SHOW&TELL-AUGUST

[OldsterHolster]

Well, let me get us started. I had hoped to get a really cool video of something to begin the month with, but I've got heavy crap going down in real life, and I just haven't had the time or inclination to play my game. I won't burden you with details, but I might be on the verge of losing my job of twelve years through no fault of my own, and it would be a life-changing event for me if it happens.

Anyway, here are two more "Mikellacrashes" using the little work truck that he likes.

Ywb6HdiB_kk

xNVUHJByCeM



Brand new month, so show us what you've got. Edward.

[Rob]

Edward, I know you are entrenched in JC2 at the moment, but if you ever want to jump in with us in LFD2, we would be happy to have you. We played through a few more maps yesterday, and there should be some screen shots coming up soon. I haven't re-installed FRAPS yet, so the others will have to post, but I should be up and running soon. I owe you guys some Ghostbuster pics as well.

[tonofclay]

Heres a few shots I took from last nights game.

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/5345/left4dead22010073122492.png
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/5877/left4dead22010073122582.png (http://img294.imageshack.us/i/left4dead22010073122582.png/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/8933/left4dead22010073123071.png (http://img842.imageshack.us/i/left4dead22010073123071.png/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/8216/left4dead22010073123083.png (http://img251.imageshack.us/i/left4dead22010073123083.png/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/7926/left4dead22010073123115.png (http://img168.imageshack.us/i/left4dead22010073123115.png/)

http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/2880/left4dead22010073123281.png (http://img831.imageshack.us/i/left4dead22010073123281.png/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/5145/left4dead22010073123364.png (http://img185.imageshack.us/i/left4dead22010073123364.png/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/1457/left4dead22010080100031.png (http://img811.imageshack.us/i/left4dead22010080100031.png/)

[Mikell]

Some video of same game. Not very good as it's hard to take pictures
in the midst of a hoard.
July was a great gaming month for me so here's to more this month!
Who had the frying pan?:thumbup: It's still in my head. bong,bong.:lol:

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p157/Mikell_photos/th_LFD2-1000.jpg (http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p157/Mikell_photos/?action=view&current=LFD2-1000.mp4)

[Joe Cool]

Those pics are not showing up for me, ToC, could be my Dad's brutal connection though!

Should get some pics going later this month, as I will have moved. Been playing Dawn of War over the last few weeks, just finished it during last week.

Its a fantastic game, anone into Warhammer (I'm not) or RTS should play it. It is just pure action RTS. Its cheap now too. Looks a bit dated though.

[Rob]

I agree completely Mikell, the frying pan has a VERY satisfying clunk to it. I think Ton was running around with it for awhile, and then I picked it up midway through the game.

[Mikell]

Well, let me get us started. I had hoped to get a really cool video of something to begin the month with, but I've got heavy crap going down in real life, and I just haven't had the time or inclination to play my game. I won't burden you with details, but I might be on the verge of losing my job of twelve years through no fault of my own, and it would be a life-changing event for me if it happens.

Anyway, here are two more "Mikellacrashes" using the little work truck that he likes.

Brand new month, so show us what you've got. Edward.

Sorry to hear about that Ed. I hope it works out for you. I've been through the same thing this year.

You must have learned how to splice video. That second clip was long and cool. I have a new one I haven't uploaded to PhotoBucket yet.
Nothing like a cool plunge into the ocean after a fiery crash.

[tonofclay]

I think they are working Joe, they load for me at least :P They are pretty big, 1920x1200 so they might just take ages to load.

Yea I had the frying pan for awhile, the sound is great!

I should note in the screen where I am saying holy !@#$ the tank had thrown the car backwards at me, something I didn't know he was capable of hehe. I then ended up inside the car hehe.

[Mikell]

I think they are working Joe, they load for me at least :P They are pretty big, 1920x1200 so they might just take ages to load.

Yea I had the frying pan for awhile, the sound is great!

I should note in the screen where I am saying holy !@#$ the tank had thrown the car backwards at me, something I didn't know he was capable of hehe. I then ended up inside the car hehe.


I was wondering about that.
And Rob,you left one game before we all got on the plane.:D:
Except whatshisface.

[OldsterHolster]

You must have learned how to splice video. That second clip was long and cool.

No, my MovieMaker still doesn't work. I just got the paid version of Fraps, and now I can take a video up to ten minutes long, if I want, and the screen shots are now saved as .jpg files, so I don't have to change them from .bmp files, anymore. Edward.

[Mikell]

I would love to do that too if I can get the HD that I see on my screen. I also have to deal with PhotoBucket. Most of my vids are over a gig.

[OldsterHolster]

I don't quite understand, Mikell. Those .avi video files that Fraps makes are beautiful. Any degradation of quality comes when they are condensed and the format is changed, which is mpg4, ultimately, both with PhotoBucket and Youtube. Are you uploading the whole .avi file to PhotoBucket?

I use Prism to convert them to .mpg files, and then upload the 15 to 50 mb files to Youtube and let them make their final conversion to mpg4 clips, and they turn out all right. I did read a little bit, and the Prism converter recommends that you choose the same resolution in the "edit conversion" menu as the original .avi file has. I choose "half resolution" in the Fraps choices for videos, and then I set half my 1920 X 1200 native resolution in Prism to 960 and let it "constrain proportions."

I did that test where I uploaded the same video to PhotoBucket and Youtube, and I still think Youtube looked the best. I did try converting the .avi files directly to mpg4 before uploading, but they really looked crappy. PhotoBucket and Youtube both do a better job on the final conversion I think. I think the only way to increase the quality would be to up the fps setting in Fraps, since the files are going to be greatly reduced in the end, no matter who you use.

After my initial fiddling around with the settings, I'm pleased with how it all works now. It's actually easier than uploading and linking still shots, and the whole process has become quick and easy, and definitely more fun. I'm sure glad you got me started on them. Edward.

[Mikell]

It's definitely the upload. Fraps clips are exceptional in quality and I've found I can save in very high quality in MM. I just takes an hour to save.:rolleyes:
Showing my work:rolleyes:to you guys in the quality i want to takes bandwidth. I guess I would have to pay for that.

[OldsterHolster]

Here's my point, Mikell. No matter how high the quality, it's going to take a hit when the final conversion is made by either PhotoBucket or Youtube. If you convert your movies to mpg yourself, it makes the uploads much faster, and they still look pretty good. I just think the whole process should be quick and easy, and, personally, I'd rather see you post more often, even if the quality is not quite up to your wishes, than have you to go through a long and tedious process trying to get super high-definition clips. I really enjoy seeing your clips, and I would like for it to be easier for you. Edward.

[DavidP]

but I've got heavy crap going down in real life, and I just haven't had the time or inclination to play my game. I won't burden you with details, but I might be on the verge of losing my job of twelve years through no fault of my own, and it would be a life-changing event for me if it happens.

Not good, hope it all gets sorted. I have the TAX man chasing me for £8500 from my tax return from 2005, W**KERS!!!! Just when you think all is going well you get kicked in the bo**ocks.
Best of luck to you.

[gridiron whirlwind]

I hope it all works out for you Edward....I know what you are going thru....I lost my job of 27 years in 2003 and I never will fully recover from it.

Good luck to you.

[Bruenor]

I'm going to break from the norm a little and post a few screenshots from the biggest summer release so far, Starcraft 2.

I'm not really an RTS type of guy, I mostly stick to RPGs and MMOs these days. That being said, I love Blizzard RTS's. Honestly, the only games in the genre I've ever finished were the first 3 Warcrafts and Starcraft. Needless to say I had to leave my comfort zone and continue my Blizzard RTS streak.

