Azure79
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Posts posted by Azure79
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Bloodsport is the probably the most entertaining Van Damme movie.
Masters of the Universe is a classic! Dolph and Courtney Cox! You can't go wrong! :D
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Almost finished The Princess Bride by William Goldman. After that, I have a few unread books waiting and I'll have to decide which one.
I automatically love anyone who loves The Princess Bride.
I sigh like a love-struck teenage girly man every time I read it. :">
I was totally duped by William Goldman the first time I read it. I believed everything he wrote. He should definitely write the sequel.
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McDonalds tastes awesome every once in a while. Somedays I crave some chicken nuggets in sweet and sour sauce.
I think the Fries in the States taste too salty though.
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I knew you'd like it ShadowPaladin!
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I love the Ender Series of books. I admit I'm more partial to Bean and Petra. Very interesting characters those two.
My favorite character is Peter though. He reminds me of CaoCao, a very famous ruler of China after the collapse of the Han Dynasty. He was called the 'infamous hero' or 'villanious hero' and took great steps to bring order in a turbulent age, sometimes using methods that might be perceived as excessive.
I left my books at home when I moved out with strict instructions not to throw them out or give them away. My mother usually ignores me though, so I'm scared. Too bad the Pacific Ocean is separating us.
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I just hope any subsequent films continue to treat the Batman universe with respect. It shouldn't devolve into mindless action with its main purpose to show off the latest Batman gadgets.(Bat-skates anyone?)
They should take the villians seriously as well instead of setting them up as mere sideshow freaks out to destroy the world. The villians should be genuinely frightening not cackling maniacs. I think Batman Begins did this pretty well. The villians are threatening but take their roles seriously...well as seriously as one can get in a Batman movie. This seriousness is more threatening than any mad laughter.
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I'm finishing up on the Victome de Bragelonne by Dumas. It's a continuation of the Three Muskeeters story although the story shifts more to Athos' adopted son. The Musketeers and D'Artagnan still appear though!
I'll probably be reading that then Louise de Vallerie(I think that's the title) and then The Man in the Iron Mask. I'm starting to like the French now. :D
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Just got back from a 11 oclock show with a friend. We both don't like crowds so we'd figure there wouldn't be one that late on a Wednesday but the theatre was packed.
Anyways, Just though I'd start a Batman thread. No spoilers ahead!
The movie was really fun! I'm not a Batman expert, but I thought the movie captured the motivations behind Bruce Wayne's actions very well. The flashbacks into his childhood and recent past really helped bring out what drove him to don the Batman persona. I liked seeing how his views on vengeance and justice, fear and anger change as he masters himself.
The fight sequences were also great! A great improvement over previous movies where Batman crashes through glass ceilings and whatnot and engages the enemy openly. This Batman strikes from the shadows instilling fear into his opponents. Thugs catch a glimpse of a dark shadow here and there. They hear his passing but can't see him. Then one of the thugs dissapears screaming into the shadows. Another is suddenly enveloped in a dark flurry and is violently taken into the dark crevices of the shadow entrenched ceilings. By the time Batman actually appears they're all so scared they can't do anything. Heck I was scared just watching. :">
I liked seeing the beginnings of the Batman and how he trained. I'd hoped the movie would show of more of this training methods and such, but what was there was good.
The Batmobile is awesome.
I liked how Batman got his equipment, especially his cowl hehe. His cape is extremely cool. I wish I had a cape like that. It was nice seeing his costume and equipment coming together and how he used them during his outings. I like his all black suit. It makes a lot of sense once you see how he fights.
The cast was great too. Christian Bale did a good job. It may have been because Batman Begins is a better movie overall than its predecessors, but he was more convincing as both Wayne and Batman. His Batman voice is pretty creepy though. Michael Caine played a great Alfred and Liam Neeson was great in his role. Gary Oldman played a great Gordon and I liked seeing the beginings of the Batman-Gordon friendship.
The ending certainly hints at a sequel and I hope the same cast and crew responsible for Batman Begins creates another fine movie.
Go out and see this movie!
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...I'm afraid the movie will fall apart into the usual, do some job, find out you're being manipulated, storm enemy headquarters and kill everyone type of movie.
Ermm, have you played the first game?
You mean where you find out
you're a clone being manipulated and storm enemy headquarters killing everyone in it?
That's what happened right? I can't remember the specifics of the storyline since it's been awhile. I've played through the first two games. The first one nearly drove me crazy with the no save feature.
