mur'phon

Witcher 3: High production values, interesting world, good reactivity, neat gameplay, all they need is some better writing and, eh, more practical outfits and it could be the best game of the decade. Dragon Age Inquisition: DA2 was a fantastic idea terribly executed, but since this game has been making the right noises so far, I'm interested. Dead State: Brian Mitsoda wrote much of Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines, which is enough for me. Seeing a zombie RPG with a focus on dealing with the humans in your shelter instead of shooting zombies in the head should be fun. Age of Decadence: Interesting setting, little magic, many factions and a story which will be seen from different perspectives depending on your choices/class sounds fine. Also, I guess the no fuss "pick your own adventure" style is an honest way of showing how most RPGs work. The Banner Saga: The previews say meh, the beautiful art, cut scenes (never thought I'd list cut scenes as a plus), setting, and some neat gameplay mechanics makes me exited. Though why they had to name a female character Oddleif is beyond me.

This was the year of the "no great stand out game" for me, also it was the year of "weee kickstarter, weeee". Anyways, here's my list. Most crazy genre mixing and biggest positive surprise of the year: Dragon Commander. RTS+RPG+Turn based in between missions+ collecting cards+Politics+ third person dragon combat. It really shouldn't work but it does, also, you play as a Dragon, a Dragon damnit. Most interesting and original setting: Expeditions Conquistador.. Playing as an expedition into central america just before Cortez got there is a lot more interesting than going to space or slaying dragons again. Lots of other games were good, but those two are the standouts for me.

Errm, no it only proves that people remember a vision, something that they could easily have experienced either before their heart stopped, or after.

Canderis: Guess I'm kinda in the same boat, I have so far in my life (sort of) dealt with it in two ways. 1: The first one I'm not sure I recommend, it might be possible to convince yourself into believing in something after death. I made my own religion out of desperation, starting out as a generalized prayer towards a "something" who'd take care of those I had known who had died, and those that I thought was going to die soon. In the beginning, it was based on the idea that as long as I remembered them, some part of them wasn't really dead (nothing supernatural involved yet), and evolved into "me remembering them keeps them alive in the afterlife" (and voila, I became a believer). Just to be clear, I knew my religion was made up, I knew I was making it out of desperation, yet I still became a believer for a few years. Not sure if it'll work for anyone else, and it might only have worked because I was young(er), but since it's one of the few ways I have dealt with the issue, I thought I'd mention it. 2: Alright, this one didn't really work as well, but it's how I deal with it now. Basically I plan to arrange to have my body frozen once I get an incurable disease. Hopefully, science will eventually make us immortal, at which point they are hopefully capable of resuscitate me. Yes, I know I might die in such a way to make this impossible, that my body once dead could be ruined beyond repair, that future mankind might not want to bring me back, and that we might never be able to become immortal or able to bring me back. Still, it's a comforting thought for me at least. @:JIGOS: I'd be willing to argue against the existence of a God (and your specific arguments, like "something had to come first"), but that would require its own thread so feel free to make one if you want.

You guys made me remember some games I had forgotten, either because I'm forgetful or because I hate one of the games in the series. So... Pokemon Red: God I feel old. Heroes 3: See above Fallout New Vegas: I actually started a second playthrough of this not too long ago, which is a first for an open world game (that I have finished anyway). ME series: I think I played the first one almost three times, not because it's great but because I A: was exited enough about the game to get it on (my brother's) Xbox, and B: actually believed the "stuff will carry over hype". The sequel twice (sure the story is beyond stupid but, it actually has a cool party member). And the third one... Eh, I finished it. That means it can't be that horrible, right guys? Right???

Rome 2 Total War: after Shogun 2 cleaned up just about every major issue with the total war franchise, I'm really looking forward to burning Rome to the ground and salting the earth Expeditions Conquistadors: Going to the new world before Cortez, leading a group of conquistadors, missionaries, doctors hunters etc in a game where what you say is as important as your skills with a gun is probably the best game idea I have heard in a long time. Oh, and it's already out on May 30. Dead State: A zombie Survival RPG made by Brian Mitsoda and friends, where shooting zombies is something you want to avoid, and toilet paper is a luxury item you want to scavenge. Planetary Annihilation: Remember Supreme Commander? The guy who gave his name to the biggest gun in that game (and was kinda important in making it as well I guess), is making a game about throwing hundreds of robots at each other and crashing asteroids into planets.

