Gorth

Just a friendly reminder for newcomers as well as oldies (as some seems to forget as times goes by)... Discussing review processes and possible shortcomings is fine, name calling of Obsidians colleagues in the game making business isn't: It doesn't really matter if it is Bethesda, Blizzard, Bioware, Square Enix or whoever else people have a beef with. It saves me a lot of work pruning threads and sending individual PM's with all kind of nastiness if people would just stick to constructive discussion That being said, which reviewers get the best fringe benefits?

Oh, it gets better yet later. Like, hey, wait a sec... *censored*. What just hit me? Over the top kind of silly Chapter 4 is actually a very nice break from the pace and setting of Vizima.

You put Anniversary below The Angel of Darkness, the game typically seen as the lowest point in the series? You crazy bastard. That's like when people rank Alien 3 or 4 above the first two. I specifically said "Tombraider game that I've started". I've never played Angel of Darkness, as I stopped buying the games in disgust after Last Revelation and only picked them up again with Legends After uninstalling Anniversary (shortly before reaching Atlantis), I installed the original and a loader tool that some clever geek came up with, which enables it to run on Windows XP in a decent resolution. Played it and completed it and felt all sad that they didn't try to make something like the original game instead (that would run on post 16 bit PC's)

Seems like we are getting WoT (Way off topic here)...

no, No, NO!, Arghh!!!! It's bad, as in really, really bad. An insult to lovers of the original dos based, GLide driver powered Tombraider everywhwere. It was *that* bad. Pretend it doesn't exist, just like Master of Orion 3. There has been ups and downs in the franchise, but it is the only Tombraider game that I've started and uninstalled before finishing. And that despiste liking some parts of Legends and loving most parts of Underworld.

You sure did. I just felt badly because, maybe I did take the "easy" way out by closing it Edit: Still playing The Witcher. Getting close to the end of chapter 3. Finishing all the little lose ends that needs tidying up before moving on. Bought a 300 Orens gold ring for Shani and she wanted a silver ring... go figure.

Right you are. Some things are not meant for longevity. I changed the title of your thread slightly and removed the poll. Maybe somebody out there actually has some good suggestions.

Lets try a different approach. If anybody has suggestions besides the obvious dubious methods?

Maybe it was a tribute to Ian? >_

I remember trying their first venture in an "actiony" warhammer 40k game, the travesty known as "Fire Warrior" >_ I don't know if the guy who bought it managed to trade it in for some decent game.

New development program... miners that glow in the dark. No more need for electrical light or other hazards that can cause explosions. If we also could equip them with anaerobic abilities, submarine sailors with gills, fighter pilots with wing membranes etc. >_

I couldn't even beat the end-boss on "normal" settings Great game though. Completely without subtlety* and "in your face" action * Unless you really play the "tarot" game.

Welcome to the club of doers of deeds Aristes. Let the dreamers have their dreams

Fulfilled an old promise to myself and ordered 'The Atlas of True names' (Europe and World edition). I've always loved maps

I did that in my first game. Helped "Have you hugged your favourite tree today" Yaevin (sp?) all the way through. Now I want to try the other side

Still playing The Witcher, helping out the Order of the Flaming Rose wherever I can.

What virumor said. Don't be afraid to use your boosting stuff (extra strength, dexterity etc.), nor the healing you can give yourself underways (you can partially do that while the game is paused mid-combat). I don't know if it is only the version I have that does that, but for some reason T3 is still on the ship. If you find him, he'll help you fight Visas

Inspired by Fionavars and Aristes' recent ventures to Vizima, I decided to play a game of The Witcher again. Just started on solving small side quests in the temple district. Discovered a "Con Man" that I didn't notice in my first play through. Having previously sided with Triss (Triss/Shani) and the Squirrels (Squirrels/Order), I'll do it the other way around this time. I'll try to stay neutral as long as possible and let Geralt give in the bigotry and prejudice against anything with either pointy ears or shorter than 140 centimeter.

I tried Warhammer Online for a few months, but gave up on it. I just can't find the time in my schedule to dedicate to it. It was fun seeing the setting come alive and run around and kill stuff in it, but to get your moneys worth, you need to spend the time to become part of the online community and team building. I don't have that time.

