Diogo Ribeiro

Your agitation towards what I wrote isn't justified since I'm not disagreeing with your stance. I took exception to your analysis of rulests as abstractions because it seemed you were arguing for their classification as something that had no importance to a setting or gameworld when this isn't the case; when all you were doing was using the concept of abstraction in a way that wasn't totally clear. In fact, a few posts back I explicitly stated that SPECIAL could probably use some revisions which in itself should have been a clue as to how similar our perspectives were on the subject matter. My point is rulesets are arbitrary in value, but are always required nonetheless since they facilitate player-setting interactions. They provide abstraction but - and this is where your point seemed to stem from - can't be abstracted from. This isn't different from what you're saying, alan.

If you need to ask that, you're clearly not reading what I wrote.

Yes. I'm also thinking of Mler Ife Dada, which IIRC had two albums released before ending (though they also released a couple of EPs). Somewhat related, I can't stop wondering how a M

I'm not sure I understand the point of that question in particular, since you seem to be asking for clarification on something you go on to agree with further down the road when you state, quote, "t's the mechanism by which the player interacts with the setting". Regardless, a ruleset needs to be associated with a given universe since it determines how interactions with a setting are permited; it can't be an abstraction since it's the only objective platform which facilitates interaction between setting and player. Now, if your point is that a ruleset does not need to be a part of a setting, that a ruleset is a tool that has no bearing on the existence of a setting, then I agree because it does not affect how it works; only how the player works with it. Its system can be arbitrary but it's application cannot. All I'm saying.

LOL! I'm sold

I don't know about that. It would depend on just what kind of pop music you'd take as an example. There are scores of god awful pop acts in Portugal which are even several cuts below what pollutes most American airwaves (read: Pussycat Dolls, Avril Lavigne, Gwen Stefani), but there are also some genuinely great ones which only lose out in popularity thanks to erratic media promotion and the often general belief that we can't compete with American pop music. It's not uncommon to have Portuguese acts make great one or two albums then fading into obscurity or spintering off into other bands.

It's hard to abstract from something which directly impacts how you interact with a game. An infinite number of rulesets that all work may provide for a functional system that serves as a means to interact with the gameworld even if they all possess minute differences among them, but those differences will still provide much more of an impact on gameplay than setting. Fallout worked because players could interact with the well developed post-apocalyptic setting through a stable, functional and diverse - though not perfect - ruleset. Had the ruleset been broken, running contrary to its own rules, or just plain non-functional, there would be no fun to be had from playing the game.

I dislike both the songs and the singers. Though if the game is good enough I may overlook that. Especially since I don't use my DS on the go, and can safely limit those awful tunes to the four walls of my living room.

Thanks for the recomendations, everyone. For the Nintendo DS I only those two I mentioned: Dawn of Sorrow and New Super Mario Bros. For reference, I also have some Gameboy Advance titles as well - Metroid Fusion, Zelda: The Minish Cap, and (unsurprisingly) the Castlevania Double Pack with Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow. Elite Beat Agents seems to be both a weird game and a blast, which is a nice combo when it's pulled off well. The only thing that's keeping me at bay at this moment is the inclusion of Ashlee Simpson, Cher and Avril Lavigne songs. Ritual disembowelment seems more attractive to me. But if the game's good... I've alreadey preordered Portrait of Ruin. With some exceptions, Castlevania is another of those series I've been following ever since its inception and can't get tired of. I enjoyed Dawn of Sorrow enough, mind you; it's just that IGA's formula isn't taking the series anywhere but he's keeping to it since (reportedly) fans enjoy it. I'm just tired of emo pretty boys that look like third rate Alucard copies and seeing the Belmonts placed into a secondary role. The extra modes in recent 'Vanias aren't that inspired either, with Julius/Yoko/Alucard/Maxim being generally the same as Richter back in SotN - just there for the fans who don't seem to mind playing in a gameworld that was clearly not developed for these unlockable characters which are treated like supporting characters when their roles are possibly on par with those of Nathan, Juste or Soma. Advance Wars seems nice. How's it different from its predecessors? Worth it for someone who played the original on the Gameboy Advance? I've been told Metroid Prime: Hunters is pretty repetitive and only worth it for those who have the ability to play online. Is this true? Trauma Center and Phoenix Wright look awesome. Is Phoenix Wright similar to the adventure portions of Snatcher? Ie, hunt the pixel, ask the question and find the clue to watch the well animated dialogue sequences? Keep me informed about Hotel Dusk if you can, Llyr. Appreciate it. All others seem nice as well, will look into them. Speaking of which, how's Age of Empires: The Age of Kings?

Nah, just some yaoi action between Soma and Alucard. Then we can cosplay as them and get it on. You know you want to.

Having just finished Dawn of Sorrow and currently playing New Super Mario Bros., I'm looking to try out more games for the system. Anyone here that can share a few recomendations? I have no genre bias and can basically pick up any game.

It's shinier crap?

But still aroused

Rule No.3 : You only talk about The Hivemind when you can't provide a solid counter argument and want to impress your little clique who wants to make the Obsidian boards their own self-aggrandizing webspace.

Now, if only Interplay was still alive

Dawn of Sorrow for the NDS. Pretty sexy and closest to Symphony of the Night any of the recent Castleroid's have come, but there are still some rough spots. The graphics are slick though the art direction is hit or miss, while the soundtrack is very good though unremarkable. The gameplay is really just an updated and polished version of Aria of Sorrow with some peripheral curiosities, but doesn't really take the game anywhere exciting. Julius Mode is pretty meh.

Why did you do that, man? They eat puppies over there!

Those "simple rulesets" are what dictate how a game plays, which is far more important in interactive entertainment than how good it looks. Or maybe not. Who knows? A clear revision of the ruleset and associated mechanics may be required to improve the infrastructure that supported the gameplay. I don't expect SPECIAL to be a part of Fallout 3 in any recognizable form, and it would be more rational to develop a different type of system for a different type of gameplay rather than shoehorning an existing system in a gameplay structure that would not be made to accomodate it. But change as a mere dead formality isn't really the way to go.

I wasn't talking about EU2. Pidesco's statement seemed to be a general assessment of some advantage of 3D over 2D in the form of units needing to navigate around obstacles such as mountains. It wasn't. My mistake.

Oh.

But that could be pulled off in 2D anyway.

Just finished Fable: The Lost Chapters. Quite crappy across the board. Now it's finishing Anachronox, then it's off to some Space Rangers 2, New Super Mario Bros and Dawn of Sorrow Or some Silent Storm if I manage to steal Mattias' copy :ph34r:

O RLY??

In any case, I have to go with Dhruin's comment. The game is a nice variation of the Diablo formula and the excellent artwork and setting do score high in my book, but at some point you'll realize it's just really Diablo all over again but not as well developed. The story isn't that great either, but if you're really into the game, replaying it with the other three characters will allow you to experience all of it. I really didn't get to spend much time with it as I wanted but from the demo and what little I managed to play from the official version, 5$ doesn't seem like a bad deal, though being the arrogant prick I ocasionally am I'd only get near it if it was closer to 2$.