Foamhead

Minor step forward??? LOL The X360 is a technical powerhouse, with a custom built GPU that is ground breaking and generations ahead of any GPU on the market or coming to the market in the next year, and a CPU that was tailored to run video game code with extreme ease. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Which is all words used to make their hardware sound more groundbreaking then it actually is, much like Segas "Blast Processing" which meants "Our chip runs faster". I admit that does sound as revolutionary though. All the talk about 500+ systems sounds like a rumor to me unless Sony is stupid.

If you play Prince of Persia, Al Qaeda wins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think the interface as it was is all that cumbersome. I don't always think streamlining is bad but when a dev says "We want people to be able to play this game without opening a menu" it makes me wonder.

I have been reading about Civilization 4 on IGN today. Was I the only one who found the gratuitous use of the words "streamlined" and "simplified" the devs constantly use to describe the interfaces alarming? It sounds like this game has been seriously dumbed down. Does anyone else know anything about this game, and am I just reading to deeply?

Games like the Elder Scrolls series are HUGE and they are obviously quite profitable. Crpg gamers are also usually willing to spend more money on quality rpgs, (at least they were last time I read about the subject) so I have a hard time believing that cost is that prohibative to making huge rpgs. Since the average budget (and correct me I am wrong) to create a video game is around four million and most games reuse art and engines, I have to ask: Where is all this money going? I think what people want is quality quantity, and game designers don't want to invest four years or more of their lives on one project. Not that I blame them of course.

World of Warcraft and Everquest are hardly examples of rpgs. Why people pay twenty bucks a month to use a glorified chat room and double click on rats all day is beyond me. I don't have anything against turn based...I like both as long as they are done well. I was only questioning why all the PC only snobs act like it is superior. People have just as much right to enjoy twitch games as much as we have the right to like other genres. I don't see them as "ruining things"...they tend to not like rpgs and that if fine, some like vanilla, some like rocky road.

The reason for the decline in quality crpgs and rpg's in general is simply that most of them suck. Every one is about elves and trolls with plus 10000 swords and magic wands of ass reaming. With this horriffic lack of originality and innovation I am suprised it took as long as it did for the market to disappear. I am sick of elves and trolls and welcome anything different, such as Fallout or Knights of the Old Republic. I certainly don't blame "twitch gamers", because when I last checked it was not a crime to like shoot em' ups. Most people don't like role playing games and as long as we are a niche audience there won't be much out there and there especially won't be much risk taking. On a side note, I really don't understand why CRPG fans seem to think that turn based combat is so infinately superior to real time. God forbid a game doesn't play like an old school Gold Box game or Fallout!

I like how people talk about inflated review scores as if this were a new phenomena. The only gaming reviews I look at are the ones on gamefaqs because they are by customers, not paid journalists who will give anything a perfect score. EGM gave Majoras Mask a perfect score even though it was a castrated version of Orcania of Time. Every single Final Fantasy is "the greatest of all time" without fail. If you are the kind of person who saves all their mags, go back and look. It is laughable. Never mind that the series has become more and more liner with every title to the point that now it is basically a slightly interactive crappy movie. I remember when Mario 64 was granted the title of "greatest game of all time" by EGM and a couple of other companies...less the a month after release. Meaning that if we take the time it takes for a magazine to go to print and get to us, they gave it that review before it was released. So much for being unbiased! As far as specs between the X-Box and PS2 are concerned, yes the Xbox is much more powerful, and whenever I see a game on both systems the X-Box version only looks a hair sharper then it's PS2 counterpart. This tells me that developers are not at all trying or all the vaunted power of the X-Box means diddly and only translates to slightly crisper visuals. If the X-Box is so infinitely superior to the PS2 as you say it is then I look forward to Obsidians first X-Box title that will show me and everyone else what this system is supposedly capable of.

The game wasn't a disappointment, it just wasn't what it should have been. Hopefully the next one will be more satisfying.

Okay sweetums I finished my job thingy and now that I am back home I will address a few things. "Appropriate"??? I didn' know it was a breech of social ettiquite to not share your piddly butt opinions. My "vaunted" job does qualify as an excuse because I would rather do what I get paid to do then argue with a teenager over his inability to understand anything that is not written in a simple and clearly obvious format so he can get it. Tossing newspapers on peoples lawns is a job in a technical sense, but when you grow up you will learn that actual big boy jobs are much more demanding then being able to read. I find being called an "Immature lamer", like, funny dood. Me n' mah boiz are like, laughin' n' stuff Yes the waves of abuse I unleashed at everyone here was truly a grand display. I can't believe the amount of cursing and racial slurs came from my virgin keyboard. A thesis usually contains about 30 to a hundred pages, depending on the subject and university in question. I realize my short paragraph was quite a taxing read for one such as yourself but please don't assume everyone else is a semi-literate monkey that somehow knows how to operate a computer. (This was another subtle hint, try and figure it out) I didn't ignore them I just want to read what everyone said first and make a longer reply when I am not tired. I'll dumb it down a shade or two for you. What I was indirectly saying is most rpg fans pretend to dislike games they actually like so as not to appear foolish in front of the other crpg elitest snobs who also secretly like the game. Me go eat now back later stuff.

I didn't make a more legthy post, and instead chose to focus my answer on one statment because I have this thing called a "job". A job is when people who no longer live with thier mommies and daddies go some place and exchange labor or services for money. You will probably have one too one day if you ever manage to finish school. Who's a big boy? You're a big boy! Coochie coo! I don't recall writing that these games didn't have many fans. I guess the subtle message I was posting was lost on you, much like good manners and parents who don't regret that there was no morning after pill when they made you. This is called thinly veiled racism, and is also patently untrue. Most natives living in the tribal regions of the Amazon and Africa are well aware of the modern world and are also quite adept at exploiting the political conditions of their home countries to their own needs. They just don't want to modernize any more then they have to. You will learn about these exciting cultures and many more when you are old enough to walk through the halls in school without holding on to a skipping rope. Cheers.

