Hurlshort

One of my favorite parts of Xcom was building a base, and then fighting off an alien attack in it. There was a cool customization feel to it. I wouldn't even make defensive structures because I WANTED to be attacked.

I actually never even finished PS:T, so I guess I can't be considered a gaming genius like everyone else here. I played it and enjoyed it, but it didn't trigger any ephinies (sp?) or help me reach some higher form of thinking. I was wrong about IWD, but Baldurs Gate definitely came out before PS:T. I honestly don't think there would have been any PS:T without BG. 1. BG re-invigorated the whole fantasy, D&D setting, opening the door for Planescape. 2. It uses the BG game engine, I believe.

I think they need to try and do a few games based off of good books. Most of my favorite movies are based off well written books. Obviously a game is very different because it's interactive, but it would just be nice to see some really great stories told in games. One of my favorite games was an adventure called "Sanitarium" I just thought it was a great story, and I could actually picture it as a book. PS - Oerwinde, I love your game idea. Kinda strikes me as a Xcom/Jagged Alliance style game, very cool. I think the sci-fi setting could be wonderful too.

It's pretty odd how the Ducks went from fighting for the Stanley cup as a really tight knit team to having a bunch of expensive talent and not being able to make the playoffs. Some people blame Giguerre for not following up his playoff run, but I think they gave away their heart when they let Kariya leave. Ah well, it's a different league this year. I don't think it's a bad idea to try and build a team around Federov, so we'll see. They'll still be Shark bait

I agree with both of you, but remember that game development is much like an ocean. PS:T was a high tide moment, but it didn't last. The ocean receded. But PS:T would never have been possible without the success of Fallout, Baldurs Gate and Icewind Dale. They raised the tide. I heppen to think the tide is on the rise. KotOR I and II were successful, NWN has watched the tide lower and rise, and Jade Empire may help push it higher. It really depends on the success of TES: Oblivion and a few other titles...if they do well then we might recapture the RPG height that PS:T was released at. And yeah, money is pretty dang important. It's the moon, and us gamers are the water. Or maybe it's the other way around...

So nobody thinks it's odd that Charlize Theron is playing this role? She seems to be a pretty serious actress to me, and this seems to be a bit of action fluff. Whether it's good or bad action, it just seems to be a pretty far stretch from her Academy Award playing role in "Monster". What's next, Sally Fields in Catwoman 2? Ah well, I guess everyone likes to branch out...and she does look much better than she did in "monster".

Selanne was not impressive in San Jose. Even getting solid minutes and 27 goals, he tended to miss a lot of good chances and score when it mattered least. I really think the "game winning goal" stat category is pretty important, and the fact is Selanne missed some BIG chances in the playoffs (In game 7 againsts the Av's he missed an open net on a wrap around, Sharks lost 1-0.) He'll probably score 20 goals, but he'll also be a hazard defensively. It's like the Ray Sheppard syndrome. Still, 1 million is a good price for him in Anahiem because he will make the fans happy. He is loved in Anahiem, and you probably have a good deal of tickets sold because he's back. Rob Neidermeyer is a pretty solid two-way player. The Ducks lean on him heavily as the guy who can stifle the opponents top line. I don't think they overpaid, but after getting Scott it seems like pure genius on Brian Burke's part.

Archmonarch wrote I never said I was a good gamer! I actually don't beat many games anymore. As I've grown older I can afford more games, but at the expense of the time to play them. If it doesn't have a great story, I'm not going to stick around for the 30+ hours most games take. Dues Ex is pretty different than the games on this list as well. It combines a few different game styles. Does Tel Aviv like games from a first person perspective? Do you like a bit of FPS and stealth action in your RPG's?

Eldar, I did send a response to the test PM you sent, thank you. The Off Topic deal explains why my posts never go up, since I spend way too much time there. I'm not too concerned about post counts, I just thought it was odd (ok, I was a bit jealous of still being level 1 ) Also, Eldar mentioned that messages do not save in our sent folder after we send them, but they should still be delivered. That's good to know...I hope this wasn't posted somewhere and I was just too dense to find it.

For some reason my post count does not seem to ever increase. I also think my private messages is broken, as in I can't send them or they are just disappearing. Any clue what's wrong? I've posted quite a bit in the past couple weeks and nothing has moved. *edit* Although it does go up when I post a new topic.