I must be a compulsive stuffed toy animal buyer. Grabbed a ****atoo at the airport souvenir store to keep my crocodile, clown fish, snake (with a real working rattle in its tail) and shark company. I think I need a bigger couch

Sorry... an old classic and a favourite joke of mine (from usenet): A WARMONGER EXPLAINS WAR TO A PEACENIK By Bill Davidson PeaceNik: Why did you say we are we invading Iraq? WarMonger: We are invading Iraq because it is in violation of Security Council resolution 1441. A country cannot be allowed to violate Security Council resolutions. PN: But I thought many of our allies, including Israel, were in violation of more security council resolutions than Iraq. WM: It's not just about UN resolutions. The main point is that Iraq could have weapons of mass destruction, and the first sign of a smoking gun could well be a mushroom cloud over New York. PN: Mushroom cloud? But I thought the weapons inspectors said Iraq had no nuclear weapons. WM: Yes, but biological and chemical weapons are the issue. PN: But I thought Iraq did not have any long range missiles for attacking us or our allies with such weapons. WM: The risk is not Iraq directly attacking us, but rather terrorist networks that Iraq could sell the weapons to. PN: But couldn't virtually any country sell chemical or biological materials? We sold quite a bit to Iraq in the Eighties ourselves, didn't we? WM: That's ancient history. Look, Saddam Hussein is an evil man that has an undeniable track record of repressing his own people since the early Eighties. He gasses his enemies. Everyone agrees that he is a power-hungry lunatic murderer. PN: We sold chemical and biological materials to a power-hungry lunatic murderer? WM: The issue is not what we sold, but rather what Saddam did. He is the one that launched a pre-emptive first strike on Kuwait. PN: A pre-emptive first strike does sound bad. But didn't our ambassador to Iraq, April Glaspie, know about and green-light the invasion of Kuwait? WM: Let's deal with the present, shall we? As of today, Iraq could sell its biological and chemical weapons to Al Qaida. Osama Bin Laden himself released an audio tape calling on Iraqis to suicide-attack us, proving a partnership between the two. PN: Osama Bin Laden? Wasn't the point of invading Afghanistan to kill him? WM: Actually, it's not 100% certain that it's really Osama Bin Laden on the tapes. But the lesson from the tape is the same: there could easily be a partnership between Al Qaida and Saddam Hussein unless we act. PN: Is this the same audio tape where Osama Bin Laden labels Saddam a secular infidel? WM: You're missing the point by just focusing on the tape. Powell presented a strong case against Iraq. PN: He did? WM: Yes, he showed satellite pictures of an Al Qaida poison factory in Iraq. PN: But didn't that turn out to be a harmless shack in the part of Iraq controlled by the Kurdish opposition? WM: And a British intelligence report... PN: Didn't that turn out to be copied from an out-of-date graduate student paper? WM: And reports of mobile weapons labs... PN: Weren't those just artistic renderings? WM: And reports of Iraqis scuttling and hiding evidence from inspectors... PN: Wasn't that evidence contradicted by the chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix? WM: Yes, but there is plenty of other hard evidence that cannot be revealed because it would compromise our security. PN: So there is no publicly available evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? WM: The inspectors are not detectives, it's not their JOB to find evidence. You're missing the point. PN: So what is the point? WM: The main point is that we are invading Iraq because Resolution 1441 threatened "severe consequences." If we do not act, the Security Council will become an irrelevant debating society. PN: So the main point is to uphold the rulings of the Security Council? WM: Absolutely. ...unless it rules against us. PN: And what if it does rule against us? WM: In that case, we must lead a coalition of the willing to invade Iraq. PN: Coalition of the willing? Who's that? WM: Britain, Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain, and Italy, for starters. PN: I thought Turkey refused to help us unless we gave them tens of billions of dollars. WM: Nevertheless, they may now be willing. PN: I thought public opinion in all those countries was against war. WM: Current public opinion is irrelevant. The majority expresses its will by electing leaders to make decisions. PN: So it's the decisions of leaders elected by the majority that is important? WM: Yes. PN: But George Bush wasn't elected by voters. He was selected by the U.S. Supreme C... WM: I mean, we must support the decisions of our leaders, however they were elected, because they are acting in our best interest. This is about being a patriot. That's the bottom line. PN: So if we do not support the decisions of the president, we are not patriotic? WM: I never said that. PN: So what are you saying? Why are we invading Iraq? WM: As I said, because there is a chance that they have weapons of mass destruction that threaten us and our allies. PN: But the inspectors have not been able to find any such weapons. WM: Iraq is obviously hiding them. PN: You know this? How? WM: Because we know they had the weapons ten years ago, and they are still unaccounted for. PN: The weapons we sold them, you mean? WM: Precisely. PN: But I thought those biological and chemical weapons would degrade to an unusable state over ten years. WM: But there is a chance that some have not degraded. PN: So as long as there is even a small chance that such weapons exist, we must invade? WM: Exactly. PN: But North Korea actually has large amounts of usable chemical, biological, AND nuclear weapons, AND long range missiles that can reach the west coast AND it has expelled nuclear weapons inspectors, AND threatened to turn America into a sea of fire. WM: That's a diplomatic issue. PN: So why are we invading Iraq instead of using diplomacy? WM: Aren't you listening? We are invading Iraq because we cannot allow the inspections to drag on indefinitely. Iraq has been delaying, deceiving, and denying for over ten years, and inspections cost us tens of millions. PN: But I thought war would cost us tens of billions. WM: Yes, but this is not about money. This is about security. PN: But wouldn't a pre-emptive war against Iraq ignite radical Muslim sentiments against us, and decrease our security? WM: Possibly, but we must not allow the terrorists to change the way we live. Once we do that, the terrorists have already won. PN: So what is the purpose of the Department of Homeland Security, color-coded terror alerts, and the Patriot Act? Don't these change the way we live? WM: I thought you had questions about Iraq. PN: I do. Why are we invading Iraq? WM: For the last time, we are invading Iraq because the world has called on Saddam Hussein to disarm, and he has failed to do so. He must now face the consequences. PN: So, likewise, if the world called on us to do something, such as find a peaceful solution, we would have an obligation to listen? WM: By "world", I meant the United Nations. PN: So, we have an obligation to listen to the United Nations? WM: By "United Nations" I meant the Security Council. PN: So, we have an obligation to listen to the Security Council? WM: I meant the majority of the Security Council. PN: So, we have an obligation to listen to the majority of the Security Council? WM: Well... there could be an unreasonable veto. PN: In which case? WM: In which case, we have an obligation to ignore the veto. PN: And if the majority of the Security Council does not support us at all? WM: Then we have an obligation to ignore the Security Council. PN: That makes no sense. WM: If you love Iraq so much, you should move there. Or maybe France, with all the other cheese-eating surrender monkeys. It's time to boycott their wine and cheese, no doubt about that. PN: Here... have a pretzel, instead.