I meant the main feel of the game though. Where you're in disguise nonchalantly walking past a guard and he starts to stare at you. I'm pretty sure the movie will turn out into a shoot fest.
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I wonder if they can even capture the spirit of the games in the movie.
I mean 47 isn't running full long into gunfire. The game has a tense and precise atmosphere and I'm afraid the movie will fall apart into the usual, do some job, find out you're being manipulated, storm enemy headquarters and kill everyone type of movie.
How will they pull off the ol' take your enemies clothes and then no one will recognize a tall, muscular bald man with a barcode tattooed on his neck trick?
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The patch is supposed to be a higher quality movie and music patch right?
Frankly, I'm not all excited about it. I listened to the lower and higher quality music and I couldn't really tell the difference. :">
I tried showering and cleaning out my ears but I still couldn't tell the difference. That's probably just me though.
As for the higher quality movies, meh, they seemed good enough except for those made using the ingame engine but I can live with that. It probably would have been better had they just used the ingame engine with scripted sequences. At least it wouldn't have been so blurry then.
For me it's the story itself that needs some patching which is why the Restoration Project is high on my list of things to look forward to. Go Restoration Team!
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The new ninja gaiden was one of the reasons I was tempted to buy an XBOX. I successfully resisted however but I still want to play it.
I have played the older games though. They weren't that hard except for the few last levels of Ninja Gaiden 1. But then you had the ol' jump and slash to quickly cut a swath through it. I always found the NG 1 Jaquio boss pretty hard. You had to time your attacks for when he was moving away from you while dodging his little red energy balls he shot at you.
Jump and Slash is probably the most powerful technique in any game ever.
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I agree with you on some points. Obviously having the PC know more than the character will make that character unplayable. I don't have to look further than K2 and the Exile's initial meeting with Atris to see that. She knows who you are and the Exile knows who he/she is but the player knows squat, leading to some confusion on what dialog choices would most befit the character of Exile you wish to play.
That's just silly. The whole purpose of that conversation was to develop the person you were. You are given a nice guideline; Atris' respect and disappointment in you.
If the Exile hadn't known who he was in that encounter, it would've been pretty silly.
Well I'm a silly person most of the time.
Yes, it was a conversation to build your character, but throughout the entire conversation I was thinking, "Who are you and why do you hate me? Can't we just get along?"
Atris seems to know the Exile too well, but the player has no idea who she is or what her motivations so you feel detached.
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You cant write a game that relies on the player having played KOTOR and created their own Revan though. While it's ok to have little easter eggs for people who have done so, you still need to make the thing as standalone as you can. For example in KOTOR II it really dosnt matter if you played KOTOR. You may have gotten more out of the Revan bits if you had, but he/she still serves the purpose as a background NPC regardless. But since Revan is a case of a bit of revisionist history there isnt much of a connection with the KOTOR version. Rather in KOTORII your seeing Revans true self, albeit through third parties and from a distance.
If KOTOR III is going to switch across consoles your going to lose players and gain others new to the series. Given the 360's questionable backwards compatibilty issues its not a given that you will be able to fill in the blanks by playing the previous games, so even more than KOTOR II KOTOR III must be able to stand up by itself.
Yes, I agree with you on this which is why playing as Revan in K3 is not very likely to happen. A New game on a new platform with new users, obviously you want to make it as accessible as possible.
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The topic has shifted because, the original post was useless and the title of the thread is a false claim.
As it invariably does any mention of the yet unmade (or even begun to be made) Kotor 3 brings out the Revan acolytes who collectively harp on about the need for revan to be playable in the game.
This in turn brings out people who point out that Revan as a PC in K3 is the stupidest idea in the world and would take away from the essence af an RPG and the gema should not be Desperately Seeking Revan.
Haha, too true. I'll shut up now :D
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I do. Revan has been doing stuff that you are now completely unaware of he now knows more than the player does. Do you think it's an accident that they erase characters memories to make them playable?
In other wordds while Revan knows whats going on the player is completely clueless. You will meet NPCs you dont "know" but Revan will already know them.What the amnesia shtik does is to put the player and character on equal footing.
Because thats the player simply choosing how they want him to turn out. Thats not roleplaying.
I agree with you on some points. Obviously having the PC know more than the character will make that character unplayable. I don't have to look further than K2 and the Exile's initial meeting with Atris to see that. She knows who you are and the Exile knows who he/she is but the player knows squat, leading to some confusion on what dialog choices would most befit the character of Exile you wish to play.
