Baldur's Gate Has anybody ever tried Melirinda's Icewind Dale II mod?

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Only Alan Moore work I've read is Watchmen, which I finally caved and checked out a few weeks ago. Was damn solid, need to find time to re-read it and pick up... V for Vendetta, or is there anything more recommended?

You could say that From Hell is at least as excellent, but it is also possibly the most complex writing in a comic you'll ever see. Not to mention it's one of the most accurate pieces of historical fiction in existence. And the most original murder story you'll ever read.

 

[Trash]

He's back to doing those? The first two were awesome personified and made me love comics. The third one was incredibly meh though.

 

[Andyman Messiah]

Moore is very critical of his own work and I can understand why he feels that way about KJ, because, if I remember correctly, he got a lot of flak for a lot of the things he and Brian Bolland (fantastic art) did in the book. It's by far the most disturbing take on The Joker, and it's definitely THE Joker story as far as I'm concerned, but some people didn't like that Joker was running around and psychologically tormenting people (among other things) instead of putting Smilex into the water supply. And in certain parts of fandom, Moore was pretty much villified regarding how he had The Joker mistreat Barbara Gordon. It's understandable that, maybe, some of this criticism caught up with him. Add to that that there's isn't a writer in the world that can be *truly* satisfied with a story.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Moore is very critical of his own work and I can understand why he feels that way about KJ, because, if I remember correctly, he got a lot of flak for a lot of the things he and Brian Bolland (fantastic art) did in the book. It's by far the most disturbing take on The Joker, and it's definitely THE Joker story as far as I'm concerned, but some people didn't like that Joker was running around and psychologically tormenting people (among other things) instead of putting Smilex into the water supply. And in certain parts of fandom, Moore was pretty much villified regarding how he had The Joker mistreat Barbara Gordon. It's understandable that, maybe, some of this criticism caught up with him. Add to that that there's isn't a writer in the world that can be *truly* satisfied with a story.

I would say that the Joker in Arkham Asylum (and Arkham Asylum in general) is even more disturbing than Killing Joke.

He's back to doing those? The first two were awesome personified and made me love comics. The third one was incredibly meh though.

The last two pages of the third one were worth it.

However, Century is written on Moore's own terms, since he left America's Best Comics/WildStorm/DC group and writes it under Top Shelf where he enjoys full creative freedom and rights.

 

[Andyman Messiah]

I would say that the Joker in Arkham Asylum (and Arkham Asylum in general) is even more disturbing than Killing Joke.

That's the Grant Morrison story, right? Been a while since I read it.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

I would say that the Joker in Arkham Asylum (and Arkham Asylum in general) is even more disturbing than Killing Joke.

That's the Grant Morrison story, right? Been a while since I read it.

Yea. The one with the best depiction of Zeus ever. " The AC/DC altar awaits!"

 

[Maia]

The question is: would you rather have really good writing with minimum interaction or decent writing with a lot of choice? DON'T JUST SAY "BOTH" BECAUSE THAT IS CHEATING. The fact is, it's often a zero-sum game when time and talent get involved.

Just wanted to say that in my personal experience it just doesn't work that way. You can't equitably trade interaction for quality, because raising quality is really hard and tastes differ.

It's like the offers to trade non-linearity for quality. On the face of it an interesting option - I personally don't replay games all that often, if they don't specifically offer incentives for that.
However, I found out that even if I play a game just once, I enjoy the non-linear design much more, because it adds depth to the experience and maintains illusion that my character's choices matter. It is impossible to convincingly fudge this in a game. The fakeness becomes apparent sooner rather than later and the whole thing feels shallow and railroaded.
That's why the drive to let the player to see and do everything on one playthrough actually devalues the game - because to achieve this you have to lower all challenges to the lowest common denominator and to make player choices worthless.

Ditto the game length. It is easy enough to spot the boring parts in decent longer games and promise awesome shorter experiences made only of "good" parts. Except that then it turns out that the "good" parts, like favourite food, were only good in moderation. Or that some of the good parts, like character interactions, satisfying power acquisition curve, scope of the story etc. are actually dependant on game length and can't translate well to shorter formats.

 

[Radisshu]

I would say that the Joker in Arkham Asylum (and Arkham Asylum in general) is even more disturbing than Killing Joke.

That's the Grant Morrison story, right? Been a while since I read it.

Yea. The one with the best depiction of Zeus ever. " The AC/DC altar awaits!"

I think Arkham Asylum contains the best depictions of most of the characters in it. I don't see how people can put the Killing Joke up there with Arkham Asylum, Year One, and the Dark Knight Returns, though.

It might have something to do with me not really being a big fan of super heroes at all, the Killing Joke has a really basic super hero comic plot that goes alongside with its portrayal of the Joker. Which I found pretty lame, not very deep, dark, or disturbing at all. The only super hero comics I like are the ones I previously mentioned and Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

You may wanna give Moore's Supreme a try.

 

[Annie Mitsoda]

Good responses, Annie likey.

ALSO even though it has circa 1930s political incorrectness in it, I grew up with the Tintin graphic novels and they are fucking BOSS. They've also been translated into just about every language imaginable so that's a plus.