Much better

Not really sure what to say, the quotes sort of speak for themselves. Everything is not well in the Fuhrer Bunker? It does sound very similar to propaganda reels from the thirties you know? Or rather, it sounds like fear speaking. I wonder what it is exactly that scares you? Is it fear of crime and violence? Fear of the unkown? Is it fear of loss of national identity? A fear of feeling like a stranger in your own home? Something is obviously bothering you and I suspect that you are looking for a way of expressing it, but not necessaily finding the right focus in your own search for reasons. The hyperbole makes it too easy to dismiss, which is a shame. Some of the facts your presented are interesting, but why not stick to facts (and at least keep up appearances of presenting them objectively) and let people draw their own conclusions? On a slightly related note Gorths thoughts on nationalism.

Flew to Brisbane to work this week. That is, when Qantas eventually decided to put a plane in the air a few hours late. Arrived in Brisbane and waited another half an hour for my bags. Then, catching a cab with an Indian driver, that despite having the address on print (real, physical paper) held in front of him and a friggin GPS system couldn't find a hotel in the city center, on a corner where two not unimportant roads intersect. I feel old and tired and is working my way through the mini bar to improve my mood

Shame on all of you! Free Fall Associates/Free Fall Games: Archon I & II, Mailorder Monsters, Murder on the Zinderneuf, Star Control... Electronic Arts would have been nothing without those early hits [/history lesson]