Azure79
-
Posts
1538 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Posts posted by Azure79
-
-
My thoughts on the religion thing.
I don't really care much for religion. Like all organizations it does the occasional good thing and the bad things that the media blows all out of proportion and whilst playing background music to elicit our emotions.
I will not deny the strength that well meaning faith has however. For the devout it is a source of their strength and compassion, which I have both witnessed and felt from some Catholics that are part of my life. Strangely enough these people are more accepting of the differences of others.
I do not appreciate religious fanatics that try to shove their beliefs down everyone's collective throats. I believe these are the truly weak people that would fall apart if left to themselves. They have no inner strength and instead must fall back on radical beliefs to fuel their existence, to justify their superiority over others.
My parents are Catholic and for a time I attended mass every sunday. During that time it seemed like most people were there not for any spiritual enlightenment and peace, but to further push their own agendas, to advertise their business, to show off their latest possession. Granted this is a part of human nature and I'm not saying this is wrong in anyway. I just thought that most people there were there for the wrong reasons and I stopped going.
I once actually did the 40 days 40 nights thing mentioned before. Except I wasn't in a desert. I was up in the mountains in a small buddhist temple. I was up there for about a month, secluded, eating rice and veggies, hiking around the area and climbing to every peak. Just me and my thoughts and my physical self. And in those moments sitting atop a boulder watching the sunset after long days hike I met 'God'. Was it the Catholic/Christian God? Nope. Was it Buddha? Nope. It was the peace I felt within myself and my surroundings.
True, I was probably moved emotionally from the grand vistas and my seclusion from the daily stress of everyday life, but I think I realized that life was about simplicity and peace within yourself. Well at least for me. I think everyone should stop running outwards towards the things we see and think will make us happy and look within ourselves a few times.
'God' is within you.
My thoughts on the whole gender thing.
Men and women both have their strengths and weaknesses. To say one is inherently superior than the other is simply said, stupid.
I think radical feminist, like all fanatics are simply not as strong or as superior as they think they are. If women truly are the 'better sex' they wouldn't stoop so low as to express their hate and disdain for half the human population.
They can justify their hate and rage on the 'male oppression' they have no doubt acutely felt throughout their lives, but in the end in accomplishes nothing. Women are probably more oppressed now than ever before. Oppressed by the social pressure to be successful, beautiful, a homemaker, a mother all simultaneously. I can sympathize with this but can't help think that feminism has had a great part in this. Feminism seems to portray being a housewife or mother as slavery, when it it one of the most important vocations a woman can have for a stable and healthy society. Men are much as slave to their jobs as some women are a slave to their homes. But no one hears men complain that no one 'appreciates' them. I'm not saying that women should all stay at home. Talented women should contribute all they have to society, but they must realize that being successful at work calls for sacrifice in other areas and this is not the fault of 'male oppression'. Nor should women be ashamed of staying at home and raising children.
Simply put no one can be everything at once, or fulfill completely the responsibilties that come with a particular role, all simultaneously. If men and women learn to pool their strengths and complement each other instead of engaging in meaningless gender wars I believe both would be a lot happier.
My thoughts on US diplomacy.
Maybe later.
I wondering right now why the hell I'm writing this on a gaming forum anyway.
-
Wow, never heard of this happening. I had the ever spawning flaming fist guys bug. There were hundreds of the guys on the screen and my computer couldn't handle it. I had fun launching Cloudkills and Fireballs into the mass though, before my computer stopped completely.
I never heard of a dissapearing Scar bug. Sorry I can't be of help. Maybe he's hiding behind a door or something. Neb might have eaten him.... :">
-
Anachronox.
Great game, highly underrated. You'll like it Plano. It has a great story, quirky companions which include worlds...literally. heh.
The combat is turn based as well.
The setting is space and the movement controls are similar to KotOR with the over the shoulder view in a 3D envirnonment.
The graphics will probably look dated, but they're still pretty to my eyes.
