Drowsy Emperor

Yanukovich bailed because he realized they were going to imprison him or kill him, even though he effectively gave up power. His car was even shot at. The "inability to exercise duties as president" clause in a constitution serves if a president is to fall ill or suffer another mishap as a way to end his term in office earlier than normal but to stay within the law. It does not serve as a justification to remove a president that is healthy and sound of mind from power and cannot be voted in by a parliament besieged and threatened by armed men. That you think Yanukovich is Putin's lapdog shows how much you know of internal Ukrainian politics. Putin intensely dislikes Yanukovich precisely because he's playing his own game and is thoroughly unreliable and treacherous. Yanukovich ran there because there was no where else to run and because only the Russians still had any use for him as a tool to bring Kiev's legitimacy in question. So long as he is alive its much easier to claim that Ukraine has a legitimate president and that the coup imposed government isn't legitimate. As for the evidence, read up on it. I'm not here to educate you, even though I've just given you a lesson in constitutional law and Ukrainian-Russian relations. Consider it pro bono.

And in latest news: Kiev has authorized the use of special forces against the demonstrators. This is the real deal now, damned if you do, damned if you don't for the Russians.

That's a shame, I just remembered it the other day and thought they were probably working on it. I did wonder how they were going to make the game work. To make a credible vampire/werewolf/mage game you'd need enormous urban environments because these creatures are rare and a huge system to generate NPC's to make the town come alive, along with everything else. To me it always sounded a bit like over-reaching from a company whose primary MMO has far less content. It was my opinion at the time (and it still is) that its beyond the cost effectiveness of current technology (if the game is to look any good).

I was weeping for the bullets wasted on NPC's I don't like.

It had an impact on me as well, there were a few quite emotional moments.

What Geman trained snipers, can't you even read the post before you comment? @Tagaziel: The Ukrainian "government" seized power in an illegitimate coup even though Yanukovich agreed to early elections (and other demands) and practically gave up. Yet they didn't accept that but took power by force (probably afraid of possible election results). If you take power by force you're fair game in international relations. That's how the game works. Legitimacy isn't found under a rock, its earned, internally and externally. For the Russians, the Kiev government is a non-entity and they're within their rights to do as they please. For the west, they're a new client state that they pledged to support, so now they're doing it...sorta.

Finished the Walking Dead season 1. SPOILER SPOILER I was sorry to see Lee go, he was such a likable main character. SPOILER I'm somewhat lost interest in pursuing the series further at this point because of that. Bioware should take note of how to write good dialog. Unlike ME when I picked a choice I could count on the character to say something appropriate. And there was always a response I could see myself making in a situation. That said, more then a few of the situations were contrived, but I guess the drama has to come from somewhere. Overall, its easily better than the (agonizingly boring) TV show and I enjoyed it a lot most of the time.

Russia ran out of options. Yanukovich wasn't their "man", he was trying to play both sides. Every other party in Ukrainian politics is in US/EU pockets, along with key figures in the army (quite obvious since they failed to intervene when it was apparent that a coup was imminent). They must have been really threatened, considering that this is the second revolution in Ukraine that was sponsored by the west - the first time around, when Yuschenko came to power, they didn't react. The way I see it, having too little influence on the field and no perspective to increase it in time mean that they were to act brazenly or do nothing. As for the people trying to whitewash the whole deal with the "we didn't do it like they're doing it" there's this: http://www.voltairenet.org/article182058.html Then there's the whole issue of the opposition sponsored snipers that the Estonian minister confirmed in the other leaked call. Euromaidan was going to falter and so they stepped up the heat by shooting their own people and police and blamed it on the government. I find it hard to believe they'd do something so brazen without confirmation from their sponsors. I suspect its all true knowing that KLA terrorists were trained in camps in Germany and Austria prior to acting in Kosovo, but its a moot point to argue either way. There's not going to be concrete evidence any time soon and the events have gone rendered the discussion somewhat pointless. The burning question now is if there's going to be civil war or not. The Russians know what's at stake, eastern and south eastern Ukraine, where they still have a strong base, has all of Ukrainian industry and the sea access. The rest of the country is worthless in comparison.

