~Di

It isn't just King; the entire writing community is against censorship. First they censor the games, then they censor the books. I expect the Author's Guild to join legal challenges if such a law comes down the pike.

It's on my "must buy" list. I'm looking forward to it, and expect to enjoy it for the game it is rather than compare it with the old classics.

So very sad. Still, I'm relieved that the villagers are worshipping her rather than shunning her.

It embarrasses me to admit that I was never able to figure out what level I was. I was about halfway through the "skilled witcher" thing, but have no idea what that means. *blush*

The beginning of Old Vizima will make you crazy. I have a good solid rig, and there were so many characters running around that the fights were like in slo mo for me. Fortunately once you make it out of the city, all that nuttiness stops, so hang in there.

I didn't consider the battle with Azar easy by any stretch. He and his bad boys made me reload several times. Thank god for Blizzard and Tawny Owl.

Well, it took me two evenings to find my way through the barricades. Thinking it must be a bug, I reloaded and replayed about a half-dozen times until I finally stumbled over it. What a damned nightmare. Anyway, I finished the game. Overall it was a good game. The story was interesting, if a bit convoluted. The ending was... odd, to say the least. I have some serious issues with some of the design decisions, though. Inventory control was absolutely miserable; tiny little icons that made you squint and hold the cursor to see what the items were. Not nearly enough carry space, and whoever decided it would be fun to withhold access to your storage in Ch 5 should be shot. In fact, everyone involved in the planning of Ch 5 should be shot. Old Vizima was a nightmare to navigate, and the damned swamp cemetary was even worse. The drowned dead are the most irritating monsters since Morrowind's flying beasties. And after battling Azar, I ended up in pitch blackness looking for a boat that would have been hard to find even in daylight. Stumbled around for over an hour, then found a firepit and meditated until daylight. When I did find the damned boat, it tossed me into the epilogue with about 6 completed quests that I hadn't had a chance to turn in. A little warning would have been nice, y'know? The same thing happened to me when I went from Ch 1 to Ch 2. Argghhh. Anyway, I ended up the game with the same armor I started with. I never finished the armor quest... I KNEW I should have bought that armor in Ch 2! I did quite a bit of potion and oil making, didn't get a chance to make any bombs. Now that I know all the things I did wrong, and have a handle on when the chapters end I'll give it another runthrough. At this point I'd give the game a C+ or B-. It was a good game, not a great one. Thanks to everyone here for all the help!!

I don't want to stop, but I simply can't go any further. I used Aard on one pile of rubble and it worked. I am now being followed by Sigfried and White Rayna (god, I hate her), but I have tried using Aard on every pile of rubble left and right and I simply cannot go any further. The Witcher forum doesn't have a solution, and I'm beginning to think it's a game-breaking bug. I'm using the latest patch, v1.2, btw. I'll spend another hour or two trying to find a way past this... but I spent 3 hours last night and I'm pretty much at a loss at this point.

I ended up with the Order,,, not sure why... but am in Ch 5 and I cannot find the barricade to Aard at this point. I have Sigfried and Raven with me, but am utterly stuck. Cannot progress from here. The Witcher forum is no help. I simply cannot find a barricade I can break through at this point. Is there a way past this, or do I just give up and burn the CD? I've spent two days trying to find the answer. This really isn't fun anymore.

Hmm. Thanks for the White Gull tips. I honestly had not thought of that!

I actually haven't done much potion making... just a few cats and swallows, and the special potions that give talent points. Maybe I should get into alchemy more. I don't honestly know much about it. I sold so many high-quality liquers before I realized that some potions couldn't be made without them, and they are expensive as heck to replace. As for having too much money, do you know how much those bloody books cost?? Argghhhh. The running around and lack of speed transport is grinding me down, though. Could be a minor point if I like the game overall. I just dislike being confused, and I'm confused a lot right now. Then again, I'm blond.

Thanks for the help! I honestly don't know what happened (it was the wee hours of the morning, so details are a bit fuzzy), but at one point I suddenly got the message that I had all I needed, so I'm now in chapter 3. Chapter 2 kind of frustrated me anyway. Too many quests, too much running around, too much confusion. Probably how I felt the first time I played BGII! I didn't know what to do first, and had read enough to know that if I did things in the wrong order I could screw the pooch. Also I'm not nuts about spending 500 orens to buy a book so I can do a quest that will pay me 150. I mean, huh? LOL. I'm pretty cheap. Luckily I'm pretty good at dice, so I'd just play until everyone in town was broke. Thanks again for the answers.

