Nonek

I've just finished the White Marches, an improvement in many ways, an acknowledgement of criticism and an unspoken promise to improve perhaps. Were all my peeves and criticism of vanilla Poe dealt with? No, but it does seem that Obsidian are aware of some of the weaknesses in the game, and trying to mitigate them. For those who were worn out by Poe i'd say wait a year and approach the expansions with fresh eyes, for those who liked it i'd say dive in.

I'd prefer GOG personally, I tend to avoid the hassles associated with logging in to Steam, having to authenticate my account, the advertisements and pop ups etc. Also I never understand why exactly they want a shipping address, even though I routinely use Sherlock Holme's residence, as I am not recieving any physical product from them. Edit: The service just seems to be overly nosy.

Runemaster has been shelved? How disappointing, still Expeditions: Vikings looks quite promising.

If hope were not the first step on the road to disappointment I would say that this may be the nearest game we'll ever get to roleplaying a W40k Inquisitor, however I wonder whether the devs or publishers will be able to push the boat out as far as i'd like it pushed? They have good form in this respect, playing a "practical" Michael Thornton was very satisfying, especially in the denouement with Leland, and their games have pulled no punches in other respects. It is a fact however that certain issues are not dealt with anymore such as were dealt with in Fallout for instance. What I found about those issues of extreme psycopathy and ruthlessness were the consequences, one is affixed with a label and hunted by a certain Mr Avellone, it allows such actions but makes no bones about what wasteland society thought of the participant. Another masterful use of choice and consequence in a game replete with it, and a brave design choice in and of itself. For instance could I roleplay as a Vlad the Impaler type of character, ruling with the necessary ruthlessness to hold his land together, while facing the backstabbing powermongers who would do anything to secure ones position. Can I impale twenty thousand and what would be the affects of this? Edit: Is anyone else reminded of the old Ralph Bakshi Lord of the Rings films introdcutory sequence at the beginning of the Tyranny trailer? Quite striking in my opinion.

Erm, Icewind Dale II does not have percentile strength, it uses 3rd edition rules friend. Do you mean the Heart of Winter expansion by any chance? Nice spot of necromancy by the way, six years is quite a span.

That may be the problem, i'm an older gentleman and modern collectors editions are what was standard when I was first entering into gaming, I still have a host of feelies, such as ankhs, cloth maps, artwork and whatnot. Which incidentally serve quite well as props in the pen and paper game. It is by no means my place to judge anothers purchases however, one is free to dabble in whatever they wish, and if satisfied with the purchase then it has been worth the price I suppose.

It depends really, SoD is in a rather unique position being an expansion on a mod for a fifteen year old game, so the terminology used is up for interpretation. Then again I call Exult and Lazarus for the Ultima series mods, I call NWN2 adventures mods as well such as the remakes of Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate 2, so the term seems fitting, as they too add to a base game as well as add new content. There seems very little difference to me between them and Beamdog's games. Edit: So no, just the ones that seem to be mods. Edit #2: I have nothing against mods, I have enjoyed quite a few and admire the quality and dedication enacted, I would say that Fallout needs Fixt for a playthrough now, the Black Gate and Serpent Isle are much better with Exult etcetera. Calling the game a mod is by no means a bad thing, unless one doesn't like mods for whatever reason.

It is a modification of an old game, the title fits in my opinion. I would call Trilogy, Tutu or any one of a host of other products using the IE engine mods as well, there's nothing detrimental in that title in my eyes, and I have enjoyed quite a few.

Personally I backed Poe at a higher level of donation because I wished to see what Obsidian could do when not pressed by a publishers demands, for that I recieved a new game, two expansions and a host of extras, approximately worth it I think. However I would never pay that much for a modification of a fifteen year old game, collectors edition of that mod or not, especially when as I have said I can buy the entire catalogue of IE games on GOG for less and recieve a host of extras for free. Lazy cash grab seems positively charitable when taking into account these things, but then again there are more egregious fleecings occuring all the time, and more power to Beamdog if they can find suckers willing to pay this much for their mod.

Elemental Evil, as in the Princes and Temple of perhaps? The only thing that really springs to mind.

Much appreciated Ktchong and Hiro Protahonist II.

I recently took my Diablo CD from its case and the centre of the disc fell apart, I am incredibly bereft, hopefully Blizzard will start selling the game on GOG so that I might purchase a new edition of the first and second game. The mods really do beef up those old games. I'd ask for the online restrictions to be removed so that I might purchase the third game, but I realise that this is not going to happen.

Good Lord, I never realised that I am part of a repressed and villified minority, the follically challenged. Henceforth I shall shed any morality, make up ridiculous conspiracy theories demonising the general populace, treat any resentment to my hostility and poor behaviour as oppression and harassment, fail to take any responsibility for my own actions, leach off society and others hard work, avoid any kind of hard work or self reliance, and probably start some kind of crowdfunding project that i'll never complete despite its blatant simplicity. Can anyone help with lessons on being condescending and smug? Also I might need help in advocating for tolerance and understanding while maintaining the manners and posting style of a rude, spoiled child? * *The non Folically Challenged are not allowed to apply for this voluntary post as you're no doubt all racist, misogynistic, demonic, quixotic, myopic, biopic, and far too hirsute, over privileged, sub human scum. No offense. Donate to my Patreon. P.S. Bald is our word, you are not allowed to use it, only we are. Looking forward to season 6 however, I wonder how they will go about ressurecting a certain child of Ice and Fire.