However I believe this doesn't fully apply to Revan. All the hints and references on Revan in K2 didn't indicate he had totally recovered all his memories. He was troubled by the glimpses and flashbacks he had seen and obviously what he saw caused enough turmoil for him to take action. We know it had something to do with the True Sith and the previous war Revan waged was a part of his overall strategy to repulse them or conquer them. Why did Revan go beyond the outer rim? It probably had a dual purpose of finding out what the true Sith threat is by jogging his memory and then ultimately regaining enough of his memory to either stop or lead the True Sith. The player can be on equal footing throughout the game with Revan. Revan and the player will regain important knowledge at the same time and how Revan reacts to this is up to the player.
I also think this represents a fine roleplaying opportunity. The conflict between the Revan of the past and Revan the players have created since K1 would be an interesting game element.
I think all roleplaying begins with choice. The game gives you a situation and you choose how your created character would act according to the history and characteristics you have endowed him with. Its not players simply choosing how they want things to turn out or how they want their characters to turn out, although that is part of it too. Surely the players will have some image they want their characters to achieve, whether it be the paragon of virtue, a vile evil power, or just a regular adventurer out for some nice loot. Every choice the player makes will be in context of this image, this outcome they wish for their character. And every choice will be made according how the player has created the character in his mind. I'm sure the same thing goes through players' heads as they play as the Revan they created in K1. How is this not roleplaying? I'd be interested to see how you look at it.
PS: Just so you know, I'm not some rabid Revan fanboy...though I might seem that way. I think the chance of playing as Revan in K3 is small, but like Plano, I am greatly intrigued by what his fate will be. I'm sure I'm not alone in this when I say that I don't want the Revan I played through in K1 just thrown away in some minor dialog or petty death sequence. The level of attachment I have for the Revan I played is no less than the any other character I created from scratch. I would like to see Revan play a major role if not the central role.
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Actually it does, unless you completely suck as a roleplayer. Revan as the saviour of the galaxy (LS) or Revan as the bouncing yo-yo who cant make up his mind.
Revan now has a history that has nothing at all to do with any player, they now have their memories back , which means you no longer have the blank slate effect that using the amnesia shtick gives you.
It's no longer a case of being tricked into playing the character but rather the designers saying this is the character you will be playing. If your going to go the route of forcing people to play pregen characters with completely defined histories, you may as well go the whole way and do it JRPG style which give significantly better stories as they dont have to deal with various outcomes.
Onto point two.
You cant just knock someones level back without a reason. Starting something at high level ,especially when the game is not on the same system (seems very likely) is even more likely to alienate new people.
I don't think Revan regaining parts of his memory is a viable reason for dismissing him as a potential PC. His past actions and history is set but the motivations behind them are not. These are up to the player to decide according to how they played post-amnesia Revan. How Revan comes to terms with his history, whether he regrets it or revels in the destruction he caused or is even indifferent to the entire thing, is still ultimately up to the player(if given the chance to play him of course). I think if K3 were to have these elements it would be a great chance to roleplay as the Revan you created in your mind. You could compare Revan to the Nameless One. NO's history is set too. He also has massive amnesia and regains parts of his memory as the game progresses. There were powerful moments in the game you come to the realize the havok and pain NO caused and you have the choice to regret those actions or revel in them. The player essentially becomes the NO, determining his actions according to what the player deems his or her particular NO would do. I believe the same also applies to Revan. I don't see how a game about Revan confronting his past and choosing what path to take, once again according to the player, is any less of a roleplaying game with a new blank-slate PC as the main character.
The devs give you Revan to play true, but as soon as the intro ends and you take control of Revan, he is longer controlled by the devs but by the player. All his actions and motivations are supplied by the player within the limits of the game. I believe this makes Revan your character.
I don't know. Maybe we have just have different ideas about roleplaying.
I do see your point about the level issue though, probably the main obstacle for Revan to return as PC
Though I wouldn't mind having some characters start at a lower level than I left them. Its just not that big a deal to me since I think any game system is arbitrary and if some things have be changed to make a better game so be it. -
What is this continuing gripe about Revan not being a feasible PC? I just don't understand it.
The main points seem to be that Revan 'is not your character' and he is a godly level 20 character, too high to continue as PC.