Funny thing is I anticipated people saying rpgs are superior on PC's. However the thing I notice is that almost every RPG released gets bashed with the exceptions of Fallout and Planescape. - I looked for two years and I finally got a copy of Planescape and I have no idea what the fuss it about. There is so far nothing to do in this game but wander around talking. - When KotOR was released almost everyone bashed it and everyone went on about the suprise in the middle as if they clued in from the start and called it "lame". - Fallout 2 was even bashed, and honestly it is superior to the first in my opinion, because it has lots and lost of stuff to do. If RPG's are better on PC's, then I guess I am asking why no one ever seems to LIKE any of them? I am honestly not trying to start a flame war but "PC only" people seem so rabid it makes me shake my head.

I have been on the net for about ten years and one things that I have noticed, especially over the last few years is the amount of computer snobs out there. They constantly bash consoles and yell "PC's are superior because _______". I honestly ask, what the hell is the difference if a game is on a console or a PC? I know some will say the graphics are much better, and this is true if you can afford to buy the latest 800$ video cards all the time. However most of us are not trust fund babies and can't do this. I have the distinct feeling that the "consolze R fer losers" crowd really just want to feel good about their 2000 dollar investment and their elitist attitude has little to nothing to do with the games.

Evolution is not totally random. Unfortunately the subject is far too complex to just "gloss over" on a web forum. People interested in the subject would do well to look up subjects like punctuated equilibrium, abiogenesis, natural selection. The statement that we have never seen life evolve into new forms of life is incorrect as speciation has been observed in nature in plants and some lower life forms. Speciation is when one lifeform is no longer able to breed with it's original genetic decendents and therefore is now it's own species of life. If anyone would like examples I will try and post some. Evolution is an observed and tested theory and the only people who still deny it occurs are religious fundamentalists who have a psychological and spiritual stake in it being untrue.

Okay my bad for not being clear. mainly what I was asking is does changing a characters alignment have one iota of effect on the story other then Visas at the end. I know that it does open up storylines but I would still have enjoyed some dialogue reflecting their change in personality.

So in other words it serves no purpose in the game. Bah

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but exactly what is the function of influence in this game? Your companions colour will change on their paper doll, but does it actually affect any of the story? WTF ?!? When I bought the game I was looking forward to watching my character interacting with the others and watching them slowly change personalities during cut scenes as the game progressed. Instead it doesn't seem to do jack. If possible could someone list any situations where the influence actually affects something? And if it doesn't why did Obsidian waste their time adding this feature? Thanks

Okay so where do these "subtle changes" occur in the story. And why can't I get my characters to advance their dialogue choices. All I can say to Visas for the last while is about her home planet. And the guy with the horns on his head never says anything when I talk to him. Arrggghh me get annoyed

What I meant was does it change the story or any dialogues in any way. My extreme lightside Atton still wanted to shoot a guy in the back and other characters who started darkside are still saying evil things when they are in peak lightside condition.

Does the much toted influence system do anything other then change the pretty colour behind each characters paper doll? If so then when, and if not then why did Obsidian bother?

I am starting to get the feeling that some people do not consider anything a romance in KOtOR 2 that does not involve bending the Handmaiden or Visas over a terminal. I would have enjoyed a bit more exploration but at least the romances are not as juvenille as they are in some of Biowares games.

I apologise. I didn't want to either which is why I just threw in the towel and spared the board a flame war. The only thing worse then lawyers are people who think they know the law as well as lawyers. I hope you manage to get your game working.

I give up. I am not gonna get flustered debating the law with a guy who has never set foot in a law class. However I have to say man that number one, you are not in a position to be offended because the "demands" as you put it are not being made from you. Number two you need to chill the hell out. I have not seen anyone making rude demands from anyone. You seem to fly into a rage whenever people request anything and it obviously stems from your years of working retail jobs. See a psychiatrist, and please do not raise children.

I know I am the new guy but I have to confess that Mr. Sanskrit is getting on my nerves as well. Apparently working for a software company qualifies you to speak on the law. Allow me to reply to and restate my earlier post. End user Agreements are not worth the paper they are printed on and I told you why. Yes I can find many cases where a software company has been successfully sued for defective software. The reason it doesn't happen for video games is because no one is going to spend a hundred dollars filling fee, plus take a day off work and whatever else just to recoup fifty bucks. The companies who are usually sued sell expensive (800$+) business programs to corporations. I don't know what kinds of retail job you are in but you sound like a psychopath. I get this image of your kid going up to you with a gushing head wound saying "Take me to the hospital" and you screaming back "YOU'RE NOT ENTITLED!!!". Again allow me to sum up in simple words so you understand. The user agreements in software manuals are worthless. You cannot sell a product and then show a person the terms afterwards. Since the package is already opened the buyer cannot return the product for another, only a replacement. There are many other interesting legal facts that I learned in law school, you know, the place you have never set foot in, that I have, making you therefore not qualified to speak with authority on the subject. Foamhead out.

Well I am one up on you then because I did study law. The EULA on the back of that manual doesn't mean squat. If a software company tried to use it's user agreement to escape responsibility for a product I would just argue plain sight. A lot of people see those cartoons where the guy signs a contract and then after he gets butt reamed finds out their are additional terms that can only be seen under extreme magnification. Since that contract is not on the box when the purchase is made, the buyer is not bound by anything it says. Besides that, the second you bury important legalities in a sea of text you, (the software company) can no longer claim any benefits because you are effectively hiding key articles from the buyer.