I chose Jade Empire for a couple reasons. 1. You said you have 2 weeks. I agree that Dues Ex is probably the most classic gaming experience of the 3, but I couldn't rush through it in two weeks. For me, it was a game that took time to digest. I was able to blow through Jade Empire and KotOR II in two weeks. 2. Dues Ex is also a bit dated graphically, if that's important to you. 3. Between KotOR II and Jade Empire, they both took me exactly two weeks to blow through. I think Jade Empire has a slight edge. This really is only because KotOR II is slightly below the original game. Jade Empire doesn't have a shadow to overcome. They both have storylines that keep you playing and interested. 4. I was weak in Kung Fu. This game convinced me to rent Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Kung Fu Hustle. My Kung Fu is now strong.

Pacino can overdo it sometimes. He's also just done a TON of movies, and he's been pretty smart/lucky about the choices. Over: Tom Cruise Under: Bruce Campbell, baby

Everyone borrows from Tolkien. Over-Rated: Orcs Under-Rated: Gnolls

J.K. Rowlings revived reading among children. Hard to really over-rate the importance of that. Over-Rated: Graphic Novels Under-Rated: Historical Fiction

I watched the trailer to this over at Gamespy recently...(I'm sure it's elsewhere for the gamespy haters) Aeon Flux I was a bit shocked. I vaguely remember this from MTV when I was a kid. If anyone knows more about it's history, please feel free to elaborate. It was an anime series, I believe. The shocking thing is that it's Charlize Theron, a pretty well respected actress. She isn't really known as the action flick girl. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

Ouch, I'm not saying The Rock is Tom Hanks or anything. I just think he's a decent action flick guy. I like him better than Vin Diesel. It's not like Schwarzenegger was ever a great actor, but he made some pretty awesome action flicks (although how he became governor...) I'm guessing you people also think wrestling is lame. It's not an interest of mine, but I think it's a pretty impressive display of showmanship. It's not "real" wrestling, but it is difficult work and requires a ton of training and discipline. Hulk Hogan isn't hobbling around on a plastic hip because he "faked" wrestling for years, and he's in better shape than others.

Ouch, that was brilliant.

Shadowrun is Over-Rated? It's too far under the radar to be actually rated. Over-Rated: D&D Under-Rated: Rifts

Over Rated: Jennifer Anniston Under Rated: Milla Jovavich

This Enostra project sounds like Sea Dogs in space. Akella is involved, so, same designers as Sea Dogs and Pirates of the Caribean. I was a big fan of Sea Dogs, but it was extremely buggy and the RPG elements were a bit off. It's likely that the best part of the game will be the ship combat, since that was where Sea Dogs shined. Also, don't expect a KOROR story experience. (man that website is slow)

The Rock isn't the lead? What is that about? He's had a few fairly successful lead roles, while I've never heard of this Karl Urban feller. The sneak peek disappointed me. I was really hoping for a Resident Evil quality movie (I thought both Resident Evil movies were well done action thrillers). I also really like the lead actress they used in Resident Evil. When I heard that The Rock was in Doom, I thought they had a good chance of making a decent movie. I think he's a solid actor, and The Rundown was a top notch action movie in my book. Even Standing Tall was a good revenge flick. Unfortunately, the sneak peek looked pretty lame.

Over-rated: Halo 2 Under-rated: Jade Empire

I think these companies have good intentions. They just seem to lack the talent to make a solid product. But again, maybe it's the translations. Many of these games score in the low 80's, which isn't terrible (although many reviewers are too soft.) But they tend to be plagued with bugs and lack any engaging story elements. It's just frustrating that these developers really are close to making a quality product. One of the few exceptions was Silent Storm by Nival, but even that had some serious camera issues and a story that wasn't terribly engaging. It was great because of the tactical engine.

I understand why ESPN is sore at the NHL and willing to pull it, but honestly, Poker is not a sport. No one can deny that Hockey is a major world sport. ESPN is supposed to be the leader in sports, and I think by failing to cover hockey they are selling out. I also think they should cover soccer much better. These are major international sports. If they are failing on ESPN, ESPN needs to find a way to market them. I'm hoping OLN takes this baby and rolls with it. Maybe hockey can become big if it's the primary focus of a network.

Metalheart, Restricted Area, The Fall: Last Days of Gaia, UFO Aftermath... Basically there are a ton of games based on ideas from Fallout, Xcom, and Jagged Alliance in development. That would be wonderful news, but they keep coming out as mediocre games. I really don't get it. Is something lost in translation? Is the magic just gone?