Hurlshort

I just finished the Indigo Prophecy. It was pretty awesome, and just the right length for me. I definitely see the complaints about the last part of the game, but I didn't think it was too bad. Still, more detective stuff would have been cool.

I'm not too surprised by Carolina and Dallas looking at a fast exit. Carolina is weak on defense and experience. They also haven't had to battle much lately, whereas Montreal has been playing for their lives the last month. Dallas is a shootout team. Without the shootout they would have less than 100 points. They would have been fighting for a playoff spot. Still, I'm shocked how badly Turco is playing. Colorado isn't much better, in fact I'd say the only difference between the two teams is the goaltending. They match up pretty evenly.

What about a new sound system, or a kick butt monitor? It doesn't seem like you really need a new mobo and vid card. I'd splurge on the peripherals.

Somehow, this reminds me of students who constantly ask how many pages an assignment is supposed to be. I seriously cringe at that question. Just write the dang story.

My Favorite lists are the many spellings of Favorite. 1. Favorite 2. Favourite 3. Fauvorite 4. Faverit 5. Fayverate 6. Fawvorote

I read the CGW preview and my interest level went from 0 to 10. They seem to be doing awesome stuff with the game engine, and it's good to see that not all FPS style games need to be set in WWII or a freaky military base.

Why do you need the expansion pack? Most servers are still running vanilla, although the exp. pack kicks butt in my eyes, way more emphasis on infantry action.

It's on Sportscenter pretty much ever 10 minutes. I wouldn't call it a punch. It looks pretty odd, but when you get old, it doesn't take much.

You are really simplifying the game of hockey. Point production is just one facet of the game. Now first off, if the Rangers had an unbeatable team, nobody is going to be getting rid of any players. Winning is the number one goal. Of course certain players are paid extra because they put points up, but there are a ton of different factors behind that. Are they a defensive liability? Can they be used in any situation? Do they score important goals? Point totals are going to fluctuate. Guys like Yzerman, Modano, and Sakic get high salaries because they lead their teams to victory, not because they score both goals in 5-2 losses. I have no clue what the loyalty argument is about. Every player has different priorities, but I agree that loyalty isn't bought. Loyalty comes from having a team that you get along with and being appreciated by the fans. The Sharks have a great atmosphere right now, so I'm guessing the loyalty is rather high.

Gabrielle is just being herself...err, I mean Dark Raven.

Pardon me for being unclear, I mean people are infatuated with NWN in general. That encompasses NWN, NWN2, the OC, 90210...whatever. No need to be snippy.

I'd rather see the Sharks win. If the top defensemen are draped all over him, and other Sharks have to put the puck in the net, I'm still happy. He creates space for other guys. Jagr's trouble is that he doesn't have many guys behind him. Mark Smith has two goals for San Jose. Why? Because Nashville is too busy covering the top line.

Who's "we"? Most people say it sucks. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Are you serious? This is a 10 page thread that started yesterday Infatuation doesn't mean love either. It just means you pay too much attention to it. Which you do. Because you keep posting here. Acceptance is the first step.

Thornton was getting his job done in other ways, but the fact is he take attention away from guys like Marleau. Marleau has had an awesome two games so far. He's been physical, and he's moving the puck well. I'm pretty happy with the officiating right now. Things are not slipping by. The Oilers are also looking solid. Roloson has been fantastic. I'm smelling a few upsets already. Colorado and Edmonton are both looking good.

That's a horrible way of looking at things. It's like saying it's ok for developers to be lazy and take your money because other people will mod the game (to make it playable) for free. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Except it's not easy to release a game engine with a kick butt toolset. I'm saying I'd rather the developers spend time on the toolset than fluffing an OC. There are plenty of single player RPG's out there, but NWN is way more than that. The OC in NWN was weak, and yet we are all infatuated with it. Why?

I thought WC: Prophecy was a good return to the roots. 3 & 4 were a bit hard to watch, albeit mostly due to the cut scenes. Ultima Underworld was first person, and that ws some good stuff.

