A new PS3 exclusive action RPG by the developers of the cult classic King's Field was recently released called Demon's Souls.  It's an action RPG where you play as a nameless "hero" who has to save a kingdom from an evil king summoning monsters.  I say "hero" because once you start the game you can do whatever the hell you want.  Save the world, loot the place, rule the world, kill other players, who cares it's your choice.

screenshots here

What has me most excited is the attention to detail.  Objects interact with the world on a physics based system.  Cover crumbles, weapons bounce against the terrain (meaning you can't use a spear in a tight hallway), monsters roam the levels never staying in one spot (a dragon perches on a pulpit, launches fireballs, flies out of range, comes dive bombing in, etc.) and so on.

While the game is single player, there's a unique procedural multiplayer that affects you if you're online.  Basically, there's multiple universes and your character is a soul in every universe but your own.  Periodically you can see other "souls" (other players in their own game) fighting stuff.  You can't interact with them as they're essentially ghosts.  The different universes will often merge so players can leave messages in the dirt to be read by anybody, you can find bloodstains of dead players, discarded equipment, and sometimes a player's soul will appear as an antagonist.

Currently the game is Japan only but for whatever reason it was translated fully in English (except the manual).  Sony has no plans to release it internationally which is criminal.  It sold out in Japan the first week!  I imported the game from Australia and god dammit I can't wait to play it.

on multiplayer

It seems like they wanted to integrate multiplayer into the game without hampering the single-player experience. They integrate it in such a way that it never breaks the atmosphere and conventions created by the single-player. Well, there really is only a “single-player” mode; the multiplayer features are just integrated into it if your console is online.

1. I believe the story has you being a person who is resurrected by a sorceress to go fight the evil. Since this is the story for everyone playing, I guess she has an army of souls. When you play, you can see some other players as they play their game. You can't see what they're fighting or anything; you just see their character as they do fighting animations or jumping or whatever. You can't interact with them; all you're seeing is their ghost (soul?).

2. You can leave messages on the ground which other players can read. You can leave hints or comments or trick them or whatever.

3. Sometimes you will come across a big bloodstain on the ground. When you check it, it will spawn a ghost of another player and you can see how they died there.

4. Another gameplay point seems to be that when you die, you come back as a soul, meaning you only have half your max HP. You can't get your body back until you defeat a boss. However, if a living player has a certain item, they can use it to summon souls to his side (sort of like pokemon). You can go to his game and have multiplayer this way, and when you defeat a boss you'll get your body back, which should be a lot easier with a team. The catches are that when the summoner dies, you're transported back to your world. Also, there isn't any voice chat; only animated gestures.

5. Alternatively, if you don't feel like teaming up with someone or fighting a boss, you can instead teleport to someone else's game and attempt to kill him. If you do, you'll get resurrected. If not, there's some penalty I don't know.

6. I guess this is spoilers for one of the bosses but it's really cool. Supposedly one boss can pick you up and throw you into another room, which is filled with other players (how the game sets this up I don't know). You then have to duke it out in a giant battle royale, because only the last one standing may leave the room and the defeat the boss.

and

You aren't usually fighting alongside other players, but at the same time you constantly run into evidence of other people playing. Either you'll see a ghost image of another player in the same area you're in in their game (you can't interact, just observe them playing), or read messages, or whatever. It makes this epic crusade all these knights are on feel very real, as there are players all over this game world working toward the same goal.

The messages work really well. For example you can't really jump horizontally, but there are several places where you need to leap down, and people leave really useful info on where you can get down to secret areas. The developers are being pretty clever about it too. there are several areas where enemies ambush you, or arrow traps spring up quickly, that were obviously made so that people could help each other out of them. There was this particular boss that kept destroying us again and again, until we noticed this stray message someone had written in the arena. It read something like "Here. Don't move" and it turns out someone had found a safe spot in the room where the boss couldn't get to you. So cool to find.

And speaking of bosses, this game is rather difficult. Even with as much life energy as possible, with the best armor one could reasonably have, at any given point, you won't be able to take more than 4 or 5 hits at best. And a lot of bosses will kill you in two. This isn't Dynasty Warriors. You have to become pretty adept at using your shield, and rolling out of the way intelligently based on the sounds/attack animations that bad guys make.

I'm almost 99% positive that you do lose souls when you die. That's the incentive for not charging in swinging, and generally proceeding with caution. They don't take away souls you have spent leveling up or upgrading equipment, but any loose souls are void if you die as a ghost.

There were some things that we couldn't quite figure out though. Apparently you could enter other people's games in an antagonistic role, and appear as an evil looking black shadow thing, but we never really figured out the mechanics of it. Also, is there anyway to "sell" old weapons/pieces of equipment? The game isn't terribly loot heavy, and you will want to hold on to stuff, as even early equipment can be upgraded into usefulness by spending souls on it...but there will eventually come equipment that you no longer have any use for. And it seemed odd that you could do nothing with it.

For anyone worried about importing, the game seemed extremely English friendly from my perspective. Though since it isn't an English release, finding pertinent information is difficult, so finding a community of player like the something Awful boards seems like a good idea.

AAAAAH MY DICK IS RAW

The studio behind Contra 4 is remaking the classic adventure game A Boy and His Blob which is not only one of the harder sidescrolling puzzle games I've ever played but it was also nominated by some parent organization in the 80s for "best game for kids" or something.  It was hard, it was fucking frustrating, but I played it for months until I beat it.

Now... now this...

DISCUSS

Anyone else going to see Henry Sellick's latest film Coraline that's based on a really creepy book by Neil Gaiman and was adapted into a graphic novel published by HarperCollins?

I'm really hoping it does well in theaters.  It was directed on a budget of 60mil (which is 20% less than Monkeybone but nearly 2x as much as James and the Giant Peach and almost 3x as much as Nightmare Before Christmas) which not only makes it the most expensive 100% stop motion animated film but it's also the longest at 101 minutes.  I'm pretty sure there's no musical scenes as well and this film is pretty much a horror/drama/dark comedy (at least the book was).

