Nonek

Or the two agents with Ms Hand.

I figure for practicality's sake, someone with long hair would probably tie/braid it (just something to keep it from getting snagged in nooks and crannies), or at least wear some cloth cap/wrap thing under the helmet (if they're wearing a helmet). I'm curious how this was handled, though, in actual history/record. Probably shorn. Heat in a helmet is allready quite stifling with the arming cap or coif and that's without extra hair, add to that the lice and filth in a battle camp, the fact that bathing wasn't a fashionable thing and no sane opponent would look at long hair as anything but a useful handhold. I think most sensible knights would favour something like the Roundhead or Norman bowl haircut for these reasons.

So is anybody else thinking that agent Ward in AoS is Coulson's sleeper cell inside Hydra, and that this is his gambit to infiltrate that organisation. The way that he pulls Ward aside upon witnessing Hudsons arrest, then shares a significant look with him as he departs with the prisoner and Ms Hand makes me a little suspicious. Also Ward watching the blood flowing from Ms Hand's...hand makes me believe he might have delivered a none fatal shot and be worrying over whether she will bleed out. Probably too ambitious for mainstream television but Whedon might pull something like that off, and i'd be extremely impressed.

Historically marriage was less about social pressures and more about economy. Transfer of property has always been absolutely vital in making the wealth of families. Modern times simply reversed the cost/benefit ratio of marriage. Today you are more likely to lose property in a divorce than gain anything substantial. And unlike in the past rising children costs a fortune but produces little benefits. The only thing that awaits us in the future are state-run reproduction programs. I agree on the financial aspect, both in terms of marriage being a costly affair, divorce even more so and children being an extremely unwise investment. Half an hour of joy and eighteen years of misery as they say. However I think there are other factors to consider: The urge to do what's right for a young man who trusts his paramour with birth control, though this was more of an issue in my youth than now. The urge to partake of the only form of immortality we know that works, that being reproduction. The societal ideal of the perfect mate and life that we still see trumpeted in every form of media, wherein the bachelor or spinster are treated as the outsider to be disdained and shunned. Etcetera.

I assume rest spots are still actually in game, but are simply not flagged as such and are more organically presented as safe areas, where one can use the aforementioned Camp Supplies. Which I think personally is probably a very smart move to mollify players who are upset about the percieved limiting of freedom.

Personally I think there will always be a certain percentage who naturally pair bond, and a certain percentage whom are (for wont of a better word) loners, and that what we are seeing in the modern age is a natural extension of this. In previous times we had quite large societal pressures to follow (and we all know mankind generally does,) but now we are simply following our natural urges. Of course there will be individuals who want one state and yet due to various factors, including possibly their own inherent lack of charisma as in the case illustrated in the OP, cannot attain that. But life rarely gives what one wants anyway. I'm split on whether this is a good or bad thing. Many of us will be children of divorce or unhappy marriage, where the participants were quite obviously unprepared, unsuitable or unwanting of such a commitment. Is being reared in such an environment healthy? Still more pertinent is the fact that maybe a reduced birth rate may well be a good thing, for the planet and the race, but that is extremely debatable. Certainly society is changing to accomodate these people, and traditional family units are passing away, but then again in many countries society is in general re-organising itself. I'm not sure of the outcome, all I know is that if i've had to suffer many years of marriage so should everybody else!

No man is an Island. Except when he's in the bath.

Excuse me young Ms, you appear to have three arrows stuck in your shoulder. Edit: Oh and while were conversing I just thought i'd add that belts are traditionally worn around ones trousers, hope this helps.

Thinking on this poor gentlemans plight may I make a small reccommendation? If one wishes for a love interest who responds according to the amount of gifts and pandering one engages in, then Bioware's dating sim aspects would be perfect for him. Rampant protagonist empowerment and ego stroking seem well suited to what the gentleman wants, and the player may force his attentions upon most of the female cast, (or the male if he feels adventurous.) It is probably far cheaper than the alternative as well, though he may have to venture into the BSN to register, but I assume one does not have to interact with the "people" who inhabit that place when registering and downloading content.

I have to wonder after reading the update on Wizard's and Druid's again whether the formulae (spells) that are used in grimoires can be inscribed on other materials, it seems possible if i'm reading this correctly: Perhaps in other cultures spells are inscribed onto staves, or even onto the body of the caster for those who wish for a more Sorceror like arcane protagonist, it seems like it might be possible at least, maybe in the sequel. With appropriate changes to the grimoire changing mechanic of course, attunement, focusing or what have you?

Reached Hong Kong in Deus Ex, a delightful change of pace and very welcome. I am strangely enough not making very much use of my augmentations, except for the light which is hardly an extraordinary piece of equipment, and this leaves me wondering whether the next Deus Ex might feature a choice between augmentation and skills. I for one think it would be quite interesting to play as someone like Sam Carter, the former general and UNATCO quartermaster in his earlier days, using skill and ingenuity rather than mechanical augmentation. I have to wonder whether this would be too much of a stretch from Deus Ex's initial premise however?