Actually, some of my most satisfying NWN moments came from hour long mods. Particularly the episodic ones, they can be directly compared to a TV show because not only are they free, but they rarely go over a couple hours in length. I would love to see more of these shorter games, but of course the financial model would need to change. This might actually open games up to more people. Let's face it, many folks don't play games because of the time commitment. The majority of human beings on our planet don't have 100 hours to put into a medium they are unfamiliar with. Short games are a great way to hook new audiences. Of course you aren't going to spend $50 on a few hour long episodes, but NWN is offering unlimited access to these episodes for $50. That's a great deal to me.

Doesn't anyone here remember that the OC of NWN is only one aspect of the game? It's not like other RPG's. I spent maybe 15 hours on the NWN OC, but I played NWN for at least 300 hours total. The mod community makes this game special. NWN2 just needs a kick butt toolset and I'll be happy.

Sweet, I hate long games. 20 hours is perfect for me. Heck, I just want a solid original campaign. I don't care if it's only 10 hours, if it's entertaining then I am happy. I don't measure quality based on minuted played, I measure solely on the experience. Besides, NWN2 is not just another single player RPG. They could nix the entire OC and I'd still buy the game, because the mod community is outstanding. The OC is just a warm up for the real good stuff.

Silent Storm is just a series of awesome TB combat missions in a very destructible environment. The link between each mission is streneous at best. Once the panzerkleins enter the scene, the game enters an odd dimensional rift where greatness goes to die. I bought Hammer & Sickle hoping that plot and character development would be introduced to this remarkable engine. I was mistaken. The missions were once again a pleasure dome for tactical fans, but the story was like a leviathan, swallowing whole any joy that might be had.

Indeed, I even had trouble trying to play BG II a few months back. It's not that the graphics are horrible, it's just that I can't help thinking I could be playing a better looking game. It's sad, really, because there is a lot of magic in those older games. The exception so far has been JA2, but even that is starting to look dated. It helps that there is no real substitute for it though.

But the graphics are literally ancient. I can't go backwards when it comes to technology.

This question has a ton of variables in it. Both me and my wife are teachers. We'd like to have kids soon. That is a pretty serious crimp on the cash flow, but it's also extremely important to us. If we didn't, I'm guessing we could live much larger and retire earlier, but again, priorities. I'd like to retire at 57. That will give me 30 years as a teacher and hopefully a very solid retirement fund to pull from. I also imagine that I can sell my house in the Bay Area (I haven't bought it yet, but that's beside the point) and use the money to buy a much cheaper house elsewhere in the country. Even with that in mind, there are just too many variables to know how much money I'll need. The government takes some, health issues seriously drain money, and I don't want to leave nothing to my children. My wife probably won't let me move out of the Bay Area either Anyways, if I hit it big in the lottery, I'd still teach, since I love the job. I would probably invest in some real estate and use the interest like Astro. I'd teach 60% and travel extensively.

Ok, my upset predictions: San Jose over Nashville - Ok, not much of a stretch. Philly over Buffalo - Philly is built for the tough defensive playoffs. The Sabres are an awesome story, but they lack experience. Colorado over Dallas - This is a stretch. I think Dallas is very capable of losing. Without the shootout, they aren't nearly as good. But the Av's are weak as well. I'm going with them because I think Thibault has recovered from injury and is ready to steal a series. Montreal over Carolina - Another stretch, but it wouldn't surprise me. Carolina is weak defensively and Montreal is strong. Both are inexperienced. Anahiem over Calgary - My biggest stretch, but it will be a tough series. The Ducks probably don't have the goaltending, but Giguerre has gotten hot before. One I'd love to be an upset, but won't happen: New York over New Jersey - Sorry Volourn! I wish the Rangers had a chance here, but the Devils are too hot and too deep. Good news is Brodeur is getting old. Sure Thing: Detroit over Edmonton - Detroit could put me in goal and still dominate most teams. The Oilers just aren't ready. Ottawa over Tampa - there is a slight chance of an upset. Tampa still has winners and the Senators know how to blow it, but Tampa just doesn't look that good.

I say we stay with the other thread