I drove around to a few of the stores in my immediate area to find it but it was sold out anywhere. Faced with the decision of continuing to drive around looking for it (and hating places like Wal-Mart) I said screw it, and just bought the digital copy. After the long ass download, install and patch, I was only able to get the first three missions in on the campaign before having to call it for the night.

Playing the campaign was like a visit from an old, very good, friend. It's like I never stopped playing hehe. Luckily, my two year old machine plays it flawlessly. I don't do multiplayer so I don't have to deal with that frustration.

Anyway, screens were taken by Fraps at set intervals. Not going to really describe them, I just thought they looked pretty good when I reviewed the screens. They cover the first three missions.

If I can remember to start Fraps before playing, I'll post some more as I go along.


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/Bruenor2/Starcraft%202/SC22010-08-0300-28-40-74.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/Bruenor2/Starcraft%202/SC22010-08-0300-22-40-70.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/Bruenor2/Starcraft%202/SC22010-08-0300-19-40-75.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/Bruenor2/Starcraft%202/SC22010-08-0223-58-40-71.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/Bruenor2/Starcraft%202/SC22010-08-0223-37-40-83.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/Bruenor2/Starcraft%202/SC22010-08-0223-34-40-83.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/Bruenor2/Starcraft%202/SC22010-08-0223-28-40-77.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/Bruenor2/Starcraft%202/SC22010-08-0223-22-40-91.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/Bruenor2/Starcraft%202/SC22010-08-0222-54-47-36.jpg

[OldsterHolster]

Thanks for posting those shots, Bruenor. They are really pretty. I know there must be a lot of people who are tired of JC-2 shots and videos, and it's refreshing, even to me, to see shots of something different. I've felt guilty for posting so much stuff, lately, and variety is important to the whole idea of this thread each month. I wish more people would get involved, and I, for one, do appreciate and welcome your participation. Post more anytime you feel like it. Edward.

[gridiron whirlwind]

Great Starcraft 2 shots!

My son has also been playing this, and said the game is fantastic.

[Bruenor]

Heh, I was just kdding around Edward, you shouldn't feel guilty posting anything. I've been enjoying your vids and pics in these threads a lot actually.

[shizakapayou]

Bruenor - what kind of specs are you running with? Looks very good on your system. I haven't looked into it much, but it sounds like the max settings can be hard on the machine with a lot of units on screen. I'm sort of wondering how my 8800GT will fare.

[Bruenor]

My system is a couple of years old now, it's a Q6600 Quad core, 4 gigs, and a 9800GT. I haven't run into too many issues, although I am quite early in the campaign.

My next door neighbour also picked up the game yesterday and he says its running fine for him. He's running an old HP with an 8800GT in it (don't know the rest of his specs). Admittedly, he could be running at lower resolutions though.

[shizakapayou]

That's encouraging then - my system more or less can compete with the Q6600 (at least with what benchmarks I've checked). That 9800GT should be fairly similar to the 8800GT. Thanks.

[gridiron whirlwind]

My son is paying fine with an E6600 CPU....2GB Ram...GTX9800+

Running at 1680x1050.......no issues at all

[Mikell]

Here's my point, Mikell. No matter how high the quality, it's going to take a hit when the final conversion is made by either PhotoBucket or Youtube. If you convert your movies to mpg yourself, it makes the uploads much faster, and they still look pretty good. I just think the whole process should be quick and easy, and, personally, I'd rather see you post more often, even if the quality is not quite up to your wishes, than have you to go through a long and tedious process trying to get super high-definition clips. I really enjoy seeing your clips, and I would like for it to be easier for you. Edward.

Well, my point is that I can't stand crap. You could have used sub-standard material and took the cheap route on your deck but you didn't. You did it right. My deck came second hand from a construction site and I was against it.(long story) I would be embarrassed to show you a pic.
I spend a lot of time on these clips and they look almost as good as in-game on my computer so why cheap-out on the upload? I'm going to look into the paid version of PhotoBucket or another alternative until I'm satisfied.
I'm sure that seems trivial to most of the forum members but it's fun for me. I tried to get into film making years ago using 8mm stock but it was hard to come by and cost 50 bucks for three minutes of film.
When Crysis2 comes out I'll be ready.:):

[OldsterHolster]

OK, Mikell, I do understand your wish for high quality, and it is obvious you spend a lot of time working on the little clips that I, and others I'm sure, enjoy looking at so much. You just keep on doing your thing, and I'll shut up. Heh, heh. Adding music and titles and such is pretty cool, for sure, and I do look forward to seeing the results of your efforts. They're fun.

I already wish I knew how to do the things you are doing, and I hope you keep me (us) posted on what you learn about making these little movies and clips better. I'm a total noob and just tickled that I've learned how to convert files and use Youtube. I was just trying to help, and I certainly don't want to question your standards of quality and efforts to achieve it. That's a good thing, and I have a lot of respect for anyone who strives for it.

Keep up the good work. Edward.

[OldsterHolster]

Why am I still playing this game? I'm at 96.67% completion, so there are no surprises left, and I'm even running out of oddball ideas of stuff to try, but I can't stop. The answer to my own question is that I'm still having fun with it. Lots of fun. I think there are still six challenges I haven't completed, and they are all just kicking my ass, but I keep making the rounds and practicing. There are probably still another hundred items of loot scattered around, as well as a few radar dishes, communication towers, and three more pipelines, but it's a BIG place with a lot of hiding places.

Of course, there are enough government troops left around that I can start a ruckus if I want, and I do sometimes just raise holy hell and see how hot I can get my "heat" bar. Heh, heh. In fact, last night I ran over a soldier and his buddies got all riled up, so we had a little confrontation. I settled their hash, but, of course, reinforcements were called, but then some faction buddies showed up to help me, and we kicked ass for about ten minutes and marched a mile up the road, dispatching the reinforcements as they arrived. It was just a good firefight, but I walked too close to a burning Jeep, and it blew up and killed me.

Sometimes I like to just go for a Sunday drive in my red jet and look for targets. You have to be low and slow to spot those radar dishes, and this clip begins just as I spot one. Of course, the easy way is to bail out, take care of the target, and then just extract back to wherever, but I just hate to waste a perfectly good red jet, so I try to land somewhere.
Z0rl4degJXI

Here's the target I spotted from the air.
ZOfRgHW_xIs

And back to my jet and on with my search.
6kolMSSn1x0



I suppose I'll tire of it, eventually, but I'm still enjoying this thing right on down to the very end. I'm going to own Panau. I guess I'll have to go around and put up OldsterHolster statues in place of all the Baby Panay ones I destroyed. Heh, heh. Edward.

[Rob]

Here are some Ghostbusters screen shots I have been promising.

The script was written by Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and is considered the third movie. Sucks for people looking for a new GB movie, but it does make for a good game. For anyone who has seen the movie, the ghost librarian at the beginning plays an important part in this storyline, as does the library itself.
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj34/RQuinton/Ghostbusters/ghost_w322010-08-0516-08-53-94.png

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj34/RQuinton/Ghostbusters/ghost_w322010-08-0516-09-13-95.png

Your basic black slime
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj34/RQuinton/Ghostbusters/ghost_w322010-08-0515-52-44-00.png

The inter-dimensional version of the library
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj34/RQuinton/Ghostbusters/ghost_w322010-08-0516-25-20-61.png

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj34/RQuinton/Ghostbusters/ghost_w322010-08-0516-36-00-62.png

Before, during and then after a boss fight
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj34/RQuinton/Ghostbusters/ghost_w322010-08-0516-40-30-63.png

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj34/RQuinton/Ghostbusters/ghost_w322010-08-0516-43-52-33.png

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj34/RQuinton/Ghostbusters/ghost_w322010-08-0516-40-40-62.png

Egon explaining to Winston where we had disappeared to while he was busy checking the library archives for information on The Collector.
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj34/RQuinton/Ghostbusters/ghost_w322010-08-0516-44-32-35.png

[OldsterHolster]

Cool, Rob! Keep posting and giving your impressions. I just might like that game, myself. It sure is pretty. Edward.

