Nonek

I thought by Wingnut he was inferring that the distinguished lady had large ears.

Illiterate morons, touch harsh.

We need more games about Byzantium. Here we have 1000-year old empire that almost no mentions except in bystanding, even among historians. Yes i've always felt that it's been spectacularly overlooked myself, in fact i'd say that the most famous attempt at a Byzantium like metropolis is probably Gondor in Lord of the Rings. City between the east and the west, the still glorious brother of a long fallen sister city to the west, with famous horseman serving as its auxillary troops. The parallels really can't be denied. Imagine the artistry, the infamous politics, the architecture and the heritage of such a setting. Makes one think. Hah, Anglo Saxons are now Slavs, yeah that's priceless. Edit: Nice article by Mr Chmielarz.

I'm eagerly awaiting Expeditions: Vikings simply because of the chances for diversity, hopefully we can travel to Byzantium to serve as Varangians in the Guard, and see what a melting pot of cultures and creeds walk the legendary streets. Diversity in such a crossroad of the world, at the centre of trading routes and easily accessible by sea (the highways of the ancient world) is warranted and internally consistent. I look forward to seeing the interactions and clashes that occur in such a locale.

Rumour is that there's a Gwent dlc on the cards in the near future.

The humble migrant interviewee is told by the Disney executive that she has good news and bad news for him, so of course he asks: "What is the good news kind Madam?" "You've succeeded and won a job at Disney." Filled with elation the young man smiles, and then frowns. "If I may ask Madam, what is the bad news?" "It's Disneyland Paris." "****!" Edit: Can you imagine a Disneyland opening in England though, the poor customer service, the painfully rendered smiles on wan English cheeks, the awkward attempts to be jolly, Micky sneaking off for a pint and a cigarette every half an hour, Sleeping Beauty nine months due and swearing like a docker. I think we'd be worse to be honest.

What handicap is that? The only games of gwent I lost were when I had really crappy cards. As soon as I started finding/buying/winning some hero cards, as well as special cards, I was unstoppable. NPCs have already a good deck but I'm still trying to find how to build one, I buy a whole bunch of cards but merchants don't seem to carry more than 5 and from different decks. So at this point of the game I'm still playing with the damn temerians because I haven't been able to build a proper deck. I stuck with the Temerian set because they seemed to be more plentiful. I'm done the game, and still don't have complete sets of the other factions. Best way to build a strong deck is to play against those players who will play for special cards (it's given as a quest), starting with the Baron in Velen and he'll have a list of other players who also will play for special cards. That's how I got started with finding strong enough cards to compete with the better players. You don't seem to get that in order to beat the strong players you need a better deck which is the sole purpose of beating them in the first place. There is no upward scale just a bunch of random spikes. The worst part is that this could all has an easy fix, sell basic deck in the game aside from individual cards. You know, like in RL. Also, **** whomever came up with the leveling up system. I've seen bad talent trees, I've seen bad games that level you into competence but restricting your abilities to slots that unlock upon reaching a level and then only giving you 9 slots. It's like the guy that designed it just decided to say "**** your choice, you're either a warrior a mage or a mutant", for a game with just one hybrid class it shouldn't really be that restrictive. It was easily fixed in previous games by just modding the amount of talent points but the skill slots really put a damper on that. I did largely the same as Mr Anakin with Gwent and i'm sorry to say rarely faced a challenge, especially when using the Nilfgaardian deck, which quickly became my favourite. However on your second point i'm in total agreement, it's just an arbitrary restriction and really isn't consistent, I mean Geralt's been doing this Witcher thing for a century or so now (though that's argued over) and should know his arse from his elbow to put it crassly. Edit: Never mind being reset to level one twice over now!

I've never understood the argument that fantastic elements in a game automatically invalidate any sense of historical accuracy, one can have an internally consistent setting that lives cheek by jowl with fantastic elements. So long as these fantastic elements are accounted for and reacted to reasonably they do not invalidate the setting whatsoever. For instance in the Witcher the the protagonist is a part of an order that arose to deal with post Conjunction monsters, crafted by mages to make perfect, unfeeling guardians for humanity in emulation of the Golem myth. Thus Witchers are a known entity, grudgingly accepted when needed but otherwise shunned. Sorcerers and their effect on society is dealt with throughout the saga, and they have a recognised place and a purpose in the world. The interactions with fantastical races and species is another central theme of the mythos, and indeed is crucial to the second protagonist of the series. This in no way invalidates the largely agrarian society, the feudal order, the cutthroat politics that are engaged in throughout or any of the other internally consistent content. Indeed in the war ravaged no mans land of Velen one can see monsters emerging from their hiding places, feeding on corpses, growing strong and fat in the absence of civilisation and society. Yet take a boat ride across the Pontar to Redania and one finds a largely settled land, policed, civilised in large measure and absent of the worst depredations except when one travels far from the beaten path. Logical and internally consistent, and not yelled about at all. One merely has to account for fantastical elements in a setting, and make realistic consequences and conflicts from their interaction with the mundane rather than repeating, "But there's magic so nothing has to make sense, Dragons shouldn't fly!" Yes Dragons should not fly, that's one of the reasons why they're a fantastical creation, they also shouldn't be able to breathe fire, or mesmerise with their gaze. This argument is really not thought out fully.

