noblenerf

@technicallyartistic:Powerful words, duder. I dunno what the solution is, but I hope you find it!

@ian_williams: Great stuff; looking forward to your future articles!

Ian, I'm wondering what your thoughts on gamification of the workplace are--like at the Armello developer League of Geeks. (Here's an article describing how it works.) Basically, do you think an alternate wage schemes might be part of a solution (since unions seem decades off)? Personally, I think it will only further the problems devs have with work/life balance, not to mention what a disaster it would be for flop games. In spite of my thoughts, I am curious about your take.

This series is the bomb.

@penguindust:I came here to mention Space Cases but you've beaten me to it. Good work!

I despised Dragon Age: Inquisition and haven't played the DLCs or anything, but the point about the super-specific tragic choice kinda makes me want to play through it again, in those circumstances, just to see how that goes for me. I think I will one day.

And now I must say you've done the impossible, Rowan Kaiser. You got me to give DAI (and inadvertently DA2) a second chance. I dunno whether to hate or love you right now...

Also, good article. I think it nails what Inquisition did wrong while still recognising its successes. And it's a good overview of the DLC, which I haven't heard a single thing about. So, nice work!

Great article. I'm looking forward to seeing more refreshingly original (and honest!) articles from this guest contributor thing.

Now... as to guilty pleasures, mine is Bioware RPGs, specifically their newer stuff. You see, I'm the sort that really enjoys deep roleplaying mechanics in RPGs--the sort of thing Obsidian and CD Projekt have done so well at--and, for the longest time, that I've felt Bioware left behind. But I don't mind; in spite of everything, from gameplay I find flawed, to characters I think are poorly-written, to stories I see as half-finished, I just find myself truly enjoying my time with Bioware's games; there's something I find primally engaging about inhabiting the characters, worlds, and spaces that Bioware creates. Even in something like The Old Republic, which is the antithesis of what I'd consider a good video game, I still thoroughly enjoy my time with it.

So, yeah, I look down my nose at Bioware's works while enjoying them all the same. We have a weird relationship.

Guilty pleasures are weird.

I miss Kinect QLs.

At least the future has no shortage of buggy games.

That ending was an inside job. It was a little too perfect!

GB inadvertently made Carth Onasi as their avatar.

@cooljammer00 said:

The only SIE that matters

You read my mind and beat me to the punch...

Good work, duder.

So good.

Fusing can only go so far... There comes a point where you just need something new. The Astral Arcana is a harsh mistress, indeed.