Nonek

I'd just like to add my vote to this notion.

Perhaps the in combat small healing could be necromantic, the capturing of the fleeting life essences of dying foemen healing your wounds. Grisly and something some players would not want to use.

I'd be fine with less but more gruelling combat, the busywork of repetitive slaughtering is one of the curses of modern gaming in my opinion. If draconian healing options and lingering wounds necessitate that, i'm all in favour of it.

Tracking, divination, research, bar games, hunting, prayer, escaping from imprisonment, labouring for coin?

I'd prefer a more organic systems that gave bonuses depending on ones background, the street raised urchin would have a natural affinity for rogueish skils, the foundling raised in a remote monastery would gain bonuses to lore and arcana etcetera. We then have a classless system but the npc's would still naturally excel in certain roles.

Alpha protocol, your actions have consequences.

Perhaps two forms of magic: Small invocations for combat, conversation and such that are quickly cast and easy to learn. Ritual magic for healing, divination and the larger spells that requires grimoires, components and all manner of arcane paraphernalia.

No romances is fine by me, npc's sexuality should remain their own business like in New Vegas. Whatever you do however please don't have situations like Dragon Age 2 where we are assaulted by constant juvenile come ons when we've only tipped our hats in passing.

Will we have the dreaded regenerating health bar that makes combat fairly irrelevant as soon as it's ended, or will we need bandages, medical attention and bedrest to heal ourselves if spells are not available. Also in a related matter, will we be saddled with the old healing potion options or will we get something more logical than uncorking and necking a flask mid melee? Such as minor healing magics etched into your skin beforehand that can be used up with a mere thought or small magic sign, some manner of vampiric thirst, abilities that allow us to catch a second wind mid combat (if our endurance/constitution allows it.)

Oversized, unwieldy and hideously ornamental weapons. Spiky impractical armour. Feeble quest rewards (oh you've just slain the Morngrang the Destroyer, Archbastard of Infernum? Here's a weakly enchanted dagger.) Give us a backpack if we're playing pack mule. Make a gold piece have some value, and a purse full of them be a very fitting reward (if you use gold.) I neither eat, drink, sleep or ever sit down...I am Iron Adventurer.

Echo bay far away in time, echo bay far away in time.

One's rather excited about this, pledged of course, but spreading the word amongst my old posse and one of the lads was wondering whether you'll be accepting Paypal pledges at some point. Anyways ttfn.

Personally I feel Bioware still create some cracking fun adventures, but i'm fairly much in agreement with everything you said. Still Dungeon Siege speaks well for what Obsidian can do when using their own engine, and New Vegas stands as a testament for how much they can re-invigorate a setting when they use another developers.

Now you're not calling Torian Kel lifeless surely? Personally my taste run more towards Obsidians and Troikas blend of deep narrative, flawed human characters and interesting original settings that invert the usual stereotypes. But I must admit Bioware are very good at making their by the numbers, emotional and flattering power fantasies. They're all very easy to play and usually as solidly constructed as a brick outhouse. One can see why their accessibility trumps Obsidians ambition in many other peoples eyes.

Seems rather existential in some respects, also reminds me of Aristotle, I think he was speaking on the getting of wisdom increasing mans sorrows or some such. Been a fair few years since I studied the classics however.

That word Esenath has kept running through my head all afternoon at work, don't know why but I feel i've heard it before somewhere.

Ooh Jormungandr, colour me intrigued, brightened up my day.

King of Dragon Pass. Call me a grognard if you wish, but most modern rpg's and rts's should be ashamed of themsleves in comparison, seriously this game is enormously ambitious, reactive and feature packed. Highly recommended.

Thank you I haven't been called a boy in oh must be thirty years now, seriously though it's one of the worst pieces of cinema my buttocks have ever fallen asleep to. Then again I did fall asleep during the airport scene for a bit, I assume there were some more explosions and painful dialogue.

Date night last night, the missus decided that we'd watch the Expendables, think she's still got a girlish crush on Stallone. A man with that much plastic surgery should really not try to grow facial hair however. My thoughts on the movie, i'm seriously contemplating divorce and wondering if being forced to watch it would count as cruel and unusual behaviour.

Played a duster thief in my last runthrough, tremendously enjoyable, though on the import to Awakening he did become somewhat outrageously overpowered. He even had his own worshipper in the form of Sigrun, now why couldn't they have had her in Origins instead of the walking bloody cliche Oghren.

Playing Dragon Age: Origins again, i've modded my character to use the Qunari model however and suddenly the lack of talking really fits, he just stands glaring down at everybody silently demanding answers. Still a pity i'm stuck with the boring Cousland storyline. Damn I love Origins combat, i'd forgotten how good it was, especially the brutal finishers. I wish they'd give me a decent thief character however, can't tolerate princess tippytoes or puss in boots.

I remember an old campaign I used to run that had an ancient hero brought back from the dead, this was shortly after i'd first played Torment and I was undoubtedly very heavily inspired. This ghost man reborn into flesh after over a millenia of rest in the spirit world, had almost entirely forgotten everything but the vaguest notions of what and who he was. There was very little left of humanity or personality within him, so I had to litter the gameworld with triggers that would unlock his joi de vivre. Scenic vistas and unchanged locales, pleasureable and painful sensations, and of course written records of his past were all tools in reminding him of what life was. It was somewhat of a mix between the perks of Alpha Protocol and the memories of Torment, and though it necessitated a lot of work and planning (often ignored, overlooked and at the expense of some of the other players characters) it was hailed by my friday nighters as genuinely touching in its denouement. Your thought on a theoretical Torment successor just brought all this to mind, somewhat prominently. I'd love to see one of these deep and eminently moldable characters brought to life once more in such a fractured setting as you describe. But whatever path you guys choose to take, i'll be keenly anticipating the finished product.

Finally finished New Vegas, immensely satisfying. I'm not sure that my decision to favour the NCR was entirely wise in light of the divide and Kimballs attitude, however I found myself siding with them simply because of rampant Fallout 1&2 nostalgia. Really don't see how Bethesda's small story/big world design can hold a candle to what Obsidian have crafted here, hopefully they'll outsource to Obsidian again if a Fallout 4 is in the works.

Watched a film called Dead Mans Shoes, directed by a Mr Shane Meadows. It's set in the midlands of england (which is a nice change of pace) and to be honest it trounces many Hollywood revenge movie i've seen, highly recommended.