Hurlshort

This game is also two years away. So I guess it is a regular sandbox RPG? I know there was talk about an MMO, it's nice to hear they aren't going there...yet.

I'm actually giving Oblivion another go. I still am having trouble getting into the main storyline, but I've detoured to the Shivering Isles and it is quite good. Hopefully Skyrim will be more Shivering Isles and less closing Oblivion gates

She really is average at best. I'm not sure most people really believe she's a good voice actress, they're just being fanboys. Yes, anyone who disagrees with you must be a fanboy.

People spend years on Death Row, it isn't a fast system.

I totally hope I can hook up with Ashley again. It was a pain to romance her in the first game, and then I had to brush off the girl from Chuck to keep Ashley's photo on my desk. She better be worth it.

When did this thread turn into an episode of HBO's Oz?

Ah, that's right, the DLC. Although I would imagine they are getting ready for their next project, I'm not sure if DLC requires a full team.

Even if WoT is considered a project for Obsidian, and I have my doubts about that, they have said they are a three-project company, which means they still should be working on something new. Although I suppose they might still have a team working on NV content. They reason I doubt the WoT gig is the company they were supposed to be consulting is apparently having all sorts of trouble.

I don't see how Diablo 3 looks anything like WoW. It really isn't anywhere near the same art style.

Geez, I didn't even know there was an MDK2. I never played it, didn't seem like my cup o' tea.

I would say MDK is a good guess, that would fit the hardcore moniker right.

Seconded. I also wouldn't put Thai in the same sentence as Chinese. They are very different. At least in America, for the most part Chinese food is fairly unhealthy. Not fast food unhealthy, but it tends to be high in sodium and all that jazz.

Picked up Gran Turismo 5 - Very fancy so far. Boy, there are a lot of cars.

I agree the US justice system needs reform, and I imagine that will naturally lead to getting rid of the death penalty. Isn't it already abolished in about 15 states? The odd thing is there are very few executions, particularly given the amount of prisoners in the penal system and even the amount convicted of murder. It is an extremely small percentage. So why do it? Is it really effective? Sure, a part of me says it is justice, eye for an eye type stuff. A part of me also enjoys reading Punisher comic books too, but that doesn't mean I really want a bunch of vigilantes running around killing hoodlums.

Ugh, fast food makes me feel like total crap. I don't need a PhD in biochemistry to know that. As for metabolism, I think we are getting into another old vs. young argument territory. I know how my own metabolism works, and it has changed quite a bit in the last few years. edit: Time to head to the gym and work on that burger from last night :D

I don't make burgers every night It's probably more genetic than anything else, my mom is very healthy and she has to take medication for it.

Weird, I did play Risen after Two Worlds, so in retrospect that might have made me more tolerant of the voice work. Two Worlds was just horrific, Risen seemed serviceable to me.

My blood pressure is a problem too. This getting older stuff is messed up. I made some pretty good burgers last night, 1/4 pound Angus steak with a bit of Worcestershire Sauce and Steak magic seasoning. I cooked some Ore-Ida fries in the oven and served it with carrots.

I feel like Kaftan has bigger issues to deal with than homophobia

I don't see it happening, Obsidian has a deal with Square-Enix for DS3 right now. I don't know how it would really work for them to buy Obsidian. They might sign a bigger publishing deal, but an outright buy seems like an odd choice.

It's not really designed to be played a mage, at least not for the first 20 hours or so. Magic require a bunch of training, which makes sense. You wash up on the beach as some former cabin boy, so it also makes sense that you can't throw spells around. Eventually you can get to that point, but I like that you have to earn it.

Mount & Blade: Warband - After touting the merits of this game to a couple people, I was sucked into a game of my own. I'm about 170 days into a game, and I've got a nice little chunk of land as a Lord in the Vaegir Kingdom. I've even got a wife. I just need to find a way to make more money though, I'm pretty poor.

Feeling a bit better now. Lay on my office floor with the lights off for a bit. Not quite Orde Wingate, but still good no-one saw me. I took a big armchair (Ikea Ektorp for those following on your storybooks) to work, and unashamedly take snorey naps in it on a daily basis. The fact that I work 70+ hours a week there and they don't pay me removes any shame I might otherwise feel. I brought a futon to my classroom when my daughter was born, and I get a 30 minute nap most days on it. It is very important, makes me a much happier person. I used to nap on the floor for a bit as well before the futon. It's amazing what a quick 30 minute nap can do, I really get a boost of energy from it. On some days like back to school night, I get an even longer nap on it. There is a 4 hour break between the school day and back to school night, and I just sleep through it. It's awesome.

With Risen, you can approach the early game in a lot of different ways. I recommend avoiding the monastery for as long as possible. I went into the town first, and really enjoyed the quests their before committing to monastic training. Alternatively you can hang out in a swamp with a bunch of bandits. Yuck. edit: You don't have to go nuts fighting everything early on. I avoided most combat because it was rather tough. Just stay on the beaten path until you get strong. edit: Once you get to the town/monastery/swamp, the quests are almost all non-combat.

Unfortunately you are such a positive and 'glass half full' kinda guy that you like everything, which is a good thing of course, just not when it comes to game recommendations. But he's right, Risen was fun. It's not really a unique opinion, there were a lot of folks here who enjoyed it. That's why I picked it up in the first place. I am a pretty positive guy when it comes to games, but I can usually tell you when a game has a lot of flaws. Risen didn't have many. Granted, I played about 30 hours and didn't finish, and quite a few people seemed unhappy about the ending, but the 30 hours I played were top-notch adventure, exploration, and storytelling.