Now I understand that the idea of Revan was created by the developers over at Bioware and then continued by OE. However just because his backstory was created by developers doesn't mean his actions are continued to be motivated by them. Everyone has his or her idea of Revan and played him in a particular way within the limits of the game. The player was the one who chose Revan's actions according to what the player deemed his/her particualar Revan would do in a particular situation. We have to understand that the pre-amnesia Revan is not the same Revan the player was controlling. This is a new Revan. He/She is the player's Revan. His/Her main plans might remain the same but how he reaches those goals and the motivations behind the plans are still totally up to the player. K1 Revan is the player's character, fused with both his past history and the person Revan has become now. How Revan reacts and comes to terms with his history is up to the player to decide. It will depend on how each player illustrates Revan in their mind and how the completed picture of Revan reacts to the events of the game. Now, how does this make Revan 'not your character'?
As for Revan being level 20, like I said earlier, what's wrong with just arbitrarily knocking his level back to 15 and then leveling him to 30 throughout the course of the game? Revan would still start powerful and increase in power as he truly unlocks his true potential. Heck I wouldn't mind Revan having gaining special Force powers as some powerful memories come back to him. Kind of like mix of Torment's memories and ToB's Bhaal tests in the pocket plane. I don't think this would make the game too easy either. It would be up to the devs to come up with something more than just throwing enemies at you. Have the enemies hide behind walls, make them act more intelligently using the terrain to their advantage. Have them move around in highly efficient squads. Make blaster and grenade type weapons more effective and deadly. Throw in a few vehicle mounted enemies that any high level character would have trouble with. Make the main antagonists powerful Sith Lords. Redesign force powers so even the high level abilities have some sort of weakness. Going over level 20 is crazy with d20 rules? Just base the bare bones of the rules on d20 and revamp the system for higher levels.
Easy to say and hard to do I know, but I'm sure talented devs could pull it off. If LA gives them enough time.
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I don't see why Revan and Exile can't both be the PCs.
As for levels I think everyone just needs to stop worrying about Revan and Exile being over level 20. Just knock them back to level 15 or something and have them level up to level 30 throughout the course of the game. Have the other NPCs start at level 10 and have them level up to 20, slowly.
I don't think we need a new cast of NPCs either. There are more than enough interesting characters from the two previous games. Give them interesting stories as to how they've ended up being where they are or give them interesting motivations for following you. I guess one or two new NPCs couldn't hurt though.
Have the game start off with you in control of Revan, secretly trying to infiltrate the Sith Empire beyond the outer rim. Obviously you'd have to have some reason for planet hopping to acheive some main quest goal. I'm sure professional writers can come up with something more intriguing than anything cliche I might write here. Have Revan meet up with past party members and a few new party members that have plausible reasons for being there. Mission and Zaalbar might make an appearance, having gotten lost in their thirst for smuggling, adventure and intrigue. Juhani could also be there, her admiration for Revan having made her search all over the galaxy. Maybe Yuthura, who everyone seems to love, can be an NPC. She also has searched for Revan beyond the outer rim. New party members could be a treacherous Sith Apprentice using you for her/his own advantage and your main information source on the Sith Worlds. The plot would have Revan trying to weaken the core strengths of the Sith secretly. Revan's part would end as he learns that he's been walking right into a trap and he finds himself surrounded by powerful Sith Lords mocking him, lightning crackling from their fingers.
Then the game would switch to Exile. You've just started off Malachor V with your party to search for Revan when you're picked up by a capital ship either headed by Carth and Bastila if you went LS in K1 or a dark Bastila if you went DS. Bastila would demand to join your party and you'd have to decide who to take with you and who to leave behind. Obviously Bastila, T3 and HK and your romantic interest would stay with you. You'd give orders to Carth and Canderous to follow Revan's last orders while ordering your newly trained Jedi to gather what resources they can for the coming threat. Who you took and left behind would change small parts of the game in the final part of the game as well as inter-party banter and party reactions to game events while playing. Your main quest while playing the Exile would be to of course find Revan. You land on the planet that T3 indicates and begin your search. The way you played as Revan in the first part of the game would affect this second part as you learn more and more of the true plans the Sith have for the galaxy and Revan's role in them. You would gain revelations into Revan's true destiny and also the Exile's as well. The last part Exile's journey would have you meet up with Revan's party as they frantically fend off against the Sith trap. Your goal would be to break through the Sith trap and find Revan.
