QXL99's page

Saw the movie last night and loved it--the best Trek movie in quite a while. This time I believed Chris Pine as Kirk (last time, not so much). Only two minor quibbles:

1) When did the Enterprise take on Tardis qualities? Engineering seemed way too big to fit in the hull

2) We have great film makers working on this franchise--do they really need to retread what's ben done before?

Honestly, is the whole point of this thread to argue with Scott?

But you CAN'T do away with Halloween and Christmas--the economy would collapse!

You need Kinect to be connected ;)

Reported here
http://www.examiner.com/article/canada-school-does-away-with-school-holiday -mother-s-day-and-father-s-day-gone

and here
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/no-more-father-s-mother-s-day-school-nixes-cel ebration-in-the-post-nuclear-age-1.1287370

(Sorry, I don't have mad linking skills)

Not sure how this will affect my gaming future. I gave up on PC games after too many experiences buying a game I THOUGHT would run on my machine, but then wouldn't unless I paid to upgrade something or other--consoles made each game purchase 'safe' technologically. But I don't want to pay ongoing fees to access a game, I want to own it (which is why I'm purchasing Skyrim Legendary Edition, and wish that all the Mass Effect DLC was available on disc). As to making back some $$$ by reselling games I'm done with, the return is not enough to be a factor. And as to buying used from the secondary market, the decision to buy would ultimately be affected by final price point (I do like Gamestop's 'window of return' policy, so I can evaluate my purchase).

QXL99 wrote:

The hero of the Baldur's Gate series

The Grey Warden of Ferelden
Shepard
The hero of Jade Dynasty
Revan

Is the hero of the Jade Dynasty a reference to Jade Empire?

Sorry, you're right.

I purchase consoles to play games that I really want to experience--Mass Effect got me into the 360. Until I see a game I simply gotta play (and none has been announced yet that I feel this way about) the features/limitations of any new console are irrelevant for now. And anyway, I never buy the first "edition" of new gen electronics--I wait until the kinks have been smoothed out...

I think that the cultural area centered on India is woefully neglected...

The hero of the Baldur's Gate series
The Grey Warden of Ferelden
Shepard
The hero of Jade Dynasty
Revan

Anyone playing it? What do you think of the upgrades to the original game?

The Mandarin was teased in the first movie, so of course it made sense to conclude the trilogy with him. I also think that suits at Disney were nervous about the Mandarin coming off as a stereotypical 'yellow menace'.

Mazra--

** spoiler omitted **

At least for Ollie, times of great danger/stress also kick up the sex drive a lot...

Baldur's Gate (all of them)
Icewind Dale (all of them)
Torment
Neverwinter Nights (all of them)

Legendary Edition coming out next month. Anyone else excited?

Talking with Ed a few years ago, it sounded like his games are rules light and role playing heavy--i.e., he cares more about interesting characters than making and using stat blocks.

Any thoughts on the various classes? Any points of no return like the Reaper IFF mission?

To unlock containers, you need high electronics and decryption. As long as someone in your party has these, you're OK--but if you want maximum flexibility in who to take as squadmates, play Infiltrator, Engineer or Sentinel so these skills are your own.

Also, make sure to max out charm or intimidation--there are a couple times when you'll really be glad you did--right from the beginning (hint).

IMO, Leviathan is by far and away the best DLC for ME III--very atmospheric...

I had no issues with the acting. As to the aliens, SF is usually about showing us ourselves from a different angle--hard to do if you struggle to understand the aliens...

Any thoughts on what that "next great RPG" might be?

I'll recommend a few that haven't been mentioned(unless I miss it).

Paranoia agent
Gungrave (kind feel like once upon a time in America, please skip 1st episode)
Devilman lady

If you like samurai and can stand violence & gore & nudity, I would recommend Shigurui.

Sexy commando gaiden & Mad bull 34 for humor. (?)

If you don't mind the art style, Kaiji may be a nice choice since you like Death note.

Haven't watched anime for several years now though...

