I am enjoying Demigod a lot. Single player for now. Only sniggle that bugs me is how the AI will charge in to 3-4 towers to die. Balance wise too early to tell. Hardest map single player is Mandala. My team seems very confused and, the enemy AI apparently crashes the left side every time. I may get online with it at some point once I figure out what I like the best.

I am able to run it max settings, 1920x1200, 4x anti-alias no problems. Maps are interesting, wish there were more. 8 Demigods for now is plenty. Some of the achievements will take awhile.

Overall pleased with the game.

To me it appears people who have ADD or ADHD find games a comfortable fit to provide structure and a sense of control they can't normally experience in open classrooms or even society (things that are already appealing even if you are considered normal).

The farm suggestion is in fact a good one. Routines, repetition, especially coupled with a sense of being rewarded and accomplishing something can prove satisfying to people who can't otherwise control the chaos.

Can games be addictive? Yes, just as much as any object, activity, or idea can be. There is a proven chemical change in the brain. So there is probably a biological addiction as well to some extent. But I doubt it's anywhere near as strong as nicotine or something comperable.

To me the reason games are so compelling to people in need like this, is that they are a perfect fit, and soothing on a level that can't be easily found in day to day lives (like work place grinds or schools). The brain and the environment actually work in unison in ways that put people in a comfort zone. They have... control.

Another reason is single player games provide a place of ownership. In a world where everything is owned by walmartism and foreign countries, your boss, families, children, brothers, sisters, parents, governments, etc... A place or even virtual space that is yours, only yours, and nobody elses, can be important. One of the reasons why DRM is so repugnant, as it destroys the foundation for that belief. All of this is above and beyond escapism and using games to forget.

@Prez - lol why would I say that about you?

Seriously, my image of Impulse isn't the same as it was before seeing Flock. My purchases will be in house drm lite only.

http://www.impulsedriven.com/flock

Protection: SecuROM (5 Activations w/Unlimited Reactivations)

Credibility hit from my perspective: Extreme

Until Square and Sony can figure out how to make a deal to bring FFXI to the PS3 without people integral to the deal quitting mid negotiations, I will wait. I have had mixed feelings about this game for the PC. Heck I have mixed feelings about the game. No NA servers, wonky PC controls, no ability to choose a server, group required, understanding japanese a plus, extremely agressive item/gold selling, issues with corrupted and duped items. I don't mind grinding, and I really want to play it, but those issues really have made me skip it. I am sure I am missing a good game, but sometimes you just got to walk away.

I have rented over 50 Blu-rays from Netflix and not a single one has been damaged. I am in South USA so maybe this has something to do with temperature and exposure on the route between the company and customer.

This comment was edited on Apr 20, 2009, 03:18.

The netcode in Demigods is still the same half-baked rubbish GPG have had in ALL their games. Regardless of who wrote it, a P2P network will not work for most games, even if the intent is to cut down on bandwidth. In this day and age of broadband, why would even bother about bandwidth for a game that only allows a VERY SMALL number of clients in multiplayer, is beyond me. Thats why - the rest of us out here - go with a pure UDP (with "guaranteed send" flags) client/server architecture which is more robust and fault tolerant.

Yes, the game is going to fail to meet expectations, not because of pirates, netcode or anything - but because in general, GPG games are lifeless, souless repetitive stress inducing lessons in hype, flash and emptiness. My guess is you will never - ever - see Brad come out in a few months and sing the praises of it selling 500K units because they don't use DRM. Mark my words.

I have watched you for 2 decades and pretty much kept to myself. I agree with you some times, I disagree with you others. Today however, I am not sure how to take what you have said here. A fellow software developer ripping in to another about their game quality and works. I must say that I have found most your games to be pretty pathetic wannabe titles, albiet ambitious, I usually deleted them shortly after trying to eek out whatever enjoyment I could force myself to pretend I was having. I didn't lambast your games because I still, in 20 years, do not consider you any real threat or boon to gaming. I wouldn't even be speaking my opinion now either, had you not openly attacked a fellow developer who in my opinion, is way, way, way out of your league. Call it 2 wrongs not making a right, call it me being particularly catty today, call it what you want.

Your comments come off as setting yourself above some pretty enourmously skilled software developers whom have a *real* history in gaming, as opposed to a percieved one (unless you count notorious usenet escapades). While I, and I imagine a significant part of people reading this (many of them probably having no idea how to respond much less wanting to) are thinking in the back of our minds that you are so far down the food chain in software development compared to both GPG and a game like Sins of a Solar Empire, that you pretty much evoke fellings of total embarassment in us, for you. I can't tell if this lashing out stems from a deep rooted feeling of not having your works enjoy the success or critical acclaim things like Total Annihilation, Supreme Commander, Sin's of a Solar Empire, and Galactic Cilvilizatons have had, or if it's another attempt to tell the world you are a software developer that makes games (whom no one I have ever known personally likes despite being huge space game fans).

I gather my opinion is subjective, it may even be considered a mean spirited post. I simply consider it a reality check for someone who apparently doesn't have an objective view of comparative works in the world of gaming. I do wish you well, and I do not wish to "hurt your feelings"... I simply think your post is wildly innapropriate and does more harm to you than anyone else (just like this post probably hurts me more than anything else). I don't expect to actually drive this point home, it's just an attempt. I doubt it will succeed. None the less, I have said what I wanted to. Feel free to say what you wish. I do not intend to debate my opinion nor would I ever outlast you in pounding the keyboard as your history has shown. Feel free to have the last word. Yes, hit and run, but you can't really expect the developers you have cheap shotted to step up and counter your provocative slam while trying to market a game, so I did them the favor. Cheers.