Strange, personally playing as a character like myself is the last thing i'd want to do in a piece of roleplaying escapism, I prefer to exercise my imagination and explore a different character. No idea what darklands is, but I would play most things that got it's "mood", if not the stting, from old Warhammer source books like "Marienburg - Sold down the River" (old WHFRP) If someone made a good CRPG out of the Enemy Within campaign...well i'm not sure how i'd provide adequate recompense for that. Of course on the other hand if they ruined the game in the usual modern way, accessibility and such, then i'd call up Papa Nurgle himself to slowly rot the flesh from their bones.

Yes Wil and Amberle travelling to Safehold in the Wilderrun takes up the last two thirds of the book, it's incredibly messed up for no logical reason that I can see.

I thought that this was rather amusing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALnW8dlnee4

I nominate Mr Martin.

Finally managed to tear myself away from Babylon 5 (it's a little too enthralling) and catch another show, the Shannara Chronicles. Overall I found the first couple of episodes tolerable, however there are a host of problems to a reader of the books, and the changes made in my opinion really hurt the pacing and characters of the show. I can understand that they could not find an actor to match Allanon's stature, he is after all over seven feet tall, and the actor portraying him does a very good job in terms of the requisite intensity. However I see no reason for his sword, other than style, he has Druid fire in the books and the staff that the Elcryss grants him. His style of dress is also off, the usual fantasy style of biker/bdsm leathers, when Allanon always swathed himself in simple black robes, cloaked and hooded, more intimidating and archetypal in my opinion. The really egregious changes are to the pacing and plot however, the journey from Storlock to the Westlands is a vey good introduction to the two main characters, they have a chance to bond, to get to know each other and let us know them. Wil's cleverness in dealing with the Rovers is demonstrated, his ability is shown and the mystery and character of Amberle are hinted at as well, though her arc is far more gradual. Compared to the books the pacing is clumsy, switching back and forth relentlessly and the characters are changed for the worse, being far too fleshed out or introduced too early. We miss out on the cameo of the King of the Silver River, a classic component of the novels, and Artaq Allanon's huge black stallion is omitted entirely, which further destabilises the plot. The Rovers are now depicted as villains and thugs whereas they were simply an independent and necessarily ruthless group of people in the novels, whom Wil even admires a little. The less said about the massively changed and simplified Paranor the better. Also the Dagda Mor is not a Druid, this is an utterly pointless change, and it makes no sense for him to be held in the Forbidding with creatures that were exiled millenia before the new (or the old) world formed. In summation it is the usual problem, too much flash and fashion, too little substance.

Strange, personally playing as a character like myself is the last thing i'd want to do in a piece of roleplaying escapism, I prefer to exercise my imagination and explore a different character.

Mr Sawyer treated the faith of the peoples of the Zion canyon in Honest Hearts with respect and a fair minded balance, and I don't recall whether the nature of the deities in Poe was even his idea, I think therefore that it's a little early to be blaming the gentleman for trying to promote an agenda. Then again i'm sure Mr Sawyer has broad enough shoulders to withstand this latest accusation, it's hardly a new thing by now. Edit: If anything the narrative reminded me of Saxo Grammaticus' treatment of the Old Norse pantheon in his interpretation of the Sigurdr Saga.

18 out of 10 amoeba agree.

What i'm personally finding is that the soundtrack does evolve throughout the game, now i'm not stating that the original soundtrack was poor (far from it,) merely that tromping through the White Marches I find that the tunes are adhering more to the themes and ambience, perhaps Mr Bell's music is becoming more sympatico with its subject matter? I do find though that lately i'm very impressed with soundtracks in gaming, to the extent that sometimes I think they are superior to the actual product, though this would deny the symbiotic relationship that they share. I do agree with what horror maestro Sam Raimi once said, that often a good soundtrack can be the glue which holds a vision together.

When presented with matters of theology one invariably finds ones answers are most well heard when the calibre of the dialogue is high, for individuals a single bolter round will suffice, for crowds the deployment of Earthshaker rounds will do, and for entire planets I recommend Exterminatus. Neither corpse nor pile of ash has ever questioned the Emperor's Divinity nor the Golden Thrones sovereign might. Inquisitor Thomas Aquillas, On matters of faith and fury, third edition, Terran press. Thought for the day: Envy the mind too small for doubt.

I think you're underestimating the urge to acquire the new form of whatever is available Mr Ganrich, it does not really matter whether a prior form was serviceable or even better, what matters is that the new form is acquired and the old form is dispensed with and rendered supposedly obsolete by the latest iteration. It is almost endemic in the gaming industry, the slightly aged is dismissed, sometimes without even being experienced and the rabid urge to acquire the new is prioritised. Woe betide the audience member who likes a feature that is now considered regressive, for he is standing in the way of progress and innovation! Thus we have the common dismissal of players who enjoyed the subjectively superior vision of a classic game as wearing nostalgia or rose tinted glasses, when in fact the opposite is true and the rabid devotion to the new has rendered the criticiser unable to judge because of his bias. In my opinion anyway. Personally I thought the dance of death clearly lifted from NWN was quite satisfying and serviceable. Could it have been tightened up and improved however? Indubitably. Edit: I think i'll use this rhetoric when the nostalgia glasses argument arises, its similarly mildly insulting and dismissive while requiring no proof or citation.

$130 sounds extortianate, I can buy all of the IE games off of GOG for less than that price, they all work out of the box and have a plethora of extras included equalling a collectors edition. A lazy cash grab that hopefully nobody will fall for.