213374U

Okay. You go first.

Fix'd. Ah, yes. Another good idea in theory. "

I'd like to see the evidence you have to back that statement. I think that lately China's military power is being grossly overrated. Wait, shouldn't this go in the other thread? "

Really, no need for that. I'd rather not get into "argumentative stance" too, as it usually ends in a flamewar with the thread being locked and the mods frowning at me. I wasn't trying to shoot you down, either. So let's keep it friendly. Sure. But there are other games that provide that aspect too, and don't require a monthly fee. No sense of accomplishment in those either, but at least you only pay once for the game. No it doesn't. But still, I fail to see any real advantage to MMORPGs that other games don't have, while the disadvantages are obvious. This doesn't preclude the fact that they can be fun, for a time, for some people. But then again, some people enjoy hunting game and destruction derbys. What I was trying to say is that the actual concept of MMORPG fails to deliver. Those games aren't very RPG-ish, and the only attractive idea behind the MMO concept (that of a persistent world that can be shaped by the community) hasn't been implemented very well yet (if at all). You can meet dozens of different players in regular games too, all you need to do is switch servers.

It's called common sense. You don't let the same people that would love to see your house burn get a flamethrower. And if you do, then you deserve to be roasted. No real morality behind it, so don't try to find it. The US government is dedicated to politics, not philosophy. If people understood this, there would be no need for politicians to go spouting bullsh*t to justify their actions. And yeah, the US are the only country to ever use a nuclear weapon in war. But I guess that the same amount of casualties (and possibly many more) inflicted through regular bombings and the good ol' bullet are just fine with you. The logic behind it is to develop nuclear devices whose power is closer to regular ordnance than traditional strategic warheads. Simply because "it's a nuke!" is not good enough a reason to ban it, that is illogic. What's important is the actual yield of the bomb and the side effects it may have. Obviously, MAD doesn't apply to those weapons, as they are not WMDs. Nor they carry a risk of bringing about nuclear winter, or any of the other problems associated with strategic nukes.

"Everyone knows that their ultimate objective is to corrupt our precious bodily fluids."

No, please. No more non-Valve games using Valve technology. We all know what the result of that was, last time anyone tried. KTHXBYE

Um. That's where it gets sticky. Who decides who is responsible enough to have nuclear weapons and who isn't? I'm not really going to get down to that, as it ultimately boils down to the ideals and principles upon which those regimes are built. Ultimately, it's moral relativism. You can't establish an universal rule and say that our moral values are more valid than theirs. Therefore, I'm just willing to uphold the principles that are the base of our culture, even against those who would threaten them. Nothing more, nothing less. Perhaps that's why I'm willing to give my life for that, and to kill for it if it comes down to it. Perhaps that's why I'm joining the military. Call me a fundamentalist if you will, but at least I'm the kind of fundamentalist that wouldn't force your daughter to wear a burka, and the kind of fundamentalist that would allow you to express your opinion freely. Yes, I'm proud to be a westerner, and I'm willing to give my life to protect this way of life. If any of this offends any sensibilities, I just don't give a flying f uck. )

Uh... so why the hell is anyone still paying attention to the UN?

Well, they could have certain tracks only for critical points in the game, and just soft background music for the rest of the game. An adequate soundtrack can really add to the experience, but then again, everyone's taste is different. What I think is fitting you may consider out of place. There's no clear solution to that.

Huh? Do we have the big guns at all? Right. When I see an open revolution like the ones we had over here in the 18th century, I'll believe they are willing to fight for civil rights and political privileges. Until then, they are just posers to me. The US only protect one thing. Their own interests. That's how empires work, buddy, sorry if you don't like it. As long as ol' Europe is still part of the US global interests, there's nothing to fear. I don't know about you, but I think our way of life is more like that of the US' than that of any islamic country. I'd rather keep it that way. Deny it all you want, but ultimately, might makes the right.

I fail to see the "fun" in slaughtering the same baddies over and over again until you level up, at which point you just move to the next dungeon. At best, it's like a chat with mini games. And when you reach the top level... start over again. At any rate, there's no sense of accomplishment. Yes, that's probably the only element of a MMORPG that attracts my attention. But then again, I can do that in action games where my skills grow much faster than the levels of an RPG. The regulars of the RPG world, I don't really fight with, as they are probably top level too, and the risks are too high, unless I have a power build. And the new players offer no challenge at all, as their skill is irrelevant compared to the time they have spent on the server. No, sorry, but MMORPGs as they are conceived right now offer no real fun gaming when compared to other genres. Community or chat enjoyment, that's a whole different story.

SUX. ) No, Volo, this isn't about you. Just my personal opinion on the show.

Yeah man. I know I shouldn't have missed this game. But you know how it goes. When them damned females call you just can't say no... :"> Honestly, I don't know if I'll be able to attend any more of these late friday night sessions. I really wish I could assure I will be attending next friday's but right now I can't say for sure. While I love these RP sessions, I'm not sure I'm willing to cancel my RL plans to attend. Sorry.

All that stuff is part of the engine. And I have a hard time believing they will use Odyssey for K3.

"MOST IMPORTANT" element of a game? No. I'd say writing is the most important element of a game. I think the poll is not very well defined, however, and hence I'm not voting. What are we talking about here, technical quality or efficiency of use of available resources and good design? Doom 3 had an excellent graphics engine, from a technical standpoint. but I just didn't like what they did with it. And VtM-B didn't use any cutting-edge sound technologies that I know of, but the voice acting and soundtrack were truly outstanding. For me, graphics play an important role in immersion. Not technical quality, but level design, textures, etc. The same goes for sound. But for some reason I'm more willing to play a game with mediocre graphics and excellent voice acting than vice versa. However, writing is still what hooks me to a game or makes me want to come over here and rant about it.

Well, Mus. You already play an MMORPG. Otherwise, what's your excuse to grind levels like that? ^_^

The only MMORPG I might be persuaded to try must be set in the WoD. Wait. We're talking MMORPGs here. Never mind then.

Well, that's nothing. Look what I got when I told Heather to change her appearance: You know, that look must be getting popular, because later on I decided to pay a visit to Vesuvius, and the dancers there seemed to favor it too: Customers dig it: ^_^

Of course they do. They can always take over and make a retail version of it if their work is good enough. " It's real neat to have people doing your job for you for free, ain't it?

You just can't pass up a chance to use those weird letters, can you?

Isn't Steam just lovely?

You need to play more Deus Ex.