The Gamer's Quarter

Lestrade · Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 8:44 am Post subject:

Okay, here are two scanned pages. I've linked them to avoid SPOILARZ. They don't really give anything away.

First Page
Second Page

It's all pencil at this stage, with no fills. I am often quite loose when I pencil because, hey, I'm the one inking it, and I know what I my intentions are (most of the time). All my borders and boxes are drawn in blue pencil, and I just ink those without pencilling them first.

So, uh, yeah.

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

Wow, so it's almost done. Awesome. How long will this have taken when all is said and done?

Also, sounds like a much more entertaining/exciting Xmas than mine.
_________________
“The average man has a secret desire to be a swaggering, drunken, fighting, raping swashbuckler.”
-Robert E. Howard in a letter to a friend circa Decmber 1932

"There is no place in this enterprise for a rogue physicist!"

Lestrade · Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:40 pm Post subject:

I just finished pencilling the last page an hour ago! I'm very excited. Now my friend and I are going to buy some rum.

After all is said and done, the comic will have taken me about 3 1/2 years—way too long!

Shaper, did you get my present?

Lestrade · Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 11:47 pm Post subject:

Oh my ghod.

Drunmk. rettty drunk, yes . Friend's girlfriend's birthday + Mexican restaurant plus tequila = WOW. I kept yelling about worshipping Satan on the subway ride home.

Fuck;.

Walked along posh Queen St, on my way home tonight (where I live), with a giant bag of cat food in my hand. I kept getting curious/dirty looks from shop owners as I browsed tgeir wares like this.

end up a the ock and rolll clothing store. got two pairs of heajsnfsdf jeans and a ohoood hodie for less than 40 bucls. buvks fuck bucks, rather .l hteir prety awesome. yeah.

owwow., wowl wow. I sih I cioudl see straight right noiw. jesus.

guess i'm not going running tomorrow....

GSL · Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 3:53 am Post subject:

You sir, are truly the master of the drunk post!

And go running tomorrow anyways. You'll feel like you're going to die for the first half mile, after which everything will go numb.

Lestrade · Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 3:44 pm Post subject:

Thanks, I think? I do seem to have a penchant for posting while drunk; I have no idea why. I probably look like a complete asshole.

I didn't go running today. Rather I substituted exercise with Tylonol and and lots of water. I had a three-hour meeting this afternoon, which thankfully was engaging. I don't know if I would have survived otherwise.

I have to meet my tutor tonight; I swear I'm always tired or hung over when we meet. Not good.

Tequila shots and cervezas do not a fun morning make. I think I enjoyed the food last night but to be perfectly honest, I don't think I could taste it by that point.

helicopterp · . Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 1435 Location: Philadelphia

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

dessgeega · Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:35 pm Post subject:

Lestrade · Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:02 am Post subject:

Whoa, bizarre thread revival! MK games may have weird characters, but they all make sense in the context of the story (no, really!). Street Fighter just isn't the place for one-armed old men and Venom rip-offs. Street Fighter is about iconic characters—the Karate Guy (or four of them), the Sumo Guy, the American™, etc. Leave the anime wackiness to other games, like Guilty Gear.

Speaking of which.I have GG XX Slash Whatever. (I can never keep those ridiculous names straight.) It's fun for a bit, and I certainly enjoy the soundtrack, but the game's visual excess leaves me a bit cold. I'm not a fan of that sort of... silliness. It's just a personal preference.

In other news, I started to fill the void left by Zelda by picking up where I left off in Okami last night. I just played for a little bit, and it took me a while to remember how to even control the little bastard, nevermind what I was supposed to be doing.

I think playing Twilight Princess and then Okami has sort of made me realize the appeal of this particular genre (for truly, Zelda is its own type of game, which is why it rarely deviates from its own formula). Whether it's completing a Dungeon™ in Zelda or cleansing a room of evil and restoring nature in Okami, the games present a very satisfying sense of accomplishment.

