yeah, there's also no "software" on those "better operating systems." some of us enjoy our games, and our mainstream applications that we use at work, and don't have the time, money, or patience to build a second box for that purpose. wouldn't it be better if these idiots were held responsible for their BS?
oh, and don't forget the biggest reason those other OS's have less of this crap: the reason is because there aren't enough users for it to be a worthwhile endeavor. want viruses, trojans, and spyware on your linux box, or your mac? keep advocating other non-windows operating systems, and maybe, if large groups of people hear you and migrate, you'll get it. what you have now is "security through obscurity," but when Linux (or mac, or whatever) becomes the mainstream, you'll see what less-vigilant windows users have struggled with for years.
the best available solution is a good firewall, good spyware cleaner, good antivirus, and a bit of common sense that, no, you really shouldn't install every neat little gadget without knowing what you're putting in your box. a non-existing, ideal solution would be castrating these jerks who put this crap on other people's computers (which I then have to clean off), or if these people would just learn a way to make money that didn't involve other people's time being wasted... but saying that "oh, you should migrate over to this other platform" is not a good answer, because most people don't have the know-how to make another platform work, or they need the software available on the platform they're on.
The first MK was good because it took the plot from the game VERY directly with only a few changes to add some MK2 characters.... and MK1 was essentially a supernatural ripoff of "enter the dragon" anyway, so the first movie is, essentially, "Enter the Dragon" with monsters. I liked it, hated the sequel, and LOVED the TV series (but only because it was so laughably bad and filled with lame forced lesbian characters to be hillarious.)
Jimmy: Hey, billy, want to come over and play Grand Theft Auto? Billy: I'd love to, but mom said I couldn't play violent video games anymore, and she's even out protesting at Rockstar headquarters! Jimmy: Yeah, my mom is protesting, too, which means we'll have all afternoon un-attended to do whatever the hell we want! Billy: AWESOME! Should I bring my dad's Playboy and my brother's marijuana, too?
i had the same problem as you. the answer to this problem is fairly simple: save your best buff items for the endgame.
I agree, this game is certainly literature. its also one of those games that two people can play and end up taking something completely different from it. when my friend was describing it to me after i referred him to it, he described whole portions of the game that i missed (I played chaotic good, he played chaotic evil... I never met the lady of pain, never got mazed, played a thoughtful and curious character.... yet he started acting like a fool the minute he woke up, stealing from everyone, killing them if he failed at stealing, and he was mazed fairly quickly.
the scene in carceri (where curst slid to) and fighting the angel was unbelievable. it had an amazing sense of urgency, and because i'd grown attached to the characters, and the story, it was quite an impact, fighting through a monster-heavy area to rescue a townfull of people as they fought and died around me.
indeed, the only animals in GTA san andreas are jellyfish and sharks. i'm not sure you're able to kill either of them. there are also no children, because if you could involve children in the mayhem that gta allows, well, thats just sick.
you were born naked, sure, but you came out of a vagina! oh my god, stop the presses, and call Mr. Thompson! naked babies fall out of exposed vaginas! clearly this must be banned! think of the children! those sweet, succulent, naked children who fall out of exposed vaginas!
i've been waiting for the price of the PC version to drop before buying it. i already have the ps2 version, which is why i can wait: hi-res graphics and mouselook aren't that tempting to pay full price for.. however, the fact that it may soon be unavailable *is*. i'm tempted to go out and get it tonight... unless, of course, i find a copy of something else i really want at the gamestore.
i know there are supposed to be at least 18 other AO rated games in existence, but i've never seen any of them in stores. yes, i know its because stores won't carry them. that said, does anyone know which games have actually gotten AO rating?
Don't forget the skill to pay attention! Much as I'd like to involve my best friend in some D&D action, he has SEVERE ADHD. when i invited him, and he asked if he could bring his gameboy to the table to play with when it wasn't his turn.... I promptly un-invited him. Its not that he doesn't want to play, its that he can't pay attention to one thing for longer than a few minutes unless its attached to a video screen, and, really, it seems that this is epidemic among potential players, and I'm having a very hard time finding people to play who are interested *and* able, as it seems everyone I know who *could* be interested in joining, has something that prevents them from being *able* to participate fully.
i noticed you had said "friendly local gaming store." man, i wish i knew where to find one of thems. the only local store I know of that specializes in games is hardly friendly to people trying to get started (as in, if you don't already shop there or participate in their events, they are VERY VERY cold to you), and the other stores that carry games at all (but generalize, and carry toys and comics and stuff, too) and the clerks don't know anything about gaming at all (and one store has even hired a "barbie-girl" who doesn't really know ANYTHING about the topic, but hey, she's pretty, and drooling nerds spend more, right?)