Personally i'm hoping for a lot more text descriptions in the game than were present in most of the IE games, with the degeneration of games one can't expect the level of interaction that Ultima boasted, but this can be redressed by making a lot more features linked to textual descriptions. If said text descriptions also involve testing our skills in translating, lore, mythology or what have you then all the better.

Dead Man's Shoes by Shane Meadows, best revenge flick i've ever seen.

Personally i'd ideally like a little more atmospheric frippery, but so long as it performs its function then I am more than happy. I found that IWD2's ui always had me going to the wrong place for some reason, even at Kuldahar I was still making mistakes, however that encouraged hot key use somewhat. I do favour one handed mouse use in general however, as pipe and beverage add very much to my personal pleasure periods.

I'm not dismissing or being negative towards Human Revolution in particular Mr VC, though obviously that is still very much fresh in my mind, but what I see as a degenerate practice. I liked Human Revolution and thought it was a very good spiritual successor to Deus Ex (which is a rare occurrence in and of itself) but I think my claims of too much accessibility and handholding is fair criticism, in the act of catering to the lowest common denominator they have essentially rather robbed their games of (to me) enjoyable aspects, that being exploration, challenge and experimentation. And of course I brazenly defend the right to believe that anybody who cannot understand a door or ladders function should not be left in charge of a PC.

I don't know Nonek but everything you have mentioned that doesn't exist in your version of Deus Ex exists in the latest version I am busy with, you don't think the game will be too hard if you leave out some of those things in a modern game like the latest Deus Ex? You also don't want to ignore practicality with misplaced nostalgia No the game is quite easy, and bear in mind I am a middle aged man without any pretense towards "leet skills," and this is on realistic. Of course I died fairly quickly during the Unatco ambush, but I refused to plan and prepare for that, as it seemed far too meta-gamey. I wouldn't say solid, practical design principles instead of skinner box handholding is misplaced nostalgia though, especially when i'm engaged in direct comparison of the two styles. Edit: Of course personal opinion and whatnot.

I don't believe that there will be any healing potions in Poe but I see your point, personally i'd like an attack of opportunity to be performed if you decide to stop fighting your opponent or maybe an automatic critical hit. Or whatever Poe uses in place of these systems.

Playing the original Deus Ex with the Shifter mod installed and of course the HD textures. I'd forgotten how much accessibility had ruined modern games, here I have no glowing golden marks over important characters heads, no outlining for ladders to tell me what there use is, no quest markers, no mini map, no enemies appearing on a radar, no blatantly more beneficial playstyle and it's fantastic. Every playthrough I discover something new in Deus Ex and I can see why now, this degeneration really needs to be rolled back so that players can explore, experiment and be enchanted by the gameworld, rather than performing in a Skinner box. In a way I find it a little insulting how much handholding modern games partake in, whom exactly is ignorant of a ladder or doors function?

I like the grimoire spell mechanic myself, just not enchanted with using it as a weapon, for obvious reasons. If the slam were a forceful closing of the book that produced a burst of arcane power, at the loss of some per encounter uses perhaps, then i'd be fine with it. As a weapon however i'm not impressed. Still it's a little thing, and nothing to really deter one.

Egg hunt for the little Nonek's in the morning, tolerate the sugar rush intil lunch, the usual feast to Eostre and then in the evening try to persuade Mrs Nonek that springs fertility needs a little helping hand from the beast with two backs.

I have to agree, over time any democracy with a long standing system of governance will become far less about safeguarding and serving the people and far more about safeguarding its own continuity and the people who fund and back it. Rebellion and revolution as an answer? I think that's a short term solution to the problem, as once again the same problems will arise. Investigative journalism and constant scrutiny? Hard to monitor, and who watches the watchmen, as when the media becomes so immersed in the political world the two become somewhat symbiotic. A most puzzling conundrum.

I'm not too fond of carrying grimoires into battle myself and I always thought wands were truly pathetic, and became even more so with the advent of Harry Trotter. Two Wizards having twig battles has always struck me as extraordinarily naff, but I think i'll stick to Druid for that reason.

Not only that but we would need to use a planet for the sheer mass/energy required to form a stable wormhole going somewhere/somewhen.But then it's not like anybody would really miss Saturn anyway. That's essentially impossible due to enormous amount of supplies required.Unless you give up on humans and do away purely with machines. But if you are willing to do that then why not just settle for Mars instead? You grow, breed and gather your supplies en-route one would postulate, all hypothetical however as it's totally beyond us at the moment. I would think you would want a habitable life bearing planet, with a thick atmosphere protected by a hardy magnetic field, so that crops and cattle can be sustained and thrive. Mars wouldn't be suitable for such would it?

Not being able to take reasonable precautions if one has the drop on an opponent seems very...carefree, I have to wonder in what way we can take advantage of ambushing foes?

And a few centuries down the line they send their Kylie's back to us, that's forward thinking Mr Carlo.