Selick's an animator at heart and I'm glad there's no live action/animation cross in this because the script he had to work with in Monkeybone was terrible and everyone hated the live action scenes in James.  Corpse Bride and Nightmare did phenomenal (but probably because of "hot topic" appeal and Burton's name being pasted everywhere) but Neil Gaiman is a pretty popular writer and I have my finger's crossed!

Maybe... maybe people will take animation more seriously?  

lol

EDIT: Looking over facts and figures... stop-motion is ridiculously cheap.  Corpse Bride cost as much to produce as that piece of crap Delgo and it's only slightly more expensive than Toy Story, the first full CGI film which came out 15 years ago (and if you count inflation, their production costs are about the same).  It's also a relatively unsaturated market.  I don't know why producers aren't jumping all over it.

EDIT 2: whoops, looks like there was a topic from a month back oh well mine's better

Welcome to Heaven!  Where all your fantasies come true!

Ricardo Montalban passed away yesterday at 88 apparently from natural causes.  Nice ripe old age, too, not like most of the deaths from 2008.

Man fuck 2008.

EDIT: For those of you who don't know who this guy is, he's one of the more prominent latino actors in America, beginning his career amidst the 40s where stereotypes and prejudice were all too commonly leveled against anyone who wasn't white.

Aside from comic books and Republicans, there are few things more respected in the United States of America than animated television programming.  Every warm blooded citizen of all ages tunes in to watch their favorite cartoon show.  They offer us witty political commentary, seething satire, and accurate historic information. The following is a list of America's greatest cartoons; these are progressive and revolutionary toons that changed the way American's thought. 

#8: Turbo Teen


Brett Matthews was an average teenager when his car swerved off a road during a thunder storm and crashed into a top secret government laboratory where he was exposed to an experimental beam that fused him with his car.  Whenever he's exposed to extreme heat, man and car fuse together and he becomes the amazing TURBO TEEN.



Turbo Teen was THE definition of the American Dream; apple pie, action scenes, and fast cars.  Brett Matthews was a upstanding, god fearing American who studied hard and imparted his wisdom for the next generation of tykes to heed and grow from.  In addition to the clever plotlines and tight scripting, Turbo Teen introduce the world to the first broadcast interracial relationship.



Our white women would never suck a Caucasian cock again.  When thou goest black, thou never goest back -Corinthians 32:12

#7 Mighty Max


(so young, so vulnerable...)

A word of advice, fellow readers.  If you find a baseball cap with your first initial printed on it, please wear it.  You may become the "chosen one" fated to save our world.  You may be teamed up with a barbarian who rips and shreds every perceived threat.  You could be paired up with a talking bird who happens to be a walking encyclopedia.



But most importantly, you could be a fast talking, athletic, and quick thinking Caucasian boy with plot armor and moxie.

If you find a baseball cap with your first initial printed on it... please, for the sake of our world and our fine country... WEAR IT.  Cherish it. 


(Max also made a guest appearance in The Secret of Evermore as the leading character)

And never forget.

#6 Butt Ugly Martians

I don't think anyone watched Butt Ugly Martians.



Which is a crying shame because it's the best computer generated technology has to offer us.  What appears to be a marketing push to release cheap toys that tie into a poorly animated series is actually a touching story about immigration.  You see, the BUM are from another planet (presumably Saturn but considering their Butt ugly it's probably Uranus) and they wish to blend in with the American populace.  Unfortunately, their brethren wish to force their way into America instead of learning about our history and becoming naturalized citizens.

(watch them morph into BKM mode where they fight for freedom and promote courage *sniff*)

At the end of every episode, the BUM defeat their invading fellows and teach the children watching that it's okay to be different... as long as you try your hardest to blend in with everyone else.

#5 Bots Master

For the first time in the world, two of America's greatest loves where combined in holy matrimony; rapping and robots.


No introduction necessary; no discussion needed.  If you do not like robots and if you do not like rap, you're either a tone deaf Luddite or a communist.

Do not tell me you're the latter.

#4 Cro

Allow me to regale you with the creation of our Earth.  About a hundred years ago, a genie riding a dinosaur rose from the primordial ooze, nodded her head, and created the animals, humans, and nations that defined our history. 


Cro is the story of creation; a tale, told from the perspective of a woolly mammoth, about an intelligent Cro-Magnon educating the ignorant Neanderthals while battling dinosaurs and sabretooth tigers.  Continuing our progressive cartoon theme, Cro was the first creationist cartoon.



Even now, to this day, no other studio has recalled the birth of our world more accurately than Cro.

#3 Biker Mice From Mars

This is a war story.

(The theme song depicting the war against terror and corruption)

This is a war story about three mice, fighting a battle in a foreign land and returning home with injuries.


(each mouse carries their own injuries from the Martian war against terror; they kick butt and look FABULOUS while doing it)

The people hate them.  Their neighbors spit on them.  Their family turned their back on them.  In response, the biker mice rode away into the sunset; always fighting, always defending, and never forgetting.  This is a series that addresses the concern every American has; should I honor my country's soldiers even though they are no better than rapists and murderer's?

This editor says yes. 

This editor says yes.



Biker Mice from Mars.  Mice ride together.  Mice die together.  BIKER MICE FOR LIFE.

#2 Young King Arthur

Okay, you know how when you're taking a poop and you start wiping but you get that bubbling feeling in your guts but you continue wiping anyways?  Then, right when the paper comes out of your butt hole clean, you begin to relax and more poop slides out.



It's not a lot of poop... maybe a 3 or 4 on a 10-scale poop rating.  But still, you just wasted several feet of tissue paper making sure your butthole is clean but now there's a fresh line of poop staining the inner linings of your rectum and you have to clean it.



*Sigh*  I hate it when this happens.

#1: Widget the World Watcher

Here it is, the ultimate American cartoon.  The animated series that all children should watch.



