Messages

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Forum Games / Re: "What Are You Thinking Now?"

« on: June 20, 2010, 03:14:31 AM »

One of these years I have to make the drive down to MAGfest!

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Gaming / Re: The Official Pokémon Black & White Discussion Thread

« on: June 20, 2010, 03:14:04 AM »

You know, with the 3DS's camera and online system, how awesome would it be if you had a screen like in the video, where while the action's going on, you could see your friend yelling at the 'mon in the smaller left screens! 

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Forum Games / Re: "What Are You Thinking Now?"

« on: June 20, 2010, 03:11:26 AM »

One of these years I'll make the trip down to Baltimore for Otakon.

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Gaming / Re: The Mario Kart Thread

« on: June 20, 2010, 01:56:28 AM »

The AI in Double Dash is a complete dumbass.  You should frankly not need very much item help to get from 2nd to 1st at all, though I will admit the frequent Blue Shell does help if you got screwed over earlier.  Nevertheless, I really do feel that such complaints are better directed at DS and Wii, which attempted to fix AI while still holding to the same broken item system.

If only I had my PB Objection thing.  Either way...

Perhaps I should make myself clear here.  What I'm talking about refers more towards the TRUE fun of Mario Kart, the great joy of racing with friends. I'm not talking about the single player mode, because like you said, the AI is moronic.  Hell, you can see it in Mario Kart Wii with the Blooper, since it 99% of the time NEVER screws over real people racing.  However, even the single player mode benefits more from 5th-8th place racers screwing over 1st place. The problem is, usually YOU are in first place, but it's still 5th-8th place screwing you over, not 2nd-4th.  Also, trust me, my complaints about items & unbalance issues are directed at EVERY MK game post MK64.

Double Dash's item setup is, IMHO, the testament of gamers needing to be careful what they wish for in regards to rubber-band AI bitching.  Because there are only so many ways you can go with racing AI.  You can make it adapt to the player (MK64), you can make it really freaking hard regardless (F-Zero GX), or you can constantly nuke the leader (Double Dash).  People bitched about 64's AI, and frankly, they shouldn't have.

Oh, I agree. I'm sorry, but whoever complained about Rubber Banding in MK64 sucked.  Even with rubber banding, the game was not hard and the AI did not go completely out of it's way to screw you.  Hell, there was more of that in SNES MK, with "character rivals."  God forbid you were Toad, cause Luigi gunned for your ass with Invincible Eyes.
 

What you're describing is inevitable with any degree of customization, though.  And with kart stats having been established for the last three games, I don't think that's going anywhere.  I'd rather see signature items with only minor kart stats as in DD than kart stats that turn the whole game upside-down as in DS and Wii.

What you're describing is not customization.  And you're right, they're not changing kart stats back to pre MK64, and I think the game suffers because of it.  It makes it unbalanced.  Signature moves are also not customization, as they are directly tied in to what character you choose, again adding in an unbalancing effect, no matter how minor.  Customization is what ModNation Racers is all about, and it's done perfectly.  You can customize the look of your racers, your tracks, and the design of your kart, but in NO way does it change the game.  It's balanced and after playing it, it even further makes me realize what Mario Kart has lost, and it's sad.

I just want to say, we need this.  I missed the classic mechanics while playing DD, I admit, but there is something to be said for your own custom character pairings.  I really feel that both modes have enough merit that they should be able to co-exist.

Again, the only way I would accept this is if both the items and the karts themselves were balanced, with no signature moves.  However, since we both know that's not going to happen, I don't want it. 

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Entertainment / Re: GENERAL COMIC BOOK THREAD (MANGA NOT ALLOWED)

« on: June 20, 2010, 01:22:47 AM »

I never followed Ollie much, but as for Hal and Barry, there are suitable explanations.

LoL, you only have to give my favorite Grant Morrison response when it comes to bringing back characters.

"They're comic book character.  We can pretty much do whatever the hell we want with them!"

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Fan Creations / Re: borockman's fun fun art thread!

« on: June 19, 2010, 08:27:34 AM »

Sakura: Well of course not, he's a demon out of hell for crying out loud, and last I checked truly evil demons have no emotions.

PB - "Well, he is playing ping pong and wearing little clothing. I didn't think he was truly evil!"

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Fan Creations / Re: borockman's fun fun art thread!

« on: June 19, 2010, 08:17:14 AM »

PB - "Blast!  My standing here and looking sexcellent is having no effect on it!"