[gridiron whirlwind]

They did a really good job on those Ghost Buster characters.....keep the shots coming.

[OldsterHolster]

Hey Mikell, I found another ramp. You probably won't be interested in this one, though, because you can actually make the jump. Heh, heh. It's at X=11236 and Y=3552. It's a pretty cool little area that only faintly shows up on the map, and there are a couple gas tanks, a couple race cars, and a little roundabout race course hidden out in the woods.
988koZvegSU

FnStRO-APPg

Hot damn! Look what I found! At my point in the game, finding a stash of targets like this is a big deal.
http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo206/OldsterHolster/Screen%20Shots/JustCause2UndiscoveredTarget.jpg

ELt5-ozYbDk

As you can see, (maybe) I'm at 96.85% completion, so I'm closing in on 97%. I'm staying home tonight because I want to see if I hear the results of the all-day board of trustees meeting they are having at my workplace, today, and whether I still have a job. Maybe I'll get lucky and find another hidden big target if I stay home and play the game. By the way, does anybody know how many Bridge Limbo bridges there are? I'm up to 59, but I'm having a hard time finding ones I haven't already limboed. I've seen a couple low-down tiny ones that only the little Pell Silverbolt might fit through, but I haven't tried them, yet. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. Edward.

[Mikell]

Good job on the ramp!:thumbup: It's really cool to blow up multiple objects at once in this game although on more than one occasion I've hit the wrong button at the wrong time.:blush::lol:
I've pretty much abandoned the basic plot of the game except when defending myself. Now if I can get those pesky soldiers to leave me alone when I'm playing.:rolleyes: I recently did a flyby of the financial district and it looks like Chicago with all the tall buildings and lights. I'm sure I can find something fun to do there.

Atm I'm still screwing around at the airport.


http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p157/Mikell_photos/th_JetCity_0001.jpg (http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p157/Mikell_photos/?action=view&current=JetCity_0001.mp4)

[OldsterHolster]

Now, that's just cool, Mikell. Good job. You know, other than that one time at the airport down south in the mountains, I haven't seen that big transport plane again. I don't know what the deal is, but I've looked for one at all the airports, and it just never spawns for me.

Yeah, the city districts have a lot of targets and are kinda fun, at least until you get to the point of looking for the very last items to complete them. There are lots of challenges in the city districts, too, and some of the car race ones are lots of fun. (Some are a pain in the ass, also. Heh, heh.) The game sure has diversity, and I've never played a game where the huge gameworld all fit together so seamlessly.

Anyway, can't wait for your next "production." Heh, heh. I don't know what I'll do next. I need to complete another challenge, but they can get really frustrating at my stage of the game. Maybe I'll go back to the Twin Towers air race and try to make it under the bridge for the first time. I need to think up something that would make a good video clip, too. Mine are becoming pretty generic and probably boring. Edward.

[Mikell]

Now, that's just cool, Mikell. Good job. You know, other than that one time at the airport down south in the mountains, I haven't seen that big transport plane again. I don't know what the deal is, but I've looked for one at all the airports, and it just never spawns for me.Edward.

Now that you mention it, I finally cleared the airport settlement and the heavy didn't spawn anymore.:(: I can load a saved game and go back.


Yeah, the city districts have a lot of targets and are kinda fun, at least until you get to the point of looking for the very last items to complete them. There are lots of challenges in the city districts, too, and some of the car race ones are lots of fun. (Some are a pain in the ass, also. Heh, heh.) The game sure has diversity, and I've never played a game where the huge gameworld all fit together so seamlessly. Edward.

I have one more vid of the airport and then I'm moving on to the financial district. Maybe do some aerial dips and dives through the skyscrapers.
There's lots to do in Panau.

Edit: Thanks for the kudos Edward and since you have the full version of Fraps, put some vids together and see what it looks like.
Your vids aren't boring. Maybe a little too short. I like a lot of action in 30 seconds.:):

[OldsterHolster]

It was a good night in Panau. First of all, though, I'm sure you guys are all like me and have extracted to the same places for airplanes many, many, times. It becomes automatic, and it really doesn't take that long, but I discovered a way to shave off another ten seconds or so from the process. Just don't bother with the taxi out step.
6mZViCd_CkU

vS4ibr-p2Vc

I found some loot and even another pipeline, but, as I was flying around, I had this idea to loop the bridge. I got a little squirrelly at the end of this try, but I made it.
5FVPeOmQAmk

I was feeling "too big for my britches" on this try, though, and I totally blew it.
y3nmhzHLOM4

As for my question about Bridge Limbo, I even found a couple more, tonight, so I'm up to 61.
http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo206/OldsterHolster/Screen%20Shots/JustCause2AirRaceCompletion.jpg


And here was the high point of my night. I completed a three-star air race, and that blasted me right through the 97% mark. Cool! I'm going to bed. Heh, heh. Edward.
http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo206/OldsterHolster/Screen%20Shots/JustCause2BridgeLimbo61.jpg

[Mikell]

Wow that was a sweet 360 loop and limbo!:thumbup:
Why taxi when you can slingshot out of a hanger?:lol:

This is my last clip from this location. I think I've done all that I can do there.
This one has new stunts,specifically, Duck,Chicken,Reverse Chicken and Jump the Shark.:)::crazy:

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p157/Mikell_photos/th_PushingTin.jpg (http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p157/Mikell_photos/?action=view&current=PushingTin.mp4)

[OldsterHolster]

That was your best, yet, in my opinion. Excellent stuff, and well put together, and I expecially liked the music choice. Very entertaining. I'll be watching that one several times.

Nothing much for me, today. Just wasn't in the mood because of the real world crap, you know. I did find another generator and communications tower. Only two more of those to go.
http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo206/OldsterHolster/Screen%20Shots/JustCause2TwoTowersLeft.jpg

I also squeezed under one of those low bridges for Limbo number 62.
http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo206/OldsterHolster/Screen%20Shots/JustCause2BridgeLimbo62.jpg

Hopefully, my troubles will be resolved, tomorrow, one way or another, and I can get back to Panau in the right frame of mind. Great stuff, Mikell. Keep up the good work. Edward.

[NotSoFast]

I am really liking the JC2 shots from you guys. It looks very interesting. One question, though. What is the primary focu of the game? Is it like a typical shooter game where you are supposed to complete missions? I ask, because it seems to my untrained eye to be mainly shots of just flying around in planes, jumping ramps in cars, and blowing stuff up. lol

Anyone care to give a layman's description of the "official" gameplay?

[shizakapayou]

You pretty much have it.....run around and blow stuff up however you like. There's a story, but it's mostly just background noise. Primarily it's a sandbox style game, where you're free to do whatever. I've been meaning to pop my copy back in and play some, it's been a few weeks since I've done any gaming.