I'm kinda frustsrated here. I'm at the end of Act II, have done all the quests (I think) necessary, including exposing Raymond, getting the badges to Leuvaarden, killing the Golem, etc.... I have 9 sephirots, but simply cannot get the dialogue option necessary to buy the 10th sephirot (Tipperath) from Leuvaarden. I've searched The Witcher forums from here to hell and back, but they simply say I have to buy it from Leauvaarden via dialogue option, which I've never received. I have the patched 1.2 version. What the hades am I doing wrong? Can anyone help?

The most verifiable account of civilians killed during the Iraq War can be found at Iraqi Body Count Database?, which supports its current estimate of 82,566

Oh!! I love Anachronox! I've played it a half-dozen times. Quirky, irreverent, edgy, humorous, with characters that run the gamut from utterly outrageous to utterly adorable. I'm not going to get into another pissing contest about how to categorize it, though. To me it was just a damned good game, and spent quite a few years on my personal top ten list! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I think it has "held its age" well!

Thanks for the answers. Sadly, I'll never know if I missed a dialog tree with Olaf, since I returned from an herb-hunting trip to find him dead on the floor. I thought I could explore to my heart's content and choose when I wanted to go for the end boss. Obviously not, since I'm now carrying a skull around and the guy who sent me looking for it is nowhere to be found. I'm in Ch 2 now; found an Inn and finally have a storage spot. Am enjoying the game so far... a helluva lot of running back and forth, though. A bit of speed travel to places one has already uncovered would sure have been nice. And the inventory system ... well... it sucks. Not too far into the story yet, but so far it seems interesting.

I'm still wandering around CH 1 on the Outskirts. I've heard that one can purchase storage space at the Inns, but I've followed all the dialogue with the Innkeeper and he's never offered me storage. The only thing I haven't done is purchased a room. Is there a quest or something that I must complete to get the storage option? Oh, and is there a way I can use Aard to open locked doors around the village? For some reason I cannot seem to figure out how...

Back to the topc, I've installed, patched and gotten through the prologue...I must say I've beem blown away so far. Can't wait to contknue on and find out what is next!!!

Well. Remind me never to gush over a game I really like lest I be forced to offer "proof" of its superiority. Also remind me never to mention when Fallout fell from #1 on my all-time top ten game list, because the very heresy of confessing that I preferred any game to the "genre master." Why on earth are so many folks rallying into a lynch mob because Visc likes Mass Effect better than Fallout? Can't he just say that he loved ME and can't think of any way to improve it without half the forum baring their fangs and going into a blood lust? Not to mention that this is the Alpha Protocol forum... Seriously, guys, lighten up on Visc. He's a nice guy. Really!

I honestly don't know. I'm pretty disappointed at Alpha's apparent preset male character. However, I don't know enough about either of them to make a decision. It could very well be that neither game will be my cuppa, although I have purchased and loved what Obsidian has so far given us. I purchased NWN2 the day it was released. I doubt I'll do so for either of the upcoming projects, unless I know a great deal more than I know so far. They both sound a bit iffy to me at this point.

Heya! Yep, the awesome responsibility is on your handsome shoulders. If I hate it, I'm coming after you. Yes, yes I am!

Sorry if I mislead - meaning the text dialogue is restored to a more accurate (and thus lengthier, fuller) translation of the original, but the VO naturally remains the same. A dialogue restoration of some sort is promised with the official Enhanced Version, but I am not sure if that includes the VO. And yes, the tutorial is rather dreary, but what tutorial isn't? It's certainly better than Peragus or the Temple of Trials. Oh, I understand. That's okay. I'll still search for the more accurate translation, if I can find it. And I also understand that tutorials are by nature rather dreary. I promise not to judge the game by its tutorial. I really want to enjoy this game... if I don't, then it's simply not my cuppa. No insult to those who truly think it wonderful.

Thanks, sweetie. That's good to know. I'll stick with it then until the action and the story picks up. *hugs*

It was more a comment on mkreku's fabid gothic fanboyism... He has a point though Gothic is good. LOL! I was teasing you, hon. I know mkreku is a Gothic fanboy, but I actually enjoyed the game and its first sequel. Haven't gotten Gothic 3 yet, since the rumors are that it is an incredible resource hog and buggy beyond belief. Darn, if you don't let me hastle you, where's the fun? BTW, how is your game coming along?

Ah, thank you. So the VO enhancements are strictly fan-created? Thanks for the tip. I'll hunt around the net and see if I can find the one you recommend. If anyone has a link, I'd be grateful! That's exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for! Thanks again!