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Fan Creations / Re: Soulanimals Art thread of..... Suckish Art that will one day become good

« on: June 19, 2010, 08:15:24 AM »

That must be the tame version 

Possibly. For my adoring fan-girl though, I might turn up the naughtiness knob just a tad!   

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Entertainment / Re: DC Animated Universe Thread

« on: June 19, 2010, 08:12:17 AM »

I'm looking forward to it.  Here's hoping it's good and as funny as the comic.

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Gaming / Re: The Mario Kart Thread

« on: June 19, 2010, 08:11:27 AM »

Well, it's not like anyone had signatures that were absolutely BAD or anything.  Yes, the triple shells could no longer orbit to protect the user, but three green/shells are still just as potent as ever.  The super shroom wasn't the greatest, but it was still functional at the very least.  The other signatures never really felt broken to me, especially with flying blue shells running amuck.  Even the giant Bowser shell had a counter in the Giant Banana, and I never really saw the Chain Chomp as being that game-breaking as I've seen people get killed due to those things.

No they were not, and I'll explain why.  Like I mentioned earlier up above, Double Dash created a system where one could not get 1st place without the help from the last place racers shooting those flying Spiny Shells you mentioned.   So, when Koopa Troopa got 3 Green Shells in 6th - 7th place, they were absolutely useless.  Also, I didn't say that they were broken.  I said it made the game unbalanced, which it does.  Even if they were to give Koopa Troopa and Toad better signature moves, some characters would still have supers that were better, thus making the game unbalanced.

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Fan Creations / Re: borockman's fun fun art thread!

« on: June 19, 2010, 07:28:45 AM »

Actually, DW is right.  I believe it is spelled Frieza.

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Forum Games / Re: "What Are You Thinking Now?"

« on: June 19, 2010, 07:27:47 AM »

Heh, maybe there's some bribery involved, you never know. It is by far the worst decision by referee in this tourney.

I wouldn't be surprised.  I mean, I don't care as I'm still rooting for Italy, but like with any sport, it's still a total bullshit call.  At least when Jim Joyce screwed up that perfect game, he had the balls to come out and fully admit he made a mistake and that it cost him a perfect game. 

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Gaming / Re: The Mario Kart Thread

« on: June 19, 2010, 07:25:58 AM »

I must disagree with you on that one, PB.  I loved the signature items.  It sucked when previously universal items went signature, this is true, but Koopa Troopa and Toad are the (very unfortunate for you) exceptions, not the rule.  While their particular items blew, the rest of the cast got some overall strong stuff.

Doesn't matter.  Love or hate, it still makes it unbalanced.  It's no different than the 3-4 bikes in Mario Kart Wii.  There's no reason to pick your favorite cart over the bikes, because you won't win.  I want Mario Kart back to being a balanced game again.  Superiors karts/bikes, signature moves and supers creates an unbalanced effect in which one character or vehicle will be vastly superior to another.

And you can't blame the signature mechanic for how the game handles triple ANYTHING.  No getting around that.

I don't.  I blame the whole game for that.  It's why I don't play it.

However, I will say this: Signatures have better impact when you're building teams.  I'm not sure how I'd feel about them in your traditional single-racer Mario Kart.  In a double kart, you can pick one character you just love and one who has an awesome signature, creating a balanced duo.  In a single kart it would be all-or-nothing, which would make balance concerns more severe.

And here in lies the problem.  Mario Kart, unless playing a CHOSEN team mode, should never be about teams.  I won't even bring up MKWii's battle mode, because much like X being unlockable/save data in his own series, I don't even acknowledge its existence.  You're absolutely right in that a team of Koopa Troopa & Toad have are unfortunate in Double Dash, but those were our favorite characters.  If we can't even play as our favorite characters, then what's the point?  It means one of us has to sacrifice our favorite character in order to have a chance at winning.  That's not fun.  Also, picking a character you love and a character who has an awesome signature is not a balanced duo.  It's just picking one character you like and another with a great signature to pick up the slack of the character you like's suckitude, in order to give you a chance.  That's not balance, it's acceptance.  It's no different that mastering the 3-4 bikes in MKWii.  You don't pick it because you like it (some might), but you pick it because every other kart sucks compared to it.

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Fan Creations / Re: borockman's fun fun art thread!

« on: June 19, 2010, 07:10:06 AM »

Freeza would totally use his death ball like that.

>.> *gets out paper*

   Glad I Could Help!

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Fan Creations / Re: Art of DarkWaltz *6-19-10 Update! Phan/ Shi WIP *

« on: June 19, 2010, 07:08:57 AM »

She looks comfy! 