[OldsterHolster]

Glenn, the "story" is pretty generic, although I'll have to admit it's not that bad, and I kind of enjoyed it when I got around to actually completing the required missions. There are three "factions" on the island, and you do missions for them which open up more faction missions and also "Agency" missions, which are the ones which progress the storyline. You can complete the story and call the game over in a little as thirty or forty hours, maybe less, but there is so much fun stuff to do that really doesn't have anything to do with anything, that we all just play around most of the time. The flying, boating, motorcycling, and operation of other vehicles, is just superb, and when you throw in the parachute and grappling hook, the possibilities are endless.

There are bad guys everywhere, so there is no shortage of shooting, and there are hundreds of settlements, bases, and villages, to clear, as well as loot and other items to find. There are also race challenges to try using all manner of different vehicles and sometimes no vehicle at all when you skydive. It's just one hell of a diverse and fun game, and I've never played a game that was so much fun to play even when you weren't pursuing any particular goal or mission to advance the storyline. The environment and physics are wonderful, too. I'm approaching 300 hours into the game, and I'm STILL finding new, fun, stuff to try.

The way the fast travel feature and respawn mechanism, as well as buying new weapons with ammo, works is different and seems to put people, including myself, off at first. The more you play, however, the more "right" it all seems, and it is one of the most sensible and balanced gameplay setups that I've ever seen. You never have to save, you never lose any progress, and you never actually have to replay much, at all. Good game. I highly recommend it. Edward.

[Mikell]

Yeah I definitely fall into the "sandbox"category.:): I have more fun just messing around and I'll keep doing it as long as my imagination allows. JustCause2 is truly the most open-ended game I've ever played. I just hope console port developers learn from it. Here's to JustCause3.:cheers:
Change the save game feature!:mad:

[gridiron whirlwind]

Yeah I definitely fall into the "sandbox"category.:): I have more fun just messing around and I'll keep doing it as long as my imagination allows. JustCause2 is truly the most open-ended game I've ever played. I just hope console port developers learn from it. Here's to JustCause3.:cheers:
Change the save game feature!:mad:

Right on Mikell.....The save game feature definitely needs fixed.....I know you dont lose any progress....but when you have not died for like 3 hours, then you die and the game puts you back at a place that you have not been for like 2 days, it sure does kill the moment.

[tonofclay]

I hated the save game feature at first but then I started realizing you could have a blast just getting back to where you wanted to be. Then I realized you could extract there as well :P

[NotSoFast]

Thanks for the replies on JC2. It seems I may have found my next game, after I finish with Dragon Age: Origins.... and probably it's expansion pack. JC2 will have come down in price by then, I'm sure.

As for DA:O, I am absolutely loving it. Seeing as how I loved the Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and Neverwinter Nights games in the past, Dragon Age seemed like an obvious choice. Excellent story, interesting characters, near-perfect voice acting, and gorgeous graphics make this the perfect game for me. You start out alone and recruit up to 3 other characters to join you in your campaign to end the Blight, a uprising of creatures called the Darkspawn, led by a dragon.

The whole world around you is so thoroughly fleshed-out. In your travels, you talk to dozens of NPC's and find many pieces of correspondence and books that tell the entire history of the world that you are now a part of.

I am mainly enjoying the story as it develops and having fun with the guys and girls in my party. Each one has a very detailed back-story to eventually let you in on, if they like you enough. That's right, if you choose certain moral choices in the game, some of your followers will gain respect for you and others will begin to dislike you. If you gain their favor, they will be more inclined to open up to you about their past. This can even lead to romantic relationships between the characters.

There are several character backgrounds or "Origins" to play. Each one has it's own unique beginning story for you to play for a few hours. They all lead to the same place, jopining the Grey Wardens in their fight against the Darkspawn. I played a few of the Origins stories and settled on the Dwarf Noble character and made him a rogue. I have the "Coercion" skill maxxed out and have some really nice dialog options in nearly every conversation.

I don't often finish games due to my self-diagnosed ADD, hehe, but I know that I will finish this one and I am sure that I will continue to love every minute of it.

[gridiron whirlwind]

Mafia 2 Demo

Man...I am so looking forward to this title.

I love the era....the music in the demo is fantastic......I am stoked for this :yes:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4885235980_c09ed1bc8f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4885235980/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4885231086_5cf64a07e1_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4885231086/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4885230234_597fecbeb4_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4885230234/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4885231844_2ea36b75d7_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4885231844/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4884631409_f672a58226_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4884631409/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4884630811_21e5f40c51_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4884630811/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4884630037_8bbc4ddb73_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4884630037/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4884632097_4780dedf9f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4884632097/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4885235066_fe8a200219_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4885235066/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/4885235524_d3418f0260_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4885235524/)

[OldsterHolster]

Wow, cool! Love the old cars, and those shots are beautiful. I might have to play that one, myself. Keep us posted, Gridiron. Edward.

[DavidP]

Mafia 2 Demo

Man...I am so looking forward to this title.

I love the era....the music in the demo is fantastic......I am stoked for this :yes:



NOOOOOOOOOOO I was plying this for an hour last night taking loads of pics hoping to be the first to post some pics, finished playing to find that fraps wasn't running......:blush:
I have preordered my copy the demo is great, worth getting the trainer to stop the timer Gridiron

[gridiron whirlwind]

NOOOOOOOOOOO I was plying this for an hour last night taking loads of pics hoping to be the first to post some pics, finished playing to find that fraps wasn't running......:blush:
I have preordered my copy the demo is great, worth getting the trainer to stop the timer Gridiron

I may get the trainer so I can do some free roaming.....thanks for that info :):

This game may warrant the collectors edition.

[Joe Cool]

Great shots of Maifa, GW. Really looking forward to playing it.

I have been playing a bit Rome: Total War, with a major mod overhaul installed. Fun times.

[NotSoFast]

Still enjoying Dragon Age. 36 hours in and I have explored 43% of the game. I don't remember (other than in WoW) spending 36 hours on any game, especially all in less than two weeks.

[DavidP]

I may get the trainer so I can do some free roaming....


http://www.modmywhat.com/article/Mafia-2-MMW-Demo-Trainer--V7-0--adds-waterhover-hack---more/679

[gridiron whirlwind]

Thanks David

[gridiron whirlwind]

MAFIA 2 Demo

These screenshots are just to show off the Apex PhysX of the game.....this demo is so fun.....I can not wait for the real thing.

I like chipping away at the cover to expose the enemy.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4888094274_7d88652b8d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4888094274/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4887493587_7c0895f835_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4887493587/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4888096122_0a7b4b7768_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4888096122/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4887495357_b64c4b4be2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4887495357/)

This shows off the PhysX of the clothes moving with your natural reactions, like running....fighting...the wind...anything that would naturally make your clothes move....pretty cool.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4887508079_ec77ea0be5_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4887508079/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4888108596_9363a3c6c5_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4888108596/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4887505759_8008eac3d5_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4887505759/)

Out of gas....then go get some petro :):
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4887509373_0519dc2ee3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4887509373/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4888111304_d5431e3742_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4888111304/)

Looks like the end of the line for me!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4887501315_1b1c4054b7_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4887501315/)

This is gonna get real ugly in a minute.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4888093474_25f7bfdee2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4888093474/)

Yep....real ugly!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4887492313_3c4d82f620_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4887492313/)

I very seldom buy a collectors edition of a game, heck i usually dont even buy a game at its release....I usually wait for a price drop.....however I think this game is worthy, so I am going to pre order it.....it also comes with the original Mafia game, so it is a win, win for me.