Fad gaming sprinkled with classic IP. I own a Wii but I haven't bought a game for it in a year. I have bought PS3 primarily and 360 games when they were exclusive. I don't even look at the Wii line up anymore, period. My kids don't care about the Wii anymore either.

Van Halen Guitar hero? Count me in. There is a particularly world famous group that transcends all generations I am hoping GH latches on to next...

"Xbox talks hardware, not software in March." I already have the hardware, I want to know about the games. =) PS3 has some pretty impressive exclusives on the way and I don't blame MS trying to talk about something else.

I think what we are seeing here is the same thing that happened to every major MMO maker on their first game. A big rude awakening to how small things are huge when exponentially increased, and problems you didn't know existed show up while you are too busy watching things you predict might be an issue.

The good news is Stardock will learn a lot from this and after it's fixed, every game that uses Reactor should be smoother. I think this is what happens when a significantly large stress test is not conducted. Well, now there is one. Kind of glad I waited a week before installing it. I do think Stardock is being extremly candid and transparent about everything which they deserve kudos for even if they learned a hard lesson by not truly stress testing.

@ Raptor - Oh I remember Daggerfall very well. I think it had the most patches of any game I can remember, and each one broke the game more than what it fixed. I remember ending up walking on top of the dungeons instead of inside them.

I loved Sea Dogs, when I saw SD2 being rolled out as a Pirates of the Caribean title, I was ok with it. I have never been able to get past 1/4th of the game on either the PC or Xbox due to save game corruption.

Now the PS3 stuff with Oblivion and F3. Like I said, their own worst enemy and it always seems to be technical issues. On a console that's reprehensible... The excuse of different machines is not there and comes off as apathetic disregard.

PSN: Still waiting for Peggle and Galactrix. $15 for Valkyrie expansion is a bit steep (2 missions and a harder game mode). The Magic Ball expansion is appropriately priced at 3 bucks.

I got bored with thief. Not sure why, it was a very cool game franchise. None of them ever really kept me interested for some reason. But I loved Dues Ex.

Looks fine to me. Not sure why people are even grumbling. I am more interested in if it will be a good game.

Interesting. Will pass since it will most likely be Steam only. Hopefully they will get smart and give us a choice.

@RTSNut - Agree with you, CoH is just so well done. Everything will most likely pale in comparison for quiet some time.

This comment was edited on Apr 16, 2009, 22:44.

The thing I did like about Fallout 3 were the mysteries surrounding each alternate vault. Those were very well done. One in particular had me wondering if my PS3 was on the frtiz hehe. Seriously, Bathesda is it's own worst enemy. If they could just tighten up the technical issues on their admittedly very amitious projects, I would have almost nothing but praise for the games they make. Well I would still gripe about DLC exclusives. I think that's absolutely wrong. Man up and go full exclusive or treat all your customers fair.

LOL Thanks! =)

Mars seems more of a gritty Total Recall minus the Victorian stuff. I wonder when they say Rythmic combat, if they mean something like we saw in Summoner 1 and 2. Looks interesting.

This comment was edited on Apr 16, 2009, 13:20.

No one has ever said otherwise. Every game is going to be pirated. The question is, how many people are actually going to pay for the game? As Brad said, treat your customers well, and they'll continue to be customers. Treat them like shit, and they'll take their dollars elsewhere.

Exactly.

I just ordered Demigod and Men of War. I will check them out next week when they get here.

BTW if any of you guys order more than 15 items including Books/DVD/BRD a year, I would go with Amazon.com. Low prices, free 2 day shipping (with 70 bucks per year Prime membership) and no taxes (will be changed soon sadly). I only buy elsewhere if an in game item preorder is something spectacular.

Interplay originally created the IP and made 2 (4 if you count Tactics and Brotherhood of Steel) great games with it. Honestly all Bathesda did was make it 3D (just 1 tragic, buggy, but fun game). To me all the i.p. and concepts are from Interplay. As for writing I had seen most of that game already other places. Megaton to me was HBO's Deadwood with an annoying nurse from Grey's Anatomy (who I would bet actually voiced Moira Brown). Some of the other locations and plots were very familiar. Even down to the end (think Spock). But when it wasn't freezing up on the PS3 it was enjoyable. It froze at least 20 times requiring a cold boot from beginning to end for me and no, no other games excepts for Trivial Pursuit (bad port apparently), and Oblivion (Bathesda again) freeze my PS3.

It's a lesser of two evils how this will play out in any respect. Struggling development, or classic Bathesda with 80% brilliance and 20% corrupted, bug ridden, dysfunctional mess. And that's only if you actually see an MMO from either of them. This could just be a territory war for the sake of ownership where in the end, no one gets a game either way.

p.s. There is a compilation pack coming out soon:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_vg?url=search-alias%3Dvideogames&field-keywords=fallout+trilogy

This comment was edited on Apr 16, 2009, 12:31.

The backdrop of this story reminds me of that Origin game based on Mars that was Ultima-like. It had a lot of racism and issues. I can't remember the name for the life of me.

Edit: Was it Martian Dream or something like that? Some one tell me so I can stop trying to remember it.

This comment was edited on Apr 16, 2009, 11:51.