gdf

Unless you have a lot of spare time I wouldn't recommend Freespace. I played the tutorial for thirty minutes, got a bit confused, went to change some control options and saw the hundreds of commands, then quit. I'll get round to it eventually.

Trials 2 was great like that. However, I do think that completion of any game without death should be possible.

Maybe I just sit really close to the screen and know nothing about the technical side. It's not the scaling going wrong though, just most things run in 720p.

The stretch isn't noticeable at all. Wipeout had no problem and the XMB looked great. The monitor itself is lovely, Samsung SyncMaster 932GW apparently, so honestly, I can't see it being a problem with 16:10. Stuff is just low ass resolution because the monitor is so high itself.

I have this cheapo TV that's just under HD resolution or something, but it looks fine with most 360 and PS3 games outputting at 720p. Last week I spent a tenner on some cables and sound jacks and hooked my PS3 up to my monitor and was horribly disappointed (though it's still better than the TV). 720p looks like fucking shit, I wasn't aware just how High a Definition I played PC games at. I always wondered why I'd get framerates<60 on games like Far Cry 2 at 1400x900 and the console versions were only slightly slower running, but it was because they run at a crap resolution! Batman, for instance, looks like he's made from duplo blocks because it runs at low res and without any AA from what I saw. Shatter looks second closest to "great", but it's not quite there. Wipeout HD was the only one I tried (and I had a go on loads of my games) that looked properly lovely. As in, beautiful, smooth lines AA'd to the max and crisp as anything. Ratchet and Clank looked blurry because it was low res smothered in AA, and the same goes for Killzone 2. HD my arse.

The other day I got Fallout (so I can play it on me netbook) and Giants: Citizen Kabuto because I've had my eye on it for a while. I love GOG, it's so unambiguously awesome.

¿Qué?

Puzzle isn't shit, just different. I do hope they use the fusion sound of That Golden Rule for most of the new album though, it seems like an awesome cross between Infinity Land and Puzzle's first two tracks. The TGR EP b-sides were a bit weak, but I've convinced myself they're getting rid of the chaff. Also, Miffy, you have to drop loads of wizard jokes the next time you see that wizard. Imagine if he was the wizard.

I love /b/. For all the shit, gems like that are always around.

Good to see the basement dweller stereotype is still holding up.

OH SHIT!

In yet another hilarious coincidence The Ideal Height has just come on my iTunes. And that cover is amazing. Do you think Remo engineered it?

Looks like Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil. Interestingly enough there was a song called "Some Kind of Wizard" on their third album Infinity Land. COINCIDENCE?!!1

I finished Stranglehold on PC last night. It was crap of course, but sensibly short and a decent way to whittle away a few hours with some perversely entertaining explosions and comically bad cut scenes.

I have some spare points and just got my dodgy bargain Xbox from ebay, so I'll buy this. But only if you promise to all play CarneyVale Showtime mind.

I think it's important for developers to express their own take on what they've created before the general opinion of the internet gets in the way. I'd never publish an article without proof reading it, and if I'd worked on a book for two and a half years, I'd want the opportunity to assess how I felt it had gone. As for the examples: Randy Smith can write about whatever he likes, and that article was more interesting than his usual cryptic stuff. As for the Gamasutra piece, it's a site for game developers in the main. Oh shit I hope I'm not wrong and get shat upon by Chris. [by the way, who came up with the title "Editor at Large"? It sounds like you're an escaped lunatic who keeps a blog.]

I still get hard for Tolkien fantasy land RPGs.

I keep imagining Mickey as the psychotic, whip-toting overseer in the Disney factory, beating the shit out of Spider-man because he lost a finger making a Tigger bobblehead.

So, basically, we all want to go back in time and just live as a bounty hunter in the Wild West. Still, there's plenty of potential for Westerns that's yet to be exploited in any meaningful way.

Wouldn't you rather have a kill/scalp two hit knife combo?

Were someone to do it properly I think they'd have to hide all of the numbers. Have natural progression in abilities, passively improve at what you like to do etc. instead of all this assigning skill points frippery. Games have gotten past the point that these systems have to be prevalent, because the whole point of them in the pen and paper days was to help people imagine these fantastical scenarios. Well, guess what, we've got video games now and it's possible to have that experience without staring at stat sheets. RPG totally doesn't mean role playing game any more. Far Cry 2 is arguably a role playing game. Actually, Far Cry 2 in the Wild West would be sweet. Put Will Smith in it as well and you're really on to something.

maybe you has wank vein

Was it you that sent in reader mail saying a Wild West MMOFPS would be the best game ever? Red Dead Redemption could be amazing. The first was great, but lacked a certain something. Have you played Gun?

No, it's very much a level based game, but there are plenty large, open spaces to explore. As I said, it's pretty much entirely in first person, meaning the dialogue and stuff is usually experienced passively to a degree. It's less focussed on shooting, and though the stealth bits are quite wank it's worth persevering. The style changes a lot throughout, with some bits straight shooting, some horseback chases, some sneaking, some platforming, some rabbit hunting. Unbalanced, all over the place and full of dodgy moments, but surprisingly ambitious and different overall.

I wouldn't have shown the same restraint, consider yourself applauded for you calm handling of the situation. Your micro-biographies are always hugely compelling reading, Miffy!