[mandrake]

The screenshot with the young guy fighting and his jacket moving around looks pretty good. Am I remembering correctly that the automobiles don't handle worth anything in the original? Is it the same in the new one?

[gridiron whirlwind]

I would say that the driving is just about like all other games....I really did not have much trouble....I am sure some cars handle better than others

[Mikell]

Cool shots Gridiron! I loved the first one, which came out what, 5 years ago?

This is the first clip of my adventures in the financial district. I really had to polish my flying skills. There's a reason there are not many tall buildings around
airports.:no:

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p157/Mikell_photos/th_WallStreet_0002.jpg (http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p157/Mikell_photos/?action=view&current=WallStreet_0002.mp4)

[OldsterHolster]

Wooo! Pretty fancy flying there, Mikell. Loved the mid-air collision. Anything with that big transport is always cool, and I sure wish I could find one, again. What were you dragging around with that thing? I couldn't quite make it out. I'll be watching the whole thing several more times, so maybe I'll figure it out. You put your flying skills down, but you are a hellava pilot in my opinion. Good work.

Now I've got the bug again. I've been spending time in the Zombie District, (LFD-2) but Shiz gave me a ton of cool stuff in JC-2, so I need to get back into it. I think I've only spent an hour and found two radar dishes in the last three or four days. I really want to try the parachute thrusters and some of the other vehicles and stuff, but I don't have much money, anymore, since I've almost done everything you get paid for.

Since you are back to flying, my favorite activity, I'll go flying, tomorrow, and see if I can make another little video. Maybe I can even find us another challenge. Looks like you've go the inverted flight business figured out pretty good, and your little productions are getting better and better. Makes me jealous, and I wish my MovieMaker worked so I could start learning how, too. Anyway, very cool. Keep 'em coming. They're fun to watch. Edward.

[Mikell]

Thanks Edward. I'm a sandbox kind of guy.:p:
I'm dragging a dune buggy I found at the airport and it's smoking because I caught some lead hooking it to the plane.:lol:
In that last clip it flipped around and smacked the plane. Game over.
BTW I did some research and it turns out YouTube will upload HD video. I'm uploading the last clip now. Check out how it's done.
http://www.reelseo.com/youtube-hd-update/

Edit: Wow 1080p is what I was looking for!!!
Now check it out full screen.
cXP9BZzYVfc&fmt=22


gL6YfjGx2rk&fmt=22

A4z_43imOjs&fmt=22

[gridiron whirlwind]

Wow....the 1080p full screen is very nice.

Here is a link from someone who unlocked the city in the mafia 2 demo.....this is really cool....this is all done from the demo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELK5oh3InJg

[Mikell]

Mafia2 looks great in HD! A bit more violent than the first game as well.:eek:

[NotSoFast]

Speaking of JC2, I recently happened across Zero Punctuation's review of the game. It's expletive-riddled and hilarious. Their description of the gamer who tries to get a 100% completion score in the game made me think of Edward. Hehe.

[OldsterHolster]

Give us the link, Glenn. I'm at 97.36%. Heh, heh.

Hey Mikell, I found some more ramps. Three of them, all in one location at X=8613 and Y=24,843.
http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo206/OldsterHolster/Screen%20Shots/JustCause2TripleRamps.jpg

There are roads nearby to hijack vehicles, but you still have to drive about thirty seconds to get to the ramps. I'm too tired to play around with them too much, tonight, but they look to be fun.



Here are three little, generic, videos. The first one is Bridge Limbo number 68. I didn't quite make it out the other side, but I still got credit for it. The other two are at the new ramps.

NOx-2odlsUk&fmt=22

9ic3hFUwu14&fmt=22

IUXker1wXW8&fmt=22

[Mikell]

I'll check out the ramps.:D: Ed, I challenge you to show us your city flyin' skills.

Sweet ramp video btw!
Hey try adding &fmt=22 at the end of your YouTube embed code. It forces HD.

qd84MWoDcEQ&fmt=22

[NotSoFast]

Give us the link, Glenn. I'm at 97.36%. Heh, heh.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/1632-Just-Cause-2

Sorry about that. I got distracted while posting. :crazy:

[OldsterHolster]

Ha! That was hilarious, Glenn. Thanks.

Mikell, I will try that. I'm at a little disadvantage because taking these little videos does affect my framerate while playing, and the slight lag while trying precision flying manuvers makes it harder. I really need a new gaming rig. I'll visit the city, though, and see what I can come up with. Edward.

[Lou Cypher]

Well for awhile now I’ve been in a gaming slump, nothing lately has really got my interest; I’m just waiting for the new slew of FPS this winter. But my son happened to see Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising for under $5, I couldn’t pass that up.

This game falls into the tactical shooter genre, you have almost complete control over your squad, from movement to even healing them, it’s really not a run and gun game, from what I understand the U.S. military uses it for some of their training.

I replayed the first mission over a couple of times just to get comfortable with the controls, something I rarely do, I usually learn on the fly.


Laying down an artillery strike on a village..
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b91/lou11/OFDR2010-08-1420-44-09-18.jpg

They do a pretty well done countryside...
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b91/lou11/OFDR2010-08-1421-09-56-50.jpg

Your typical building..
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b91/lou11/OFDR2010-08-1421-15-42-94.jpg

One of my three squad members...
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b91/lou11/OFDR2010-08-1421-24-28-65.jpg

An Antiship missile..
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b91/lou11/OFDR2010-08-1421-24-45-60.jpg

After a little C4..
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b91/lou11/OFDR2010-08-1421-26-17-56.jpg





Lou :globe:

[OldsterHolster]

Rob, Jo, and Mitch have been dragging me off to Zombieland, lately, and I'm really having a good time with it, even though I really suck. Anyway, I haven't been playing JC-2 nearly as much, but it's still always there, and it's still fun.

Airplanes are my favorite, but I find I really like riding the motorcycles, too. I was lucky enough to find another gas station to blow up, and this is just a generic little clip of my getaway. The bad guys are hilarious. At my point in the game, I could just waste them all pretty easily, but it's more fun to lead them around on a chase and just watch what they do. They're persistant, I'll say that, but they run into trees, each other, off cliffs, and just generally make me laugh, and it's never the same. What a game! As you can see, I didn't bail in time, so I guess I didn't escape, this time, but it was still fun.
V0a6bHn2l3I&fmt=22



Mikell, you are the man when it comes to city flying. I'll bet I've made and deleted twenty clips from my effots, and I can't match your videos. Of course, you can put together several snippets that look really cool, but I'm stuck with trying to do something impressive in one try. I managed some cool stunts, but it was usually one cool stunt and then catastrophe, and the whole clip would be quite boring.

This clip is typical, but I did find a neat place to land, so I'll post it. Love that red jet.
kz1ZM9loum8&fmt=22



I concede city flying honors to you, Mikell. Heh, heh. I think I'll stick with landing on mountaintops. Next time I visit the city, I think I'll try to shoot one of those long bridges. I haven't had much luck, so far, but I think it can be done. I'll be looking forward to your next production. Edward.

[Mikell]

Thanks again Edward! I can usually make one loop around the city before I buy the farm:lol: but I like to add one long one with close calls and it is very difficult. I don't kill bad guys either unless I have to 'cause it's so much fun to stir the hornet's nest and run.
My landing skills are nowhere near as good as yours but I'm practicing. If you think it's hard to fly around the city in a jet fighter try it in a DC-9. I have been taking the Pell Silverbolt6 to the Panau airport and high jacking airliners but that video is still in progress.