The Company of Wolves by Neil Jordan. A werewolf movie with what I think is a feminist twist, with the female protagonist in her blood red hood of course, wandering off the path into the wild Wald, and embracing her own wild nature and budding sexuality. Which is equal to the men who have embraced their wild nature, and are demonised by the villagers living in the midst of the Wald. It's quite beautifully shot, and is set in the dreamworld of a young girl coming into womanhood. The narrative progresses in an interesting way, mainly relying on storytelling, with an exemplary performance by Angela Lansbury as a formidable old matriarch. Very symbolic imagery throughout. Lovely German and Belgian shepard dogs used throughout in the place of the obligatory wolves.

http://blogjob.com/oneangrygamer/2015/06/ftc-endorsement-guide-now-includes-game-reviews-youtubers-affiliate-links/ YES A little accountability finally being implemented, a good move for the consumer.

Yep Velen and Novigrad are far more interesting gameplay wise, but those mountains, forests and moody skies...enchanting.

I quite like their take on Yen, imperious and arrogant as always, I always think of her as a fantasy equivalent of the Stainless Steel Rat's wife. Though i'm interested in finding out how she shed the Hunt's amnesia, and what exactly she went through in Nilfgaard.

...That's not what happened at all. According to the mores of the people of Vizima, which is what we were talking about, it was. Foltest himself thought this to be true, Velerad and his coterie did, as no one knew of Ostrit's infatuation with Adda senior. This is why DeWett resurrected Ostrit's schemes to turn Adda into a Striga, as part of Jacques plans to seize the throne and discredit Foltest. Edit: My apologies for the double post, didn't notice the second reply immediately.

But its really a fantasy realm so why not just include minorities? It can still be very Slavic but I don't see the big deal? One, it is a fantasy realm built upon a series of novels that prioritise internal consistency, so one must have a reason for minorities to be present not just token representations clumsily inserted for the sake of racists. Two, Minorities are represented: There are green Dryads, the problems with the Elder races which is a central theme of the novels, the heritage of the Vran lizardmen buried throughout, the post conjunction creatures, Geralt the protagonist is himself a mutant that is technically a new species, Ciri is a genetic timebomb crafted by fascist inter dimensional elves etcetera.

It's been a while since I last read the books, I only really remember Ciri being described as having enchanting eyes, she may well have grown up since then however. Geralt and Yen remark on such in Vizima.

Yes there are more ancient Slavic mores used throughout in addition to what i've already listed: The treatment of the cunning folk and Wiedzmin, the religious practises unique to the northern kingdoms. Abused morals as well such as Foltest's relationship with his sister, frowned upon and birthing mostrosities such as the Striga as just punishment. Pagan ideoligies which inform much of the game and stand in contrast to the new ways being heralded in, representing Christianity in my view. The significance of the oak tree ceremonially that endured in Pagan worship. Edit: Of course I could focus on the importance of family, and friends forming an extended family, which Geralt does seek as an orphan cast out of the typical tight knit structure of society. The importance of introductions and proper titles, along with the importance of gift giving that the first game really focuses upon. I've always felt that these were too widespread in Europe as a whole however, and resembled other areas mores. Still valid I suppose and not seen in other games. Oh and I forgot the drinking, of course.

Folktales such as are used in the fourth chapter of the first game, ripped straight from Slavic folklore almost word for word apparently, very new and interesting to me. The unique little nods such as the ram near the Kayran, harking to another folktale. The architecture and artistic design of Vizima, Flotsam and various other locales. The creatures and monsters drawn from Slavic folklore, though there are many drawn from other myths as well. The political situations and stances that parallel the Teutonic crusades into Slavic lands. Etcetera.

Wait what. I can't be any clearer, i used plain English.

I want to retire to Skellige.

I for one would not have been half as interested in the Witcher if it had not built up a great sense of internal consistency in its gameworld, if it had had the usual boring AD&D setting, or did not include the Slavic cultural mores which made it so unique and exotic. Then again we can't have something unique, distinct and rare can we? We've got to turn everything into a dull paint by numbers politically correct sermon.

Yes they argue that they want to invalidate any internal consistency and cast out any pre-established lore to make room for clumsy insertion of minorities to fill token positions, insulting to both the minority and the artists vision. It's idiotic and laughable.

The northern kingdoms are a barbaric backwoods, if one wants diversity then one should travel to the southern reaches of Nilfgaard, Zerrikania and points south. With the war, the intolerance of the natives, the inhospitable nature of travel without modern travel networks and the danger of the wilderness being enhanced by post conjunction creatures, well the absence of exotic races in Novigrad, Velen and especially Skellige is warranted, and fits with the narrative. I'm all for diversity, but i'm for diversity practised in an internally consistent manner, such as the appearance of Azar Javed in the first Witcher. Being a powerful sorcerer he may utilise teleportation and his fearsome abilities to travel in relative safety, and obviously has done to reach Ban Aard. Besides if you want diversity Geralt is not technically of the Human species anymore, Dwarves and Gnomes are their own species, the post conjunction creatures are even more weird, never mind the inter-dimensional fascist Elves. Edit: Funny how racism directed against eastern Europeans has become acceptable lately, personally I find it sickening, one has Fleet street rags preaching open xenophobia, and now this moronic article which is let's face it published just because Mr Geis was told off by a proud Slav. Then again why am I surprised #killallmen after all, morality is a foreign concept to these degenerates.

Did the third Bard's Tale game go isometric? I can't remember the first and second ever being anything but first person, though I may be misremembering.

One has to wonder whether the hype around Fallout 4 will impact the Kickstarter, positively or negatively? Might be worth mentioning that Mr Fargo published the original, sparked the franchise and hype its inspiration in Wasteland 2.

I'm also wondering with the focus on Skara Brae whether the other notable sites on that parallel might be utilised, Maeshowe and Brodgar, as well as maybe the inclusion of Pictish elements, what little is known of them. Most probably not though.