ALSO fuck me for not mentioning Jeff Smith's Bone, goddamn my human brain. It's very, VERY good. Try to get the single graphic novel editions and NOT the giant collected one for the SOLE REASON that while the big one is in color and that's cool and all, but Smith's work with black and white is nothing short of astounding.

Shit, Mark Buckingham, I knew I recognized his stuff! Artist for Fables, which you should also check out. Lookit Y: The Last Man as well because WOO Brian K. Vaughan.

And going back to games, I really got attached to Junpei in Persona 3. He seems like "hey I'm goofy friend" but his depth of character unfolds extremely well.

 

[LeStryfe79]

I love Atlus games

 

[Gragt]

ALSO even though it has circa 1930s political incorrectness in it, I grew up with the Tintin graphic novels and they are fucking BOSS. They've also been translated into just about every language imaginable so that's a plus.

I loved Tintin when I was a kid but my admiration faded as I grew up. I still like the whole serie overall and I have to confess I love some episodes. Tintin au Tibet (yeah, might as well use the original title, that one ain't so hard) is one of these, you can also add the two Temple of the Sun and the two Secret of the Unicorn episodes. These were written by Edgar P. Jacobs, the creator of Blake & Mortimer, which explains the higher level of quality and the occult theme in the first of the Temple of the Sun. It's always a bit bitter to think that Hergé and Jacobs were close friends for a long time; Hergé helped to launch Jacobs' career but later tried to stunt it as he was becoming more popular, especially because Jacobs' stories were considered more mature than Hergé's (at the time, comic books were still considered a children past-time, that someone tried to open it to a more mature audience did not go unnoticed).

Oh and there is a forgotten serie that is well worth checking out but I'm not sure it was translated. It hasn't even been re-edited in French so I doubt it's easy to find in English but anyway: it's La Malédiction des Sept Boules Vertes (or "The Curse of the Seven Green Balls), by Laurent Parcelier, with five episodes published from 88 to 91. It's "light" fantasy, far away from the stuff of Tolkien though there are some similar themes. The story follows a boy who one day, by pure luck, finds one of the titular green balls. He keeps it even though he ignores the legend that once lived a powerful wizard who reached immortality but grew tired of it, so before provoking his death, he enclosed all his powers into seven green balls and whoever manages to collects three of them first would receive all of the wizard's power. The legends plays a role later in the serie but the first episodes surprisingly ignores the whole thing, apart from Guilio finding one of the balls. In the first episode, Guilio is trying to leave his country, a small realm lost in the middle of a huge forest that cuts it from the rest of the world. The only way out is the Path, a road always in clean and good shape that goes through the forest in a straight line. Many tried to reach the end but no one ever came back, it said that along the way are evil creatures and that the forest itself will not let anyone through. It certainly had an original start! The whole serie has a simple but strong and original narrative, it certainly leaves memorable images in mind. A shame it has been forgotten and I'm glad I got all the books.

Oh and Les Cités Obscures, written by Peeters and drawn by Schuiten, is well-worth checking too, especially for steampunk fans! It is set on an alternate Earth with different independant city-states that each evolved in a different way. Schuiten being an architect, the drawings mostly focus on the different crazy architecture styles, but there is still a different kind of human drama in the heart of the story every time.

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

And going back to games, I really got attached to Junpei in Persona 3. He seems like "hey I'm goofy friend" but his depth of character unfolds extremely well.

STOP RIGHT THERE

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Good responses, Annie likey.

ALSO even though it has circa 1930s political incorrectness in it, I grew up with the Tintin graphic novels and they are fucking BOSS. They've also been translated into just about every language imaginable so that's a plus.

ALSO fuck me for not mentioning Jeff Smith's Bone, goddamn my human brain. It's very, VERY good. Try to get the single graphic novel editions and NOT the giant collected one for the SOLE REASON that while the big one is in color and that's cool and all, but Smith's work with black and white is nothing short of astounding.

Shit, Mark Buckingham, I knew I recognized his stuff! Artist for Fables, which you should also check out. Lookit Y: The Last Man as well because WOO Brian K. Vaughan.

And going back to games, I really got attached to Junpei in Persona 3. He seems like "hey I'm goofy friend" but his depth of character unfolds extremely well.

I will forever treasure my Tintin books next to my Asterix, Iznogoud and Lucky Luke. It is a shame that Réne died early. He was an absolutely terrific comedy writer with the excellent artists he teamed up with. Asterix en Corse is one of my all-time favourite stories.

Speaking of Jeff Smith, his Shazam! And The Monster Society Of Evil was a great comic in the vein of the funny adventurous spirit of the Fawcett comics which it's a remake of. And he draws an absolutely marvelous Captain Marvel. Shame he didn't take over the character for good. He'd be perfect for making Cap comics.

And Persona stands out as a proud exception among the usual shit that JRPGs are. Just like the rest of the Atlus games.

 

[MisterStone]

The coolest fantasy "graphic novel" I have read in years is found online here:

http://zudacomics.com/bayou

Seriously, it might not be for everyone, but I can't stop reading. Just felt like I needed to promote this as much as possible...

