BruceVC

I disagree with most of what he says and as you mentioned it is 5 years old and we know for a fact many things he says about Obama have been proven incorrect.

Nice one Its a quite an emotional and evocative movie. What most people don't realize is that there were many white South Africans who also fought against Apartheid.

Its a question of whether you trust the system to act in a responsible way or not. If you don't trust it, why go through the proper channels? Snowden wasn't just in the system, he was the system and he had no faith that it was going to act in every one's best interest. He explicitly says so himself. That in itself is more damaging than anything he could possibly release. We could declare him stupid, uninformed or mad - but it would have been attempted at this point... if there were any grounds for it. Incorrect my friend, Snowden was a security analyst who worked for the NSA, he was just an employee. He was not the system at all. He felt Prism was too intrusive and he decided to break the very clear terms of his binding work contract. He will more than likely go to jail for 10-20 years. But I admire what he did as he knew what he was doing was illegal and he would be prosecuted but he seems to have felt that the principle of exposing Prism was more important. I do think the public discussion of Prism is necessary. I'm just glad I don't have to do the hard time in jail. Assange is a parasite, I don't see him and Snowden in the same light at all. I don't respect Assange at all

Wikileaks made public several very damaging and embarrassing opinions of USA diplomats that were based throughout the world in various countries. Its wasn't information that criminals could have used but it could, and did in some cases, cause damage to the integrity of the USA and its allies as this was information that was discussed in private. For example the king of Saudi Arabia said to the Americans " You need to cut the head off the snake" in relation to Iran and how America needs to deal with Iran enriching Uranium and there growing militancy. Despite the fact that most Sunni dominated countries in Middle East would love to have Iran subdued through a USA military attack this is not the type of thing you say publicly as it raises tension in the region between various countries. This is the type of confidential information that was exposed through Wikileaks

Interesting, would you consider yourself in the camp of "excited and positive about the status of recently released and upcoming RPG" ?

No Trashman you misunderstand, no one forces anyone to partake in debates over social issues. This is freedom of choice and clearly people want to discuss these topics. I see this as one of the great benefits of the Internet

Mmh, ditto. Lots of witcher fanboys seem of the type who think that boobs and grimdark make the games all mature... when it's kind of the opposite. It's still teen, just 17 instead of 13. You mean boobs and grimdark don't make an RPG mature!!! Surly you jest???? Okay yes you would also have to have full frontal male nudity, but then are we good to use the word "mature"?

You funny

I am with Keyrock, Tagaziel and Nixl on this one. TW2 was vastly superior in almost every respects. I have never had to stop and think so long on my choices in the game and the impact these choices would have.

Yeah my thoughts exactly. I feel that the Witcher 3 has more potential though, because BW doesn't experiment enough, or at all. Although I generally lost interest in the Witcher series after the first one. I loved it because it was rough around the edges, unabashedly rude and it managed to make me laugh - unlike the McDragon burger "build according to checklist" experience . The second Witcher already looked like a commercialized, Hollywood type experience, I remember rolling my eyes at the soppy romantic scenes in some pool or other. I never played it so the new one will have to go out of its way to convince me that its what I think a Witcher game should be and not trying to be Mass Effect. Drowsy just for record are there any games that have been released in the last 3 years that you have really enjoyed and would recommend?

No, and it wouldn't in, as another topical example, Turkey either. But if the milestone comes down to "at least we're better than CountryName" then it's utterly meaningless as much as everything always being about 'protecting the people'. Bring in chopping a finger off people as punishment? At least we're better than Saudi Arabia, where they'd chop the whole hand off! Surveillance of this type is very useful to make sure you can get the right people into positions. Worried that someone else might pull a Manning or Snowden? No worries, run a security check and go back through X years of their history looking for anything ideologically questionable, or any questionable associations. Want to make sure you get Proper, Right Minded People into governmental positions? Run the same 'security check', go back and make sure they're all good pro life recumbent transcendentalist communists in favour of gun ownership, veganism and nuking Canada as the only way to remove Celine Dion from existence efficiently. What wonders might Joe McCarthy have achieved in his quest to 'protect the people' had he had this system? Because at some point he will get hold of it, he just won't have the same name. I hear you and I do share your concern around Prism being used for push political agenda's and it basically being abused. The risk is real IMO

I would think that is obvious "Gorthfusius the Omnipotent " ?

Oh yee of little faith. Don't say that on GB, you wouldn't want to influence people negatively

A very valid point my friend, this leads towards the argument around realism in the implementation of armour in fantasy RPG.

But the positive is at least once the Prism programs existence was made known everyone is now talking about it. From politicians to journalists. The only person who may get arrested would be Edward Snowden for breaking the conditions of his NDA. I doubt this freedom of speech would be acceptable in countries like China where there would be a media blackout and mass arrests just for discussing it?