In the early 90s, Generation X realized that the Baby Boomer's screwed up the earth and it was time for a change!  Widget, a purple alien from outer space, is a shape changing alien who fights against poachers and pollution.  While most kids learned how to save the environment from Captain Planet, Widget was more progressive than that for you see, Widget was the first character to support gay rights.


(Widget seen with his lover battling against an oppressive Intolerobot)

His purple color scheme symbolizes royalty as in being royally gay.  His neck rings symbolize unity; two rings being the unity between two men.  His tail, an upside down 'M' (and not a 'W' as many think) means "Man-on-Man" proving that Widget isn't afraid to be true to himself.



As a shapeshifter, Widget had the power to assume various forms to battle evil and promote same sex relationships; an octopus, with the power to hug and squirt prismatic ink; A robotic commando who battles against adversity; a rapping pee wee baseball coach who teaches young boys it's alright to one with your inner gay; a four armed monster with a pink bow proving that even the ugliest lovers can share a tender moment; And a hulking one eyed beast symbolizing the ferocity of intimate intercourse.

(this theme song reeks of FABULOUS)

We Americans salute you Widget.  You were years ahead of the pack.

Download these files.

Burn them to a cd (doesn't have to be a DVD).  Play as "mixed media." ??? PROFIT.

So, what to say about the game?  Well, it's basically Resident Evil 4 with better graphics.  Same controls, same basic gameplay, same retarded enemies that run at you with axes except their black.  I will say that the best thing about the game is the "co-op" with Sheva.  At first I thought I was going to deal with stupid babysitting that plagues most games due to bad AI but having her cover you and reach areas you wouldn't normally access is refreshing from solo killing hordes of monsters.  The levels are larger, with more paths leading to the goal, and the battles are more "intense" than RE4 but other than that it's pretty much the same.

And Chris' biceps.  Jesus Christ, Chris' biceps.

To make this topic viable, here's some generic screenshots you've all seen before.

Anyways, this is uh... another RE5 discussion topic?

This game has been in beta since forever but recently (er, couple of months recently) the final version was released and holy crap is it good.

Mount & Blade is an open world sandbox action adventure roleplaying battle simulator game (man what a mouthful).  The best way to describe it is Sid Meier's Pirates with actual gameplay.  You start off creating your character and then you're thrust straight into this large world that's practically at war with itself.

You can do whatever you want; build an empire through trade, raid settlements, fuck over everyone else, play in tournaments, siege castles, etc.  As you grow in strength, you build up an army and renown.  As you increase in popularity and army size, you're given land and a castle to call your own.  

Battles are the games highlight and I've never played a game with a system so simple but so intuitive.  Huge scale battles between multiple sides feel really cluttered and hectic and skill as well as leadership will see you through the day.  You use experience to level up and further improve your skills allowing you bigger armies or better fighting abilities.

Yeah, for 20$ this game is pretty amazing and if you like this kind of stuff then you have no excuse NOT TO get it.  

Screenshots





MODS
This game's modding community is ridiculous and there are mods that transform the game from being set in the crusades, to a realistic adaption of Britain in the 13th century, to a fantasy mod, Middle Earth, dungeon crawling traditional RPGs, and even a tax/economy sim.  Here's my list of "must haves" for beginners.

Battle Size Changer: Increases the size of battles.  Default game restricts battles to 100 troops both sides but this can max it out up to 1000.  I have set to 500 as I've never encountered an enemy troop of prodigious size and it would probably crash my computer.

Graphical Enhancement Pack: Makes the graphics not suck.  There's optional mods like HDR which make things look better.

Huge Vocal Pack: Lots of new sounds.  Makes the game sound more realistic.

Native Expansion: Upgrades the Native campaign (that's the default campaign M&B comes with) with added options and tweaked gameplay.

As a worldly man, seer, I have slain dragons with my bare hands, killed men using only my beard, and squeezed rain out of clouds.



However, there is no greater pleasure in the world than smoking some fine shisha and believe me, I've done everything and been every.

This here is my divine guidance passed onto you so you too may enjoy life's greatest pleasure; smoking dried fruit, herbs, and molasses tobacco.

Hookah and You

Invented by God and passed onto Egyptians about a hundred years ago, the hookah (also known as shisha in the middle east which is what I call it because I'm an Arabian at heart) became popular in the western world thanks to hip college kids looking for a pleasant way to get high. 



Ma'assell, which is Arabic or something, is pure tobacco mixed with flavored molasses to produce a slow burn.  When placed in a hookah, the water filters the smoke producing a cool and pleasant sensation. 



Hookah's can be purchased in most smoke shops for a modest price of 50-200$ depending on the size and number of hoses.  Ma'assell is purchased in packages or plastic baggies and come in a variety of flavors.  I recommend avoiding the stronger flavors (like coffee and chocolate) as their flavor tends to linger.

The hookah design is simple.  Ma'assell goes in the bowl.  You put tin foil over the shisha and hot coals on the tin foil.  You fill the jar with water then inhale until the ma'assell burns.



Packing the bowl is a skill that comes with practice.  Take a thumb sized lump of ma'assell and slowly "sprinkle" it into the bowl.  Keep sprinkling until you reach the top of the bowl, lightly pack it with your thumb, then sprinkle some more.  Inhale deeply through the hose; if you trouble inhaling, you packed the bowl too tightly and won't be able to draw heat from the coals.  If you breath too easily, the bowl isn't packed well enough and the ma'assell will burn too fast.

The body of the hookah contains a tube which air and smoke is drawn through into the jar.  Fill the jar up with cold water (for a cooler, pleasurable smoke fill the jar with ice as well) until the tube is submerged 2" in the water.  With all the pieces assembled, wrap tin foil around the top of the bowl and poke multiple holes using a toothpick or fork. 



