[favorite music]

Here are my preferences:

 

Metallica

Dark Tranquillity

KoЯn

Therion

Amon Amarth

Linkin Park

Stuck Mojo

Rammstein

Paradise Lost

POD

Moonspell

Nirvana

System of a Down

Stuck Mojo

 

Also, soundtracks to varios games:

[/b]Fallout

Baldur's Gate 2

StarCraft

WarCraft III

Diablo II

Icewind Dale [/b]

[What Obsidian Job Would You Want?]

Nah, I don't want to be a boss.... to much responsibility, plus - more management work, rather than creative. Don't want that.

 

Although Lead artist would be great.

[Is it worth it getting a Wacompad?]

Skills rule, medium is optional.

But for me tablet would be VERY helpful.

[My art...]

Thank you very much.

Doing my best ^_^

 

Will post something new soon...

[Free online resources for Painter and Photoshop?]

Yeah, good idea.

Although, I never had that sort of problem: just Google search them.

 

But, here are some of my fave sites:

 

2D:

 

http://www.photoshopcafe.com - LOTS of stuff there

 

http://www.ministryimage.com/ - Colin Smith's web-site. He's a very talented PS-guru

 

http://www.tutorialized.com

 

 

3D:

www.3dnuts.com - good tutorials for beginners and pros alike

 

www.3dcafe.com - huge site

 

www.comet-cartoons.com/ - some pretty good modelling tutorials there

 

 

Well, that's it for now.

I'll look again and see if I can find more.

[Combat System in KOTOR 1/2]

The single saber style is the best, and if you practice you'll find yourself switching between the three styles for defense and offense while timing your attacks just when the enemy leaves himself open for attack. It's pretty satisfying when the game goes into slowmo just as you deliver the killing blow.

That's what I'm saying. Outkast was a bit lame, but Academy is not dumb, as many people seem to believe.

 

 

KOTOR would be great if lightsaber attacks were restricted to 1 / round, had a decreased chance to hit, but... did outragoues damage with the opportunity to chop off limbs, either randomly or as a called shot.

This is where action-based combat is WAY better (for KOTOR). I bet Oblivion will be very good at it: to combine various skills and perks with your reflexes - it's just great.

 

 

A lot of people who like RPGs have a morbid fear of anything that requires any sort of skill.

LOL. I'm not one of them.

 

 

People, I just feel that action-based (with skills) combat is more fitting for StarWars setting (again, MHO).

For DnD CPRGs - no way. I really hate those Dark Alliences and the like.... they are not RPGs at all anyway....

I just can't imagine BG2 as action-based, or as KOTOR... I would be very disappointed if it was either way.

 

But for StarWars... it's different... I don't know, but I still want to see something like Academy combat in KOTOR2....

But more deeper in terms of stats.

Why do you differentiate stats and action so much? It can be combined just fine.

Again, refer to Deus Ex, future-Oblivion (in one interview it was said that it would be action-based combat, and skills will be very important also) and others.

The more skill you have, the more combos/styles you can use. That's pretty simple and genius.

 

And once again, I'm a fan of turn-based rpgs (i'm a member of Fallout-modding group, btw), and DnD! But I just like to think free in terms of game design and not grip to one style.

[IWD2 isn't that bad...]

IWD1/2 are great games, but for me they are mere shadows of Baldur's Gate series. BG2 is just way deeper and higher in terms of story, characters and dialogs.

IWD is great for it's feel, atmosphere. It is truly the best dungeon-crawler, because it's not just dungeon-crawler, it has style.

Plus, for me it was especially cool to play IWD, because it was my introduction to ADnD computer-games and FR setting in particular.

 

And IWD2 is great for its battles, indeed: Heart of Fury RULEZ!!!!

[Starcraft 2...ever?]

WC3 sucked... hopefully SC2 won't...

I assume you are not very familiar with progaming, eh? Well, WC3 stands EQUAL with SC as a cyber-sport game. Well, I mean WC3-TFT - the original was crap in terms of balance. But TFT is *really* well balanced (far from perfect, of course, but what's not?).

Plus, it's much harder to balance WC3TFT than SC, because WC3 has so many nuances and additional features like heroes, items and the like.

I've played it quite seriously for enough time to judge.

 

But if we are talking single-player-wise, story-wise, then it's truly a matter of taste. I love both of them, but I have deeper love in SC story, of course. It's much more touching and strong.

 

2 Ivan the Terrible Yeah, I agree. It's real hard to surpass the predecessor. SC is truly one of the GREATEST games in human history, along with chess and others.

