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Lit Apropos of Nothing - ACKBAR IN CAPITALS - The Lit Forum Social Thread, v2.0.15

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Master_Keralys, Jan 1, 2009.

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  1. Ulicus

    Ulicus Lapsed Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 24, 2005
    Well, you could still be a nobleman/woman, or whatever. My point has nothing to do with social status, and everything to do with reputation and ability.

    I don't want to start out as someone who is already known for being ridiculously able and awesome, is what I'm saying.
     
  2. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    So then, if I was to give it a whirl - definitely go for the GOTY edition due out in a few weeks then?

    EDIT: Reviews on Amazon suggest it's quite stealth-heavy, which I'm not a fan of - is it? Plus Bethesada don't really do that well anyway - like the kill-the-vampire-advisor-in-Riverwood mission, I kill him at night, no one sees me, suddenly the entire village wakes up as enemies! Screw that for a lark.
     
  3. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    Ah, but that would require you to build a reputation on your own. You see, Jello prefers people who are considered superior at birth for doing precisely nothing :p
     
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  4. Ulicus

    Ulicus Lapsed Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jul 24, 2005
    Yes, absolutely. Well... actually, I dunno. It'd be cheaper to buy the base game and then wait for the DLC to go on sale. But who knows when that'll be?

    The game allows you play any way you like, but stealth provides greater longevity... just because guns-blazing is super easy.

    Also, Bethesda only published Dishonored. Arkane developed it.
     
  5. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

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    Jul 22, 2010
    Serious reply to Ulicus's idea: I'm all for it, but I'm a sucker for games having you start with nothing and build your way up to somebody everyone respects or fears. I can't bring myself to hate Dragon Age II because I'm still so in love with the concept of having a game take place over a period of ten years, and going from a peasant to a noble. I just want to see it done better.

    Jello mentions that he likes being given the respect he deserves in-game. I do as well, but feel it would be even better if you have to gradually earn that respect over the course of the game.

    Well, the great thing about the game is that it's one of the few that can claim you can "play as you wish" and actually mean it. Want to strongarm your way through every level? You can do it. Want to be stealthy and look for alternate passages? Sure. I find the part of the game that I played much more rewarding playing it stealthily, but you certainly don't have to. The swordfighting is fun enough, especially on harder difficulties, that I would sometimes allow myself to be cause just to get in them, then load back.
     
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  6. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

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    Nov 28, 2000
    Well, while it is a dream of mine to play a game where you start out as a retired old dude who's already seen it all and could teach the young whippersnappers a thing or two as opposed to every game every where you're the smartest young fellow anybody's ever heard of, I was speaking more of social status and background. And Ulicus is quite right, it is something different -- after all, you could have the noble backgrounds in Dragon Age and still effectively start from scratch when it comes to talent and reputation. It's just something that helps me get into the character better, y'see. Otherwise I can't relate! :p

    As the dignified royal protector, I can get into my role a lot more than if I were just random assassin #5 (though I know for some people they'd prefer the latter).

    I hate stealth. I'm never any good at it. In Skyrim, I always just end up getting killed when I try sneaking. In the AC series, I always hate the sneaky missions and always have to do them about 50 times before I complete them.

    Stealth in Dishonored is different. Took me a while to get used to it, and it was super frustrating at first since I was inclined to get frustrated and just kill everybody in sight (always play soldier types) but it's worth it. Both because avoiding violence has beneficial story results, but also because it helps you get the most out of the game. There are so many different ways to approach each mission and each segment of each mission that the game really encourages creativity. It's great for that. And once you get the knack of the stealth system, it's not so bad even when you're incompetent like me. And to allay your concerns: no, there's no permanent aggro or telepathic guards: it's all about whether guards can see you, and they'll lose track of you too. Moreover, there are alarms but they can be found and dismantled in advance or even after they start ringing. It's not just about sneaking, it's about using tools and magic.

    Plus, now that I've gone through the hard work of a stealth campaign it'll be satisfying to blaze through it and kill everything in sight. And as instantdeath notes, it'll be a chance to enjoy the quite well-done sword dueling mechanics (I am also a fan of the awesome one-handed mini-crossbow thing -- very steampunky in design).

    And also the design, the dialogue, the music -- the main theme is catchy (and scary) as hell, and the credits theme was amazing. Is it an original composition? Because it sounded like it.
     
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  7. Point Given

    Point Given Manager star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Dec 12, 2006
    So my mom was mentioned in the New York Times today, though not by name.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/23/opinion/keller-a-jury-of-whose-peers.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

    She's the shrink. I had called her about the article since I knew she was doing jury duty last week, and she confirmed it was her. She apparently cut out the article and has it hanging on the fridge [face_laugh]
     
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  8. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    While I haven't played it, there is Assassin's Creed Revelations, even if you did have to live through his more unsavory years.

