Thanks for this review. It's helped me decide that I don't care what this author thinks about anything, so I can avoid such poorly conceived reviews in the future.
@Brandon Cassata: I really think you're just coincidentally meeting some real douchebag players. Everyone I've ever spoken with, Alliance or Horde, has been very genial. Just like mentioned above, there are sports fans of all sorts - some are in it to have a fun rivalry, and some just don't understand how not to be hateful. Don't let a bunch of poor players ruin your outlook on the group as a whole. Remember there are well over 12 million players and counting at this point.
@DreamSequence: Actually, I had the exact opposite experience. I started off playing alliance out of interest in the Draenei (blue goatmen race... don't ask), and all I ever encountered were rage-filled highschoolers whose concept of good and evil made the game little more than a klan rally for most of them, the horrible things you'd hear. I grew disgusted with it all and quit the game for a long time, until a friend of mine convinced me to try a Horde character on his server. Everyone was just absurdly nice and ready to help each other out. People still remembered it was a game, and made sure to have fun before focusing on destroying the "bad guys." I've been a dedicated Horde player since then. Plus, I just love the whole shamanistic approach to the Horde's lore.
I think, after all, it comes down to what server you're playing on, though. I've heard of plenty of servers that have an awful player base for either faction, depending on where you look.
I think, after all, it comes down to what server you're playing on, though. I've heard of plenty of servers that have an awful player base for either faction, depending on where you look.
@TheArsoni5t: I completely get how you understood my statement that way. I did extend my own words beyond what Chester was getting at in that regard. He points to the American government, which I do agree with, but I personally extend that blame to our people, because we collectively fail to try to understand the world beyond ourselves, and so our government can do as it pleases. Perhaps "retarded" was a little harsh. I get frustrated with the state of things, and this thread may have gotten me riled up enough to use the rude term. Apologies if that offended anyone.
I do agree with Chester in his sentiments, though my segue into my own complaints may have indicated otherwise.
Personally, I think no governing system we've come up with works all the time, every time, and ideally, we would set up a system which alternates government archetypes based on need.
I do agree with Chester in his sentiments, though my segue into my own complaints may have indicated otherwise.
Personally, I think no governing system we've come up with works all the time, every time, and ideally, we would set up a system which alternates government archetypes based on need.
@Chester Coat Sleaves is disappointed Dean is gone.: You earned yourself a heart for that one. Damn well said. And to be clear, yes, this is coming from an American. I love my country, but as a collective we are retarded. I think a lot of our ignorance stems from being so isolated from other cultures. Canada and Mexico notwithstanding (because it's still a pretty major trip for most of us), it's not like Europe, where you can take a train any time you like to visit a plethora of different places and people. We just don't get the opportunity to see things from angles other than our own, and it's actually quite embarrassing to me how much blind pride we carry for it.
@exion: Absolutely agreed, and I am American. I would have said, "Ah, whatever, it's a game, lots of famous people have been depicted dying in games," but as you pointed out, the apparent glorification of the act is what disgusts me. I'm all for freedom of speech, and think that this should be as protected as anything else, but I do personally find the whole thing in extremely poor taste.
Besides that, Castro has actually done more great things for Cuba than most of my own "leaders" have done for my country. It's asinine and uneducated for him to be depicted as a villain whose death we should rejoice.
Besides that, Castro has actually done more great things for Cuba than most of my own "leaders" have done for my country. It's asinine and uneducated for him to be depicted as a villain whose death we should rejoice.
@Sega: I'm glad you said all that, so I didn't have to. Heh. Spot on, and well said. It's not to say this couldn't happen in a game, but very few styles of gameplay would not be stifled by it. Mirror's Edge is the best candidate I can think of to do anything like this, and I personally had a lot of issue with how uncontrolled it felt.
This concept is also why I'm very intrigued by Brink, because if it utilizes the animation it has as well as it seems to, it would open up a whole new path of more realistic animation and gameplay.
This concept is also why I'm very intrigued by Brink, because if it utilizes the animation it has as well as it seems to, it would open up a whole new path of more realistic animation and gameplay.
Crecente, I think I liked your freestyle more than any of the other dance moves in your video. Looks ridiculously fun.
I can't say this'll get me to fork over the money for Kinect yet, but once some more realized games come out for it and I end up picking one up, I will definitely go back and get a copy of Dance Central.
I can't say this'll get me to fork over the money for Kinect yet, but once some more realized games come out for it and I end up picking one up, I will definitely go back and get a copy of Dance Central.