Take a shisha coal (make sure it is a shisha coal GRILLING COALS CONTAIN CHEMICALS AND WILL MAKE YOU SICK) and place it on a hot plate or over a torch lighter.  Light the coal until it is completely red on the concave side keeping in mind to burn it evenly (shisha coals are auto-starters and an uneven burn will produce an uneven smoke).

Inhale several times to burn the ma'assell.  You know you're smoking it right when you exhale a thick, opaque smoke.  Take three or four breaths between inhales unless you want to get light headed and fucked up.  Serve with a fine brandy or scotch (make sure you have an obnoxiously large snifter or you won't appear snobby enough).



Hmmm, scotch.

On a serious note, remember smoking your hookah is supposed to be a pleasurable experience.  Either meditate in peaceful contemplation, or invite your buddies over and talk about how horrendous your lives are when compared to mine.  While ma'assell and other shisha tobaccos don't contain the chemicals and shit found in cigarette tobacco, it's still harmful to your health.  Smoking a bowl of ma'assell is the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes. 


(this is your lung with cancer)

Check it out Check it out

(note: the demo doesn't start until the 3 minute mark and it's a pretty huge video)

The first ever live demo of Heavy Rain made by Quantic Dream, the guys who brought you Omikron and Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy.  First off, IMPRESSIVE GRAPHICS.  The characters don't look like stiff plastic.  Anyways, the game is shaping up to be a fantastic interactive adventure.  There's a few things I don't particularly like (using the six-axis controller to do mundane tasks and I HATE HATE HATE QUICK TIME EVENTS GOD DAMMIT SEGA WITH YOUR DIE HARD ARCADE) but all in all I'm getting a great Shenmue vibe with this.

Here's hoping it doesn't contain David Cage's famous pretentiousness and stupid philosophical ramblings but that's like asking Todd Howard to shut up for 5 minutes.


hehe dat ass

AAAAH JUST JOSHIN'

The good 'ol boys are almost done as in LESS THAN A WEEK DONE (I'm guessing Friday).  I never bothered to finish Mother 3 in its Japanese form because translation guides are clunky and awful but FINALLY I get to complete the trilogy in its entirety and maybe motivate myself to work on my own game who knows.  I'm so fucking stoked that I actually dumped the image from my own cart.  THAT'S HOW HARDCORE FAN I AM

This thread is open to discussion about Mother in general, how Nintendo hates Itoi and this series including fans of the series, and Mother 3 itself once the patch is released.







p.s. nintendo fucking sucks and i hope this thing gets something like 500,000 downloads in the first night and crashes starmen's servers and nintendo realizes they could have made a mint if they weren't assholes and just translated the damn thing themselves.

Okay, it's actually called Das Schwarze Auge: Drakensang (The Dark Eye) but all of the international releases have been dubbed Realms of Arkania. 



Anyways, the latest Dark Eye game came out last month.  It's based on a popular German table top RPG and it takes place within the same continuity as the Northland Trilogy which, for you RPG savvy, know as Blade of Destiny, Stair Trail, and Shadows over Riva.


(can't be an rpg without a fishan village)


(not enough games in general let you fight fuckan dina-sores)

I played the demo, which is in German, and I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing so I'll keep this brief.  First off, the graphics are really pretty despite being built on what looks like a pretty old engine.  It looks slightly better than Neverwinter Nights 2 but thankfully without the horrendous technical issues.  There's like 20 or something classes to choose from but sadly (maybe it's a demo limitation) you can't customize your character AT ALL beyond the default model.  There's rumors of an international English release in January 2009 (there's also rumors of an October release but I've heard nothing on the game period) which I'm inclined to believe because every piece of text is contained in a single, easily edited file in the game folder.



Here's to a good budget sleeper hit if it's ever translated!

hi guys, let's talk about the greatest hit this fall that none of you seem to be playing



ENEMY SIGHTED

ENEMY HERE

ENEMY SPOTTED

BEHIND THAT COVER

ENEMY HERE

BEHIND THAT COVER

ENEMY SIGHTED

ENEMY HERE

BEHIND THAT COVER

BEHIND THAT COVER

ENEMY SPOTTED

ENEMY SIGHTED

BEHIND THAT COVER

Anyone else playing this game?  I'm glad I didn't spend any money on it because it's atrocious.  Somehow a 3 year development schedule ended up in one of the buggiest games I've seen this year (although The Force Unleashed is running close second).  It's kind of difficult to screw up an idea that revolves around blowing everything up but Pandemic was successful in their fuckups.  Check out some of these great videos:

(ENEMY SIGHTED ENEMY HERE STAY FROSTY BEHIND THAT COVER STAY FROSTY ENEMY SIGHTED)

(HANG ON THERE'S NO ONE ON THAT 50 CAL GET ON THAT WEAPON SOMEONE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF IT HANG ON THERE'S NO ONE ON THAT 50 CAL GET ON THAT WEAPON SOMEONE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF IT HANG ON

(i have no idea what the fuck is going on in this video but it is scary)

so yeah i heard the co-op is really the only redeeming factor about this game.

I'm surprised you guys aren't talking about it.  CD Projekt just released the "enhanced edition" which is basically a special edition containing the OST, the short story the game is based on, full color map, revised manual, and a bunch of fixes to the main game like reduced load times and revised script.


(it wouldn't be a pc rpg without running through massive fields)

For those that don't know The Witcher was an RPG quietly released last year that got lost in the hectic Fall season.  The best part about the game is its "time-delay" plot which changes based on the choices you make after you make them.  In most RPGs, choices you make take an immediate effect and have little to no impact afterwards.  In The Witcher, the result of your choices won't even be apparent until later in the game adding replay value and reducing save-reload syndrome.  The game's plot is really well written (Bioware/early Black Isle quality) and the world itself doesn't fall under the high fantasy tropes that the Lord of the Rings films beat to death.


(you can either fight battles from a "traditional" overhead perspective...)