Normally, I prefer games that let you feel like you're going somewhere, or doing something in the grand scheme of things. But Zelda and Okami give you tasks. They are gaming's equivalent of an inbox, and the crux of the gameplay is completing the work handed to you.

That probably sounds boring as all hell, but I could see how people—especially those who are on the obsessive-compulsive side!—would find this very thin facade riveting.

I noticed this because during my short time with Okami last night, I felt very satisfied by the simple act of restoring nature. It didn't matter to me what my overall objective in the game was, and I was happy to be led by the nose from one area to the next. What mattered was that each time I caused something or somewhere to bloom, I felt like I had done something worthwhile, like I had just finished washing the dishes or cleaning my home. I could look back and see the effect I had on the game world.

In an medium that thrives on the presentation of destruction (appealing to a conquering male mindset), a game in which you essentially repair the world is very welcome. Oh sure, there are battles (and after Twilight Princess, the comparisons to Zelda just get more pronounced), but for me the joy in the game is looking back at an area and seeing how freaking beautiful I've made it with my celestial brush.

But man, why can't this have been ported to Wii?

helicopterp · . Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 1435 Location: Philadelphia

Lestrade · Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:40 pm Post subject:

The other day when I was buying clothes in a below-ground shop here in Toronto, I noticed behind a security gate, in an adjoined retro-collectibles shop called Fantastic Plastic, a copy of Zelda for the Super Famicom on a shelf.

I went there today and picked it up for only ten dollars.

(Interjection: I'm watching Akira Kurasawa's Kagemusha right now, and as I typed that, a soldier with what I know as the Triforce emblazoned on his back appeared in the foreground.)

Anyway, it was an exciting find, I thought. Here it is!

Persona-sama · Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:19 am Post subject:

Now you must PLAY IT and take pictures and post about it with funny captions while DRUNK!!

YES :D
_________________

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierpinski_triangle

Lestrade · Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 7:41 pm Post subject:

Thanks, Nana! For you, a post with double-purpose: I wanted to test out my new (nice 'n' inexpensive) cell phone's built-in camera, so I took a picture of the new Nakashima Mika album I bought today:

Desperately trying to find a way to replicate my old ring on this new phone. My old phone had a mic, so I recorded the opening theme to Final Fantasy IV on it. I've been trained to answer a phone whenever I hear that, so anything else seems out of place....

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

I'm torn if I like her newer NANA Starring Mika Nakashima stuff or not. I liked "Glamorous Sky" even though she really doesn't have the voice to be singing rock music, but I think she pushed herself a little too far. I'm curious as to your thoughts on the album.

I also hope Reira gets more than one line in the second movie.

Lestrade · Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:23 am Post subject:

I really liked "Glamorous Sky" as a single, because I like Nakashima's voice as a rock voice—even though, as you said, she's isn't really that kind of singer. I don't actually like her regular music that much, just the Nana-persona stuff.

That said, this album (which is basically the Glamorous Sky album plus new tracks) is good, though the sound is different. Knowing the original songs makes their insertion between the newer tracks seem a bit jarring, but the newer songs, none of which are really as flat-out "punkish" as last year's stuff, still hold up well. They seem to be more of a compromise between her pop vocals and the fictional band's rock roots. Rather than forcing Nakashima to screech and scream the way she really can't, she's sings at a much more even tone while the band injects the song with a slightly heavy flavour.

It sounds more like she's taking it easy this time around; ironically, she sounds like if the real Nana had been in the business for 10 or 15 years, had perhaps gotten a bit long in the tooth, and then returned her roots with a somewhat safe, yet well-crafted album.

And, I must say, I really prefer the "ALTAnative" version of "Hitoiro" to the much more subdued version in the single. It's just more Nana.

Lestrade · Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 3:40 pm Post subject:

Forget your snakes, it's Scorpions on a Plane!

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Lestrade · Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 7:10 am Post subject:

I personally thought Nakashima as Nana was perfect. A lot of people (apparently) complained that she was too "serious" in her role. Word on the street is in Nana 2 Nakashima's been made to act more closely to her comic counterpart.

