Atreides

I am aiming to be more open minded. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> A winRAR!

Hm, probably right. It's hard to isolate the effect of StarForce because there's almost no way to compare similar products with and without the feature. Seriously though people will crack games if they want it hard enough and it's not that difficult to obtain the cracked ones (they'll be the ones that are pirated/shared).

I kind of agree. While I can see the concerns of the producers, the real effects punish legitimate users while the pirates will crack it anyway and ironically be better off than the legitimate users stuck with StarForce.

Damn, I wish I had a "basic" computer too.

I want a world populated by ninjas too!

Here's my new wallpaper.

Basically you're saying a good game's worth playing irrespective of the platform. What's the point of discrimination then as long as good games are getting produced?

You know, since console producers lose money on each console sold you should buy as many as you can to maximise their losses. Heck, get your friends and family to buy them too!

Could be though it's not easy to get a console modded in the west compared to illegal filesharing that's everywhere.

That and soil erosion and Patrick Steward too.

This could be a shot in the dark but does the whole "consoles being more protfitable than PC" thing related to the ease (or rather difficulty) of piracy on consoles?

Since this deals with genetics, here's news about a Turkish family that walks on all fours. It's almost certain that there's something genetic going on - all 5 children have the same condition and it looks quite likely to be passed down.

How about this: "The Middle Eastern standoff is being masterminded by the pinko lefty commies because they're pushing their agenda of cleaner, reusable fuel research by raising the price of fuel to the point where alternatives make economic sense."

Have they tried some rabid anti-Bush thing? Usually running your platform on how the other guy sucks is wildly successful.

Actually scratch that. An elf bard with a 'fro would blow my mind.

Yeah, you know he's going to bust a shaft in yo' ass if you give him 'tude!

You know what easter egg would rock so much? A hot cowboy hat for the player character model. I'm not sure how hard it is to make one and solve the clipping issues, but that would be so awesome. That and afros.

Brokeback Sewer?

Take it easy dude.

Jags is a winrar!

Thanks! Really appreciated "Water physics" - are there any water-based spells in D&D?

I've always found console pads more ergonomic compared to the WASD controls. I'd prefer to play action titles that require quick imput but little precise aiming like FPSs where mouse is king. Ironically Bloodlines would have fit the bill perfectly if not for the ranged weapon aiming. Even then I'm sure eventually there'll be keyboard/mouse addons if the consoles are to be gaming/entertainment/internet hubs that the manufacturers want it to be.

Sounds interesting. Might be a problem getting to the console if the whole setup's already staggering.

The 1.2 official patch works fine. There's still significant memory leakage in town areas (oddly enough, only in town areas) so the usual trick I do is quicksave on the spot then quickload to "solve" it.

Assume you could go back in time, sometime before the Renaissance and be the ruler (king/queen, Caliph etc). You get to choose where and when. Assume that your intention's to run a viable government. You can bring up to 5 advisors to help you run the country. Who are they and what do they contribute? I'll start off. I choose the Mediteranean because it has mild weather, access to the sea (trade/interaction with other countries etc) and a reasonable amount of resources. Advisors: [*]Actuary - Has some sense of how the economy runs and handles the long-term financial viability of running projects (or the government). [*]Civil engineer - Brings practical knowledge of working with materials and general construction to improve infrastructure. [*]Medical practitioner - Knowledge on handling diseases and keeping the public healthy (avoiding plague, suggesting changes etc) [*]Historian - Provides general context in what location/age that we'll be in. Information on surrounding countries and how to handle them. Might double as an advisor in promoting the arts. [*]Legal advisor - Handle legal system and handle an information system that effectively distributes information so that people know why the government's making decisions and how it'll affect them (say why it's important to maintain health practices etc). Could be vital in influencing public opinion (convincing people snake oil doesn't work) etc.