-
The mercenary on Manaan was IridoRian, not IridoNian. Bao is an Iridonian Zabrak. I'd assume if he was born on Tattooine he'd be an Tattooine...ese... Zabrak.
Like I always explain, I'm a human from Minnesota. I'm both a Human and a Minnesotan. It works the same for Bao (and presumabley Maul, I hadn't realized he was also from Iridonia.)
So there's a Iridoria and a Iridonia?
My bad.
-
I wonder if Laozi and Kaftan are also fans of Turtles.
There's nothing wrong with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. At least the 80's TMNT's.
The original Turtle comics by the creators were actually pretty cool. I remember the artwork and subject matter being a lot more mature.
-
In one of the later cartoon episodes where Rodimus is the leader of the Autobots and Megatron gets a full body transformation into....purple armor, some human astronauts discover a ship with Optimus Prime in it heading for the sun and rescue his body.
Can't remember how they bring him back to life though. I think the robots with the tentacle arms help out or something. And the autobots do fight each other for awhile and so do they humans. They were both susceptible to the virus which Optimus Prime was carrying.
Then Optimus gets his wits back, kicks some butt and sets everything right. I think after a few episodes Optimus has to sacrafice himself again for some cause or another. Can't remember.
-
Things I can't wait to see revealed.
1. Chewbacca kicking some serious butt in his younger days.
2. The Mace and Sidious confrontation. I don't think Mace will be inferior to Sidious is pure combat ability and so I'm curious to how he is killed.
3. Anakin and Dooku duel
4. Anakin and Obiwan duel. I think Anakin will have superior lightsaber ability but Obi Wan has more experience and the cooler head though this coolheadedness will undoubtably be pushed to the limits
5. Birth of Luke and Leia
6. Greivous and Obiwan Duel. How will Obiwan get out of this one I wonder. Grevious seems totally badass.
7. Betrayal and elimination of the Jedi
8. Confrontation between Yoda and Sidious. I think both will be injured in some way.
9. The creation of Darth Vader...this is gonna send chills up and down my spine.
-
Zabrak is the name of the humanoid horn headed species. Iridonia is the system they come from, which may of may not be shared with other species. I think it is though because the Iridorian Mercenary you meet on Manaan doesn't seem to be a Zabrakian and also Zabraks by themselves don't seem to be a bloodthirsty race.
-
Saberist, are you writing a paper on story elements and the KotOR series? Interesting read and you do bring up some interesting points, especially on the characterization of Bastila and Revan though I frankly don't understand some of the things you're writing about.
I'll come back around and read it again later when I'm not so tired.
-
Let's not forget."Yub Yub"
Wicket the Ewok from Return of the Jedi.
and
C3PO : "Wonderful! We are now part of the tribe!"
All the ewoks jump on Han Solo
Han: Great! Just what I always wanted!
Darth Vader: "No Disintegrations!"
And I don't know if its the nostalgia is me talking but I've always found the mask of Darth Vader to express a lot of emotion.
For example when Luke and Vader meet in Endor
When Vader ignites Luke's lightsaber and says, "I see you've constructed a new lightsaber. Your skills are complete." You can almost see a hint of pride in the mask...although its probably the voice making me imagine things. And then also when Vader says, "You don't know the power of the dark side." You can see the turmoil etched in the mask as Vader struggles with the feelings he has for his son and the lure of the dark side.
Then the ultimate scene where Vader witnesses the Emperor unleash force lightning against Luke, the mask says so much as the light and shadow reflect off it and the camera pans in just a little.
Sigh...time to watch the trilogy again.
-
Edwina was classic!
Having Jan and Minsc in your party was hilarious too. Especially the one where Jan convinces Minsc that they accidently switched minds and starts acting like Minsc to get his hands of Boo.
-
I love the Star Wars Kid. Not a lot people can move like that...and I don't mean it a funny way. I think to potential is there for him to make a good martial artist.
-
I don't think anyone cares about that game anymore.
-
There are no video game characters which already existed when I was born that I would wish to be named after at the time, seeing as there were almost no video game "characters" before I was born at all.