The thing is, goofy side-glances and manga outbursts don't work in a live-action movie. I actually saw the film before I read the comics, and when I finally did, I thought, "Wow, did the movie ever do a great job of adapting this." Not directly translating the comic, but appropriately adapting it for a different medium. What needed to be cut was cut, etc.

Alongside that is Nakashima's decidedly distant performance. From what I've read, she (as a real person) is known for being cool and distant, so the role probably isn't much of a stretch for her. But her version of the character seemed genuine; as a rather cliched character of The Trouble Young Person Who Finds Solace Only in Rock, she seemed, ironically, much more human for being so cold.

And yes, the resemblance is just plain eerie.

I too find it odd that damn near most of the cast has been replaced for the second movie. I'm not sure if I want to watch it, because I don't want to ruin the enjoyment I got from the first film. It's especially shitty that Hachi is different; her original actress was just spot-on, I thought. Vulnerable, a little bit stupid, but with that charm, she played the role well.

(Granted, the film just glossed over all the sex that's actually in the story! I mean, Hachi was the booty call for a wealthy older man as a teenager; as a westerner, that seems pretty fucked up right there! Nana 2 isn't as shy about the sex aspect, I hear.)

Anyway. The CD that I got is technically a "For Sale Outside of Japan" version. Being in Toronto, I have access the best Chinese malls outside of, well, China, and so stuff like this is easy to find. It wasn't expensive, and the quality of the disc is superb.

Lestrade · Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 8:30 pm Post subject:

Shit yeah! I finally got Connect360 and my 360 talking to each other. It turns out that they both had to be connected via wires. My iMac was connected wirelessly, but my 360 was using a good old-fashioned CAT-5; this didn't work. It might be because my wireless network is "hidden" (why didn't I think of that before?), but regardless, my iMac is so close to my hub, you wouldn't even notice that it was connected via a cable unless I pointed it out.

So yeah, watching things like the 1up Show in basically DVD-quality on my television is really nice. I hope they start supporting other video formats (namely DIVX) soon, because... well... yes. Also having access to my iTunes library on my surround sound system is very handy. I guess I don't need an Apple TV anymore! (Not like I ever did, really.)

I finally got the full-on Blinky Lights website up and running on behalf of my partner and I. Currently it's missing the extra content pages, but we'll hammer those out quite quickly. I spent a good part of my work day figuring out the idiosyncrasies of customizing a Blogger site. There will be something else related to this soon!

Those Symphony videos have me all weak-kneed. I can't wait to play the game yet again!

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Lestrade · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:37 pm Post subject:

New topic: why is everything I do composed of pure shit!?

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

That's being a little harsh, isn't it?

Lestrade · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:28 pm Post subject:

No!!!!

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Well our conversation about the Nana movie and Mika Nakashima was not composed of pure shit. So there!

Lestrade · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:53 pm Post subject:

DAMN YOU AND YOUR LOGIC!!!!

I'm very emo today. ;_;

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Actually you're the first person I've ever been able to talk about that movie with. Normally I'm used to having interests that are completely contrary to what people around me like, so actually being able to discuss things that matter to me (whenever I get the chance) is highly enjoyable.

Now if only you were into idol music...

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

To prove my point, I changed my avatar just for you Lestrade.

Lestrade · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 12:15 am Post subject:

Heh heh heh... Thanks, Nana. If you see the second movie before me, please let me know what you think of it.

Frickin' Wii! Why can't I write in Japanese on this thing?

Lestrade · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:43 pm Post subject:

Okay, picture post!

My wife bought a digital SLR, and I'm trying to learn how to properly use it. I suck, but here is a not-bad shot of my cat, whose eyelids are always faster than a camera flash.

Left: the bitchinest phone ever made (yes, it works). Right: My new, really-cheap (but apparently great) cell phone. I've been wanting a dial phone like that for years. Best phone ever!