Or is it just you, who have become a caricature of what you once were, and you are viewing the world of Bioware through a lense of caricatureness? Are you so thick that you haven't realized my harping on Bioware is a sort of inside joke at this point?

I never cease to be amazed by the justification that supporters of Putin go around the Ukraine crisis, your post highlights an aspect of it So now we have a situation in eastern Ukraine where several cities have there government building occupied by well organised and armed Russian speaking militias. This is a situation that no government in the world would accept These are legitimate Ukrainian government buildings outside of Crimea. It is obvious that Russia is fermenting and encouraging insurrection against the Ukrainian government with an end goal to force a federal system of government in parts of Ukraine that is favourable to Russia You are an intelligent person, are you really going to sit there and tell me that you think Russia is not directly involved in this social unrest. And I mean outside of Crimea in other eastern parts of Ukraine They're as involved in this unrest as the EU and US were in the Euromaidan. The west overthrew the legitimately elected government (Yanukovich won his elections fairly) because it said "no" and installed an illegitimate one. European heads of state were parading in the street, supporting insurrection while protesters were burning Kiev. Now that your side has achieved its goals (at the expense of quite a few dead Ukrainians) you want the situation to stabilize and go back to business as usual. Except the Russians can't let that happen and everyone knew they wouldn't. The Russians feel their vital interests are threatened by this. Its a fair concern, the two countries do share a border after all. Is what the Russians are doing okay? No. But its important to note that everything that is happening is a reaction to the US and EU destabilization of the region. You make some good points around the Wests involvement in the overthrow of Yanukovich and the result of that but was the West that directly involved? My understanding is that an EU aligned Ukrainian government replaced Yanukovich. But were there Western soldiers in Kiev and were there Western government's actively controlling the anti-Yanukovich movement ? So in other words Russia's current involvement in Ukraine is much more direct than anything the West did around the removal of Yanukovich. I understand why Russia is doing it but that doesn't make it more right or acceptable The US-EU did not need "boots on the ground" to achieve its goals in Ukraine. Their involvement was financial, logistical, intelligence and media support. As to whether they're controlling the movement look to the video above.

I don't think that's what he said...I think was saying that Russia is only doing what the U.S. did...maybe more directly, but nevertheless. There's no *proof* (that I know of) of U.S. involvement, mind you, but as hegemon, we seem to always be assumed to be involved when things go favorably for us...and there's history to suggest that it's certainly possible. @Drowsy Emperor: hypocrisy in regards to politics does not really concern me - perhaps because all politicians, and the things derived from them (governments), all seem to be hypocritical no matter what way you look at it, but maybe that's just me. It also doesn't help that things seem to be much more "apparent" as to who's "wrong" in the Ukraine situation - i.e. the people actually conducting an invasion. People just root for the side they're on, no matter the reasons, (although that side might not always be what one would expect). There is plenty of proof. US ambassador in Kiev and US assistant secretary of state discussing who should be the next Ukrainian government, literally hand picking them. Before declaring the Crimea situation an invasion you'd have to read up on Crimean history. Technically it is taking over a part of another sovereign country (like in Kosovo) but Crimea was a part of Russia for a very long time and came into Ukrainian possession in a very unnatural manner (as a gift from a head of state that had no business giving away what wasn't his to give in first place). I'm looking at this from a Russian perspective because that perspective is lacking in this discussion but I'm not thrilled by anyone destabilizing a sovereign country that is already in dire straights (economically) because I know what this spells for the Ukrainian people.