(or an over-the-shoulder perspective where you use the WASD keys to move)

For 40$ you get a high quality product and great packaging that pretty much beats out all the other overpriced vidya that came out this year.  I have to say this is RPG of the year IMO (not like there's any other competitors).


(i love the game's art style and it has a rather unsaturated palette without resorting to BROWN GRAY TAN textures on every object)

GRINDAN
BATTLAN
EXPLORAN

This is the formula that made up every Dragon Quest game for the past 20 years and it hasn't gotten old.  Maybe it's the fact that the creators put a lot of attention to detail and game balance but DQ games have always remained relatively the same and I always play them.  Always.

Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen is a remake of DQIV (surprisingly it's an all new game, not based on the PS1 remake).  It features new graphics, a really really well polished translation, new animations and music.  There's very little I can say about the game other than "If you've played Dragon Quest, you know what to expect."  I never did like DQIV because it didn't have the awesome class system that later DQ's spoiled me with, but the characters in this game are among my favorite in the series with such distinctive faces as Ragnar (complete with awesome handlebar mustache) and the fat merchant Torneko.  I don't know how Squenix did it but the music is fantastic and this game's soundtrack sounds louder and clearer than any other DS game.

I can't recommend this people who hate Dragon Quest but if you're looking for a product to suck the next 120 hours out of your life then look no further.  I hate Squenix for their overpriced 39.99$ price tag for DS games but unlike Final Fantasy DS whatever and the upcoming ripoff Chrono Trigger port, this game is definitely worth the money in terms of playtime to cost ratio.

Here's a bunch of screens that you could normally view at gamefaqs but you guys are too lazy to just go there yourself.







p.s. i can't wait for DQVI which, aside from DQVII, is probably the longest dragon quest game and the best in terms of story.

So I recently started listening to Gnarls Barkley (why the fuck didn't I listen to this shit sooner) and it's really fucking good.  Wikipedia tells me it's some genre called "alternative hip-hop" or "trip-hop" and a bunch of other stupid sounding genres because music just can't be classified as MUSIC.  Can anyone else recommend some good... TRIP-hop or stuff that sounds like this?

wow what a big topic title

I've been playing a Fallout inspired GURPS campaign for the past 10 years.  As notes and documents keep piling up, I've decided it's time to compile this thing digitally.  I decided to call it "expanded" as I learned there is already a documented GURPS conversion for Fallout but I find it rather unsatisfying IMO (specifically in terms of character creation).  

Every week (probably every Tuesday) I will create a new topic that expands on this.  Eventually it will reach the point where I'll post my whole campaign.  If it gets large enough I plan to host it on an actual website.  If you spot any discrepancies or have a question/concern please speak up.  User input is the best path to success.

GURPS Fallout "Expanded"

Converting the SPECIAL system to GURPS 4E

This article lists the conversions between the SPECIAL system and the GURPS rule set.  As both rules are different, conversion isn't perfect specifically in terms of attributes like Luck.

Strength [ST] = Strength*2 (e.g. a strength of 5 gives you 10 ST)

Dexterity [DX} ][/DX}] = Add intelligence + perception (e.g. an intelligence of 4 and a perception of 6 gives you an IQ of 12)

Health [HT] = Endurance x 2

All derived attributes (Hp, Will, Perception, Fp, Base Speed, Dodge, and Move are calculated as normal).

Converting Charisma: For every point above 5 take the Charisma advantage (e.g. a charisma of 7 gives you Charisma 2 [10 ][/10])

Converting Luck
1: Cursed disadvantage [-75 ][/-75]
2-3: Unluckiness + Total Klutz disadvantage [-25 ][/-25]
4: Unluckiness disadvantage [-10 ][/-10]
5: N/A
6-7: Luck advantage [+15 ][/+15]
8-9: Extraordinary Luck [+30 ][/+30]
10: Ridiculously Lucky

NOTE: Receiving a disadvantage through low luck does not count towards the standard disadvantage limit.

Traits

A trait is a collection of advantages of disadvantages that cancel each other out (point value always equals zero) however they do count towards the default 50% starting point limit in disadvantages.  Furthermore, a trait's disadvantage cannot be purchased off using character points.  Traits represent inherent genetic qualities thus can only be taken at character creation. A trait is unique to a specific body thus the only way to remove it short of divine intervention is by switching bodies.  Traits can, however, be reduced by purchasing advantages (e.g. a character with the Gifted trait can later purchase the Talented advantage).  Traits that have opposite effects (such as Finesse and Heavy Handed) may also be purchased.  A character should be limited to 2 traits only.

Increased Metabolism: Acquire Very Rapid Healing advantage [15 ][/15], Susceptible 1 (Poison) disadvantage [-4 ][/-4], Susceptible 1 (Radiation) disadvantage [-1 ][/-1], and Vulnerability x2 (radiation) disadvantage [-10 ][/-10].

Finesse: Your critical success threshold for the purposes of attacking only increase by 1 (e.g. 3-5 on a normal skill check, 6 on a check with an effective skill 15+ or 7 with an effective skill 16+).  Subtract -2 per die when dealing damage (e.g. a weapon that deals 2d would instead deal 2d-2).  Finesse counts as a -15 point disadvantage.

Gifted: You receive an additional 30 points that can only be spent on base attributes (ST, DX, IQ, HT).  You or the GM chooses 5 skills with a difficulty of easy, average, or hard.  Raise their difficulty to the next step and increase the time to learn them by 10% (e.g. choosing Boxing would make it a hard skill and take 220 hours to raise by one point).  Selected skills are naturally difficult for you to learn but you may take advantages to reduce this genetic penalty such as Talent.  Gifted counts as a -30 point disadvantage.

Good Natured: You receive a +2 bonus to the following skills: First Aid, Diagnosis, Physician, Surgery, Acting, Carousing, Detect Lies, Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Merchant.  You take a -2 to the following skills: Guns, Gunner, Beam Weapons, Brawling, Melee Weapon, and Thrown Weapon.  Good Natured counts as a -15 point disadvantage.