Here's one at your three ramp site. Thanks for the heads up.:thumbup:

Be sure to watch in 1080!
x1ibuSu-EKs&fmt=22

[NotSoFast]

I've played the JC2 demo a couple of times on my pc here and it's pretty fun so far. The controls take a bit of getting used to.

One question, though. I parachuted down from the starting area to some small town and started blowing up the stuff marked with the stars and of course the police or whoever they were came after me. I commandeered one of their armored vehicles and started mowing them down with it's turret machine gun...for a very long time. I got bored and made a run for it. I hid out in the trees for the rest of the time limit of the demo and the sirens were wailing the whole time. The cops were still after me. Is there a time limit where they stop coming after you? I was in the turret on the vehicle for a good ten minutes and wave after wave of them kept coming around the bend in the road. Is this normal in the full game?

I'm also torn between getting the pc version ($10 cheaper) or the Xbox 360 version (possibly better controls?) when I do decide to get the game. Any insight about which version would be better?

[OldsterHolster]

Glenn, as long as the "heat" bar is red the bad guys will keep coming. Hiding and running from the area will cause it to slowly subside. Also, over the course of the game, as you kill more and more of them, it seemed to me that their numbers decreased. I've killed more than 13,000 of them, and now when I hear them call for reinforcements, hardly anybody shows up. Heh, heh.

Don't know anything about Xbox controllers, but the keyboard and mouse controls work really well after you get used to them. As I've said, before, this game has a long, gentle, learning curve, and it takes about twenty hours before everything makes sense and becomes very comfortable.

Glad to hear you are interested. Welcome to Panau. Edward.

[shizakapayou]

I didn't have any trouble with the Xbox controls for the game.

[DavidP]

Here's one at your three ramp site. Thanks for the heads up.:thumbup:


Love it 10/10 :thumbup:

[gridiron whirlwind]

Mafia 2 Demo

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4137/4904487837_45df0698b5_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4904487837/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4904488203_6ea8642b38_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4904488203/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4121/4905077076_dbded67593_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4905077076/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4905076762_2bfe92441d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4905076762/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4905077502_b60be09a43_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4905077502/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4905076886_f935e84130_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4905076886/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4904487697_bcdbaf2ce1_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4904487697/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4888111854_3befc12d28_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4888111854/)

[OldsterHolster]

I sure like the way that game looks, Gridiron. How are you liking it? I usually seem to like the same games that you do, and I think I'm approaching the point where I want to buy something new. Just Cause 2 will certainly stay handy for quite a while, I think, but it might be fun to take a break and play something else for a while.

I'm really having fun playing LFD-2 at night with some of our forum sharpshooters, too, so I'm not feeling pressured to find something new, but, if you really like this game, I may go ahead and order it.

Meanwhile, back on Panau, I'm still plugging away and enjoying every minute. I've already bragged about how easy my 'red-jet commute' was getting, since I've done it so many times, and I guess this is just more of the same. I can damned-near parallel park that sucker, now. Heh, heh.
http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo206/OldsterHolster/Screen%20Shots/JustCause2JetParking.jpg

I think this the last of the skydiving challenges. I've completed four of them in the last two days, and they are all pretty tough. I was determined to get at least one video, even though the slowdown on the framerate makes them even tougher.
BGEgHcUaJtg&fmt=22

I only see four more challenges on my map. They are all three-star airplane challenges, and they have all kicked my ass many times, each. When they flash my stats after completing a challenge, they show six or seven left, so maybe there are some I haven't spotted. I'm at 97.85%, I think, and I'd like to bust through 98% before I take another break and just play around some more. Maybe I'll go exploring until our LFD-2 game, tonight. Edward.

[Mikell]

Love it 10/10 :thumbup:

Thanks DavidP! That one came together nicely.:):

Ed that skydiving challenge looks crazy difficult. Some of the challenges are fun but for me it takes away from the game world too much.

"Challenges? We don't need no stinking challenges!"
-Scorpio

[OldsterHolster]

Ed that skydiving challenge looks crazy difficult.

That one was one of the easier ones. The ones that require both free-falling and also using the parachute and slingshotting are pretty hard. I worked on one of the three-star ones for two hours, last night, and twice I got to within ten feet of the last ring and ran out of time. I finally got it, though. They are the least fun of all the challenges, in my opinion, and I'm glad to be through with them. Edward.

[gridiron whirlwind]

The Mafia 2 screenshots are just from a demo Edward.....it is not the full game.....i believe it comes out on the 24th, so just a few more games.

If the full game is as good as the demo, then it will be fun......I keep playing the demo over and over.

Holy cow.....98% complete in JC2 is just amazing! That is pretty darn impressive to say the least.

[OldsterHolster]

Lest I (we) get too cocky about our illustrious flying skills, check out some of the real-world requirements that go a little beyond poking buttons on the keyboard. No wonder I crash so often. I think I must be taking too many little 'nappy-poos." Heh, heh. Edward.

Ride in an F/A 18 Hornet
Make sure and click on all 5 'scenes'.
Make sure your sound is on.
You have to click on each photo at the left to watch the scene.

http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/ajc/swf/blueangels/blueangels.swf

[NotSoFast]

I'M SO WEAK!!!! I just rode into town and bought JC2 for the PC. $39.99 at Gamestop. Between you guys and the demo, I just couldn't help myself. I'm so ashamed. :blush:

[Joe Cool]

Ok, so this is me just testing the water with vids.

This is one of IL2. I'm in a torpedo bomber attacking some ships. They kick my ass.

TypQoyRATYo

Edit, dunno if its my connection or what, but it takes around an hour to upload a 30 second vid to youtube?!

[OldsterHolster]

Joe, are you using Fraps to take the videos? If so, they are .avi files, and they are huge. The quality is outstanding, but the upload times are atrocious, even with a decent connection. I got a video converter program, called Prism, and I convert them to mpg files, which only takes a couple of minutes, and then the much smaller files upload to Youtube in under ten minutes, even for a video lasting several minutes.

Prism is free for a trial period, and then you have to buy it, but you might want to check the Fraps site and read their FAQ's. They recommend a free converter (I forget the name) that will compress the files to a much smaller .avi file if you want to keep almost the same quality. It would still take a lot longer than if you convert them to .mpg files, but a lot less than the full files Fraps makes.

Glad to have you on the video team. They're really fun, both to make and to look at, and using them and screen shots, together, you can really share a game experience. Mikell is the expert, and maybe he can offer some other advice. My Moviemaker doesn't work, but I think that's what he is using to splice, add music and titles, etc., and it might even convert files, too, I don't know. Good luck with it, and I'll be looking to see more. Edward.

[Mikell]

Do you have cable or DSL? A few of you have mentioned an internet glitch.
I had one too. Coincidence? I think not.
Joe my vids are saved by MM in *.wmv. It takes about an hour and a half to upload in HD. YouTube says you'll get the best quality from mpg4. I haven't looked into that yet.

[Mikell]

Almost forgot. I finished the Panau Airport video.
I call it Last Plane Out.
I love this game!

guxfw7QXLT0

[OldsterHolster]

Mikell, you are getting better and better. I'm really impressed, not only with your game skills, but with your skills at putting together these little productions. You've really got a knack for it, and, like I said, you're getting better and better all the time. I really want a Moviemaker so I could learn how to splice and edit my little clips, too.

I can't believe you actually slow-rolled that airliner. Heh, heh. I really liked how you interspersed still, or no-action, shots showing the sunset in with the flying parts. The results of your efforts are almost looking like professional productions. Good job.