I never cease to be amazed by the justification that supporters of Putin go around the Ukraine crisis, your post highlights an aspect of it So now we have a situation in eastern Ukraine where several cities have there government building occupied by well organised and armed Russian speaking militias. This is a situation that no government in the world would accept These are legitimate Ukrainian government buildings outside of Crimea. It is obvious that Russia is fermenting and encouraging insurrection against the Ukrainian government with an end goal to force a federal system of government in parts of Ukraine that is favourable to Russia You are an intelligent person, are you really going to sit there and tell me that you think Russia is not directly involved in this social unrest. And I mean outside of Crimea in other eastern parts of Ukraine They're as involved in this unrest as the EU and US were in the Euromaidan. The west overthrew the legitimately elected government (Yanukovich won his elections fairly) because it said "no" and installed an illegitimate one. European heads of state were parading in the street, supporting insurrection while protesters were burning Kiev. Now that your side has achieved its goals (at the expense of quite a few dead Ukrainians) you want the situation to stabilize and go back to business as usual. Except the Russians can't let that happen and everyone knew they wouldn't. The Russians feel their vital interests are threatened by this. Its a fair concern, the two countries do share a border after all. Is what the Russians are doing okay? No. But its important to note that everything that is happening is a reaction to the US and EU destabilization of the region.

Black humor is about "very real and very harmful stuff" by its very nature. That's the definition. You're just drawing your own line and pronouncing whatever is on the other side as distasteful. That said, I'm not defending her - I haven't read anything she wrote so it may very well yet another sucky thing written on the internets.

The amount of irrational hate you people harbor for the guy is ridiculous. The US and EU pulled the trigger on this one. The Russian response was necessary and predictable (which is the goal of the US anyway if one reads the discussion on splitting up Ukraine in Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations"). If it erupts into a civil war, blaming Putin is mere hypocrisy. Putin is doing what Putin has to do but the US did not have to overthrow the government in Ukraine. Naturally, I'm against civil war and splitting Ukraine. If it comes to that the Russians should intervene and break Kiev's back quickly before the conflict turns into the agony of the Balkan wars and millions end up dead over nothing.

You switch broke on dead serious, huh.

Sigh, with every passing year Bioware is becoming more and more a caricature of what it once was. Yo, Bioware, the sheep from the Arcanum brothel needs a home too! (if adopted, 546% chance to be a party member in DA4)

I really want this but its going to be way too expensive for me with the shipping and customs. (more like 200$) Its just not worth it, even if its one of the best games I ever played. Funny how appealing collectors editions look until you find out that all the extra stuff does is take up space and collect dust.

Your account has been hacked, admit it.

After I finish with the Walking Dead I'll try that next. I tried a few hours of Bioshock Infinite. Once you get over how pretty the graphics are the game is rather flawed. Its dead easy (I was playing on hard), the enemy AI is abysmal, its very linear and the shooting is somewhat boring. The satire is a bit too "in your face" as well. I would have played more of it but the game now crashes every time I open it, even though it worked perfectly yesterday. It gets to the autosaving part just before it opens the main menu... and dies. Still going through the Stick of Truth. I still have a high opinion on the game, its probably the most polished product Obsidian ever made, but the setting is wearing me down a bit. I enjoy the show on occasion but the toilet humor and general vulgarity are a bit too much at times.

Yeah, I see that I won't be playing the game twice

Nice. The three factions don't sound very sophisticated but I'll give them the benefit of the douby.

I don't think they're going to go for it. This looks like a different project entirely, with only a few of the ideas carried over. Its okay in my book, the canon ending for AC is for human integration with planet. A thoroughly sci fi concept and the whole game was built around it. The win condition here is returning to earth, which is a lot less ambitious. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Its probably going to be more Civ in space than AC. AC went much farther than that

You're one useful Cuban, saved me a ton of work there

So Diablo is an RPG but the WItcher isn't?

I'm somewhat glad its not a full remake. AC was a pretty self contained story with fully fleshed out concepts I don't think there's more to tell there. This is similar but sufficiently new for my tastes. Christmas comes early this year Of course, a dose of skepticism is in order what with Reynolds not being involved in the project and the Civ V fiasco.