There's just too much junk in TW: Medieval. TW: Shogun was pretty good, tho... misinterpreting the parent poster or not, I'd like a RTS set in 300 BCE in China, where the difference between armies is negligible, and the game is all about tactics. You wage an extended war against an opponent (or not... whoops, another enemy with a grudge has attacked your home turf and now you need to retreat.)
When I play an RTS, I want to be the general, not the accountant. Let the computer worry about agriculture, trade routes and all that crap -- I just want to fight.
What about books that are impossible to find elsewhere? For example, the "Night City" sourcebook for Cyberpunk. The only place I've found it for sale is on eBay, and a day before the auction closed it was going for $40 USD.
I also like to try to find books to download before I buy if I can't find a decent review of them on the Net. For example, nobody seems to have read "Northrop Frye on Myth." Mind you, you can't download this one either, but still.
I'm lucky I'm an English major; my "textbooks" can be bought for pennies used. It's such a nice feeling to tell my friends that the total for books in one term is $40 or so, and seeing the look of shock and disgust on their faces.
"$40?!? My cheapest textbook is twice that amount!"
The problem is that you're thinking from a completely Western point of view. I'm not talking about the people whom the United States calls terrorists, I'm talking about people who are universally proclaimed to be terrorists. A terrorist to the US might be a revolutionary to another -- get my drift?
Another thing -- you can't call *any* state a "terrorist" state. A terrorist is, by definition, a person/group that works outside of the boundaries of civilisation, through use of media, violence or both. An established country, with universally recognised borders and a government (no matter how oppressive) cannot be a "terrorist" state. In fact, terrorists can't possess/own land -- if terrorists invaded the US and conquered it, they'd no longer be known as terrorists but as the new government on the block. The people running Afghanistan used to be terrorists, according to the Taliban, but now are they called that? Of course not.
The Taliban were oppressive. They didn't like foreigners. Sure, but what makes them TERRORISTS? So what if I decide to join the Taliban and decide that I want to die for them?
How would you Yanks like it if an Iranian was caputured by his gov't, held in prison for five weeks, then admitting allegiance to the USA?
Come ON, this is/. -- I'd expect ignorant opinions from other Americans (including my mom's relatives, her being American), but we're supposed to be SMARTER here! Being a member of the losing side doesn't make him a terrorist, doesn't make him a criminal, it just makes him (at worst) a spook who's identity was exposed. Somebody explain to me WHY the States gives hugs and kisses to the Geneva Conventions when they feel like it, and piss on them when it suits their own agenda?
Oh please God, let this be so!:) Well, since Cain isn't in the alliance, maybe they'll call it "Nuclear Aftermath" or "Post-Apoc" or something like that. Come ON, we've been dying for some RPGs that ain't fantasy-based!
Deus Ex is a FPS with very, very strong RPG elements. I'd call it a RPG/FPS hybrid.
Freelancer is not an RPG, any more than Privateer was. It's a great game, but it's closer to an action game than an RPG.
Anachronox was great, but it's how old now? Besides, it was greatly (and obviously) influenced by JRPGs, as was Septerra Core, so much that I'd call them Eastern RPGs developed in the West.
Anarchy Online is an MMORPG; strictly speaking, not a CRPG. (This gets fuzzy, but one could argue that MMO games are in a genre by themself -- I'm not sure that the tactics used in an MMO qualifies as "role playing.")
System Shock 2: FPS with RPG elements.
Fallout Tactics: Tactical strategy set in post-apocalyptic setting, some RPG elements.
Neocron, Earth & Beyond, not sure... aren't these MMORPGS?
And Wasteland.. well, yes, there is Wasteland.
Fallout 1 and 2 were absolutely fantastic, but I've played them *how* many times since they were released?
You have to admit that this is a pretty short list, and most of these games aren't true CRPGs. The Fallout games are, Anachronox comes close, Deus Ex is fuzzy in the background, but the rest are lumped amongst action or MMO games.
All I'm saying is, what's going on here? Paradise Cracked is coming out soon, and again it's a tactical strategy game with RPG elements, but at least it's sci-fi, and Restricted Area (which might actually be, *gasp*, a sci-fi RPG!) is still quite a ways off from seeing the light of day.