I've been fooling with the last of the race challenges and trying to break through 98%, and when I get frustrated or bored with failing, I just cruise around looking for the last of the loot, towers, gas tanks, and radar dishes. I usually use one of airplanes, but sometimes I check out the dirt roads on a motorcycle. It's a big damned sandbox, isn't it? Heh, heh.

How is everybody doing on the Bridge Limbos? I wish they marked them, somehow. As I cruise around, I just fly under any that I come upon, now, but most of them have already been done, and it's rare to find a new one. Here's the last one I found, tonight. No big deal, but I'm getting up there.
eIkjAX_j1hM&fmt=22

http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo206/OldsterHolster/Screen%20Shots/JustCause2Limbo75.jpg

I remember how hard it was to fly under even a tall bridge when I first started playing. I love this game, too. The longer you play, the better you get, and there is just no end to new things to try. I may take a break and play something else, but I suspect I'll be keeping this disc handy for a long time to come. It's the best damned game I've ever played. Edward.

[Mikell]

Nice limbo Ed!
I love using the sunset for a pretty shot.
I know what you mean about how far we've come in this game. My first few bridge limbos were suicide.
I got better.:): So did you.

[OldsterHolster]

After that last post, I played around some more. Remember me bragging about getting so good at the red jet commute that I could almost parallel park the commuter jet? Well, check it out. This one really tickled me. Heh, heh. Edward.
ZAaqedw-kuc&fmt=22

[Mikell]

HaHa!!! That's the way Elwood Blues parked in the movie.:thumbup:

[DavidP]

Maybe we should rename this thread to the
"Mikell and Edward show and tell":):
Great vids you guys just wish i had the same staying power with games, i got to 64% with JC2 and got bored. Now waiting for Mafia 2 to unlock then i will be posting some shots

[Joe Cool]

Great vids you guys just wish i had the same staying power with games, i got to 64% with JC2 and got bored.s

I did not even get that far. I think I'm at about 37%. It just got boring for me too. I still play it the odd time, but I can only handle an hour, at the most.

Its funny, cause I was one of the main advocators of the game on this fourm!

[DavidP]

I was the same with Fallout 3 and Farcry 2 just got bored

[Joe Cool]

Fallout 3 I loved; I sank well over 100 hours into it.

FarCry 2 sucked. I tried to get into it, twice. The combat was good, but everything else was boring. Those looooooooong drives, with constant respawning NPCs.....:scared:

You know what, I think that is a big part of why I stopped playing JC2 too.

[OldsterHolster]

Bah! You guys just can't handle the heat. Heh, heh, heh. You didn't get bored, the game whupped you, and you're scared of low bridges. lol. Just kidding. Each to his own, and this game just happens to push all my buttons and has depth beyond shooting bad guys. The longer I play it, the more it grows on me, and Mikell and myself just keep finding fun things to do.

I agree Far Cry 2 was a bust, and getting around did get extremely boring. In JC-2, you can get anywhere on the island in seconds, usually, and the more you play and clear places, the more destinations you have available. When I drive around, it's usually just for fun. Anyway, too bad you guys didn't get the hook like I did. Almost 300 hours, and I'm still having fun. I thought my "round-trip, parallel parking, jet trip" was a hoot, just last night. Edward.

[gridiron whirlwind]

I love JC2, but also got alittle bored, just because all of the little villages and stuff look pretty much the same....the same things to blow up at every place.

I really dont care for the challenges either.....but I still love the game because of the damn grappling hook and the open endness of the game.

I will never 100% complete the game, but I will eventually beat the main mission.

I did soak well over 200 hours into Fallout 3 and loved every minute of it.

[Nyghtfall]

I was the same with Fallout 3 and Farcry 2 just got bored

I tried several times to enjoy Fallout 3, but never managed to do anything once I finally left the vault for the first time. I saw that sprawling, open-ended wasteland, and thought, "I have so many better things to do than this... I don't even care about the story..."

Tried Mass Effect a few times as well. The last time I played I finally got past the introductory missions and took command of the Normandy. And then I landed on my first alien planet and got to drive the Mako to go look for something. I aimlessly wandered around the terrain, trying to figure out what the hell I was supposed to do and how to do it, and was bored to death within a few minutes. I haven't played it again since.

I tried Dragon Age: Origins, but was so turned off by the gimmick of blood spatter that I gave up after the first hour. The blood spatter would've been great if it had been dynamic. Whether I was killing humans or small rodents, my party wound up completely covered in blood by the end of every fight, and I never found a way to turn the damned thing off, so I sold my copy to Rob.

I almost finished Half Life for the first time a year or two ago, but never made it past the Nihilanth. I got my butt handed to me after the first attack, realized what exactly I was up against and just thought, "Oh HELL no!" And quit.

The last new single-player game I played all the way through was Wolfenstein, a year ago. I enjoyed it, for the most part, but I don't miss any of the boss fights or the puzzles, and haven't even considered another run-through since.

After Wolfenstein, I took up reading, and completely lost myself in books.

A couple months ago, I felt an overwhelming urge to roll a Mage in World of Warcraft. I re-bought the core game at Best Buy for $30, and picked up The Burning Crusade and Lich King expansions with gift certificates on Amazon.com. Thanks to the genius creation of The Dungeon Finder, and over 500 quests, my Mage is now 72. I've since reserved a copy of the Cataclysm CE due later this year.

Unfortunately, I'm also feeling incredibly burned out on the game. At 72, I've already been through every dungeon accessible up to my level several times over, and I refuse to touch PvP (PvP hasn't been done right in an MMO since Dark Age of Cameot's Realm vs Realm. Sure it had several flaws, but the concept has been unmatched in any MMO I've played since). If the end game is anything remotely like what I'm experiencing now, I really don't see myself lasting much longer even after Cat comes out and I finish taking my Mage to 85. I've played WoW off and on so much since it launched 6 years ago. Before rolling my Mage, I never got a character past 55. At this point, I just want to finally be able to say that I reached the level cap, and be done with it. Collecting the best gear in the game - which, as I understand it, is the only real point of dungeon raids - is of absolutely no consequence to me.

For the future, the only game I've got my eye on at the moment is Call of Duty: Black Ops. Since playing Call of Duty 2 (I skipped the first one), I've become a big fan of the franchise. No open worlds to roam around in, no bosses to try and figure out how to defeat, no puzzles to solve, no weapon or stat upgrades to buy, and no health packs to look for when you're about to die. Every game is just one long rail shooter that leads you from point A to B with a lot of really fun mission sequences.

I still read, though I've cut back since returning to WoW. I expect I'll be back up to speed once my Mage reaches 85 and I leave WoW again. Chuck and I recently saw the trailer for the final Harry Potter movie. They're going to release it in two parts - the first one in November, and the second one next July. After the trailer was done, it occurred to me that I have 4 months to read every book in the series.

Yesterday evening, a thunderstorm knocked the power out, leaving my wife and I with not much else to do but read. She used her Sony E-Reader while I fiddled with trying to keep my Sea of Monsters paperback open with one hand and a flashlight held up with the other. Suffice it to say, I'm now seriously considering buying a Kindle.

And that's where I am today. :)

[NotSoFast]

Yesterday evening, a thunderstorm knocked the power out, leaving my wife and I with not much else to do but read. She used her Sony E-Reader while I fiddled with trying to keep my Sea of Monsters paperback open with one hand and a flashlight held up with the other. Suffice it to say, I'm now seriously considering buying a Kindle.