Title says it all really, which games have you played most and why? I'm curious because most of the ones on my list are not exactly the ones I'd consider the "best games of all time", while my absolute favorites don't make the list at all. 1: Rome Total War: Why? Because each campaign takes forever to finish, most of the factions are different enough to be fun, and it's the total war game with the most diverse unit roster. 2: Icewind Dale 2: Why? Because who needs a good story when the game play is so good? Sadly, it probably makes the list more for the lack of similar games than for how good it is. And who knows, the next time I'm stuck with an under powered laptop I might even finish it. 3: Morrowind: Why? Levitation spells, something Skyrim is badly in need of thanks to its enormous Cliff Racers. 4: Mech Warrior 4: Mercenaries: Like with IWD2 this probably has a lot to do with lack of similar games, though the fact that I was unable to complete one mission for several years (even on easy) probably contributed. 5: Jedi Academy: No, it's not a masterpiece, but as long as it remains the best force powered-badass sim, I'm going to keep playing it. 6: Every other total war game after Rome. 7: Dynasty warriors 4: What can I say, split screen multiplayer is uncommon on PC. 8: Planescape Torment. Only finished it once, but changing the nature of a man takes time.

Captured, at least it gives the person the chance the put their life back together.

I don't want them to play it just to see great writing (every author has been reading quality books, most of them don't become great authors). I want them to play it so they can: Copy the mission structure (having the order you do missions affect the missions to a fair extent). Realize that sticking with a limited cast and letting you interact with them in several hubs makes you care about them (having Albatross send in the cavalry in Taiwan if you befriended him in Russia for instance). -It also makes even fetch quests interesting (gathering intel for Scarlet comes to mind) -It also allowed the dossier system to work. -Oh, and let them react to your actions if they know about them (If you ghost missions, they won't know you did it.) Copy the perks system. Adopt the timed conversations, and then use it to stress you the hell out where appropriate (Ice cream man, being one good example) Slap the player gently on the wrists for playing like a gamer, not a spy (like going to a meeting with a civilian in full combat gear). Realize that if a mystery is better left unsolved, don't solve it. Oh, and understand that it's perfectly fine to give the player a dozen choices for the final mission, instead of simply adding an ending-o-tron. edit: Ooops, massive rant, guess I'm really annoyed that those ideas seem to have been ignored.

Quite a few things worked better in AP than any other game I can think of (limited recurring characters, choice and consequence, the dossier system etc). Though AP as a whole unfortunately didn't work for most, it's still the game I wish every RPG-writer was forced to play.

I know, if nobody cares it's broken, why fix it, right? Still at least it might let us play a Sheepie who is a bit less of a testosterone fueled gorilla. And sure there might be an exclusive organization, but sometimes they actually work in games (see Alpha Protocol and The Witcher). Yes, the fan service race will not disappear, but at least there is a chance that we won't be saddled with another Liara. I don't mind being human, I don't mind taking cover (in fact I prefer taking cover to eating bullets), and I don't mind saving the day (that much). It's not as if they can disappoint me anymore.

Guess I'll have to change my original opinion of the game. ME3 is a good game until the end for those who have been following the series the first time. Since I had been putting off replaying the game until all the DLC had been released, I was looking forward to playing through a polished version as jerkass-Shep. Turns out the drive for finding out what happens next was, along with the competent gameplay, the only thing keeping driving me the first time. It had made me forget that Shep's gorilla tendencies had only gotten worse, that conversations are to be watched, not participated in, and that 90% of the writing should have remained fanfic. I guess the one thing positive about ME3 is that it paves the way for a ME universe without Shepard, Illusive men, Asari and Starchildren.

I prefer my sci-fi to be about some scientific breakthrough and the consequences of that breakthrough(main reason i never really cared for Star Wars). Games: Alpha centauri: Aside from the main plot, the rest is fantastic and one of the most believable settings in a game, it also makes you really feel like you are taking a civilization into the future. Deus ex: should be obvious why. Mass Effect: would be amazing if there was a way to remove Shepard, the Starchild and his gooey reapers in addition to mechaSaren/illusive man (and probably also the Asari) from it .

I'm not sure if the lack of a big impact of your choices is the real problem, because the ME series never really let your choices have much of an impact. Sure, it often implied that they would have an impact, but after ME2, who honestly expected your choices to matter all that much? Lacking better examples, ME is nothing like Alpha Protocol or the Witcher when it comes to choices. ME as a series is like a Hollywood blockbuster in many ways, and if they had written the endings consistent with that, I suspect most fans wouldn't care that much about the lack of impact full choices. Instead, we got Casper and an attempt at being clever.

@Lynk: well, my Warrior is a Juggernaut (I despise playing as dps, I never know if I do my job right) so I won't just blitz everything. Anyways, the reason I love stealth is partly because it prevents me from overleveling and partly because during heroics with other f2p players, escape artist can be a real time saver. Seeing as I really didn't like the BH story and don't really see it improving, It's out of the picture for now. @:GTA Having been the victim of quite a few tanking screw ups (to the point that I religiously add any half decent tank I find to friends), I know just how little it takes to destroy a group, while if I make a tiny screw up as a healer, most people pop a health pack and we are fine. As for the assassin, the part I find interesting is their involvement with the running of the empire (I do political science, sue me). Magic, black and white morality and "badassery" are things I try to avoid if I can. So far it seems like it's a draw between the remaining classes.