Not East vs. West, but Prolific vs. Sporadic
on
RPGs - East Versus West?
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· Score: 2, Insightful
It's really, really, REALLY hard to fault Japanese RPGs -- if you don't like one, there's about fifty million others to try. Xenosaga,.hack, the FF series, Chrono series, etc. etc. There's tonnes of good ones out there, with varying themes and settings.
As for western RPGs... well, we're kinda limited in our choices. Want to play in a fantasy setting? Great! Pick from five (in the last couple of years). Steampunk? One choice. Sci-fi? Sorry, out of luck.
...Before we humans started generating agricultural surpluses above what we could hunt and gather, one person's idle pursuits could impact the ability of a whole community to feed itself. We don't have that situation now...
I take it by "community" you mean "the neighbourhood in which you live," because it appears as if we are *not* adequately feeding our global community. So, in other words, your statement is complete bullshit, even if I *do* agree with the fact that one's hobby shouldn't be criticised.
I agree. If they leave it alone for long enough, people will only remember the good, earlier games. Then, they just need to plug the game by saying, "From the guys that brought you the ORIGINAL Tomb Raider..."
Maybe they're trying to win over the people that play video games on their cell phones... I've seen some of those games, and they're just plain nasty. So, they're thinking, "Hey, a PDA is a productivity device, just like a cell phone -- maybe we can put some games on it and call it a portable gaming system!"
The problem is, people don't *WANT* to multi-task -- they want one device that does one thing WELL, not one device that does a bunch of things crappily.
...you need high quality...games in order to make it popular...
Gameboy has done well because of battery power, plain and simple. It doesn't matter *how* l33t the games are, if you run out of juice after a half-hour.
... repressed citizens of the freedom loving USA, can still flee to Canada. Maybe, just maybe, claiming persecution by the evil RIAA, will get you refugee status...
Forget that. I think we're going to go with the time honoured American tradition of overreacting and turn you guys away at the border.
HOWEVER, if you come bearing A&W Sparkling Vanilla Cream Soda, I will greet you at the border myself.
...but just because it's digital and wireless, doesn't automatically make it a good *camera*. Granted, I've been following the D2H and it's definitely a sweet piece of Nikon, but this is more than a toy -- it's a high-end piece of professional equipment.
The problem I'm facing right now (being on the market for a camera) is the fact that I can get a used F4 (or even an N100, maybe) for a quarter of the price of this digital camera, and still have excellent picture quality. Add in another four or five hundred dollars for a negative scanner, and I can do pretty much everything the D2H can do with less than half the cash.
Besides, any event that would require near-instantaneous transmission (sports, a riot, stuff like that) would be using VIDEO, not still shots.
It's a nice (and niche) toy, but nothing more than that.
These specs are ridiculous. If they're the real deal and not modified in any way, what's to stop me from buying one, ripping it apart and shoving the components into a real computer? They're DEFINITELY going to be making a loss on the initial sale of the unit.
And how are they going to make this money back? They're not making money offa PC game sales, nor are they likely to in the future. I just don't see how this works.
For $299 USD, I can build a pretty decent computer. I mean, it won't be cutting edge, but neither will it be as slow as the hardware that's standard to a XBox, y'know? I just don't see a niche for this sort of thing. A PC can do gaming, but it can also do a heck of a lot more -- and *anybody* who says that they only use their comp for games is lying.
Now, a PS3 that can play PS games as well as PS1-3, now *there* would be an interesting product... maybe an XBox 2?
The total cost for T3 was $180M USD. Forget breaking it down into actors, producers, Dan the Construction Guy -- just $180M.
Up here in Canada, we've got this organisation called World Vision (might be in the US too, dunno). For $33 a month, you can sponsor a child in a third world country. BEAR WITH ME.
Now, convert $180M USD into CDN funds --> 254,840,391.06. So, instead of making one single movie (just the cost for the movie, not even including profit!), they could have:
sponsored 1 child for 7,722,436 months (about 643,000 years) sponsored 10 children for around 64,000 years a thousand kids for 643 years
***50,000*** kids for 12 years -- the typical amount of time that a child gets sponsored.
This is one freaking movie out of millions and millions that Hollywood (not to mention the rest of the world) has made. Imagine if, instead of these actors, producers, and Dan the Construction guy decided to not make movies, but instead help out the rest of the world. What would happen? Would we have an end to world hunger? I think so.
