Lab392

I hate to say it, but Borderlands 2 kind of soured me on the series. I loved the first game, and I'm one of the few people who even enjoyed playing it single player. There was something about the atmosphere and the way the guns felt that I got really attached to. There was no real story, but I was fine with that.

Then Borderlands 2 came along. They took out almost any incentive for gun specialization, they turned revolvers from powerful and effective hand-cannons into a rather weak pistol pseudo-subclass that is only manufactured by Jakobs and "shoots as fast as you pull the trigger," they turned Torgue guns into almost unusable weapons with the slowest projectiles imaginable, they made gun shops completely worthless, and it seems like they tweaked the loot and stat algorithms so that rare guns are hardly ever as powerful as they should be. My problems with that game sound nitpicky, but I feel like they get to the root of why I didn't enjoy the second game as much. And although I'm embarrassed to admit it, I also miss the head explosions from Borderlands. Headshots feel like they have less impact in the second game because of it.

I would love to be excited for the Pre-Sequel, but I just don't feel it.

This is gaming news.

Also, typo police:

"both phone's are"

Take out that apostrophe.

Much love.

@mikeinsc:

Folks behind the video streaming service that was used to make the recording confirmed that it was recorded at the same time as the shooting.

http://blog.glide.me/post/96012321805/in-the-moment-glide-verifies-ferguson-shooting

I understand where you're coming from. But the gift, in this case, isn't a bribe, and Ryckert didn't solicit it. There isn't a conflict of interest if Dan accepts a goodwill gift from the audience. It's not like Activision stepped in and wrote him a $2000 check. And it's not like Ryckert stepped forward, hat in hand, asking for forum posters to pay for a new Xbox. I don't think it sets any harmful precedent.

Your ex-wife's current love life is not your concern unless it negatively affects your kids. Too many people in these situations get too tied up in what their exes are doing, and that never helps anyone. Let that go. Move on. It's over. Drop it. The quicker you do, the quicker you can get over this.

Don't kill yourself. Your outlook is bleak right now, but you have to do whatever you can to fight for yourself and provide for your children. Things will get better if you fight to make that happen.

Your strivings for happiness and positive impact shouldn't end with your separation. Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban for speaking out in favor of education for women and girls in Pakistan. She recovered from that and became one of the world's most visible advocates for female education at the age of 16. If she can bounce back from that and still make a worldwide positive impact, you can recover from a messy divorce and do the same. Facing adversity can, in fact, enhance our capacity for empathy and our appreciation for the good things we do have.

Take this time to focus on what joy you can still find. When I went through a rough patch, I realized that no one can take away my alone time: the time I spent after a big meal lying on the couch and listening to music or my favorite podcasts. Think about what makes you truly happy, and rely on that as you plot your next move in this time of transition. Keep looking for jobs with higher pay or do what you can to rise through the ranks at your current job (you may face setbacks in this struggle as well, but know that your perseverance will be rewarded. Don't give up when things get hard).

You can do this. Never limit yourself so much that you think you need to kill yourself. Your life is not over, so don't end it.

This couldn't have come at a better time. The grace period for my previous subscription was ending. Thanks Giant Bomb!

@spraynardtatum:

I would look for it to go up tomorrow or Friday. Whatever they recorded will take a while to edit and upload.

Huh.

Layoffs are always sad to hear, but this is insane. Between great, young talent like Carolyn and great, old talent like Ryan MacDonald, there's been too much lost. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this.