I understand a lot of people have problems typing quickly, and take spelling and grammatical shortcuts, or are just careless in their haste. That said, I'm a fairly quick typer, and only use improper grammar in casual situations, and if I am doing something in a formal context, I make sure to use proper English and spelling.
The only time I am critical of someone's bad spelling or grammar, because, yes, it does take a bit more time for some people to work out proper English, is when its used in a formal setting (who do you hire, the guy who speaks well, or the guy who speaks "good"?), or if I can't figure out what someone is trying to say. There have been so many times, when instant messaging people, that they take shortcuts, or make mistakes, and it makes the meaning of the message incomprehensible.
you won't whip it out for waiting in the supermarket queue as you would with a game device so the lower flexibility won't directly affect you.
wow, you're grocery store must SUCK if you have time to watch a movie in the checkout line. I mean, i barely have enough time to whip out my gameboy and play a few rounds of pokemon. i still fail to see the need for a movie player in a portable gaming device, especially since the true joy of a portable system is the ability to whip it out and play in quick spurts if necessary. if I'm going on a trip some place, and want to watch a movie, i'd rather have a full-fledged portable dvd player, too.
should have gotten Christina Ricci for Alice. she already looks the part, at least, and i can see her doing the mentally unstable goth in a strange land better than Sarah Michelle Gellar.
generic non-descript cargo hold.
generic non-descript infirmary.
generic non-descript kitchen (with garage-sale furniture that has been bolted to the floor so that it doesn't float around in low-g settings
generic curtain-filled room for the space-hooker's quarters.
generic dashboard-looking cockpit with plastic dinosaurs scattered here and there.
Now that i've gotten that out of the way, you never said that you were that way to aggressive asshole customers, you said that you were that way to ignorant customers. if they claim to want more ram for their agp slot, you ask a series of questions to get the gist of what they really need, and point them to the product that can provide that. if they're insistent and beligerant, point them the memory corner of the store and let them go on their way, or simply tell them that you don't carry "AGP RAM".
guess what? i work in sales too. I get the occasional clueless customer, and you know what I do? I enlighten them. this encourages them to buy more, sometimes more than they initially thought they needed, sometimes less, but they usually leave my store with something after talking to me. do you know why? because i'm kind to them, I explain the situation, I help them figure out what they really need instead of ridiculing them for not knowing. when i do get the occasional beligerant customer, who won't listen to reason, i'll let them know that we can't help them with that, and send them on their way.
the majority of PC users don't know the inner workings, just like how the majority of of automobile owners don't know how to repair a transmission. some people may think that they know, even though they don't. in one of your other responses, you said that "it's like they think retail people are there to abuse and insult, and are sub-human creatures," and if you lose your cool and treat your customers without respect, or make fun of them for asking irrelevant questions instead of guiding them to ask the proper ones, then I'm pretty sure you had it coming. If you worked where i worked, you'd be fired in a heartbeat.
you're an asshole. because of people like you I have to fix my less computer-saavy friends' computers after they buy the wrong product. a customer's ignorance is not an excuse to be rude to them, its an opportunity to educate them about the product that is right for them, so that they buy the right product, causing you to have a valuable, less-ignorant, and hopefully REPEAT customer. its people like you that make the rest of us (the helpful ones) look like elitist assholes.
see, thats how I am. i usually have several things going on at once myself. if i stick to one game for too long, i get bored.. also, my taste varies WILDLY. somedays i feel like some KOTOR, others, i want katamari damacy.
in case you were wondering, my current playlist is: Warioware Twisted, Harvest Moon: Wonderful life (again...), Nightmare of Druaga, and halo2 ( Lanned)or Tekken 5 when my friends come over. i'll probably sneak in a little bit of pokemon emerald (and yes, my current guilty pleasure, NBA Ballers, shh, don't tell anyone!). I like to think that I'm a "well-rounded gamer," which just a minute ago is what i'll call myself instead of "hardcore," since i like a bit of everything.
i had a debate with this one guy about what makes a hardcore player..
i was convinced i was a hardcore gamer because i have a collection that makes EB jealous, and my best friends try to convince me that i should be renting them out...