For Persona. The bastards who played this game were freaking hardcore. I started a new quest and went to name Link "Punto"—my gaming name of choice. It obviously didn't fit the four-character limit, so I wrote in katakana instead: プント. I just love how in the Japanese Zelda, you erase a save game by entering KILL MODE.

I was in the market for new shoes, and instead of something I'd feel guilty buying, I picked up a pair of Blackspot V2 shoes. If you don't know what the whole Blackspot thing is about, I suggest you head over to www.adbusters.org and find out! These are really comfortable, fucking wicked-looking, and the epitome of cool; I mean, the sole is a fucking TIRE TREAD. Lots of people say they have "punk rock" shoes—no, you motherfuckers, this is a punk rock shoe!

Whoo! I have more photos, but I'll post those another time.

Lestrade · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 9:47 pm Post subject:

(O.o)

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Persona-sama · Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 2:38 am Post subject:

This thread makes me want to buy new shoes and watch Nana movies.
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Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

Who is Nana?

Also, I like Blinky Lights.
_________________
“The average man has a secret desire to be a swaggering, drunken, fighting, raping swashbuckler.”
-Robert E. Howard in a letter to a friend circa Decmber 1932

"There is no place in this enterprise for a rogue physicist!"

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Nana is a manga by Ai Yazawa that has been turned into two live-action movies, a 52 episode anime series and had at least one full tribute album devoted to it. It's one of the best selling shoujo mangas in Japan right now.

To summarize, it's the story of two girls named Nana. One is Nana Komatsu (where I got my user name) who is flighty, unreliable, very feminine, and only really responsible if she puts her mind to it. The other is Nana Osaki, the singer in a band, The Black Stones, who is more distant, cold, and very punk rock stereotypical. The two meet on a train to Tokyo and end up sharing an apartment and hilarity ensues.

Lestrade · Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 2:26 pm Post subject:

Recovering from a sleep-inducing lunch right here. The only game I've played at all in the past few days has been Castlevania IV on the VC.

I keep forgetting that there's a holiday today in the US. I was wondering why there aren't any news updates anywhere.

Lestrade · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:49 am Post subject:

My wife said to me yesterday, "So are you coming with me for the midnight launch of The Burning Crusade?"

"I—Oh, god—" I yammered, trying to find a way out of this dilemma. "Do I have to?"

"Yup," she said, not batting an eye.

"But I—"

"I waited with you for a Wii," she interjected. "You owe me."

"Shit. Okay, well then yes, it looks like I'm coming!"

So about 20 minutes before the (shudder) EB Games at the Eaton Centre was scheduled to open, we walked through the cold, past an old man trying to warm himself on the frozen ground with a blanket. My heart caught in my throat and I suddenly felt a frigid stab of pure guilt and worthlessness. I didn't have any change to even give the man, so we kept walking in silence. It was my first indication that what we were about to do was stupid and absurd.

Through the Eaton Centre we walked until we came upon a surprisingly huge line-up. "Oh, shit," I mumbled.

My wife got in line and I walked towards the store front, past a couple hundred people, it seemed. I asked someone, "Is this the line-up for people with pre-orders?" Being an obvious WoW addict—CRT tan, dead eyes, skin that looked like it hadn't seen the effects of a vegetable in months—the person I asked could only nod, slack-jawed.

I went back to where my wife was waiting and prepared to wait. Two women were making their way through the mall to get to the subway station, and stopped to look at the line-up. "What is this for?" one of them asked me, completely taken aback that 200 people would be waiting in a mall at midnight, seemingly for no reason.

I knew were this was going to go, so I couldn't help but smirk the entire time. "They're waiting for a computer game," I said plainly.

"A computer game?" she repeated, shocked.

"Yup."

Obviously having a hard time processing this, she looked to me again, quizzical. "What kind of computer game—?" she started. I could tell she was thinking, What kind of computer game would warrant this?

"It's a really popular online game," I answered. How else do you explain something like this?

