metadigital

Good for you, because you haven't so far. I hated the UT games, they were just multiplayer frag fests and the singleplayer game was boring. No, I think you're selling them short: the variety of interfaces the PC had with the environment was significant. I take your point that you didn't appreciate the story, and that's too bad. I thought it was clever: a story without a story. And I do still expect more of the narrative to be revealed over time. What is that old criticism? There are only about half-a-dozen plots? Well, basically the sequel is just re-using the main elements of the first game(s) and keeping the differences hidden -- for now. I think that's clever, if only -- as I said earlier -- because the anticipation of a pleasure is a greater pleasure than the pleasure itself.

The burning of fossil fuels has other (read: nastier) effects than greenhouse effect and those are not caused by CO2. Sulphur and nitrogen oxides are more chemically active than CO2 and are responsible for acid rain, for instance. Not to mention metal emissions. But none of that has anything to do with the greenhouse effect or the possible relation between human activity and global warming. Also, there was a thread here about this very topic a few weeks (months?) that provided some interesting calculations about the possible effects of CO2 emissions and global warming. I'd suggest you read it. As for the accuracy of such calculations, judge for yourself. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I be interested to read that thread: any term I can search for (or just "CO2"? ). Actually methane is pretty dangerous, being a factor of 21 times more significant, not to mention NO2 (310 times CO2), HFC-23 (a 11,700 GWP), and SF6 and something called trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride which I don't know much about. HydroFluorocarbons are significant because the UK, for one, has a mountain of old refrigerators (that they are now paying large EU penalties for) that haven't been environmentally managed. And again, China is the largest user of CFCs. But, I am an optimist, I think we'll find some way to circumvent the dire climate issues (and then charge the developing world for the expense " ).

Well, you must have either solved the existing ones in a different, less lucractive manner, or missed some. Intentional. Actually, not all of the wandering monsters respawn in K1 on Dantooine, just one or two (the one near the cave, if I recall correctly).

Or, it could have been a convenient climax plot mechanism to build the narrative around. Kreia is the one true real Prophet.

Here are my stats using d100

The Half-Life ouvre has many and varied flourishes throughout its epic telling; I'm sure we will all find out the narrative in all its glorious detail in the fullness of time. Why did they spend 6 years to produce an "incomplete" game? Even if we, for a moment, take your definition of incomplete (which I don't agree with, but -- hey!), it would probably be because Valve wrote a new engine and then found out how difficult it was to build the new game using it. Remember it was released over a year after it was announced, so they obviously hit some major hurdles. (There was no tentacular thingie in the game, for example, and it appears on the front of the game package!) I am happy because: - what they did release was sizeable and error free - it was immersive and fun - it was long and varied enough to not be dull - it contained enough "in jokes" masquerading as story to keep the interest - there is more to come, soon.

The outcome is not known, but the state of polution and the globe is not. For a while, climate models (because there are so many variables) were unable to determine if the greenhouse gases would create a barrier that prevented solar radiation getting to the Earth, or keep it from escaping. I don't see any governments preparing to re-freeze the ant/artic and Greenland ice shelves if they melt. Just buy some land a few meters above sea level.

Cutting down the jungles, like the Amazon, and burning the wood for heat, is one of the major issues to solve. I dred to think of northern South America looking like Saharan Africa, to say nothing of the impact on the globe. And why should China, for example, adopt clean energy practises when the occident refuses to increase their energy production and product disposal costs?

no, it is not. see, almost all global warming articles and theories start out with the phrase "nearly all scientists agree the earth is warminig and human activity is the cause." this statement is patently false. the "nearly all" statement is just thrown in without backing and the rest of the world just falls in lock step "it must be true, they said it on the news!" most scientists do not agree. i dare you to show any evidence they do. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I have already stated that every issue of New Scientist for the last five years, almost without exception, has some further comment to this effect. That's a lot of re-inforcement, on a weekly basis, for a half-baked theory with no support. I see no evidence to the contrary, apart from your exhortations and a single petition signed by 17000 US citizens. Are you really suggesting that burning fossil fuels has not significant effect on the Earth? If nothing else, the insistance on making people think about the consequences of their actions can only be a good thing.

that statement is false, i'm sorry to say. co2 levels were much higher in the past than they are now. even global warming activists admit this... that does not mean that they aren't rising, but they still haven't reached the levels (not even close) of several million years in the past (even more recent than that). <{POST_SNAPBACK}> How far back to you want to go? If you go all the way back 3 billion years, there was zero Oxygen in the atmosphere, and almost every organism was anaerobic. There has also been a period of higher O2 level. Ok, I certainly can't produce proof that global warming is due to human activity or even bad for the planet, but the overwelming evidence supports these hypotheses. But to deny that the weather has changed as a result of greenhouse gas content rising seems to me to be churlish. The data supports this trend hypothesis. You may be correct that it is a coincidence, is within normal variance, or a result of increased solar radiation, or the end of the little ice age, but I disagree with that conclusion. Certainly it behooves us to be prepared, because the last thing 6 billion people need is another event like the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum.

Bingo

I made level 33 without cheating. There are lots of side quests. Kreia adds an XP bonus (50%, I think) when she is a member of the party (which I was pretty happy to sacrifice to not have her butting into my game after the first run through), and when you are granted the Prestige Class you will jump to the next level (great news if you have just acceded a new level when you trigger the Kreia dialogue).

What happens when it reaches 10000? Does someone email it to LucasArts? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm pretty sure LucasArts have the finished game and an amazing add on containing new planets, characters, force powers and combat options. All they do is wait for it to hit the 10000 mark and they release it....... Or not............... " <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yes, the community has to prove its dedication to the game and THE Force.

Precisely: violence is the result of a breakdown in communication.

They sould change the name to "privacy invasion, get a divorce and/or a social works visiting" <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I think that's included in the delux package. I know how they can make a killing -- is there a male version? "

HA! Better games have been made in much less time. 6 year development cycle and this is what I get? You've got to be f*cking kidding. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You are free to not participate, if that is what you desire. No promise was issued, no warranty implied

I just read your sig and recalled that was the last thing that the G-man says in the first conversation of the game; your explanation is spot on and I whole-heartedly agree with the λ

Well, to add my urinative contribution to this pissing contest, the Australian armed forces have performed in the highest percentile of any in history, in all the battles they have fought. The only problem is the size: the NYPD has more men. "

Don't you mean hormones? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Or even homilies?

Just copy and paste. " Do yourself a favour, go back and play it again, now. Deus Ex is the best cRPG I have ever played. You will see why when you replay it. Where did you get to?

Lots of little hand and finger puppets, then.

Oh, that. Yes, I'm sure I don't need to remind you of the many examples of widely accepted theories throughout History that had most of the scientific community behind them and in the end, were proven wrong. Sorry, no amount of reputed scientists defending a theory are going to turn it into a law without proof. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That was just to show that the original article, with its mere 17000 signatories, was nothing more than significant statistical blip. Time and evidence will tell whether we can all party on fossil fuels until the price is too much and it is blindingly obviously more economically viable to use other power sources ... or if that is a catastrophic laissez faire mistake of biblical proportions. I for one hope for the former scenario, because I doubt whether anyone is concerned enough to make any significant changes to energy policy.

Methinks the lady doth protest too much ... how do you know conclusively that you have no relatives from that geographic area ...

It would be a tad expensive, as every scene would be CGI. Or little hand puppets.

Well, your review probably included an appreciation for the whiz-bang new video technology, which is impressive. But then, as you say, it does get pretty old pretty quickly. I recommend playing on the hardest setting, because you want to enjoy the fighting all the way through, because I doubt whether you'll play it through multiple times.