Amentep

I don't think they are the same; I think that logistically they *play* the same - ie you have certain things each round/encounter/day that you're able to do that have certain strategic effects within the role you have within your part. So people don't need to feel entrenched in a particular character type as being the only one they know to play. There are still things than any given class isn't going to do well (that's the point of the Leader/Striker/Defender/Controller idea of team management).

I wouldn't not buy a game because of difficulty, but certain *kinds* of difficulty would probably lessen my interest in a game (for example, if I heard - from sources I trust - that a game had incredibly difficult timed jump sections throughout the game, I'd probably end up not buying it)

Of course even in that there are degrees; being challenged and being frustrated are often closely related in my experience.

The neat thing about having the classes play the same is I think players may be more willing to move out of their niche. You know, the guy who ALWAYS plays a halfling rogue or a Elven bard or whatever because they're so used to how they work might be tempted to experiment if the basics of each class are all very similar.

Thi4f! Brought to you by 31D05! No wait, those numbers actually work... Yeah I think you mean 42D16.

The game designer should know their audience. In other words, the game designer who make a languidly paced shooter probably wouldn't make shooter game fans happy and probably wouldn't create much buzz for any potential crossover audience. But on the other hand allowing online fan opinion to sway the design of a game is really the same as any creative endeavor by committee; it'll have input from everybody and please no one. The key is, I think, in knowing the audience and having a strong sense of what the game should do and be. Then the online fan opinion can be looked at to see if there's anything in there that fits the general audience and fits in with the expectations of the game. Or something.

Yeah I don't see it flopping either, but I think gamers in general and console gamers in specific aren't necessarily against certain design decisions that add a degree of complexity to a game. things like inventory costing AP (although I'm unsure in FO3 how that would work with the real time combat) or the healing over time to mitigate stimpak use (which yeah I admit to abusing, but still...) shouldn't be deal breakers in a game, I'd think.

I haven't played 4e but like every edition since 1e there's stuff I like and stuff I don't like about it.

I read the first book for Rice's Vampire stuff and while it ultimately didn't leave me wanting more, it wasn't really awful. My biggest problems with any of the Rice books I've read is the perception I get that around page 300 the major characters all do something grossly stupid - often even pointing out that they're doing something stupid - for very little reason beyond a need to add 300 more pages to the book.

The new main character will be named Thiaf!

I do agree with your sentiment, but I think the issue will always be what is a compromise to the integrity. That said, I don't think having a restriction to healing would effect casual gamers; I've played a lot of console games (since games in that market seem to be, for the purposes of this discussion, the realm of the casual gamer) that either didn't allow or limited healing in combat situations. In fact I seem to think most action RPGs on consoles used healing over time as their method of operation, but my memory may just be off (it does cheat, you know). I seem to remember the Champions of Norrath games and the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance games using healing over time, for example. the point was to say "hey, i didn't invent the word. don't look at me, Homer." Yeah I know you didn't invent the word; I was trying for wit and only got half-way there. My apologies.

stfu wise-ass Ooo, snap! Its wikitionary! In other news, I wouldn't be against something being done for healing to make it a bit more sensible in future Fallout games. I like the idea of a heal over time angle to it.

"Consolized"? Did the franchize need much consoling? What was it bereft of?

Yeah, well after 12 years I'd like to think they were sitting on a ton of stuff. The alternative would be...bad.

Thief: Thi4f

I didn't really have a problem with the trailer other than it was repetitive (but then it was called violence, so I should have seen that coming). Didn't listen with the sound up so no thoughts on the song. Actually the only thing I couldn't help but thinking was that I really wish Bioware would fix the necks on their people. Most people's necks aren't actually the same length as their head. I've seen that exact same neck distortion since at least KotOR...

3-0 today; I think that was the first time I'd won all my matches since I created my Brute.

Sadly, my meeting Vulva predated Spaced by 19 years.

Hmmm, some names of people I've met or heard about from co-workers over the past 20 years, off the top of my head: Trivia Vulva Lemonjello Orangejello Argasm (pronounced Orgasm)

Saw Star Trek. It was fun.

I spent the day unable to focus at work because I'd been at work for 11 hours the previous day. Also apparently someone made a complaint about the office so I got the hear about that. And my nap when I got home was interrupted by something falling over and making a loud thump. And now I'm sitting here bleary eyed unable to sleep hoping that I haven't just posted something like "Tharg wobbler grunk bark".

The Dark Spire. I die alot.

I knew a girl who believed that all men possessed - in her words - a "magic mushroom" that she loved dearly. So perhaps not all is lost in this conversation? Although I probably wouldn't recommend applying cooking recipes to that particular mushroom.

I went 0-3 today. Ouch.

Oxford English Disctionary suggests that the word was intended as a alteration of pratarolo which it further states is an Italian term for "meadow mushroom"