DanJW

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Everything posted by DanJW

  1. Magicka

    So it's a case of don't cross the streams? Unless you really need to, like in the event of staypuff.
  2. V The Elder Scrolls

    The combat sounds fine I guess. But I would love it if just once a fantasy game could have magic that wasn't based on the classical elements. The Elemenstor Saga is satire for a reason.
  3. (IGN.com)

    Honestly, things like this actually give me hope. It makes me able to appreciate my own writing, meaning I'm more likely to write frequently and actually promote it. Iif this guy can get a job writing for a living, why can't I? I've been noticing my rising irritation with bad writing in reviews of all types lately - games, films, plays. I'm thinking of starting a blog that reviews, um reviews. Would that be churlish?
  4. New people: Read this, say hi.

    Welcome Orlandotorres!
  5. Movie/TV recommendations

    ErPEcPbwKYg ... What...
  6. The Dancing Thumb (aka: music recommendations)

    My favourite WOTLK track was this. It just perfectly captured the atmosphere of the place: mpyInx0ldfo More music now. In my search for more electroswing I discovered Crystal Castles. They're a weird downbeat electro band with chip tune influences. This track made me laugh when I first heard it but now I'm addicted to their 2008 album. YaDBpViGWWI
  7. V The Elder Scrolls

    Yeah I have thought about this sort of thing from time to time. My idea was to have a kind of AI relationships "physics engine". In the way that systems like Havok can simulate the interaction of solid objects with weight and inertia, I would like to attempt to model metaphysics in the same vein.
  8. Internet Comics

    My webcomic bookmarks are: Penny Arcade Sinfest PVP XKCD Three Panel Soul Freak Angels Darths & Droids Others come and go. I used to read Garfield, Calvin & Hobbes and other strips on GoComics, I think it was. But I stopped visiting because they had a banner ad with an incredibly annoying mosquito noise. I couldn't stand it. I see Garfield has it's own site now, but, well, meh I'm not in the mood. Note: If your site allows ads that make noises, I will stop visiting your site.
  9. V The Elder Scrolls

    Given dedicated graphics cards now, I don't think it would be the polygons that would suffer. More likely the number of entities. Rodi, I think that it is possible to have procedural and emergent stories that are meaningful (it's how they occur in real life afterall); I just don't think we have figured out how to produce them reliably or with any great frequency. Rarely if ever do designer-programmers attempt new paradigms in game AI.
  10. Wizaaaaaards!!

    As do I
  11. V The Elder Scrolls

    Agreed. It's sounds like they have identified all the problem points with Oblivion, which is good, and they are attempting to address them, which is even better. But this AI stuff always sounds amazing and then turns out a little underwhelming. Maybe it's because as seasoned gamers we have more familiarity with the scripting involved and can spot the predictable systems below the surface.
  12. Aliens screening 28/02 London

    In other Alien news, the prequel no longer has any aliens in it. Noomi Rapace is going star and it's actually starting to sound very interesting.
  13. Obligatory comical YouTube thread

    On the heels of the laughing camel (which has me in stitches by the way) AE9UaQwum8c
  14. Hacking

    I remember thinking that Fallout 3 had the most fun and most believable hacking minigame I have seen. In most games it just comes across as an arbitrary minigame that has nothing to do with computing and breaks my suspension of disbelief. But I could totally buy into Fallout 3's "choose the correct password from a list imbedded in garbled code", with added logic puzzle as to number of correct letters. It was quick, I could make it quicker by being clever and it scaled well with difficulty and hacking skill. Vampire the Maquerade: Bloodlines didn't have a minigame for hacking, just a difficulty level vs hacking skill. This was tempered with using investigation and observation to find passwords lying around though, or even guess some of them if you were particularly smart.
  15. Movie/TV recommendations

    The Matrix actually used some of the sets left over from Dark City (don't know if that was mentioned in the comparison). I do like Dark City. It has a weird wonky vibe that reminds me of Brazil and other Gilliam films. I must watch it again sometime. I don't think I saw the directors cut either. (I liked The Matrix too but it was ruined for me a bit by the sequels)
  16. Obligatory comical YouTube thread

    The idea was stolen by at least one car commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnAhv26AEBw and I seem to remember seeing others too. Maybe even with the same music, but that might be my memory playing tricks.
  17. Weirdness in games... isn't it normal?

    It's worth noting that Brooker got sick of the forced nastiness required to write the regular column and packed it in (similar sentiment to Rab Florence and Ryan Mcleod on Consolevania). He is fantastic though, and the things I like most about screenwipe/newswipe (2010 wipe) is that it is insightful and educational as well as snarky. I got bored by Yahtzee eventually and forgot about him. But I rediscovered him last week and after the break found him entertaining again. I think he might have mellowed somewhat over time as well - or at least admits more games he actually likes. There are a number of his recent reviews that are actually spot-on (I was reminded of him by someone who had seen Epic Micky prior to release and said Yahtzee's take on it was "uncomfortably accurate").
  18. (IGN.com)

    Shushhhhh!
  19. (IGN.com)

    Except for her unique status of being "off-limits to sexploitation and gender stereotyping". Which was kind of safeguarded by her blanket slatedness.
  20. Happy Birthday!

    Tanukitsune is the Man! (as far as I am aware)
  21. Obligatory comical YouTube thread

    There's actually a lot less of that stuff in the Episode 3 review. I guess they made him a character just to add interest to what might be quite a dry commentary. Also jokes. All three reviews are great, this third one is a wonderful finish and really sums up the prequel series. Even if you don't have the time to watch them all or don't like the style, I think everyone should watch the part 3 of the Episode 3 review for its conclusions. Including a masterful comparison to Citizen Kane.
  22. Movie/TV recommendations

    Interesting. Maybe your father's rejection of the movie when you were at such an impressionable age ingrained in you the idea that the film was unworthy. Here, lie down on zis couch. Tell me about your mother
  23. Recently completed video games

    My flatmate gave me Dead to Rights: Retribution for xmas. Oh well, I played it anyway. I guess it does a fairly good job of mixing up shooting and brawling. And you play some bits as a murderous sneaky dog. which is fun the first time but then exactly the same every other time. The main character though is so incredibly buff and macho that I actually found it offensive. He's built like a champion weightlifter. I mean WTF he clearly doesn't have time for policework due to all the hours in the gym mainlining steroids. All his posturing and gritty-voicedness was so game-typical that I felt personally insulted by it. The plot is mercifully sci-fi free, attempting to do an actual action/crime movie, Lethal Weapon style. Unfortunately the writing is unintentionally hilarious. It's like they played Max payne but didn't understand that there was wit, pastiche and irony involved. The protagonist will rail at the gung-ho SWAT team for shooting first and not making arrests... despite the fact that you spend the entire game murdering thousands of criminal suspects, hopefully before they get a chance to let off a shot. Then there's a woman who seemed to think it was my fault that there was a bomb on the train. "What the Hell Jack?!" she clichéd at me "somebody could have been hurt" Ok lady: 1) I was trying to disarm the fucking thing, it would have been there even if I hadn't. Would you have preferred me to stay away? 2) People were hurt. Several dozen yakuza members in fact. I shot them in their faces. Some of them I broke their necks instead. For questioning. 3) OH! you think maybe someone could have been hurt do you? By a bomb? I guess whoever set the bomb might have thought the same thing because IT'S A FUCKING BOMB THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE FOR. Such a dumb game.