Nor would I wish to later assume a video game character's name, by any means. I think it would be terrible. As far as things with which to culturally identify one's person in the most meaningful of ways, I'd hesitate to use literature itself, much less to use video games (and there has never been a video game in all of history whose characterisation can hold a candle to even the minor classics of the written word).
If I were compelled to choose a video game character's name, I'd choose one which could otherwise be interpreted as not being that of a video game character, and never tell anyone its other origin. Something of Christian or otherwise Anglo-Saxon origin.
Whoa, I think you're taking this thread a tad bit too seriously.
-
For the kind of atmosphere the BG games offer, I think the graphics are still pretty good.
But playing a back to back games of BG 1 and 2 and Throne of Bhaal expansion is extremely satisfiying. My advice is to download the improved battles and the acsencion mod for Throne of Bhaal for the greatest experience. The aformentioned mods are semi-official mods created by David Gaider, who worked on the BG series, with the help of other cool modders.
-
The way I was brought up was to give due respect to those older than me and had more experience in life. I was raised in a Korean family environment where strong senior-junior relationships exist so its a natural part of any relationship I have to adopt a senior or junior mentality according to who the other person is. Thus I tend to comply to those older and in a senior position than me.
Except of course in those situations where they command me to do something I have strong doubts about, like insisting I go to church/join a religion. I just smile and nod my head and then forget about it.
I don't think I really 'fear' anyone I meet. But then again I haven't had the opportunity to meet with really scary people so I really can't say. I'd probably whimper if forced into a situation where I had to pee next to a known and convicted murderer.
-
I say Visas. Shoaneb looks terrible in Sith War. And that name...
I bet some of the writers were watching Shaka Zulu when the came up with the name Shoaneb Culu.
They rhyme kinda. :">
-
I think I'll go with Ganondorf again.
Ryu is a good name but I already dress up as a ninja.
Also: Isn't Irene dead?
No I don't think so. If my memory serves me correctly she supposedly dies at the beginning of Ninja Gaiden 3 killed by Ryu no less, but later it turns out that it was just a ploy to reveal some plot or another.
She dies in part 2 but the Dragon Sword saves her. WOO Dragon Sword!
-
Hmmm.
Does choosing the name include receiving all the powers that those characters have?
If it does I choose Ryu from Ninja Gaiden 1
Reasons
1. Ryu, a nice and simple name.
2. I get to dress up as a ninja
3. I get to wield the Dragon Sword!
4. Jump and Slash, most overpowered ability ever.
5. I have the ability to cling to walls.
6. I get to hurl enormous boomerang shurikens bigger than my entire body.
7. Irene is pretty hot for a 8-bit lady
8. Later on I get to go one on one with the ladies from Dead or Alive.
9. I will be free to hate birds because they take 3 bars of health off me.
10. I get to dress up as a ninja.
-
Star Wars was kindof the first thing I got into as a kid. I have a scar above my right eye from a "reinactment" of the ESB dual my friend and I took great pains in presenting as authentic as possible. I was about as big a "nerd" as one could be while also wanting to be a ninja, and perhap Fingolfin pretty bad. Then oneday I stumbled across the "EU" and about 20 something books and comics later my star wars nerdness was in complete remission. Then Kotor happened and I was quickly drawn in again, but luckily Kotor 2 happen and was able to once again free myself of the Force's terrible hold. I live a quite simple life now and fear the day something competent is released again in the Star Wars universe and pray everyday I am not sucked in again. Luckily as long as George Lucas values money above all else and "bottom feeding leeches" like Kevin Anderson are directing the EU, I have little to fear.
BTW Behold as both Frank Hubert and Anderson combine their talents in an attempt to prosper off his dead father's vision as it is sure to suck, Bigtime.
I guess next John Lennon's son will rewrite all his father's work for good measure
I think this is the longest post you ever made Laozi. I could be wrong but I'm too lazy to make two clicks with the mouse to find out.