Heavy Handed: Acquire the Arm ST +2 ST (both arms) advantage.  Your critical success threshold for the purposes of attacking with a melee weapon, thrown weapon, or unarmed is reduced by 1 (e.g. 3 on a normal attack, 4 with an effective skill 15+, and 5 with an effective skill 16+).  Heavy Handed counts as a -15 points disadvantage.

One Hander: You receive a +2 bonus to all Gun, Thrown Weapon, and Melee Weapon skills that require one hand.  You receive a -2 penalty to all Gun, Thrown Weapon, and Melee Weapon skills that require two hands.  One Hander counts as a -10 points disadvantage.

Skilled: You or the GM chooses 5 skills with a difficulty of average, hard, or very hard.  Lower their difficulty to the next step and decrease the time to learn them by 10% (e.g. choosing Boxing would make it an easy skill and take 180 hours to raise by one point).  Raising a primary attribute costs 10% more character points than normal (e.g. raising strength by one costs 11 character points).  Skilled counts as a -30 points disadvantage.

Small Frame: +1 DX.  You take a -2 penalty to strength when determining basic lift and encumbrance (e.g. a 130lbs load is extra heavy to a character with 10 strength and Small Frame).  Small Frame is counts as a -20 points disadvantage.

Bloody Mess: Whenever a living creature within 200 yards of you dies it does so as violently as possible.  Bloody Mess has no cosmetic or physical effect on a character but constantly witnessing grotesque deaths might make a character particularly hardened or fearful (a character with the Squeamish disadvantage and the Bloody Mess trait could be interesting to role play).  Bloody Mess doesn't count as a disadvantage.

Bruiser:  +2 ST, -1 DX.  Bruiser counts as a -20 point disadvantage.

Chem Reliant: Recovering from the ill effects of an addictive drug lasts only half the time (6 – HT minimum of 30 minutes).  The first time you take an addictive substance you must roll an HT or WILL check maximum 13 (depending on if the drug is physiological or psychological) check to resist becoming addicted (acquire the Addiction disadvantage based on the drug you've taken).  If  you succeed, you receive a cumulative -1 penalty to your HT roll if you take the drug again within 7 days.  Chem Reliant counts as a -20 disadvantage.

Clean Living: If you are addicted to a substance, your withdrawal roll is made at your full bonus.  It only takes 7 weeks to break an addiction.  All effects of a physiological and psychological drug last only half as normal (6 – HT minimum of 30 minutes).  Clean Living counts as a -10 point disadvantage.

Fast Shot: You receive an extra attack when using a ranged weapon.  The Acc of every weapon you use (not counting bonuses applied with computers or telescopic sights) is zero.  Fast Shot counts as a -25 point disadvantage.

Jinxed: Increase your threshold of a critical failure by one.  Every creature in a 30 yard radius centered on you has their critical failure threshold increased by one.  Jinxed counts as a -30 point disadvantage.

Kamikaze: Add +2.25 to your basic speed only when determining turn sequence and acquire the Daredevil advantage.  Your dodge is only equal to your basic speed.  Kamikaze counts as a -30 point disadvantage.

Night Person: +1 to IQ between 6:01PM and 6:00AM.  -1 to IQ between 6:01AM and 6:00PM.  Night Person counts as a -10 point disadvantage.

Sex Appeal: You receive a +4 bonus to reaction roles to members of the opposite sex.  You receive a -4 penalty to reaction roles to members of the same sex.  Sex Appear counts as a -12 point disadvantage.

Skill Conversions

Because GURPS has a diverse list of skills, several from the SPECIAL system have been broken up into smaller sub-skills.  The following lists the skills from the SPECIAL system and the GURPS equivalent(s) of the specific skill.  Skill conversions were decided on how they were applied in games using the SPECIAL system (specifically Fallout).  Although Geography would fall under Science, it is not implied or used in the setting.

Barter: Merchant
Speech: Acting, Carousing, Detect Lies, Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Intimidation
Unarmed: Brawling
Melee Weapons: Melee Weapon
Throwing: Thrown Weapon
Small Guns: Guns (Musket, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, SMG)
Big Guns: Gunner, Guns (Grenade Launcher, LAW, LMG), Liquid Projector
Energy Weapons: Beam Weapons
First Aid: First Aid,
Doctor: Diagnosis, Physician, Surgery
Gambling: Gambling, Games
Lockpick: Lockpicking
Sneak: Stealth
Steal: Filch, Holdout, Pickpocket
Outdoorsman: Hiking, Naturalist, Navigation, Survival
Repair: Armoury, Electronics Repair, Mechanic
Traps: Explosives, Traps
Science: Computer Hacking, Computer Operation, Electronics Operation
Pilot: Driving, Pilot

NEXT UPDATE: New Advantages (based on SPECIAL perks), race templates, and sample characters.

Last week I went to PAX.  First time going and I'm glad it was the first as I heard on the grapevine (what a weird fucking phrase) that the previous 4 years were an unorganized cluster fuck.

Any who, it was huge and filled with some of the most contemptible people in the world: VIDYA GAYMERS.  I didn't take pictures for fear of being attacked by rail-thin overprotective executive producers but I can summarize the experience.  



+



Multiplied by ten thousand (seriously there was about ten thousand people at this thing all weekend long).

Your mind has just been blown.

There was a lot of boring shit.  There was a lot of fun shit.  This article is a highlight of the games I thought were really cool (and a few of the truly awful ones).

Dragon Age: Origins

A new PC exclusive role playing game developed by Bioware and billed as the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate.  Am I happy?  Fuck yes.

Was I disappointed?  Fuck yes.


(yaaaaawn peter jackson did you direct this scene?)