 

[Imbecile]

The coolest fantasy "graphic novel" I have read in years is found online here:

http://zudacomics.com/bayou

Seriously, it might not be for everyone, but I can't stop reading. Just felt like I needed to promote this as much as possible...

No'bad. Its a little black and white for my liking, but its got plenty of imagination.

 

[Naked Ninja]

Hmmm, got bored reading this after page one but I have to say, about Merlinda, I agree with the Rambling Sage. I respect people who create far more than those who whine, even if the creator creates something I dislike.

Simple economics, really. Rare things are more valuable. Whiners are a dime a dozen, hell, a dime a thousand, people who actually work to create something, not so.

Her work may be cheap garbage but I respect the author who writes and finishes the cheesy bodice ripper romance trash a hundred times more than the snobbish literature student who is perpetually halfway through writing their "great novel".

And she may be a militant feminist, but then again, I'm not forced to experience avatars with my gender running around in steel thongs in 50% of the games I want to play, I think that would drive me to extremism too.

Hell, I'm male and I want to reach through my monitor and tear out the an artists throat every time I see a steel bikini in an RPG.

 

[hiver]

ALSO fuck me for not mentioning Jeff Smith's Bone, goddamn my human brain. It's very, VERY good. Try to get the single graphic novel editions and NOT the giant collected one for the SOLE REASON that while the big one is in color and that's cool and all, but Smith's work with black and white is nothing short of astounding.

Oy! Easy on the brain.

I love Bone. Discovered it by chance...
I loved the first episodes. The ending episodes are good but first ones are my favourite. It was very impressive to me how he managed to use the forest as a setting... you can really feel its atmosphere, density and mysteriousness. Its like its almost a character not just an area or a background.
And i love those big expanses of the valley, woven in a silent winter night with smoke raising from a few chimneys in the distance.
I cant remember reading anything with such atmosphere, with such feeling of ... im not sure how to describe it. ... homey, warm images that feel like something you forgot long ago.

There are also many other aspects to those novels but more eloquent people already discussed those in better ways then i ever could.

Certainly one of those every one should have on the shelf.
And it would be great if someone would make a game out of it...

ACTUALLY I WOULD LIKE TO ASK: compelling character interactions in games - not just romances. Where at? What game, what character, why? Inquiring minds want to know.

Somebody mentioned Ravel and TNO.
That is one of the better ones out there, though you dont participate in it through the game. Only the end of it.


My suggestion to you would be to play the Witcher, if you didn't already.
He is not a walking penis. He also doesn't shag anything that moves.
All the bad things you can hear about it is from prude people that were actually shocked that there was SEX in a game.
So they go on and post overblown stuff about it.
I have seen others explained this issue already so Ill try not to repeat but all this talk about sexism and lust and whatever are just stupid.

There are a few ordinary girls you can sleep with through the game and the approach/dialogue that leads to that wasn't handled in the best way. A lot of it is caused by very bad English translation process that was apparent through whole of the game.
Its actually a minor thing in the game unless you are someone that has problems in that department in real life too.

Its just casual sex that everyone does from time to time. And the pin ups of the girls are excellently done btw.
If there was a guy in RL that looked like Geralt im sure he would get much more booty and no one would complain about it or think its strange but if the game reflects that its somehow a problem.

 

[ghostdog]

I think Alexander Jodorowski should also be mentioned for his work in graphic novels. His collaborations with Moebius and Gimenez in Incal and the Metabarons were very good. I really like his psychedelic and wacky sci-fi style. And the metabarons is a crazy take on Frank Herbert's Dune.

 

[hiver]

Ive recently read through the Metabarons. amazing style and art.
Horrible awful story and dialogues and the way situation develops.
One of the stupidest things ive ever read.
maybe i was just expecting same level of quality because of the art.

One of my favorites is also Milo Manara.
I would force every sexually challenged prude to read those.

But, i grew up on Alan ford and Dylan Dog of which you westerners have no idea.
Alan Moore is good and sometimes excellent but to me he seems like some quasi intellectual emo kid compared to Alan Ford.

 

[Radisshu]

But, i grew up ... and Dylan Dog of which you westerners have no idea.

Uh, you know that Dylan Dog is an italian comic, right? Which means it's western?

 

[hiver]

Italians are westerners? First time i hear about it.
Alan Ford is also an Italian comic.

But if you read my post again you might notice i wasnt making a distinction about the comic itself anyway.

 

[Imbecile]

Italians are westerners? First time i hear about it.
Alan Ford is also an Italian comic.

But if you read my post again you might notice i wasnt making a distinction about the comic itself anyway.

Well certainly they are referred to as Western European, and are considered part of the Western World. You'd like to think that some of the Westerners in Italy would have heard of him, though I have to admit I haven't.

 

[hiver]

I meant US, GB and other really western countries.
Italy and Italians are considered Mediterranean though politically they belong to the western side since the WWII.

Doesnt make them westerners really.

 

[Azarkon]

Well, this thread has certainly derailed.

Pity, I kind of wanted to see a LP of Melirinda's IWD 2 mod.