but this guy, he says, because he only plays.. i forget what mmo it was, but we'll just say 'everquest'.. because he only plays 'everquest' and nothing else and has reached the level cap several times, he claims he was more hardcore than me. and he'd never heard of games like Harvest Moon, or Everblue 2. he'd heard of katamari damacy, and was convinced that since i played that and lots of other games, that I wasn't hardcore, but casual.
its not something i debate with people anymore. i have a love of games. he, well. he had a love ONE game. he is a hardcore everquest player, but I am a hardcore gamer. the fact that he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that someone who loves ALL TYPES OF GAMES is just as hardcore as someone who eats/sleeps/breaths only one game, well... i don't really know where i'm going with this, but i don't claim the hardcore label for myself anymore, because i don't want to look like as much of an asshole as he did.
you can't patent shakespeare, however, say someone created a system of mirrors to make the ghost in hamlet appear ghostly. he could patent that, and then only he could have ghostly apparitions in stage plays. nobody else could use the method of storytelling you created.
thats actually not quite as drastic as patenting a camera system in a video game, because all 3d video games use camera systems of some sort, but not all plays have ghastly apparitions. the game patent is on an implementation of technology in a piece of creative work, not the creative itself. a closer example, i suppose, would be patenting the act of using a chisel to make a statue out of marble, or aiming a light at a 45 degree angle to illuminate a painting.
Don't get me wrong, i still think its scummy and will only hurt gaming in the long run.
don't be such a nerd. its a friggin' movie. don't overanalyze it like that. its art, and storytelling, and therefore realistic science of the physics of a sith lord falling during a lightsaber duel don't actually apply.
...But because i'm a nerd too, and if you must pick it apart, then I shall do so back at you: they were on a giant friggin' star ship run almost entirely by droids, and therefore, the fact that they weren't on earth could always effect gravity physics not behaving as it would in your back yard.
(italics for things that DON'T ACTUALLY EXIST, thereby negating physical reality paralels.)
because it happened long ago and far away. so long ago, and far away, in fact, that their idea of 'network security' is sending two super battle droids to take down whoever is hacking their network.
Slashdot Mirror
something awful has two reviews of Water Closet (along with several of the other japanese-imported AO games), Neither of which are safe for work:
Water Closet Review
Water Closet Review part 2
Highly entertaining, even if it is disgusting.
in the upcoming Sims2 for Nintendo DS,instead of building a neighborhood, you build a hotel.
yeah, there's also no "software" on those "better operating systems." some of us enjoy our games, and our mainstream applications that we use at work, and don't have the time, money, or patience to build a second box for that purpose. wouldn't it be better if these idiots were held responsible for their BS? oh, and don't forget the biggest reason those other OS's have less of this crap: the reason is because there aren't enough users for it to be a worthwhile endeavor. want viruses, trojans, and spyware on your linux box, or your mac? keep advocating other non-windows operating systems, and maybe, if large groups of people hear you and migrate, you'll get it. what you have now is "security through obscurity," but when Linux (or mac, or whatever) becomes the mainstream, you'll see what less-vigilant windows users have struggled with for years. the best available solution is a good firewall, good spyware cleaner, good antivirus, and a bit of common sense that, no, you really shouldn't install every neat little gadget without knowing what you're putting in your box. a non-existing, ideal solution would be castrating these jerks who put this crap on other people's computers (which I then have to clean off), or if these people would just learn a way to make money that didn't involve other people's time being wasted... but saying that "oh, you should migrate over to this other platform" is not a good answer, because most people don't have the know-how to make another platform work, or they need the software available on the platform they're on.
The first MK was good because it took the plot from the game VERY directly with only a few changes to add some MK2 characters.... and MK1 was essentially a supernatural ripoff of "enter the dragon" anyway, so the first movie is, essentially, "Enter the Dragon" with monsters. I liked it, hated the sequel, and LOVED the TV series (but only because it was so laughably bad and filled with lame forced lesbian characters to be hillarious.)
Jimmy: Hey, billy, want to come over and play Grand Theft Auto?
Billy: I'd love to, but mom said I couldn't play violent video games anymore, and she's even out protesting at Rockstar headquarters!
Jimmy: Yeah, my mom is protesting, too, which means we'll have all afternoon un-attended to do whatever the hell we want!
Billy: AWESOME! Should I bring my dad's Playboy and my brother's marijuana, too?
3. The guy was supposed to be the last person alive.
you've never played doom co-op?
i had the same problem as you. the answer to this problem is fairly simple: save your best buff items for the endgame.