And Nur Ab Sal....did you get nicer? I remember you being a lot meaner.
-
I would be up for that.
I know others disagree, but I think K3 should bring about a satisfactory conclusion for all the important characters in the two previous games whether you played LS, DS, Male, Female.
It would be extremely gratifiying.
-
I think the main problem is too many enemies of a ridiculously low skill level. Boss characters are important, and even more so mini-bosses, marking posts for progress basically. They are more powerful than your individual characters or have some great advantage (something to do with terrain, shields, space, etc.), which means that strategy is needed in order to defeat them. Your characters have to actually be put in danger of dieing, not just in danger of losing three HP. The best battles in BGII were the ones where your party fought another party of equal or superior strength. Things got really interesting and tense. Chopping down your three hundredth gizka or pathetic bounty-hunter got boring in TSL, and was certainly not epic.
Again though a KOTOR "party" would not have the variety. For starters there would be less of them. You wouldnt have the order of engagement like in D&D where you kill off the magic users first because they can seriously screw up your plans. In KOTOR everyone is pretty much the same, even the Jedi are not upto much. This has been true in both games. The only reason Malak lasted longer is because he was a cheating piece of excrement.
Ditto with the enemies. In D&D you have 4 or 5 manuals full of enemies with a plethora of different abilities. In KOTOR you have a handful of aliens (mostly humanoid) and some animal types which are hardly worth igniting your lightsaber for.
I guess one of the reasons for that is having to keep to the rules of the universe. But it certainly lacks the variety of most "fantasy" games.
The only way to "solve" that would be to increase the workload. This will demand more of the players attention. If you want to talk about easy bosses. Dino dude in Jedi Academy (think it was that one) I could kill in one blow
But It felt good because I was doing it, not a dice. Perhaps KOTOR needs a more hybrid hands on system. Lets see how JE works out.
Let me guess....heavy slash to the midsection while crouching to avoid one of Dino Dude's attacks?
That's how I usually do it, no force power enhancements or anything.
Anyways, some good ideas here. I agree that the diversity of the classes available in D&D, with their respective strenghts and weaknesses, enhances the viable tactics you can use making the battles more strategic and as a result epic. The diversity of the potential enemies help as well as you have to adapt your plans to their vulnerabilities.
Maybe one way to improve this aspect of SW is too give more information or elaborate on the unique characteristics of the alien species that populate the SW universe. Right now, as enemies an Ithorian is the same as a Twilek, Human, Selkath, Rakata and any of the other alien races that appear in the game.
If specific strengths and weaknesses could be developed and attributed to each of the races, I think it would make combat a lot more interesting.
For example the Ithorian Jedi in Clone wars had this special ability to send immense shockwaves that hurled opponents out of the way or disoriented them. It might be fun to encounter non-jedi enemies with such an ability. The Ithorian could also hurl your Force Waves back at you due to his affinity in manipulating those kinds of forces.
I'm also looking forward to Jade Empire to see how well Bioware mixes action and RPG elements. If its successful I'm sure it could be implemented in a SW universe, where lightsaber combat has more significance than simply clicking on your enemy.
Part of me wants K3 to be built on the Source engine, solely for the reason that the devs could probably implement Force Throw as a power. I think this would add a strategic element to combat as well. The thought of using the force to hurl random stuff at enemies is entertaining.
-
Might need a name for a third child sometime. Somehow I dont think the wife would be happy if it was done via a poll.
How about Sin? That's a good name.
-
Alexander the Great would own them both.
Of course. He could order his legions to destroy all existing copies of Kotor and the Thrawn Trilogy and execute anyone who secretly possesses them.
Let's not forget.
But It felt good because I was doing it, not a dice.
"Torment Revisited" article at Gamers with Jobs
in Computer and Console
Posted
I always thought slaking was the right word.
They're slaking their thirst for intellectual conversation.
Like that?
My favorite part of PST was the gradual discovery of Dak'kon mindset through the Circles of Zerthimom.. I'm partial to people who carry around awesome swords.