The last part of the game would switch back to Revan as he is surrounded by the Sith Lords. They exchange words, and the Sith Lords reveal some plot or another revelation that leaves the player's jaw hanging open. You would take control of Revan at this point and have this major battle against the 7 or 8 Sith Lords attacking you. This battle would be intense! With Lightning flying all over the place and ferocious lightsaber duels. Revan would have to use his surroundings to his advantage and call upon his most awesome powers to survive. Ultimately he defeats all but the most powerful of the Sith Lords and exhausted, is nearly overwhelmed by Force Lightning when the Exile bursts through the door and deflects the blast with his/her lightsaber. The Sith Lord retreats into the shadows saying the obligatory, "All this has transpired according to my design! The galaxy will be mine!" Revan and Exile exchange hearty greetings as old comrades, if LS or form a perilous alliance if DS. At this point You take control of both Revan and Exile, switching between both at will. You can even have them initiate dialog with each other and with other party members at once. REvan would have his love reunion with Bastila(LS) or have a master/apprentice ritual(DS). You would then fly back to the Old Republic space to neutralize the subversive Sith elements, that have secretly been implanted in each major republic hub. This will be the main quest of the third part of the game. Eventually the Sith would attack with a huge armade, and how successfully you accomplished your goals in the third part would determine how easy or difficult the last battle was.
I think this would be a fun...and long game!
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They should definetely tone down some of the uber force powers. Wave, Storm, Insanity, Stasis, Kill and Life Drain and Heal are way too powerful.
I think the force push class of powers should increase in potency by having the effect increase in a widening arc in front of your character rather than all around. Also, wider arcs of force push should have you use both hands with the lightsaber turned off. Just to create a potential weakness in the power.
Same with Force lightning. Also as a weakness, Lightsaber users should have a chance of deflecting that energy back at you like Mace Windu, according to their lightsaber mastery and your level of potency.
Insanity should make the enemy go berserk, attacking random targets which include their allies, your party and any civilians in the area. Lightsiders would sustain a loss to their LS points if innocent bystanders were killed because you caused enemies to go insane.
Stasis should have a limit on how many enemies you can immobilize instead of all enemies that fail their saving throws in the area of effect. Since a jedi must maintain his/her concentration to suppress the movements of the enemy, the duration of the stasis should be drastically reduced if the Jedi engages another enemy in lightsaber combat or blaster deflection.
Kill, should also be limited so that the jedi can only maintain the power if they are solely concentrating on the enemy being choked. If allies successfully defend the Jedi or more likely in this case, Sith from attack, he/she can outright kill the enemy, instead of just reducing the Health bar to 50%. If concentration is broken, the enemy still sustains damage over time from a crushed windpipe and is less effective in battle until healed.
Life Drain and Heal should have some delay or limit to the frequency to which it can be used. Or make the healing process gradual instead of instantaneous.
I was gonna jot down some thoughts I have on comabt mechanics, but too sleepy~
G'night folks!
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I suppose better graphics are desireable, but it the new engine must retain the ambience of KOTOR.
I wish I could describe the general atmosphere of Kotor with words, but I find my descriptive capability lacking. Just like No One Lives Forever feels different from Quake 3, or Half Life 2 feels different from Doom3 or how Vampire the Masquerade feels different from Kotor, I think the core elements of the Kotor engine should be retained, but with improvements to maintain the Kotoresque feel.
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Speaking of the Emperor, did you notice that in Empire Strikes Back, his face is FUBAR in the holo transmission thingy when he's talking to vader. It looked like one of his eyes extended a couple inches out from his skull. What was up with that? It looked nothing like him. And then in ROTJ his face took on the well remembered appearance.
I read somewhere that it was a different person, an actress actually not a actor, that played Palps in that scene.
It should be changed to McDiarmid in the DVD? Or so I heard?
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The cost benefit analysis must not have been up to par.
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Thank god it wasn't one of those Ultimate Fighting Champions that played the game.
Actually that would have made it a lot more...interesting.
Though I wouldn't mind having some characters start at a lower level than I left them. Its just not that big a deal to me since I think any game system is arbitrary and if some things have be changed to make a better game so be it.
McDonald's will take over the world, I tell you!
in Way Off-Topic
Posted
I remember a long long time ago they had a particular toy for the Happy Meal. They were toys of the Muppet Babies with Kermit on a skateboard, Fozzie on some rocking horse, Gonzo and probably Miss Piggy on something I can't recall.
I remember thinking Kermit on the skateboard as the coolest thing ever. I would tremble in anticipation everytime my parents took me to Mcdonalds and got me a Happy Meal, only to have my dreams crushed as I discovered another Fozzie.
I never did get that Kermit toy.