I agree, this game is certainly literature. its also one of those games that two people can play and end up taking something completely different from it. when my friend was describing it to me after i referred him to it, he described whole portions of the game that i missed (I played chaotic good, he played chaotic evil... I never met the lady of pain, never got mazed, played a thoughtful and curious character.... yet he started acting like a fool the minute he woke up, stealing from everyone, killing them if he failed at stealing, and he was mazed fairly quickly.
the scene in carceri (where curst slid to) and fighting the angel was unbelievable. it had an amazing sense of urgency, and because i'd grown attached to the characters, and the story, it was quite an impact, fighting through a monster-heavy area to rescue a townfull of people as they fought and died around me.
indeed, the only animals in GTA san andreas are jellyfish and sharks. i'm not sure you're able to kill either of them. there are also no children, because if you could involve children in the mayhem that gta allows, well, thats just sick.
you were born naked, sure, but you came out of a vagina! oh my god, stop the presses, and call Mr. Thompson! naked babies fall out of exposed vaginas! clearly this must be banned! think of the children! those sweet, succulent, naked children who fall out of exposed vaginas!
i've been waiting for the price of the PC version to drop before buying it. i already have the ps2 version, which is why i can wait: hi-res graphics and mouselook aren't that tempting to pay full price for.. however, the fact that it may soon be unavailable *is*. i'm tempted to go out and get it tonight... unless, of course, i find a copy of something else i really want at the gamestore.
i know there are supposed to be at least 18 other AO rated games in existence, but i've never seen any of them in stores. yes, i know its because stores won't carry them. that said, does anyone know which games have actually gotten AO rating?
Don't forget the skill to pay attention! Much as I'd like to involve my best friend in some D&D action, he has SEVERE ADHD. when i invited him, and he asked if he could bring his gameboy to the table to play with when it wasn't his turn....
I promptly un-invited him.
Its not that he doesn't want to play, its that he can't pay attention to one thing for longer than a few minutes unless its attached to a video screen, and, really, it seems that this is epidemic among potential players, and I'm having a very hard time finding people to play who are interested *and* able, as it seems everyone I know who *could* be interested in joining, has something that prevents them from being *able* to participate fully.
i noticed you had said "friendly local gaming store." man, i wish i knew where to find one of thems. the only local store I know of that specializes in games is hardly friendly to people trying to get started (as in, if you don't already shop there or participate in their events, they are VERY VERY cold to you), and the other stores that carry games at all (but generalize, and carry toys and comics and stuff, too) and the clerks don't know anything about gaming at all (and one store has even hired a "barbie-girl" who doesn't really know ANYTHING about the topic, but hey, she's pretty, and drooling nerds spend more, right?)
I understand a lot of people have problems typing quickly, and take spelling and grammatical shortcuts, or are just careless in their haste. That said, I'm a fairly quick typer, and only use improper grammar in casual situations, and if I am doing something in a formal context, I make sure to use proper English and spelling.
The only time I am critical of someone's bad spelling or grammar, because, yes, it does take a bit more time for some people to work out proper English, is when its used in a formal setting (who do you hire, the guy who speaks well, or the guy who speaks "good"?), or if I can't figure out what someone is trying to say. There have been so many times, when instant messaging people, that they take shortcuts, or make mistakes, and it makes the meaning of the message incomprehensible.
I own my TV, my TV doesn't own me.
you won't whip it out for waiting in the supermarket queue as you would with a game device so the lower flexibility won't directly affect you.
wow, you're grocery store must SUCK if you have time to watch a movie in the checkout line. I mean, i barely have enough time to whip out my gameboy and play a few rounds of pokemon. i still fail to see the need for a movie player in a portable gaming device, especially since the true joy of a portable system is the ability to whip it out and play in quick spurts if necessary. if I'm going on a trip some place, and want to watch a movie, i'd rather have a full-fledged portable dvd player, too.
should have gotten Christina Ricci for Alice. she already looks the part, at least, and i can see her doing the mentally unstable goth in a strange land better than Sarah Michelle Gellar.
don't forget the firefly indoor scenes:
generic non-descript cargo hold.
generic non-descript infirmary.
generic non-descript kitchen (with garage-sale furniture that has been bolted to the floor so that it doesn't float around in low-g settings
generic curtain-filled room for the space-hooker's quarters.
generic dashboard-looking cockpit with plastic dinosaurs scattered here and there.
true, i was rude to you. sorry.