"My god—" she said to her friend, like she was terrified. She sort of stumbled away in shock, probably muttering, What is wrong with the world? I couldn't really blame her. I chuckled to myself as she left.

It was slow going. The minutes dripped by like sap. At some point, we got really hungry, really quickly. I had taken a nap before we headed out, and my internal clock had reset and thought it was breakfast time. So I headed out in search of food—a rather difficult task at this point, well after midnight.

After wandering outside and through Dundas Square, marvelling at what a consumerist hell this part of town had become, I padded up Yonge Street like a tramp, until I found a late-night pizza place on a corner. I paid for the dried-up-looking slices and headed back to my wife, passing two more lines at different stores for the games. At least we weren't in one of the outdoor lines, I thought.

Back in the line-up, things hadn't changed much. I passed the time by reading a graphic novel I had brought, and listening to the inane conversations by some seriously fucked-up people. I was embarrassed enough to be in the Wii line back in November, but this was much, much worse. One young man emerged victorious from the EB, a cell phone pressed against his ear and a smile splitting his large face. He was huge—well over six feet, probably close to 300 pounds—and I felt like I was part of a bad parody of video game culture.

It wasn't until well after 2:00 AM that my wife got to the front of the line, and it was only then that the EB manager bothered to mention that her pre-order for the collector's box couldn't be fulfilled. Just as with the Wii line, the bastards at EB didn't feel the need to inform their stupid customers (that'd be us) of what was going on.

In the end, my wife didn't get what she wanted, though she got the game, at least. I walked out of the Eaton Centre with her, wanting to sell all my games and just give this up forever. I felt like such an asshole, such a loser, along with all the other idiots in that line.

As we walked home, I didn't see the man who was sitting on the ground. He was probably somewhere else, worrying about something a little more noble, like survival.

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

You know what I don't get? This is an MMO expansion that can only really be used by people of a very high level, right? Well, why the hell do they have to "buy" an mmo expansion in the store? It seems like this may just be a stunt.
_________________
“The average man has a secret desire to be a swaggering, drunken, fighting, raping swashbuckler.”
-Robert E. Howard in a letter to a friend circa Decmber 1932

"There is no place in this enterprise for a rogue physicist!"

aerisdead · . Joined: 03 Dec 2006 Posts: 254 Location: Toronto, Canada

Ach!

I should have pitched this- I did rather well out of the PS3 and Wii launches. Stupidly, I didn't realise the launch of Burning Crusade was going to be that big of a deal.

OF COURSE IT IS A HUGE DEAL

FOR SOME OF THESE KNOB-ENDS IT'S THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE BEEN OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOUSE IN YEARS
_________________
aerisdead

Lestrade · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:52 am Post subject:

It was a weird scene. Well, my wife is happy (sort of), and that's what's important. I bitched a lot in this post, but I didn't complain at all while we were there. I was there for her, after all. I'm a good husband that way. :-)

Also, Aerisdead: I don't think supply is a problem, so I don't know if you'd be able to turn over many copies of the game. The people there all had pre-orders; they just didn't want to wait any longer to pick their copy up!

My Live Gold membership runs out at the end of this month. I don't think I'm going to renew it (since now it's free). I just don't play online enough to warrant it, and with Silver I still get all the other features, so there isn't much point. I had this discussion with my wife the other day: I suffer from a complete lack of friends, online or off, with whom to play multiplayer games. It's been like that since I was eight. What the hell?

Oh Christ I could use some serious caffeine right now.

*christina* · . Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 16 Location: St. Louis, MO

1) I love Nana. I have books 1-4 and am eagerly awaiting book 5's release.