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Gaming / Re: The Official E3 2010 Discussion Thread & Lounge (Jun 13, 2010 - June 19, 2010)

« on: June 19, 2010, 07:08:30 AM »

Not THAT convenient.  I'm in Pennsylvania; haven't been to Nintendo World yet.  I'm just saying, I need to correct that sometime.

It's only 2 states away!  

Ahh... so her being a [sonic slicer] isn't an act then? Oooh! Tell me more please!

Can't tell you much more than that.  This comes from a friend of a friend who worked with her.

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Fan Creations / Re: borockman's fun fun art thread!

« on: June 19, 2010, 06:55:34 AM »

I can picture Freeza destroying a planet by ping ponging his Death Ball right at it!

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Gaming / Re: Sonic Colors (Wii, DS)

« on: June 19, 2010, 06:54:30 AM »

My girlfriend introduced me to her. Never liked japanese modern music, but she, Yoko and a few from the same circle are the exception so far. Really good music.

Heh, it's one reason I like Seven Rings in Hand so much.  Steve Conte is a Yoko regular! 

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Forum Games / Re: "What Are You Thinking Now?"

« on: June 19, 2010, 06:52:39 AM »

I don't even know what's wrong with that goal, hell it should be Slovenia who get punished.

All in all though, that's one of the best game this world cup. Love the comeback.

That's the problem.  NO ONE knows what's wrong with it.  The damn ref didn't even give a reason for the penalty.

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Gaming / Re: The Official E3 2010 Discussion Thread & Lounge (Jun 13, 2010 - June 19, 2010)

« on: June 19, 2010, 06:52:06 AM »

Yeah, me too.  Hey, maybe I'll go tomorrow!   

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Fan Creations / Re: Art of DarkWaltz *6-17-10 Update! What madness has Waltz gotten into!? *

« on: June 19, 2010, 06:49:42 AM »

To be honest, our scarves are both fantastico! 

Can't wait DW!

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Gaming / Re: The Mario Kart Thread

« on: June 19, 2010, 06:47:38 AM »

• Character specific items should return.  That one of the things that I felt made Double Dash unique, and the items themselves were pretty balanced, although the Heart Shield was pretty evil.  The Fireball was my personal favorite, actually, effectively letting you toss out 5 green shells in a spread-like pattern.  The items made character choices a lot more personal, and added some charm to the game.

BULL. [parasitic bomb].

In no way whatsoever should that travesty be allowed to occur yet again.  The character special supers were NOT balanced at all.  I know this for a fact because using my favorite character in all of Mario Kart was literally akin to me losing the race.  Koopa Troopa's special were either 3 Green Shells or 3 Red Shells, most of the time 3 Green Shells.  Never mind the fact that they didn't spin around you like a shield, another negative to Double Dash, but his special was literally a basic item choice.  Meanwhile, you've got characters with chain chomps, or giant shells, or fireballs, supers that were literally game changers.

The problem with the supers is the exact same problem with the bikes, in that it takes away skill for specialty, and thus ruins any semblance of balance.  In SNES & MK64, choosing a character was essentially choosing a driving skill.  No one was better than the other, and it was perfectly balanced.  However, DD then brought in character supers, and some were so much better than others that there was essentially no reason to pick some characters.  They got rid of that, thankfully, only to add in the new imbalance of different carts in MKDS, in where it got to a point that certain karts became superior to others, which further moved its way into MKWii, in which clearly after you unlock 3-4 bikes, there is ZERO reason to use any other vehicle in the game.  Granted, like I said earlier, if items were as strong and placed fairly standing wise, it wouldn't be as huge of an issue, but there would still be that imbalance.  Adding supers back to that equation would only go further towards making the game even more unfair, and is why I don't think they have returned yet.  Here's hoping they never do.

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Fan Creations / Re: Soulanimals Art thread of..... Suckish Art that will one day become good

« on: June 19, 2010, 06:32:06 AM »

Very cute.  Of course, my first reaction with someone walking in on me taking a shower would probably be, "Hey Baby, I'm all clean now!" or something cheesy like that! 

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Fan Creations / Re: Sapph's random crap (6-18-10 Update! Sapph's Log #005 script)

« on: June 19, 2010, 06:29:56 AM »

I'm sure the Masochist in PB love it!

I see nothing wrong with it at all!

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Forum Games / Re: "What Are You Thinking Now?"

« on: June 19, 2010, 03:23:41 AM »

Nudes of everybody!