Now that i've gotten that out of the way, you never said that you were that way to aggressive asshole customers, you said that you were that way to ignorant customers. if they claim to want more ram for their agp slot, you ask a series of questions to get the gist of what they really need, and point them to the product that can provide that. if they're insistent and beligerant, point them the memory corner of the store and let them go on their way, or simply tell them that you don't carry "AGP RAM".
guess what? i work in sales too. I get the occasional clueless customer, and you know what I do? I enlighten them. this encourages them to buy more, sometimes more than they initially thought they needed, sometimes less, but they usually leave my store with something after talking to me. do you know why? because i'm kind to them, I explain the situation, I help them figure out what they really need instead of ridiculing them for not knowing. when i do get the occasional beligerant customer, who won't listen to reason, i'll let them know that we can't help them with that, and send them on their way.
the majority of PC users don't know the inner workings, just like how the majority of of automobile owners don't know how to repair a transmission. some people may think that they know, even though they don't. in one of your other responses, you said that "it's like they think retail people are there to abuse and insult, and are sub-human creatures," and if you lose your cool and treat your customers without respect, or make fun of them for asking irrelevant questions instead of guiding them to ask the proper ones, then I'm pretty sure you had it coming. If you worked where i worked, you'd be fired in a heartbeat.
you're an asshole. because of people like you I have to fix my less computer-saavy friends' computers after they buy the wrong product. a customer's ignorance is not an excuse to be rude to them, its an opportunity to educate them about the product that is right for them, so that they buy the right product, causing you to have a valuable, less-ignorant, and hopefully REPEAT customer. its people like you that make the rest of us (the helpful ones) look like elitist assholes.
see, thats how I am. i usually have several things going on at once myself. if i stick to one game for too long, i get bored.. also, my taste varies WILDLY. somedays i feel like some KOTOR, others, i want katamari damacy.
in case you were wondering, my current playlist is: Warioware Twisted, Harvest Moon: Wonderful life (again...), Nightmare of Druaga, and halo2 ( Lanned)or Tekken 5 when my friends come over. i'll probably sneak in a little bit of pokemon emerald (and yes, my current guilty pleasure, NBA Ballers, shh, don't tell anyone!). I like to think that I'm a "well-rounded gamer," which just a minute ago is what i'll call myself instead of "hardcore," since i like a bit of everything.
i had a debate with this one guy about what makes a hardcore player..
i was convinced i was a hardcore gamer because i have a collection that makes EB jealous, and my best friends try to convince me that i should be renting them out...
but this guy, he says, because he only plays.. i forget what mmo it was, but we'll just say 'everquest'.. because he only plays 'everquest' and nothing else and has reached the level cap several times, he claims he was more hardcore than me. and he'd never heard of games like Harvest Moon, or Everblue 2. he'd heard of katamari damacy, and was convinced that since i played that and lots of other games, that I wasn't hardcore, but casual.
its not something i debate with people anymore. i have a love of games. he, well. he had a love ONE game. he is a hardcore everquest player, but I am a hardcore gamer. the fact that he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that someone who loves ALL TYPES OF GAMES is just as hardcore as someone who eats/sleeps/breaths only one game, well... i don't really know where i'm going with this, but i don't claim the hardcore label for myself anymore, because i don't want to look like as much of an asshole as he did.
you can't patent shakespeare, however, say someone created a system of mirrors to make the ghost in hamlet appear ghostly. he could patent that, and then only he could have ghostly apparitions in stage plays. nobody else could use the method of storytelling you created.
thats actually not quite as drastic as patenting a camera system in a video game, because all 3d video games use camera systems of some sort, but not all plays have ghastly apparitions. the game patent is on an implementation of technology in a piece of creative work, not the creative itself. a closer example, i suppose, would be patenting the act of using a chisel to make a statue out of marble, or aiming a light at a 45 degree angle to illuminate a painting.
Don't get me wrong, i still think its scummy and will only hurt gaming in the long run.
don't be such a nerd. its a friggin' movie. don't overanalyze it like that. its art, and storytelling, and therefore realistic science of the physics of a sith lord falling during a lightsaber duel don't actually apply.
...But because i'm a nerd too, and if you must pick it apart, then I shall do so back at you: they were on a giant friggin' star ship run almost entirely by droids, and therefore, the fact that they weren't on earth could always effect gravity physics not behaving as it would in your back yard.
(italics for things that DON'T ACTUALLY EXIST, thereby negating physical reality paralels.)
because it happened long ago and far away. so long ago, and far away, in fact, that their idea of 'network security' is sending two super battle droids to take down whoever is hacking their network.