    And for an extreme example, there's Planescape: Torment... :D
     
  9. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
    Heh -- well, why not? I'd probably draw attention to it if I were name-dropped (or, er, just plain dropped I guess) in the paper.

    And I'm glad that your mom wasn't the singer-dancer from the drag-queen musical :p

    edit: Yeah, I've played AC:R. It's one of the few games to let you play as an old dude, and I love it.
     
  10. blackmyron

    blackmyron Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2005
    I'm guessing you weren't use a bow. Sneaking + bow has led to entire dungeons being killed. (Now that I've been playing Oblivion again, I've found it doesn't work there - one stealth hit and you're automatically detected)
     
  11. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
    I always play in third person so bows are dicey.


    Also my stealth character was a jet black Argonian, with red stripes, names Knifes-in-the-Night (or Knives, forget if I used the verb or the noun). Something about the idea of a dinosaur trying to disguise himself by wearing a hood just cracked me up. But yeah, with that kind of name... a dagger is the only option.
     
  12. MercenaryAce

    MercenaryAce Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 10, 2005
    Good news, Imperial loyalists:
    [​IMG]

    Agreed.

    And In general I like more personal stories instead of the endless "save the world or kingdom" stories we get.
     
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  13. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
    Actually you start out as a noble. It's in the blood, fool, achievements that have to be earned are meaningless. :p
     
  14. MercenaryAce

    MercenaryAce Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 10, 2005
    I believe that could not more backwards if you tried.
     
  15. Gorefiend

    Gorefiend Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2004
    I never got all the DA 2 hate, sure it has problems, but it is playable, has awesome characters and a more then enjoyable story, it is simply the KOTOR 2 of the series. [face_dunno]


    Only as much as you want it to be, I butchered my way through the game and it is one of the few games I actually really felt bad for doing so, because of how you mess up the world with it, the whole mood becomes darker, as your enemies and allies become ever more desperate and cruel because you are out butchering people in huge numbers, whilst the the whole city spins out of balance because of all the death and destruction you case.
     
  16. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

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    Nov 28, 2000
    DA2 suffers from laziness and early release syndrome to an even greater effect than KOTOR2, which was simply never finished. DA2 was thin even on what content was included: female dwarves and qunari were never modeled into the game because the designers got lazy. The levels are all copy pasted. The enemies are no longer hand placed, but spawn in random waves.

    It had great IDEAS, sure. The art design that was actually there was great: the Chantry was breathtaking, and the armor is so magnificent that mods that import them back into DA1 make the game look significantly better. The party members of DA2 are much more fleshed out, and the rivalry system was inspired. And the story DLC is what the main game should've been -- variable and replayable.

    Why, thank you. I do try to keep up with tradition.
     
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  17. MercenaryAce

    MercenaryAce Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 10, 2005
    I had a lot of fun with Dragon Age 2 myself - especially the Mark of the Assassin DLC as Orlesians are hilarious fun in their ridiculous decadence. The first game was better I will admit, but I equally have to admit I am probably less motivated to try it again (due to various circumstances, I lost my saves of both games shortly before the end)

    The third game looks like it will be my favorite if it can deliver what it promises....
     
  18. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    I enjoy DA2, but I wouldn't go nearly as far as to say it's the KOTOR II of the series. KOTOR II is damn near a masterpiece in my eyes (with the cut content mod installed, at least, which I'm totally aware makes me slightly hypocritical, but hey, I can't help how I've come to see the game), where DAII is simply a game with lots of interesting ideas, one that's good but is disappointing because it could have been great. I love the characters, love the story, love the multitude of possibilities, but the game itself suffers from so many cut corners. I really hope DAIII can bring the best of both worlds from the two games.
     
  19. Lugija

    Lugija Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Oct 3, 2009
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  20. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    From what has been shown of DA3 so far it could be something quite impressive.
     
  21. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    It is time for Stark to change their motto to: Told you so!
     
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  22. Bib Fartuna

    Bib Fartuna Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2012
    Sniper_Wolf any updates on your cousin, and if the perp was caught?
     
  23. Barriss_Coffee

    Barriss_Coffee Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2003
    Blargggh I forgot to watch that season. But I *did* watch all the Hitler Red Wedding reactions. That's probably more or less enough.

    EDIT: deer gawd Lugija, that was a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong introductory monologue!!!!!! ...but probably necessary.
     
  24. Bib Fartuna

    Bib Fartuna Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2012
    ...and it's probably less than 20 years until Mr. Martin releases the next book in the series ;)
     
  25. RC-1991

    RC-1991 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 2, 2009
    Nah, 2015 at the latest. TWOW won't take as long as ADWD, seeing as he probably won't have to rewrite it several times. Also, Martin has pushed back all of his side-projects until he completes the 6th book.
     
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