 

But I have complete confidence in Blizzard. They are truly the greatest developer out there, so they are bound to succeed.

 

And don't look at the SC: Ghost - Blizzard does not develop it, they are publishing it, and cooperating just a little.

[Save Obsidian's NWN2 forums]

That's really bad thing..... I really like this forum more than BioWare's and I wanted to talk about NWN2.

 

Anyway, who is developing NWN2?? OBsidian! So let them have the forum!

[Combat System in KOTOR 1/2]

Hrr.... I don't get it, why do you all (well, some of you) think that RPG is bound to have statistic-based combat???

 

Do you know what are the most important RPG components?? It's story, dialogs and atmosphere! Everything else is optional.

As long those things are intact, the game may be called real RPG.

 

For example Deus Ex: it's RPG. None can argue that. But the combat? First-person, action. Relies on your coordination, reflexes. Why not? Plus, it relies on char skills, of course.

Another example: Gothic. A very good Action/RPG. And it's RPG, just different in terms of player-perspective and combat. But it's still RPG.

And Oblivion will be action-based combat (unlike idiotic combat in Morrowind).

 

So I just fail to recognize the problem here.

 

Alright, some of you probably thought that I'm an action-fan and stuff. Well, guess what? I'm a hardcore fan of PnP DnD also! And its computer-based counterparts.

[Apparently god hates me..]

I hate the haters ^_^

 

No, I really can't stand those anti-americans, anti-finnish, anti-swedish..... crap.

 

Anyway, all people equal **** in some measure, no matter which nationality they are. But not all of them, I mean - if there is a porion of **** in some culture (say American), it doesn't mean that ALL americans are ****!

 

Anyways, you always need to look at the mirror first.

[I was bored, so I drew an orc.]

Great art, everyone!

 

But some of you really need to create your own topics for your works. So that you post updates there, new works and stuff.

[What Obsidian Job Would You Want?]

Perhaps concept-artist, or character artist. It would be real sweet. I really enjoy that.

 

Anyway, I dream of having any job in game industry. It's just so great...

[Combat System in KOTOR 1/2]

First of all, I want to say that I really enjoyed KOTOR 1 (haven't played 2 yet). The world, ambience of Star Wars is depicted flawlessly, and the role-play is great, alignment and stuff.

 

BUt one thing I just found a little out of place there.. It's the combat system. I really feel that DnD-like system, with pseudo-TB is just doesn't fit in that kind of game (IMHO). There is no feel... I mean, when I fight lightsaber-style, it's like I can't really feel it...

 

Probably, it's because prior to KOTOR I played Jedi Academy/Outcast. And you know? I think that if KOTOR used similar combat system as does Jedi Academy, it would be the perfect SW game. I mean, those RPG elements are great, but when combined with the real feel of lightsaber duels and Force usage.... it's even greater. THe Powers.. There was nothin like using Force to grab a whole platoon of sith troopers and hurl them into the abyss.....

 

But, well, I think that BioWare and Obsidian considered this kind of system, but I understand why it didn't do the trick: it's the party. It's kinda hard to make control over party and to make them act right when it's action-combat.

 

No, don't think that I'm just bitching at BioWare/Obsidian and stuff, I really love them and their game! But I'm just expressing what I feel.

 

Perhaps, someone will agree? What do you prefer?

[My art...]

I don't like describing my skills and stuff, so I'll be just posting my works for your pleasure (i hope).

 

 

Alright, this one is Tam al'Thor from "The WHeel of Time" fantasy series. Well, the way I see him.

 

 

And this one is "Post-apocalypse warrior"... Just felt like drawing him... Anyways, this one is a pretty early sketch, so maybe I'll rework it later.

 

 

That's all for now, but i'm gonna keep 'em coming.

[Why not get a degree?]

In Kazakhstan educational system is way too crappy to really go for degrees in hopes of a greater knowldege. But it's a powerful thing here, too, of course: employers are picky in this regard. But, yaknow, I kind of learn my trade by myself. In university there is nothing that they can really teach me... only general knowledge. So, for me it doesn't really matter degree or not, what matters is what's in the head.

 

But, of course, such are things here, you mileage may vary and stuff.

[Is it worth it getting a Wacompad?]

Um..... Always dreamed of a tablet..... Wacom Graphire/Intuo.... or at least Volito..... (i could misspel names)

 

I'm an artist (albeit not very professional), and I really crave for this tool, since it's really crappy trying to color your sketch with a mouse in PS....... Too much unneeded actions... tedious work really impedes your flow of creativity.

 

But... it's too expensive for me, plus it's really hard to find one here....