2) I play a lot of Warcraft. However, I would never wait in line for over 2 hours for an expansion. That might be because my character is only level 34 and the Burning Crusade is not that valuable to me, but it's also because I like to sleep. Wait, no I had a point about morality to make somewhere but forgot it. Anyway, your wife is crazy but that was really sweet of you to wait with her. I've had to do a lot of midnight waits at the local Walmarts and such because SOMEONE who had already preordered the damn system/game/whatever at a different store COULDN'T WAIT eight freaking more hours to go get the game at a more human time of day. This may sound a little specific but it's actually happened at least 5 times in the last 6 years of our relationship. (If you truly want to be among the great unwashed of America, that is the time to visit a Walmart. I've smelled sour milk that was sweeter in fragrance.) I can honestly say that I've never done a midnight wait without complaining the entire time so you are a stronger person than I. I think that's the joy of it though. I can look at other people and think, "Wow, Wes is ALMOST one of these people. But for some reason he's cute and makes it work. Also, I am the best girlfriend in the world to stand here. I think that guy over there is staring at my boobs again." So there's my declaration of love for my gamer. I hope all those people in line have someone who can say the same thing. Because honestly if you're in the line, you're all the same. Way to go loyal spouses and partners who can love each other for being such big nerds.
~Christina

aerisdead · . Joined: 03 Dec 2006 Posts: 254 Location: Toronto, Canada

Lestrade · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 11:53 am Post subject:

Christina, your post is hilarious because I didn't realize who you were at first, but once you name-dropped Wes I couldn't stop laughing. Wes, you rascal!

One addendum: after Nancy got her game and we started walking away, the only indication of my desire to immolate myself was that I said, "Let's never do this again. Ever."

"Yeah," she said, and she meant it.

Ah, love.

Aerisdead: yeah, that's always my issue. Me + other players = not gonna happen. That's why I play single-player games. And cry in my underwear.

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

I don't much play games online (and esp. with strangers), but Gears of War with the IC crew is really great and kills more of my time than I expected it would. Also Lost Planet is really good online too... I don't know why. Probably because the way they set up rank makes the online game more like an MMO. No matter how poorly you do, you never get punished for sucking, the worst you can do is get 100 points. Points total up to make new ranks. Ranks total up to unlock new characters and patterns to play online. Also, since the game isn't team based as heavily as GoW is, if I run into the occasional Jack Ass I can just ignore them because I don't need to work with them to survive. So, yeah, count me shocked that I'm really enjoying Lost Planet online.
_________________
“The average man has a secret desire to be a swaggering, drunken, fighting, raping swashbuckler.”
-Robert E. Howard in a letter to a friend circa Decmber 1932

"There is no place in this enterprise for a rogue physicist!"

Lestrade · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:04 pm Post subject:

OKAY FUCKING NEWSFLASH

The Hamilton man who has built Mjolnir armour is going to tramp down to City Hall (a five-minute walk from my place) this Saturday. Fuck yes I'm going to take pictures.

EDIT: VIDEO!

Persona-sama · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 2:51 pm Post subject:

This guy is amazing. His genuine enthusiasm in his own project really is admirable, and it's a pretty nicely designed suit too. I wish he turned around during the video so I could see the back.

Still, I can't imagine seeing the military purchasing these from his company or from whatever company that will produce them. No, right now they're too busy focusing their budgets on nanotechnology and on cloning a Cold War super soldier.

Also, the clip of the Ursus Mark V, series B looks an awful lot like a Zaku. It's kind of cool.
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Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Lestrade · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:40 pm Post subject:

Yeah, as far as my REAL LYFE KREW, my friends break down like this:

• one doesn't really want to play games, but does anyway, and then complains about it later

• one constantly flies off the handle if anything in any game ever doesn't go exactly as to appease him. Each Halo "party" we've ever had has this particular person leave and re-join the gameplay several times, because his temper gets the better of him at regular intervals

• one is an excellent player, and the most fun to play against, but for whatever weird reasons has something against playing competitive games, so it's co-op or bust

• one complains constantly how playing a console FPS is "a sin" and is not to be compared with playing a PC FPS, etc. etc. etc.

• one is, surprisingly, very laid back and is up for anything, and thus is actually fun to play with

Not a very compelling situation. That's why I miss bots in FPS games. :-(