ShadowPaladin V1.0

People see a feature in one type of game then expect it in others without thinking about why it was possible in the first place. Take riding. Riding was brilliant in Occarina, but you only had to allow for one character model. No multiple heights, wider models (trying to make them look right on a horse etc). Same sort of thing applies with something that sounds really simple, like drawing and sheathing weapons.

This also demonstrates on of the weird things in RPGS (especially games like FF). As you fight, you earn experience and your health, defense, and attack stats will increase. You can also earn and find essence of Amahagane as you play. If you have three of these, you can increase the level of one of your attributes. Yo****sune and Benkei gain experience independently, so if you neglect one of the characters, he'll remain relatively weak. When you kill several enemies in a row you'll get a combo. If you manage to string together several kills, your efforts will be rewarded with an experience bonus. In addition to buffing your character with experience, you can find all kinds of items, weapons, and armor hidden throughout each level that will give your character a significant stat boost. You can also find pieces of these items, which you can take to a blacksmith, who will create the item for you as long as you have all of the required ingredients. So the more skilled you are, the easier the game is. Its a lot like Insane was on the IE games. Once you crack the curve and prior to reaching the cap insanes actually easier because the extra levels give you area spells (and more of them) at earlier levels.

Genji. Easy game with the character/item elements damm near impossible when you dont level up and your stats dont change (option opens after you complete the game). What I think seperates RPGs is that you just have the ability to remove so much of the difficulty yourself (intentionally or otherwise). Cant think of any other genre that allows that without a cheat code. I cut my teeth on the goldbox games champion level. Although I'd call them tactics games today not RPGs. For Ps2 owners NG is pretty similiar to DMC (in how you buy attributes and open skill paths) but like NG DMC is mostly about how good the player is.

Wasnt really trying to make a point

Very much so. In the same way as when we read a book we are experiencing the book through the authors characters. One of the key problems with your own characters is having the game relate to them. Since you as a designer wont know anything about them in advance, you cannot personalise the story at all.

Not to beat a dead horse again. But without a pregen you couldnt have had PST. Same goes for KOTOR. I just hate the whole amnesia to make them playable thing since it's so obvious.

And prior to playing FFX I would have likely completely agreed with you. I dont think it has anything to do with action RPGism. But it does allow for a designer to have much tighter control on where a story will go and to be able to have each character play out their part.

I'd split it into two. With a pregenerated character I'm looking for a story. Thats the catch 22 of pregens, since the story and the character go hand in hand. You just have to cross your fingers and hope. Best story I've played FFX (and I've played a lot of them) it just works on so many levels that span both the personal and the epic. In a choice based RPG I'm looking for two things. My own character and choices that actually mean something to that character. Freedom to create my own character and not have the game come along and contradict it later. And no more bloody amnesiacs. Combat that dosnt take too long. I dont want to fight 10 goblins for an hour and combat that dosnt require I go too into "tactics mode" because if the combat is forcing me to play mini mathematics test in my head then thats tactical combat and not an RPG. Exceptions would be where you have very distinct seperation like in the Fire Emblem games.

Just seems they ended up back where they started before the romans evicted them.

Darques not old enough to be a matriarch.

Shadow Hearts:Covenant (not being pedantic, rather in case your searching for the wrong thing). Good game anyway.

Be ironic if it united them so they could kick your arse wouldnt it

Hate platform games anyway

What is cave story ?

It's inevitable as new people post and people reply to those posts. I wouldnt expect anyone to read all that stuff before making a post. so I doubt whether it serves any practical purpose.

Yep, why just annoy one group when you can annoy all three. Historically though it looks like the Jews were there first.

Yeah and the K3 threads from the Storyline discussion of which some were really good Including mine <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You can still search for it through your user name and then repost it. Whatever user name you were using at the time I mean

It's a shame all the KOTOR III threads from general discussion got lost when this was created.

Would that be why you have chaplains in combat ? Odd way not to condone something if you ask me. Anyway if those are your views, those are your views, unlike christianity I have no compulsion or wish to change your way of thinking. I will explain why I took it so seriously though if someone asks.

No I believe I was spot on and now you will wriggle uncomfortably. By your own words you said that the murder of abortion doctors and nurses was less wrong than the murder of another doctor or nurse. This is a value your so religion has led you to adopt.

And what does this reveal about you ? So abortion doctors and nurses are less human than other doctors and nurses. And people wonder why christianity sickens people. I think you just proved my point better than I ever could have. While christians might not do it, they condone it , and if they dont condone it , they still see justification in it. As to see it as less wrong than the murder of someone in different profession. Yes I'm sickened, not suprised though.

It's been a while since I was in school. Be another three years till my kids start. No ? I would have thought the irony of them having their holiday stolen in the same way they stole it from the pagans would warrant at least a wry smile. Well I'm sure there is a healthy dose of exageration going around. Since I dont live in America I have no idea how much. If your talking about here, there is as much gaudy crap around as their is every year.

I think there are already rules in place for offical government buildings. I'd imagine it's got the pagans grinning anyway.

No , they are killing in gods name, thats good enough for me. If you want to not be associated with them , then you have to make the same efforts as muslims do not to be associated with terrorists. Not if the person your addressing finds the remark equally offensive. We have already estabilshed there is no such thing as freedom of speech in the workplace. So unless someone comes over to your house and tells you that you cant celebrate in your own way, or locks you up for wishing someone a merry christmas while your not representing something other than yourself (IE your not at work). Then your reaction is just a tad melodramatic

Umm... These are people who kill doctors and nurses , sure they are going to accept another faith based national holiday without protest. It might not be the issue for you but it is the issue for a lot of people. Thats why they are secularising it. Once thats done, then there wont be a religion based national holiday anymore. Nice and all, except no one is violating your personal freedoms. If you work in a place where religious expression of the holiday is forbidden, thats not the same thing as someone violating your personal freedom. If you told a customer to **** off , then you would get fired. So the idea of free speech at work isnt a fact. There are all sorts of laws governing the public display of items and those are down to the government to make and the store owners to follow. If they say no angels or mangers , in public, thats not saying no angels and mangers period.