Don't buy the g74 from craigslist at that price -- might as well buy new from someplace like newegg.com.

I like the g74 -- bought one during the black friday craze, stuck a crucial M4 ssd in it (which has dropped $50 since) and it screams.

You should note though that the g74 (and the g73) is a BIG laptop.  Go to your local best buy just to see how big and bulky it is.  Don't get me wrong, it is a great machine, but you'll also be spending $100+ for a good bag to lug it around in.

Also, apparently the g75 will be coming out around April (allegedly).

Originally posted by AlBQuirky

 

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Originally posted by Thrage
So, here's the thing.  An intelligent person's method of problem-solving, especially when it comes to something they already know quite a lot about already, typically begins with identifying variables.  Your party members are variables.  Their gear, their class, and their talents are also variables.  When a problem arises, you investigate, you find the unfavorable variable, and you correct it.  Whether this means booting someone from the group, or suggesting to them that maybe using melee weapons exclusively isn't the best play style for a hunter, you're solving the problem based on what you see happening.  So, yes, when things are going bad and they very well should not be, I find the source of the issue.  No need to try to villainize me for that.

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Not trying to villainize, but shouldn't your first troubleshooting question be "Why?" instead of "What have you got?" No sense checking variables if you don't know why the group wiped. Why check gear if your DPS is hitting 500 out of 10,000. That screams AFK to me. Gear would NOT make up 9500 DPS. Is the DPS pulling aggro? Gear would help them do that. Is the healer failing to heal the tank? Is the tank failing to keep aggro? If so, why? So many questions before one jumps to the gearscore crutch.

 

Troubleshooting is also about how quickly you can gather information--a gear check is a really fast way to gather information and point you towards or away from the source of a problem(s).

Re-subscribe to City of Heroes with one of these codes and get an additional FREE 500 points for the Paragon Market (a $6.25 value)

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I have to admit that the whole "statesman dies today" thing really didn't do much for me when it was announced -- I think a bit of it is because of a.) the aloofness the charater and b.) the association with Jack E, who took the name for his own use on the board.  Having played straight through all 5 of the SSA arcs for the first time this weekend though, I have to say that it's been pretty well written and the death scene is certainly one of the higher points of story-telling anywhere (imho).

Originally posted by MattNe

CIty of Heros/Villains/Rogue allows you to see Set Bonus from enhancements but also if the player wrote an Origon Story. I read many an awesome write up in my years there.

Perhaps more importantly, you can see badges to determine Vets from new players.  And, yes, I do check that typically when I join teams.  Some people use it as a screening tool (i.e. no task force commander badge - kick), but I usually offer up additional information on what's happening/what we're doing if it appears the person is new.

Wait, so the OP's issue is with the challenge questions?  That's why he doesn't like SW:TOR? That's funny and seriously grasping. Also, I really, really hope people don't answer those truthfully for any website (which it sounds like the OP did).

In all seriousness to anyone out there -- most of those challenge questions (mother's maiden name, street you grew up on) can easily be acquired.  It's also problematic because multiple websites, from game companies to online banking, ask the same ones.  My advice is to prepare standard, fictionalized answers that only you would be capable of answering (because you made them up.....) 

Originally posted by KyutaSyuko

He was banned for Violating the ToS by "admitting" he's under the age of 13 as you can see in the PM the video shows you.  There is no way for BioWare to verify age so yeah if you go on their forums and claim you're under the age of 13 and the ToS clearly state that anyone under the age of 13 can not play the game then yeah you're going to get banned.  I personally don't see any issue here and think the guy is a dumb ass for saying they're 12 and then mad because they got banned.

Basically, at this point Bioware has to do nothing -- their evidence is the statement he made, whether admission or meme.  If the OP wants to play again, buy another copy of the game....

Originally posted by snapfusion

Originally posted by therain93

There are so many levels of arrogance and delusion to this post...but let's skip that.

Do you think a (wannabe) powerhouse company run by Curt Schilling, RA Salvatore and Todd McFarlane is going to raise boatloads of money to make a game that will appeal to...in your words..."a vocal minority".

Hes mostly right about everything in his post, it obviously pains you for some reason, but its cool. 

His main point is that the TYPE of person that enjoys deep fantasy, sci-fi,  RPG, immersive story enviornments are the not the people making our games,  His point is valid and accurate.  There was a time when that guy coud learn to program and make that game.  Those days are gone for reasons I dont have to explain and we are now getting what we are getting, business franchise mmo's, yes for the most part wall street is making your next BIG MMO.

We do have to look for the smaller developers to somehow pull it off wihout the 250 million dollar warchest.

His point isn't valid or accurate. It's load of fluff to which I refer you to my first sentence..."so many levels of arrogance and delusion".  No pain, honest.

Originally posted by kantseeme

Originally posted by therain93

There are so many levels of arrogance and delusion to this post...but let's skip that.

Do you think a (wannabe) powerhouse company run by Curt Schilling, RA Salvatore and Todd McFarlane is going to raise boatloads of money to make a game that will appeal to...in your words..."a vocal minority".

Calling 3 powerhouses "wannabe powerhouses" is funny lol.

A powerhouse MLB pitcher, author and artist do not make a powerhouse gaming company.  They have to put something out, and given the money sunk into it (and the brouhaha of relocating out of MA for a more tax-friendly location), they're going to make a game that sells....not something catered to the minority as the OP hopes.