Now stop all the damn whining about "starving artists," Hollywood. Even good ol' Dan the Construction Guy or the roadies who work on a film eat better than most of the world does. MPAA, if you're reading this, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Actually, I hate to be nitpicky, but there's no such thing as an "AEsir" religion -- the AEsir are a panthenon of gods. The religion you're looking for is Asatru.
Looks like you're stuck with Via. Decent performance, cheap price, compatible with Intel... wait, am I missing something here? Are there any downsides?
Slashdot Mirror
Hooray! The result of the first lo-tech slashdotting effect!
When I play an RTS, I want to be the general, not the accountant. Let the computer worry about agriculture, trade routes and all that crap -- I just want to fight.
I also like to try to find books to download before I buy if I can't find a decent review of them on the Net. For example, nobody seems to have read "Northrop Frye on Myth." Mind you, you can't download this one either, but still.
I'm lucky I'm an English major; my "textbooks" can be bought for pennies used. It's such a nice feeling to tell my friends that the total for books in one term is $40 or so, and seeing the look of shock and disgust on their faces.
"$40?!? My cheapest textbook is twice that amount!"
My telecom is always able to track me if i'm using my phone. Of course, I have a landline...
Another thing -- you can't call *any* state a "terrorist" state. A terrorist is, by definition, a person/group that works outside of the boundaries of civilisation, through use of media, violence or both. An established country, with universally recognised borders and a government (no matter how oppressive) cannot be a "terrorist" state. In fact, terrorists can't possess/own land -- if terrorists invaded the US and conquered it, they'd no longer be known as terrorists but as the new government on the block. The people running Afghanistan used to be terrorists, according to the Taliban, but now are they called that? Of course not.
How would you Yanks like it if an Iranian was caputured by his gov't, held in prison for five weeks, then admitting allegiance to the USA?
Come ON, this is /. -- I'd expect ignorant opinions from other Americans (including my mom's relatives, her being American), but we're supposed to be SMARTER here! Being a member of the losing side doesn't make him a terrorist, doesn't make him a criminal, it just makes him (at worst) a spook who's identity was exposed. Somebody explain to me WHY the States gives hugs and kisses to the Geneva Conventions when they feel like it, and piss on them when it suits their own agenda?
Oh please God, let this be so! :) Well, since Cain isn't in the alliance, maybe they'll call it "Nuclear Aftermath" or "Post-Apoc" or something like that. Come ON, we've been dying for some RPGs that ain't fantasy-based!
Um, if you're playing PC games, aren't you *ALREADY* at the computer? Just a thought.
A European handbag, you fancy boy!
Seriously man, give these two another go. The ultimate conclusion of the plot in Throne of Bhaal is incredible.
Freelancer is not an RPG, any more than Privateer was. It's a great game, but it's closer to an action game than an RPG.
Anachronox was great, but it's how old now? Besides, it was greatly (and obviously) influenced by JRPGs, as was Septerra Core, so much that I'd call them Eastern RPGs developed in the West.
Anarchy Online is an MMORPG; strictly speaking, not a CRPG. (This gets fuzzy, but one could argue that MMO games are in a genre by themself -- I'm not sure that the tactics used in an MMO qualifies as "role playing.")
System Shock 2: FPS with RPG elements.
Fallout Tactics: Tactical strategy set in post-apocalyptic setting, some RPG elements.
Neocron, Earth & Beyond, not sure... aren't these MMORPGS?
And Wasteland.. well, yes, there is Wasteland.
Fallout 1 and 2 were absolutely fantastic, but I've played them *how* many times since they were released?
You have to admit that this is a pretty short list, and most of these games aren't true CRPGs. The Fallout games are, Anachronox comes close, Deus Ex is fuzzy in the background, but the rest are lumped amongst action or MMO games.
All I'm saying is, what's going on here? Paradise Cracked is coming out soon, and again it's a tactical strategy game with RPG elements, but at least it's sci-fi, and Restricted Area (which might actually be, *gasp*, a sci-fi RPG!) is still quite a ways off from seeing the light of day.