The 30 minute video we were shown was okay but for a game that's due out in 6 months there's a lot of work that needs to be done.  One thing that can't be helped is the boring setting.  There's a scene where all of these ugly orc like things pop out of the forest and attack an army of humans and I turned to the guy sitting next to me and he simultaneously turned to me as if he had the exact same thing on mind and we both said "Is this fucking Lord of the Rings??"  The dialog system looks rad which actually tracks a character's background and class.  For example, elves are second class citizens as showcased by how every NPC basically spits in your presence.  On the other hand, playing a noble practically lets you get away with murder (seriously, he murdered a prisoner and when a guard was like "WTF?" he told the guard to mind his own business).  The battle system is pretty similar to KotoR and no real complaints there but the setting and graphics are bland and generic.  This is coming from a company that's been at the forefront of PC style rpg's!


(is this gothic 3?)

Valkyria Chronicles: This game was pretty unique.  Imagine a mix of turn based war strategy with 3rd person shooting and anime.  I hate the art style, but the game itself is actually pretty indepth.  You take turns moving your character around like you would in an action game, set up his area to cover, and employ any special abilities.  Walking in someone's line of sight can set off an interrupt or a counter attack and height and range play crucial effect in battle.  The tutorial level was bland but the later areas were decent looking.  


(the game really does have this neat manga look with numbers and sound effects flying about)

Castle Crashers:  It's a beat 'em up.  It supports up to four people online.  It's one of the funnest games I've played on XBL.  Buy it.  Enjoy it.

 

Fallout 3:  I can safely say this game isn't Oblivion with guns... but yeah, it isn't Fallout.  I mean, we all determined it isn't Fallout when Bethesda completely dropped all PnP aspects of the game save the SPECIAL system.  Still, the game DOES feel like Oblivion 2.0 with a total conversion mod.  The dialog system is actually deeper then the stupid screens let on (let's just say that, unlike the original Fallout, the small arbitrary variances in your choices do affect the outcome of the speech skill).  Combat is pretty simplistic... and dumb, but the demo was hacked to hell with tons of ammo lying around, reduced enemy difficulty, and the guys standing there would get angry if you switched it to hard mode.  Fags.


(this screen fucking cracks me up)

Demigod:  I think there was an open beta of this but I didn't bother playing.  Billed by Gas Powered Games as a combination of Dungeon Siege and Supreme Commander, Demigod is a RTS RPG inspired by Warcraft III that looks really really impressive.  You basically take a general, his troops, and cut your way through big ass battle fields leveling up and getting new skills.  I don't know where the actual RPG elements come into play (unless people think EXPERIENCE POINTS automatically equals RPG) but the guys at the booth were talking about a "persistent world" and things like balance of power and stuff.  I can only assume that you'll be returning to old battlefields or something.  Bah, I'm not a journalist!



Games That Were a Real Letdown

Fable II: This game is uglier than the original vanilla Xbox version.  How the fuck is that possible?  There's a lot more options for co-op and interacting with NPCs is no longer limited to a handful of hand gestures (although there's still gestures there's like 30 more than in the original).  I like the combat and the addition of firearms works surprisingly well AND the world is actually open; you're no longer limited to a set path like the original.


(the world is more open and you can hop over fences... oh yeah, it really is this ugly)

But the graphics... my god.  I don't consider myself a graphics whore but the game is ugly in a way that offends the eyes!

Spore: This game is really boring.  It'll probably be more fun once you can actually interact with people but the core gameplay is really, really boring.  With EA watching over this game like Batman watches over Gotham I can only imagine that some of the more creative designs will be censored.  I don't want to see any phallus monsters honestly but there's something unsettling about a bunch of guys who monitor your every creation.  Can't we just enjoy the damn game?  The ESRB specifically has a warning that experiences online may change.


(a game that lets you download your friend's worlds and blow up planets should not be such a drag to play)

Blades:  This game is disgusting and had to have been made by a crew consisting of 30 frat boys with a computer.  I'll let the screenshots explain the rest.


(gotta love half-naked elf chicks with silver thongs)

Gears of War II: It's the exact same thing as Gears of War.  


(is this Gears of War 1 or Gears of War 2?  Yeah, I can't tell either)

I'm serious.  I thought people were playing the original GEARS OF WAR (2004 GAME) until I noticed the "II" on a booth.

Atleast the episodes of Half-Life 2 are half the price of the full game.  Jesus.

What ho, fellow gamers!  Today's tabletop spotlight is a departure from the dank dungeons and crowded high-fantasy streets you're most familiar with.  Today, I bring you a game so esoteric that it goes for quite a mint in online auctions.  A game that garnered some controversy and was refused to be carried in some shops.  A game that was praised by psychologists and lambasted by concerned parents.  This game of horror and imagination is

Little Fears - The Roleplaying Game of Childhood Terror



Grab some Lovecraft, remove the dry and repetitive plot devices, toss it in a pot and mix it up with some Lewis Carrol whimsy and you get Little Fears, a game that pits you as a six to twelve year old child in a world of nightmares.  As a mentally disturbed child, you are consistently haunted by nefarious Demagogue and the Seven Kings of Closetland all of which are based on the seven deadly sins.  Armed with "Belief" the ability to shape the "matter" of imagination, you must defeat the kings and the monsters in the closet without going crazy.


(the following pictures are copyright Joshua Hoffine.  They're not from the book I just felt like showcasing them because they're really creepy)

Character creation is a simple process utilizing a GOAT (generic occupational aptitude test) that's set up like an elementary school questionnaire.  All actions are settled as a result of a d6 with the target number being your attribute or lower.  Additional qualities a character can achieve can add extra die to the pool allowing you to choose the lower of the results in a given action.  Unfortunately, the system allows an abuse of min-maxing allowing characters to be real exceptional at multiple attributes.  There is no level up mechanic, which is good to an extent, but this leads to the game's biggest flaw:



There's hardly any direction.  As a child, your only goal is to survive.  It's up to the GM to decide the ultimate goal of the quest, but outside of roleplaying (and playing as a child, a REAL child not the Hollywood superstar children, is a fun experience) there's little to the narrative as all "events" are either "you live, you die, or you go insane."  One could say that the ultimate "goal" of the game is to be your character and with a good GM and group of players the RP involved could be completely engrossing but the game pigeonholes you by providing little in the way of actual accomplishments.



