'm reading it through now!" How ironic, imagine if you could take those naysayers forward in time to show them the success of the Shadowrun franchise in modern gaming

I hear you, I also want the Olympics to be a success. There are loads of people who have nothing to do with the politics that are involved and we also want an Olympics that doesn't have any terrorist attacks

Wow that's interesting list but I see a major flaw that I think RPGCodex needs to rectify. I don't see BG2 : Throne of Bhaal on the list, this doesn't make sense that its not in the top 70 RPG list. Obviously someone missed the votes on this one EDIT: Unless it considered part of BG2 : Shadows of Amn?

Correct, homophobia still exits in some Western countries but its generally not legalised and institutionalised . That's the issue most people have got with Russia, we know there are people who will always discriminate against minority groups but its a step backward when a government openly supports it

I can't help but wonder why you're even bothering to draw a distinction. The people at the top echelons of power are the same group that occupies the same tier of both the private and public spheres (i.e. Fed or Treasury chairmen are almost exclusively drawn from the pool of Wall Street goons who think The Wolf of Wall Street was a celebration of their values and lifestyles.) In today's world, power flows to wealth, so anyone who wants either must covet both. Sorry guys but there is a lot of cynicism on these forums towards big business that I don't agree with. So I'm sure we all have our own stories about corruption and have read books like " Confessions of an Economic Hitman" but what I don't like is these blanket and emotional statements that basically dismiss the main reason that drive our economies...the profitability of big businesses In the interests of full disclosure I admit I work primarily for large corporations but that doesn't make me biased, in fact I would say it gives me a different perspective. In South Africa we have what is called "social responsibility". This is basically where the government expects and demands that corporations assist with the upliftment of the social conditions of indigent people in our country And boy we can see the benefits. There are whole parts of Johannesburg CBD that have redeveloped due to the efforts of big corporations. I've personally been involved in building low cost housing that is funded entirely by private banks in South Africa. I can cite many more examples but I think you get my point We should try to see all the good that large companies do and hopefully come to the conclusion that they do more good than bad

"Tulip O'Hare, Jesse's beer guzzling vampire ex-girlfriend..." And this show is a non-starter. You can't combine Tulip and Cassidy, not when their interactions are so important to the story. Artistic license? Someone like me who doesn't know the original story wouldn't know any different so it could still be excellent

When I read this article I can see where your "flawed" ideas about medieval Bohemia came from. I don't mean it as insult or such just let me try to explain where problems are. 1) Castles - your vision of Bohemian castle obviously much differ from reality and its probably caused by language barrier. When most castles in France, Italy or Spain looked like you described, most Bohemian castle (including both in KC:D, where second was ruin) were more mere keeps with less then 50, 40 inhabitants. In 15th century there were less then 10 castles in whole including one in capital Prague with noblemen rich enough to have court or sponsor artisans. 2) Women - first problem with woman as main character start with main setting as blacksmith. Smithery was very lucrative business in this era and was bound by strict guild laws - and one of them was no women. Romantic idea about daughter helping h father and becoming smith is nowadays fantasy. In this era you need permission of guild to become apprentice, then study about 7 years and then again got permission for own smith shop. Try it different and live elsewhere then deep border woods and mountains and you would most probably end with broken hands and fingers because crippling injuries were popular solution of freelancer problems in guild sphere of influence. In fact there is only one case when woman can become blacksmith - when she was widow of blacksmith and it was temporally till next marriage, first adult son or acknowledging of apprentice of deceased smith. 3) Ethnicity in central Bohemia - except Jews and Gypsies there were none. Bohemia was only nation in central Europe spared of raiders invasion from Asia. Mongols in 13th century literally stopped at Bohemia doorstep after plundering Poland and Hungary because Genghis Khan died month before planned invasion and immediately Mongols returned to Central Asia to fight for khan title. All later Asians settlement were founded hundreds of kilometers further on east and southeast. And when people with dark skin were quite common in southern Europe, France and England, in central Bohemia were extremely rare and only as visitors. Reasons are simple - Bohemia region never was destination for African slaves, in fact it was major source of Slavic slaves till 12th century. - Bohemia had no access to sea so it didn't participate in colonialism. - Bohemia had no direct trade route to Middle East and Africa. Goods from these region arrived to southern Europe, then to France or Vienna and than, accompanied by French and German trader, to Bohemia. In fact first written evidence about man with black skin came from year 1467 (sixty years after KC:D). It was two Portuguese slaves, gift from Portuguese king to Czech emissary Lev z Rožmitálu. And in this journal was even written dialog between P. king and Lev about "Moors" in Bohemia because king was surprised by Lev request of such cheap present (hundreds of thousand slaves came through Portugal these days). And Lev said : "There are none and we rarely saw them." Ufff.... this a HUGE wall of text, I know, but I hope it help to understand how diffident was situation in central Bohemia against Southern Europe and France which are today often presented as model of ethnic diversity for whole Europe. First of all: I know zilch about Bohemia at that specific time, so I was just speaking from my broader knowledge of other countries, so it was indeed flawed and guesswork on my behalf. If what you write is built upon a profound knowledge on the subject of 15th cy Bohemia, I'm very happy that you took the time and wrote it all up. Most of my arguments is about KC:D being a RPG game with some ambition of being "historically accurate". I just wish to emphasize that it is a game and as such it's perfect for roleplaying, even roles that are tangent on the next-to-impossible, but still slightly plausible, as it were. At least it would make for an entertaining game, and I'd love to see the NPCs responses to my character. Don't worry Indira, in my world you're an expert on 11th, 12th , 13th , 14th , 16th , 17th and 18th cy medieval history. We can't win them all