As for western RPGs... well, we're kinda limited in our choices. Want to play in a fantasy setting? Great! Pick from five (in the last couple of years). Steampunk? One choice. Sci-fi? Sorry, out of luck.
I take it by "community" you mean "the neighbourhood in which you live," because it appears as if we are *not* adequately feeding our global community. So, in other words, your statement is complete bullshit, even if I *do* agree with the fact that one's hobby shouldn't be criticised.
I agree. If they leave it alone for long enough, people will only remember the good, earlier games. Then, they just need to plug the game by saying, "From the guys that brought you the ORIGINAL Tomb Raider..."
The problem is, people don't *WANT* to multi-task -- they want one device that does one thing WELL, not one device that does a bunch of things crappily.
Gameboy has done well because of battery power, plain and simple. It doesn't matter *how* l33t the games are, if you run out of juice after a half-hour.
Forget that. I think we're going to go with the time honoured American tradition of overreacting and turn you guys away at the border.
HOWEVER, if you come bearing A&W Sparkling Vanilla Cream Soda, I will greet you at the border myself.
"That boy's heed is the size of Sputnik!"
Western Digital 800 (80GB) special ed is silent. I cannot hear it at all.
On a related note, congratulations on the superpower. Let me be the first to dub you "Sight For Sore Ears Man."
...but just because it's digital and wireless, doesn't automatically make it a good *camera*. Granted, I've been following the D2H and it's definitely a sweet piece of Nikon, but this is more than a toy -- it's a high-end piece of professional equipment.
The problem I'm facing right now (being on the market for a camera) is the fact that I can get a used F4 (or even an N100, maybe) for a quarter of the price of this digital camera, and still have excellent picture quality. Add in another four or five hundred dollars for a negative scanner, and I can do pretty much everything the D2H can do with less than half the cash.
Besides, any event that would require near-instantaneous transmission (sports, a riot, stuff like that) would be using VIDEO, not still shots.
It's a nice (and niche) toy, but nothing more than that.
These specs are ridiculous. If they're the real deal and not modified in any way, what's to stop me from buying one, ripping it apart and shoving the components into a real computer? They're DEFINITELY going to be making a loss on the initial sale of the unit.
And how are they going to make this money back? They're not making money offa PC game sales, nor are they likely to in the future. I just don't see how this works.
For $299 USD, I can build a pretty decent computer. I mean, it won't be cutting edge, but neither will it be as slow as the hardware that's standard to a XBox, y'know? I just don't see a niche for this sort of thing. A PC can do gaming, but it can also do a heck of a lot more -- and *anybody* who says that they only use their comp for games is lying.
Now, a PS3 that can play PS games as well as PS1-3, now *there* would be an interesting product... maybe an XBox 2?
The total cost for T3 was $180M USD. Forget breaking it down into actors, producers, Dan the Construction Guy -- just $180M.
Up here in Canada, we've got this organisation called World Vision (might be in the US too, dunno). For $33 a month, you can sponsor a child in a third world country. BEAR WITH ME.
Now, convert $180M USD into CDN funds --> 254,840,391.06. So, instead of making one single movie (just the cost for the movie, not even including profit!), they could have:
sponsored 1 child for 7,722,436 months (about 643,000 years)
sponsored 10 children for around 64,000 years
a thousand kids for 643 years
***50,000*** kids for 12 years -- the typical amount of time that a child gets sponsored.
This is one freaking movie out of millions and millions that Hollywood (not to mention the rest of the world) has made. Imagine if, instead of these actors, producers, and Dan the Construction guy decided to not make movies, but instead help out the rest of the world. What would happen? Would we have an end to world hunger? I think so.
Now stop all the damn whining about "starving artists," Hollywood. Even good ol' Dan the Construction Guy or the roadies who work on a film eat better than most of the world does. MPAA, if you're reading this, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Actually, I hate to be nitpicky, but there's no such thing as an "AEsir" religion -- the AEsir are a panthenon of gods. The religion you're looking for is Asatru.
Looks like you're stuck with Via. Decent performance, cheap price, compatible with Intel... wait, am I missing something here? Are there any downsides?