There are so many levels of arrogance and delusion to this post...but let's skip that.

Do you think a (wannabe) powerhouse company run by Curt Schilling, RA Salvatore and Todd McFarlane is going to raise boatloads of money to make a game that will appeal to...in your words..."a vocal minority".

Originally posted by Snaylor47

Originally posted by Razeron

I wonder how much that retention rate prediction cost them in "marketing."

Do you truly believe this?

 

Be honest with me.

 

Personally I find anything like this a load of bullshit regardless but this is making me laugh.

Considering that analyst's name isn't cited, and the prediction is pretty baseless, then yes, it is easy to see the skepticim that Razeron does.  Frankly, anyone and everyone in this thread can be cited as analyst, for and against SWTOR's success.  How can you give any credence to an anonymous prediction, just because it was reprinted on a website -- honestly?

Originally posted by therain93

Originally posted by trancejeremy

Which basically is a peer to peer program (aka torrent) program that will upload constantly if you let it run.

 

Why companies stoop this low is beyond me - just put the game up on Steam if you are too cheap to pay for the bandwidth - using this Pando crap is very sleazy...

"stoop this low"?  P2P file sharing is a perfectly legitimate mechanism and a very effective one for everybody who opts in (as well as those who just leech).  And, yeah, it's been in for quite a while now (although it took people quite a bit of convincin that is what it was).

 

I actually want to clarify one thing -- the launcher uses some sort of P2P device to update CoH, that's for sure.  BUT, based on the linked thread to Lineage 2 and the description of the pando installer, that is not what appears to be used by CoH (unless they've wholly built it into the cohupdater.exe). 

Originally posted by trancejeremy

Which basically is a peer to peer program (aka torrent) program that will upload constantly if you let it run.

 

Why companies stoop this low is beyond me - just put the game up on Steam if you are too cheap to pay for the bandwidth - using this Pando crap is very sleazy...

"stoop this low"?  P2P file sharing is a perfectly legitimate mechanism and a very effective one for everybody who opts in (as well as those who just leech).  And, yeah, it's been in for quite a while now (although it took people quite a bit of convincin that is what it was).

Originally posted by Icewhite

Originally posted by Clerigo

Is nice to see that this team is still highly involved in making this game endure.

Makes me wanna go and take a look at it. Maybe i will.

I smell a "Death of Superman" storyline.  Not that the actual battle is a bad thing, or the dramatic, heroic death.

But the Deus Ex Machina that always follows, at least in comic books...well, that's usually a botch.

Statesman died once already, in the comics, courtesy of an arrow intentionally shot at him.

Glad you're enjoying it - welcome to the game!  PvP has been kind of shoe-horned into the game and then neglected -- some have hope for it, but we'll see.

You can play DCU for free, assuming you want to invest the time in the download.  At least then, you can make that determination yourself.

First, most of this wouldn't be as shocking and impressive had you ever taken an introductory psychology course.

Second, to combat reward fatigue, you make the valued reward intermittent rather than consistent.   Slot machines are attracive because that next dime could pay out, but frequently doesn't. CHanging things up by giving a player a rusty dagger instead of the wolf tooth isn't very attractive.

Third, as previously mentioned, playing anything 20+ hours per week that is not your chosen livelihood will get boring eventually.  Even Chess.

Fourth, Chess and GO are poor counter-examples of game longevity because every instance of those games are different and a new strategy or altered strategy is applied.  Just because you go from killing 10 rats to killing 10 bandits, your strategy isn't changing significantly.  It's the same few buttons pressed again (and in the same order if you've actually worked out a chain attack).  Tic-tac-toe is a lot like chess and GO, but it gets boring because there are only a few strategies to be exhausted -- so do mmo's if you look at them exclusively from combat and tasks.....rather than...story.

Not to take sides really, but from my perspective, I fall in line with those who claim there was never any true immersion to begin with and therefore it's impossible that mmo's are no longer immersive, in the sense that any particular qualities have changed over the years. The reality is that the newness of the medium was largely responsible for the immersion people felt.  It also explains why people who have only played WoW for 6+ years are feeling the same way some of you who have been playing mmo's for 12+ years are feeling....it's just not new any more.

Archtype dynamics are quite different, but I wouldn't necessarily say unbalanced, especially after level 32 when you can pick your final primary power (which you really haven't made it to).  Also, to be frank, I prefer not to have cookie cutter classes...1 for you and 1 for you....CoX is a different beast, you can solo it entirely if you so choose, but the ATs all bring something different and achieve a level of synergy in teams that you just don't see in other games.

Originally posted by page

Originally posted by therain93

I typically lump those 40-50/week people into the achiever class because they simply chew through so much content so quickly - achievers make a bee-line to the end while those..."consumers"...just see it all so quickly.  In the end, both of those types of folks quite often complain that they're "done" with the game relatively shortly after release -- they're happy because they've done what they've set out to do, but they still complain, especially in mmo's.

Should companies cater to them?  Not necessarily, as in don't bust their tails to churn out expansion content any faster just for them, but that's a significant demographic to sell new games to.

 

Achievers ?... How bout getting a job !!!!

hehe, too true, but I was referring more to the Bartles classification (achiever, socializer, killer, explorer)   ( ' :