The GM is also in charge of playing as adults, a force that acts as a foil to the "imagination" creatures of the world.  It's a jarring experience to act as a god playing as gods as adults themselves have "powers" over the world that no child can reach or comprehend.  Essentially, it's a world with an obscure hierarchy and events that characters can do little about other than A) running or B) fighting.  It lends itself easily to terror, which is the focal point of the game, but less attentive players can easily find themselves bored.

Little Fears isn't a bad game by any means.  Its mechanics are strange but the material is original and disturbing.  Expect a true storytelling experience, not a hack and slash dungeon romp.

Fun Note: A new edition (dubbed Nightmare Edition) was supposed to be released last Halloween.  Jason Blair, the creator, updated his website back in January of this year saying the games mechanics were kicking his ass.  Finding this game is nearly impossible as there was a limited run and copies were actually destroyed because the publisher refused to give carriers their refund when they found out about the "content."

Hail fellow dungeoneers, Chief Neckbeard here with the first edition of Tabletop.  Some of you may be asking yourselves "well why didn't he post it on Tuesday and make it Tabletop Tuesdays?"  To which my reply is "Because alliteration is dumb *snort*"  Every other Sunday I will present you with a choice of the finest (and not so finest) in tabletop pen n paper role playing games.

Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition


(the new logo reminds me of when Wizards changed the MtG logo back in 8th edition or whatever)

When I first gazed at a preview to the new edition of the most popular role playing game in the world, my first thought was "Is this DnD or Dungeons of Dragoncraft?"

Sure enough, the chief theme of 4th ed. is undoubtedly "Roll playing, not role playing."   Flipping through the massive Players Handbook which condenses much of the information once featured in the 3.X Dungeon Master's Guide one can find a plethora of features that influence combat and combat alone.  Every paragraph is bereft with, and I exaggerate only slightly, illusions of grandeur that revolve around the singular idea of "reaching the end."  One of the major editions, Tiers, "fixes" the confusion a newcomer might have with the vast amount of options presented in earlier editions but it's also the games biggest boon.


(it's funny to note that in an interview one of the components of the game they wanted to eliminate forever is the thought of dwarven women having beards.  this was discussed... IN LENGTH.)

As it is, every character is essentially the same.  Every ability culminates from the same pool and every feat either enhances a combat ability or gives a slight bonus to skills.  Characters are now considered "heroes" being adept at everything as bonuses are granted based on levels.  A level 10 wizard is just as experienced at fighting as a 10th level fighter but fighters gain skills and feats that improve their proficiency with specific weapons making every character a powerhouse regardless of class.  Balance issues are even more complicated as every combat encounter is balanced based on a 5 character setup of specific "roles" meaning smaller gaming groups have to be saturated with NPC's and larger gaming groups require more work from the DM to challenge the party.


The game literally runs like a console RPG as monsters are no longer based on the same rules that builds characters.  While there are currently rules that allow you to play as monster races it's impossible to, say, capture and convert an enemy into an ally and expect him to put up a decent fight.  There's no rules for monster creation meaning a DM either has to modify a current creature or just use weird combination to challenge the player (fighting harpies in an inn because there are no specific Ogres matching the parties level hooray!).  Speaking of the larger focus on combat, social skills and sensory skills (like search, sense motive, bluff, diplomacy, etc.) have been stuffed into a generic skill respectively degrading their importance.  It doesn't make much sense that a fighter, a class that focuses on hitting things, would be equally excellent at negotiating with royalty as he is with detecting magic items and discerning their properties. 


(hey look, i'm a wizard with cool energy swirls even though my only power is shocking hands and fireball oooooh)

Magic as well has been nerfed to no end allowing Wizards, Warlocks, and Clerics a generic array of ranged missile spells making them more like magical ballistas than specialty casters. Rituals take up the reigns as generic spells but they're a small category of generic everyday spells like raise dead, magic circle and gentle repose.  Gone are a wizards ability to play with matter and a clerics miracles of extraplanar shelter and food creation.  All the flavor of summoning noxious clouds, controlling the wind, and molding the environment are gone and replaced by a glorified archer with magic missiles and holy bolts vice arrows.


(Dungeons and Dragons, now offering virtual pens and paper)

Wizards main proponent is DnD Insider, the online mode where players can play... well, online.  It's a novel idea; how many times I've had to cancel a game because I couldn't gather all of my buddies together is uncountable but it saps all the magic away from the game itself.  Tabletop gaming is more of a social event than an actual GAMING event and it's a lot of fun getting together with your buddies, sipping on beer, cracking jokes, and rolling dice at the same table.  Online chatting is just as sociable, but the atmosphere isn't there unless you enjoy going "lol shit sux" at giving an exasperated sigh because one of your players types at the blazing speed of 10 words per hour.

There is some positive behind 4th edition truly.  Combat is fast and simple.  There's very little confusion as far as the rules are concerned and, when 5 players are present, the game is incredibly balanced.  Every class has SOMETHING useful to contribute to combat which is both a positive aspect and a boon on the gameplay itself.  It's a shame greater focus and encouragement isn't placed on the roleplaying factor because fighting stuff has been nearly perfected.

All in all, if you want options, options, and more options pick up 3.5 and it's multitude of errata and flavor books.  At the moment, 4E presents the clearest and most concise form of Dungeons and Dragons ever but without the added flavor presented in 3.5, the game is boring for anything other than recreating your favorite roguelike.

Some of you from earlier this year may remember these nerds doing a 48 hour run through all the 3D Zelda games.  Well, they're at it again and they'll be collecting donations that go to Child's Play (last time they collected donations for pizza which ended up being a thousand bucks which they donated to CP). 

Maybe this time they won't suck so bad in Majora's Mask.