WHEW! That took a minute to get there, but once the verses changed to the grimmer words, it got really creepy. I was getting chills by the end. Well done!
@Faye: I like you. You give very thorough and well-spoken responses. Haha.
I love SSS in 3D. I think that, from a graphical standpoint, has done the most recently for getting through the uncanny valley. It just adds so much that you almost never realized wasn't there, unless you're specifically looking for it.
For anyone interested, a good example of subsurface scattering (besides people) is an orange. Notice in this picture how the light seems to come partially from within the flesh of the fruit - that's what we're talking about here. It's to say that some things both partially reflect and partially refract light. It's a nature of light that hasn't been explored very thoroughly in 3D until the last few years (don't hold me to that guesstimation! Haha), and it's one of the things that makes me very excited to see what will be developed next.
EDIT
Okay, I fail miserably at posting this image, so instead, here is a link to said image, as well as some other great examples and some more info.
[claudiaherbst.org]
I love SSS in 3D. I think that, from a graphical standpoint, has done the most recently for getting through the uncanny valley. It just adds so much that you almost never realized wasn't there, unless you're specifically looking for it.
For anyone interested, a good example of subsurface scattering (besides people) is an orange. Notice in this picture how the light seems to come partially from within the flesh of the fruit - that's what we're talking about here. It's to say that some things both partially reflect and partially refract light. It's a nature of light that hasn't been explored very thoroughly in 3D until the last few years (don't hold me to that guesstimation! Haha), and it's one of the things that makes me very excited to see what will be developed next.
EDIT
Okay, I fail miserably at posting this image, so instead, here is a link to said image, as well as some other great examples and some more info.
[claudiaherbst.org]
@ZonkotheSane: Totally agreed with you. Though truth be told, I like the idea of "pretty inside and out." Haha. Alex is still one of the greatest NPCs I've ever seen, and that was greatly due to her having such a distinct personality and not being an outrageously beautiful character.
@juriko: Generally speaking, I agree with you. However, I would rather people push those limits than not ever attempt it. But you're right, we're still pretty far from getting through that uncanny valley at this point.
@Faye: Could you go into more detail? Are you referring to subsurface scattering, or something else? I'm quite curious, as I do 3D modeling, myself.
@DIOX-HOL-STER: I would say the one on the right is hotter in our modern sense of western beauty. But I don't think that was the point of the character. Alex was a scientist's daughter, and thought more about helping others than putting on her makeup. I think that stood for a lot of her character's appeal, and this attempt at making her look like a supermodel detracts from that. The "new" model is certainly more attractive, I suppose, but she also looks vapid and stupid to me.
@MrFluffyThing: I think maybe you you misunderstood me. The original model is more to my taste. I'm all for making it look better, but this is such a departure from the original concept that it just comes off as lacking in any point to me.
@ZenInsight: This might be a better example. Though, personally, I liked that Alex just looked like a regular gal and not like a casting director paid copious amounts of money to get a Jessica Alba-ish model to play the part. The quality of the character model is certainly better, but I do feel like Alex lost some personality for sex appeal. Might be something I need to see in action.
@RapidFire87: I would imagine being a Supreme Court Justice gets you to a point where you've heard people speak so constantly verbose that you get sick of waiting for them to finish. Most of what was interrupted, the point was made long before the sentence was finished. Seems to me Scalia is simply bored with pretense.
@fuchikoma: Yes, that does seem a bit of a misnomer. It's strange to automatically associate any and all sex with obscenity when the act itself is, I think, in most people's minds, one of caring, affection and closeness.
@KlaytonAmory: I would not be opposed to that at all, frankly. But they indicate that it would be a (severely?) punishable crime to even allow a minor in this case access to one of these games, much in the sense that giving alcohol to someone under 21 is also illegal. In that light, I really think that's a smidge too far, and sets a bad precedent for doing the same with other media. Yeah, purchasing a game might out to require an ID, but if I then deem it okay for my child to play under my own personal standards, then that ought to be my call as a parent.
@Foohy: That's more or less the case. TWD leaves it fairly ambiguous, the characters defining zombie traits as they witness them. For the most part TWD zombies seem much more attracted to sound than anything, which was also referenced often in this first episode. While there's certainly some logic problems with this scene no matter how you look at it, I don't find the fact that Rick was left alone all that unbelievable. Chancy, sure. But not unbelievable.