+1 Devilman Lady

I thought it was OK. I was hoping there would be more alien psychologies and not just humans-in-funny-masks, but I guess that's a lot to expect from a company called Syfy. :-P

Also, I'm reading some CJ Cherryh now, and that always makes me more critical of non-CJ Cherryh SF. ;-)

We've only seen two hours so far--there is plenty of time to develop these cultures...

THIS is how you do a SF western! Awesome!

I felt Gaiman's episode was 'out of synch' with the show, just like the season one episode with King Arthur...

For me, character design, interaction with NPCs and multiple paths to solve problems make a good game--shooting as the main goal just doesn't cut it...

Esp. KOTOR!

I recommend books made from paper.

It can even happen with story driven game design. I loved the original Dragon Lance series of modules (which were magnificently adapted into the first novel trilogy) but the setting never seemed to support ongoing gaming beyond that.

My contention is that John/Marv's '86 Clark Kent/Superman did not need rebooting...

I use cheat codes to avoid long, repetitive treks across maps (if the game doesn't have a fast travel/teleport option)and to help with Bosses that are exceptionally hard to defeat.

Amber by Zelazny
Conan by Howard
Fu Manchu by Rohmer
Cthulhu et al by Lovecraft

I find character creation a fascinating exercise of creativity.

Because the character's creator pictured her to be the feminine ideal.

Bronies, check out "Hot In Cleveland" on TVLand this week--your passion is a major plot point!

Thunderbirds was groundbreaking and the scripts still hold up.

Gerry Anderson has said that UFO season 2 was initially going to be more focused on Moonbase--it eventually evolved into Space:1999.

losing facial hair has to do with casting a spell right before fast traveling or entering a new loading area. If you go back to the previous auto save it should fix.

Sadly, I didn't notice it until those old saves were overwritten (I only keep about the last dozen).

Love the expansion, but at some point I lost all facial hair--even eyebrows! Had to go back to the faceshaper in Riften...

Classy move, DC...

Bound by Iron features an ex military veteran paladin investigor teaming up with a chaotic bard/journalist in Edward Bolmes' excellent Eberron novel from the Inquisitives series.

I agree--best 'wounded and weary' paladin story ever.

I think a 'strong' character (male or female) is someone who is willing to make a hard decision and live with the consequences--'emotional courage'. A person who is heroic wants that decision to have the best impact for the most stakeholders, so seeks their input/validation, but is willing to do something that might be unpopular if it is for the greater good (in the hero's opinion). And the hero still grieves any tragic consequences of those decisions.

A weak character just takes the easy way out, follows the path of least resistance, or waffles so much between positions that nothing is accomplished.

When I play games like Mass Effect or Knights of the Old Republic, I play through once as 'renegade/dark side' out of curiosity--but honestly, some of the choices make me feel pretty uncomfortable, even though it's 'just a game'. My natural gaming style tends to be mostly in alignment with my Christian ethos. Even in fantasy, doing the right thing for the right reasons is important, or else I'm acting against my faith. That said, when I play Dragon's Age I am willing to be a spellcaster, even though the Bible condemns witchcraft--typical gaming magic is pure fantasy with no basis in reality. But if I play a cleric, I refuse to 'worship' a specific "god"--I treat my character as using a nondescript power that is not all that different from magic or psionics. If a gaming group insisted on priests being tied to a specific mythoi, I would play a fighter or rogue instead. This is how I game and still feel good about my Christian beliefs.

I never use Shouts, except for Whirlwind Sprint...

I'm surprised there isn't all sorts of talk about the science of 'anti-electricity' revealed last Monday...

I'd love 7 to go in a direction that completely invalidates every book and comic that has come out since Return of the Jedi, just to watch heads explode...

If you play the basic game w/o add-ons, it is fast and flexible. I recommend a DM screen, though, because it's hard to remember the different mechanics for things like saving throws, skill checks, etc.

I never understood the hate for the man who created the film everyone is convinced could never be improved upon...

Well, I'm not seeing a lock/trap master so far--are the cleric and mage planning to do all that lifting magically? If not, I suggest a skill monkey (I prefer a multi-class fighter/rogue myself--lots of skill points and feats).

Logistics (location filming, including underwater)? Costumes? Sets? Inflated salaries for cast and crew?

Buffy is the only series I watched from first episode to last.