When I read this article I can see where your "flawed" ideas about medieval Bohemia came from. I don't mean it as insult or such just let me try to explain where problems are. 1) Castles - your vision of Bohemian castle obviously much differ from reality and its probably caused by language barrier. When most castles in France, Italy or Spain looked like you described, most Bohemian castle (including both in KC:D, where second was ruin) were more mere keeps with less then 50, 40 inhabitants. In 15th century there were less then 10 castles in whole including one in capital Prague with noblemen rich enough to have court or sponsor artisans. 2) Women - first problem with woman as main character start with main setting as blacksmith. Smithery was very lucrative business in this era and was bound by strict guild laws - and one of them was no women. Romantic idea about daughter helping h father and becoming smith is nowadays fantasy. In this era you need permission of guild to become apprentice, then study about 7 years and then again got permission for own smith shop. Try it different and live elsewhere then deep border woods and mountains and you would most probably end with broken hands and fingers because crippling injuries were popular solution of freelancer problems in guild sphere of influence. In fact there is only one case when woman can become blacksmith - when she was widow of blacksmith and it was temporally till next marriage, first adult son or acknowledging of apprentice of deceased smith. 3) Ethnicity in central Bohemia - except Jews and Gypsies there were none. Bohemia was only nation in central Europe spared of raiders invasion from Asia. Mongols in 13th century literally stopped at Bohemia doorstep after plundering Poland and Hungary because Genghis Khan died month before planned invasion and immediately Mongols returned to Central Asia to fight for khan title. All later Asians settlement were founded hundreds of kilometers further on east and southeast. And when people with dark skin were quite common in southern Europe, France and England, in central Bohemia were extremely rare and only as visitors. Reasons are simple - Bohemia region never was destination for African slaves, in fact it was major source of Slavic slaves till 12th century. - Bohemia had no access to sea so it didn't participate in colonialism. - Bohemia had no direct trade route to Middle East and Africa. Goods from these region arrived to southern Europe, then to France or Vienna and than, accompanied by French and German trader, to Bohemia. In fact first written evidence about man with black skin came from year 1467 (sixty years after KC:D). It was two Portuguese slaves, gift from Portuguese king to Czech emissary Lev z Rožmitálu. And in this journal was even written dialog between P. king and Lev about "Moors" in Bohemia because king was surprised by Lev request of such cheap present (hundreds of thousand slaves came through Portugal these days). And Lev said : "There are none and we rarely saw them." Ufff.... this a HUGE wall of text, I know, but I hope it help to understand how diffident was situation in central Bohemia against Southern Europe and France which are today often presented as model of ethnic diversity for whole Europe. Well I'm not sure if what you saying is true because I haven't confirmed it but it was a very interesting read, nice one

Actually, a freelance writer working for a Canadian company. Thanks for asking. Are those different ? Malc you should be trying to bond with a fellow Canadian, or at least someone who works for a Canadian company. Where are your manners

I am watching the latest season of Justified and I have to say its now been elevated to my number 1 TV series. Honestly if you haven't watched this series you have to see it, you can thank me later For some reason whenever I see how the people in Kentucky live I always think of GD...I'm don't know why

I like that response, that makes sense

Cone now Malc, everyone knows that PM are really hired to irritate the people who are trying to do the work....remember we want this project to finish within the next 5 years

Trading posts with Oby is like wrestling a pig. All you get is dirty and the pig likes it! "wrestling with a pig" ..that cracked me up

I've said this before but I don't think he is a troll, I genuinely believe he believes what he posts and he is trying to give us another perspective. The problem being this alternative view is either factually incorrect, biased or people just don't agree with the sentiment. So I'm glad you responded with your view

I find this topic interesting to understand the geographical demographics of the fans, I am still surprised that there seems to be only 7 people from Africa but I assume they just didn't update this poll. What I do find fascinating is that the majority of people who updated the poll are from Europe

Guys as I've mentioned in previous topics I won't be happy unless the game is released at the end of 2016, I want to be sure that Obsidian takes the time to implement decent and interesting Romance options and these things can't be rushed ....

I find some of the same minority fans vociferous and rude when any suggestion around inclusivity comes up, so I suppose it goes both ways.

Interesting. I think that those that disagree do themselves a disservice when they respond with such vitriol (on top of granting exposure to a topic and increasing awareness of it, when they may not actually want that). I agree with the one commenter that said they find it disappointing that people would react to the idea that Medieval Europe may not have been as white as many think with anger rather than curiosity. Though I suspect (given comments like "Idiot SJW") there's an innate disbelief for whatever reasons that would need to be overcome. As I said, I have no beef if the developers want to have only a male character, or only white people. As the article you link messages, it takes place in a pretty small area so "realism" arguments can go both ways. If the game completely lacks POC, that doesn't make it unrealistic. Nor does the inclusion of POC innately make it less realistic either. Which boils down to the issue: claiming that a game is "realistic" is going to really bring in people's notions of what they think is considered realistic, and when those notions are challenged then fighting cognitive dissonance is going to be a huge barrier to overcome. I agree, its probably easier just to say " this game is the developers interpretation of Medieval Europe and will try to be as realistic as possible" or something similar. But the word "realistic" does seem to create some kind of contention

This is a form of athlete exposure I can definitely get behind. Wowzers, go Russia I think that's one thing we can all agree on, Russia does have some of the most beautiful women in the world