"Typically"? A full suit of field plate armour in the Renaissance (which roughly corresponds to Eternity's setting tech-wise) weighed about twenty (20) kilograms and marginally limited the wearer's mobility. You're confusing it with jousting armour, which was indeed heavy, but not up to 70 kg. 50 kg is a better estimate. I'm not sure why you think infantry would consent to being turned into barely mobile tin cans that are defenseless the moment they trip over on the battlefield. Or that Cadegund's a weak pedestrian girl. Appearances are deceptive. Operators of various special forces throughout the world are generally unassuming and can hardly be told apart from the average pedestrian, yet are some of the most durable and strong people in the world. But Tagaziel this discussion shouldn't be only be about what's realistic in respects to armour. Aesthetics has to come into it. I agree that the female character representation in Dragon Crown is ridiculous and I'm not suggesting PE follows that route at all, but I really think Cadegund looks like a walking tin can and also isn't suitable for how I want my female party members to look. We need to find a happy medium and for me that middle ground is an Isabella type person?

No way to be sure yet obviously but I assume the dragon is Flemeth leading the new bad guys. Good point, that would make sense nicely

You do realize that Geralt's pretty damn old? The most conservative estimate places him at 65 years of age, with the possibility that he is over a century old by the time Witcher 3 takes place. I'm not sure why he should not be showing signs of aging. The amount of **** the man went through is enough for a dozen lifetimes, from being gently broken by Vilgefortz to getting killed. I'm looking forward to Witcher 3, not because of the trailer (these are pure entertainment and shouldn't affect a tru gamer's decision at all), but because CD Projekt RED is incredibly ambitious and showed that it does put in real effort to make their games great. Oh, and they're Polish. ADDENDUM: I pity non-Polish gamers. Our voice actors blow foreigners out of the water when it comes to the Witcher. I know this has been said before but I want to reiterate what huge respect I have for CD Project Red and the way they have created such a brilliant and iconic RPG series like the Witcher. Its a competitive industry so it must be hard to make worthwhile RPG especially when you have such competition from the likes of Bioware and Bethesda. Also kudos to Larian Studio's and there Divinity series of RPG

Morrigan So beautiful and lascivious. I was hoping it was her. Good one Bioware for bringing her back. Imagine your character party made up with Morrigan and Isabella and both vying for your attention as you attempt to court both lovely ladies Melk remember you aren't allowed to play DA3, I'm sure you recall the discussion we had a while ago where you said you never would play another DA game again I was wondering whether you'd remember Don't worry. I won't play it Don't worry, no one will hold it against you if you slip-up and play DA3. Especially if it becomes the excellent RPG that most are hoping for

Melk remember you aren't allowed to play DA3, I'm sure you recall the discussion we had a while ago where you said you never would play another DA game again

Wow, nice post They both look amazing. I am super excited. So in DA3 it looks like another Dragon will be involved. Nice

Wait who is running for election, Assange? You can't be serious? Not just him, but a formal Wikileaks party is running. Assange himself is running as a senate candidate for Victoria, yes. Though obviously there are some legal hurdles in the way given he can't really attend sittings and such at the moment. No one thinks he's any real chance of winning, but senate elections are weird things and very strange candidates have got up before. Wow, okay this is a shocking development but very interesting. The things I don't get are He won't be to get to Oz because he will be arrested the moment he leaves the Ecuadorian embassy Why would anyone actually vote for him? Is he considered some kind of misunderstood hero? I cannot understand why you keep saying Assange is a hero, there is nothing heroic about using the foundation of the Internet to share confidential information with all and sundry because you have a personal gripe with a particular country. How do you feel about the fact that Assange broke the conditions of his bail, lied to his supporters and refused to go to Sweden to face rape charges? I see nothing heroic about those decisions. Its like saying that Lulz and Anonymous should be seen as groups we need to admire for informing the ignorant masses about " what's really going on in the world " But I will say you are right that I would be cheering if an Iranian, Chinese or Venezuelan whistle-blower had gone public. I wouldn't have had any issue with this because I consider Western countries the "good guys" in this debate and I don't want there personal security comprised in any way. Now before I get lambasted for being biased and selective I need to explain why I have this view that Western countries are the "good guys" In the last 30 years I can probably count on one hand the number of times any of those countries I have mentioned have done anything to help other countries when it comes to anything that wouldn't directly benefit them either economically or politically. Lets take China, I can't think of a single example where they have actually sent troops as a peace keeping force or part of any UN security council mandate. China wants to be considered a super power but they aren't even prepared to publically condemn acts of obvious human rights abuse, examples in the past would be Myanmar and North Korea. Now I am not suggesting that Western countries aren't concerned with there own self-interests, every country has to be. But its always the Western countries who generally commit the most to humanitarian disasters, are prepared to send troops and suffer real losses of life in conflict area's and really get involved in assisting the indigent in certain places throughout the world. The USA has donated tens of millions of dollars to various African transformation projects and it was the USA who adopted the hundreds of Sierra Leone war orphans after the brutal civil wars in the region. I can give other examples but I think you get my point. I am not saying the West is perfect but in a world of global moral ambiguity they have done more right than wrong so of course anything that undermines there role and the perception that countries have of them I am opposed to. So they still are the "good guys" compared to many other countries because they care about people less fortunate than them

Okay that should be joke of the week

You make some concerning comments, if the USA isn't a Democracy then what is it? I would say it most definitely still is ?

Wow I'm so envious. I wish I could attend, we don't have anything like that in South Africa :