ThunderPeel2001

There's zero problem using Notepad... if you're good enough B-) It's slightly more of a pain, and I'd never consider it for a big project, but I could easily put together a standards compliant site in no time. You wouldn't use it professionally because it would be a weird form of machochism, but essentially all you need is syntax highlighting from your IDE. If I'm working with PHP, or building a big site, I use NetBeans (seems a bit faster than Eclipse to me). If it's something small, I'll use Notepad++. Bottom line: DreamWeaver is perfectly fine if you use it as a text editor, but it's awful if you use its WYSIWYG interface. The idea that someone who doesn't know HTML could put together a site from scratch in 20 minutes is total BS, though. You could spend 20 mins reading up on the syntax.

You were less nervous interviewing Chet Faliszek. Also: YOU INTERVIEWED CHET FALISZEK??

It would be pretty ironic if Remo banned or yelled at you... not typical behaviour for a community manager. (Hint: I was a community manager for three years. Not that I'm jealous. Ok, I'm jealous.)

I make websites for a living... Step 1: Don't use Dreamweaver (for anything other than a glorified version of notepad, at least). Step 2: It might take you 20 minutes... once you're au fait with HTML. I'd suggest reading this, or posting a JPG of your site with a link to the PSD to see if some kind soul might take pity on you.

Sounds like something a bot would say *scratches chin*

I do LOVE his stuff. Where does he see the future of Wadjet Eye games? Are they going to stick with AGS indie games, or will they ever move to bigger budget titles? Also: How many more chapters of the Blackwell Legacy will there be? Does he have an overarching plan?

Yeah, he already said in the Monkey Island commentary that he's never going to reveal it.

Ex-Community Manager, it seems... Colour me jealous/confused, but what experience does Remo have managing a community? Idle Thumbs is probably the least community managed community outside of 4chan. And whenever he does post here, he tends to stamp his opinion down pretty hard (you know it's true, fanbois and girls). Anyways, I'm jealous. Congrats, Mr. Remo, I'm jealous. Did I mention how jealous I am?

So what's your job title?

Is this actually the sign of a job, or is it him doing a piece as a journo? Edit: Holy crap, he got a job there! Anyone know doing what? He's in a position to find out why things turned sour for Ron and Hothead. And also why Erik Wolpaw apparently hated working at DF.

Yes, I know it was the opposite, that's why I said "you can't please everybody". Some people were saying it made no sense not to have supernatural elements, you're saying they don't need them.

Wasn't there somebody recently asking the same question but the other way around? Like why the hell set it in a fantasy world if you're NOT going to have supernatural elements? I guess it's hard to please everybody.

I can only presume that they'll make a decision regarding a HD release of Twin Snakes (and presumably Portable Ops) based on the sales of the first HD collection. I hope it happens! Also, I noticed that the PS3 version has WAY more trophies than the XBox version has Achievements. Not sure how I feel about that

Yep, it was Subsistence. I don't know why I found it so hard. I don't think there's a steep learning curve or anything. I guess it's just learning what you can get away with and what you can't. Running behind a guard and then CQC slamming them to the ground is a piece of piss. The biggest problems comes if you start trying to kill the guards -- it's much easier to run behind them, CQC slam them, or tranq them. Despite the huge amount of lethal weaponry in the game, it really works against you if you try to use them. Note to anyone thinking of giving it another go, the old camera system (which can be quickly switched between using PS3 R3 or XBox RS) is sometimes better for seeing baddies. The Subsistence camera is pretty cool, but there's nothing wrong with the original camera, I don't think.

So I finally re-played this game thanks to the new HD collection. Fuck me, what an awesome game. I have no idea why I found it so difficult before. I actually found it absurdly easy this time around. When I last played it on the PS2 it was right off the back of playing MGS2. The sudden openness of the areas freaked me out. The totally different play style confused me. The intricate food, camo, and health system overwhelmed me. This time around it all came so easy that I have to wonder why I struggled so much. I even played through it on Extra Easy on the PS2 and... still found it hard. This time I played through on Normal and barely struggled. I even did a playthrough with no kills or alerts for fun. Here's a tip for anyone needing help: B+Direction is your friend. Or Circle+Direction on the PlayStation. That's all the CQC you need to know. The rest is just window dressing. Not being overwhelmed this time around meant I could enjoy the story... And what a story! I think I cared more about these characters than I've ever cared about any characters before in any game. The fact that you were playing the baddie from the other games when he was a goodie was a stroke of genius. Now I just wish they'd do a Revolver Ocelot game. Anyway, in all, I'm a total convert. I LOVE this game. It's a masterpiece by my standards.

Congratubobulations, subbes!

If someone claims something is present that I cannot see, the onus is on the person who is insisting it's there to prove to me that it is. I'm not being deliberately difficult, I'm genuinely asking for an explanation. As it turns out I found a few great articles on the subject that do a wonderful job of pointing out the (very obvious, I must admit) satire of war and propaganda, especially as it was used in the fascist state of Nazi Germany. The film is indeed deeper that it first seems. I had forgotten a lot of the dialogue that's quoted in those articles.

I still don't see it. One reference to "earning citizenship" does not a satire make. As I said, I can see it as a parody/satire of pro-war propaganda, and of how enticing it can be made to look, but any direct messages about fascism seem to be being foisted upon it from people's understanding of the original book. Edit: I found a few interesting articles that backup the, "it's a clever satire" argument: Great quote here: http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/11/26/starship-troopers-fascism/ And: http://www.avclub.com/articles/starship-troopers,41966/ Makes me want to watch it again!

Well it's featured in one dystopian novel, and it's used there to control people through fear. That's not what's depicted in Starship Troopers. The society there is near utopian.

But young people get eaten up by war in democratic societies. Look at Vietnam. I don't see any evidence that the society portrayed in Starship Troopers would crumble if there wasn't a war, or that the powers that be are creating one in order to keep the status quo. I can't even think of a real life fascist power that has ever kept a war going for the sheer sake of it, so I don't even know what the point of a film doing that would be. The film works as propaganda for a fictitious war, but beyond that I don't see any more satire.

This hasn't been mentioned here, but the Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective games are getting a remastered treatment for PC and Mac. As someone who owns some of the originals, I have to say: They're surprisingly excellent and enjoyable games, and deserve to be Kickstarted. So I'm helping promote it: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920171553/sherlock-holmes-consulting-detective-adventure-mys They're not doing very well at the moment.

Hmm. I'm still not convinced that it works as a satire. It has satirical moments, but we're on the side of the Troopers. We never see the damage a fascistic society would do to them in real life (e.g. losing citizenship, not being able to vote, someone else sacrificing you for the greater good against your will).

I want to believe it's very smart, but mostly I think it's just good fun. The satirical stuff is pretty weak, IMHO. What are you getting from it that I'm not?

I'M SO SORRY!!!!!

The embargo I had to sign has ended, so I'm now free to post my impressions of The Avengers (aka Avengers Assemble). I was incredibly lucky to get tickets to a press screening last week, and so got to see it ahead of just about everyone. I really enjoyed it! It reminded me of the feeling that I got when I first watched X-Men at the cinema (back when all previous comic-book movies had been terrible, and X-Men was the first decent one to come along). Obviously X-Men isn't the greatest example any more, but at the time it was something that stood out, and I got that same feeling: A new super-hero group that I want to see more of. Also, The Avengers make The X-Men look like a bunch of pussies by comparison. Recommended