smokepants

I finished my Scoundrel's story and now I've got a 33 Juggernaut. I plan on playing every class -- alternating between Republic and Empire, with decent breaks from the game between each one. I may even do some classes twice if I find the opposite light/dark options tantalizing enough. Playing a Light Smuggler, I wasn't impressed with the dark side options, but as a Sith Warrior, those dark side choices I'm missing out on look tempting.

As far as end game goes: it's like ordering dessert at a Chinese restaurant.

I've been playing on a West Coast server from the East Coast, so I've had a nice headstart on the rush and the most time I've spent waiting is around 10 minutes. But still, this is an intrinsic problem with forcing everyone to hitch their wagon to a specific server. If the characters were free-floating entities, then they would have a much easier time scaling the service to meet demand. The way it works now where they have to overbook servers to ensure that enough people are playing at a given time is something that they really should have done away with.

I know this is the traditional way MMO's are done and it's supposed to help foster communities and allow for reputations, but I question how effective it really is at doing that. I don't see how it's worth the price paid in terms of queues on one end of the spectrum and dead servers on the other.

I ONLY enjoy odd-numbered entries in this series, so MGS 5 sounds good to me. Then again, I'm probably going to hate it unless they jettison most of the story baggage the franchise has been burdened with and give us a fresh start of sorts.

But I bet there's going to be somebody there to tell you to press the Action Button. It wouldn't be an MGS game if they didn't piss all over the 4th wall.

I 100%-ed GTA IV and now the thought of starting over in another GTA game makes me want to vomit, then shit all over myself, then vomit again from the smell of the shit. It was like getting put off cigarettes after you Dad catches you and makes you smoke a whole carton.

I don't have any idea what qualified him to be a narrative designer in the first place. It seems to be a clear upgrade from him to the ME2 cinematic lead.

I don't usually like to take extreme positions on games, but I hated Braid. That entire game was like being asked to build a ladder from scratch, and then when you did, you found out it still couldn't reach. You have to go dig up some rocks and prop them under the legs. The ladder keeps slipping off the rocks for the next ten minutes and then, finally, almost randomly, it stays in place and you could reach your goal. Not happy about it, just really really pissed off that the ladder wasn't good enough.

In that analogy, the ladder is the puzzle and the rocks were the crappy platforming and timing gameplay.

If I didn't like the Duke, I would lie and say I did, because you know what they say about people with big hands...

Firm handshakes.

Now THIS controller had orbs of steel.

If I ever need to know if someone is a pussy or not, I ask them what they thought of the original Xbox controller.

I really don't get the cynicism surrounding Origin. Sure, nobody asked for it, but it's EA's right to distribute their products however they see fit. How is it the act of an evil corporation to challenge another company's near-monopoly? Especially when that other company is taking a 30% cut on each unit sold AND devaluing their products with frequent fire sales. I really don't buy anything on Steam at full price. The expectation is that it will be dirt cheap at some point soon and I'll be kicking myself if I can't take advantage when that moment comes. I'm not complaining -- but what's good for me as a consumer is not necessarily good for the developers who need revenue to stay in business.

Is Origin as good as Steam? Hell if I know, but I'm guessing it's not even close. But as I recall, Steam was a piece of shit when it launched, so there's always room for improvement.

Paul Barnett is a true raconteur. I can only take solace in knowing that She Who Shall Not Be Named won't be there, either.

Although, last year when Paul and Vinny walked out on her harpy antics and held their own broadcast from the porch, that was awesome.