And that's where I am today. :)

Might I suggest the "nook" from Barnes and Noble? Its pretty similar to the Kindle, but has a full-color touch screen at the bottom and B&N has a much larger library of content available for sale than Amazon. I have had one since February and I really like it a lot. Just a friendly suggestion, buy what you want. I know that a lot of people have heard of the Kindle, but are not familiar with the nook.

[Nyghtfall]

Might I suggest the "nook" from Barnes and Noble?

Having a full-color screen isn't important to me. I just want to be able to read comfortably, and all of the comparisons I've seen so far, between it and other e-readers, tell me that the Kindle is the better buy. I also have $70 worth of gift certificates saved up that I can use toward one.

[Joe Cool]

Bah! You guys just can't handle the heat. Heh, heh, heh. You didn't get bored, the game whupped you, and you're scared of low bridges. lol. Just kidding. Each to his own, and this game just happens to push all my buttons and has depth beyond shooting bad guys. The longer I play it, the more it grows on me, and Mikell and myself just keep finding fun things to do.

I agree Far Cry 2 was a bust, and getting around did get extremely boring. In JC-2, you can get anywhere on the island in seconds, usually, and the more you play and clear places, the more destinations you have available. When I drive around, it's usually just for fun. Anyway, too bad you guys didn't get the hook like I did. Almost 300 hours, and I'm still having fun. I thought my "round-trip, parallel parking, jet trip" was a hoot, just last night. Edward.

Eh, I belive I started the low bridge thing!:p:

One thing I love is about a fourm is how diffrent people like diffrent things. Like you, Edward getting 300+ hours out of a JC2, where as I reckon I have seen all I need to see after about 30. Or Rob, and others, saying how Mass Effect is so great, where as I kinda thought it was just ok. Nyghtfall's passionate and inflamed posts about MMORPGS, something I know nothing about. Then, in turn, being shocked that people did not like Fallout 3, or that fact that I am the only one on here that likes hardcore flight and racing sims.

I think, as well as the pics and vids, this has been one of the reasons why these threads have been so good. It gives you another view of games you love, games you hate, and games you will never play.

[Nyghtfall]

I've given more thought to buying a Kindle. It's going to be a helluva lot more cost effective for me to just buy a $10 book light for those rare times when the power goes out at night than to spend $140 on an e-reader. Besides, I prefer the tactile sensation of a book, of turning the page, and I love the artwork. I find a fully stocked shelf full of books a lot more aesthetically pleasing to look at than a bullet list of titles on a computer screen. Books don't need to be re-charged, either. I've never felt inclined to read outside. I've tried it before, and found environmental noises too distracting.

So... yeah. No e-reader for me.

:)

[DavidP]

Tried Mass Effect a few times as well. The last time I played I finally got past the introductory missions and took command of the Normandy. And then I landed on my first alien planet and got to drive the Mako to go look for something. I aimlessly wandered around the terrain, trying to figure out what the hell I was supposed to do and how to do it, and was bored to death within a few minutes. I haven't played it again since.


I bought Mass Effect just before 2 came out, what you experienced was about the same for me. I got 30 mins in and had shot no one that was it for me, give me a "run and gun" any day. I still go back to Modern Warfare 1 & 2 and play the single player and i am still hooked on the MW2 multiplayer sooooooo looking forward to Black Ops and hoping they don't f**k it up.

[OldsterHolster]

I've given more thought to buying a Kindle. It's going to be a helluva lot more cost effective for me to just buy a $10 book light for those rare times when the power goes out at night than to spend $140 on an e-reader. Besides, I prefer the tactile sensation of a book, of turning the page, and I love the artwork. I find a fully stocked shelf full of books a lot more aesthetically pleasing to look at than a bullet list of titles on a computer screen. Books don't need to be re-charged, either. I've never felt inclined to read outside. I've tried it before, and found environmental noises too distracting.

So... yeah. No e-reader for me.

:)

I don't read that much, myself, so it's not an issue with me, but I've got two friends who are avid readers. One is an old girlfriend who has moved back to town, and the other is a woman who is probably my best friend, these days. They both said almost exactly the same thing Nyghtfall is saying. The old girlfriend had a Kindle given to her for her birthday, and my best friend saw one on Woot.com at a very good price and bought it mostly out of curiousity and because she likes to read on the beach. They have both changed their tune, dramatically, and just love the things, now.

My friend just showed me hers, yesterday, and I'm impressed. Aside from the obvious, like being able to carry 1500 books around with you all the time, there are many features that are really useful and just plain cool. The instant dictionary and thesaurus that appears at the touch of a button, and the ability to make notes or highlight passages are two of them, and, of course, you can change font size, type, and spacing, at will. Hell, the damned thing will even read the book to you if you want. Along with the fact that buying new books is a lot cheaper than buying hardcover copies, it's no wonder that E-readers are becoming so popular.

One friend has already commented about how great it was to take it on vacation with her, instead of packing several books, and the other one is delighted with how light and portable it is. She's got carpal tunnel, like I do, and she says big books often cause her hands to go numb from holding it and turning pages. You also never have to worry about proper reading light.

I don't need one, myself, but my impressions, so far, are that these things are just incredibly cool, and I don't hear anybody who has one complaining. I understand aesthetics, like me buying my games as discs in boxes rather than digital downloads, but, at some point, you sometimes have to forego old ideas of what is aesthetically pleasing and say, "Whoa, this is just better!" Maybe you should keep an open mind, Nyghtfall, and consider the benefits, even if you do continue to prefer and buy hardcover copies. In my mind, avid readers can only benefit from these new toys, and they don't have to give up anything. It's not an "either/or" choice, but rather a case of "both is better." Edward.

[DavidP]

My friend just showed me hers, yesterday, and I'm impressed.

Too many jokes, brain shutting down.................:sleep:

[gridiron whirlwind]

I am really looking forward to Mafia 2.

I have bought a used copy of the original Mafia.....I have no idea how I missed playing this game years ago......but I did.

I am having fun with it.....game must be at least 6 years old or so.....anybody here ever play this game?


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4915914223_125120182f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4915914223/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4915915135_d687561c83_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4915915135/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4915914935_c5671eb364_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4915914935/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4136/4915915381_59481baed2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4915915381/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4916517492_c2ecc138cd_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4916517492/)

[OldsterHolster]

I didn't play the first one, either. I think there were other, more appealing, games out at the time, and I just never got around to it. The more I look at your screen shots, though, the more I'm thinking I may also play the first one and then the new one, too. How are the mechanics and gameplay? It certainly is pretty, and a good shooter, old or new, might be a pleasant break from JC-2. Edward.

[Joe Cool]

Ok, here is another vid. I made them when I did not have the net a few weeks back. They seemed (new) and cool when I first made them, but they seem quite boring, next to the JC2 ones.

Anyhoo, I'll post what I have. This time I'm in a Hurricane fighter, attacking a German ME 109. He is crashing for the deck, just as the vid cuts out.

vpyjqeWY0Ks

[Joe Cool]

anybody here ever play this game?


Yes, bought it new when it first came out. I loved it, one of the best games I ever played. It has one of the best endings ever....I'll say no more about that though.

Word to the wise though, it gets hard! "The Fastest Car in The World" :scared:

[Mikell]

Cool vid Joe! I'll bet the game has different camera angles.
I'd like to see that.:):

[OldsterHolster]

Yeah, Joe, keep posting. They don't have to be exciting, or anything else; they are just fun to look at and give us an idea of what other games look like.

I think you are right. You were the one who started the flying stunts in JC-2. Heh, heh. I'm surprised you didn't stick with the game just for the flying. I know it's probably the main reason I love the game. It's not as realistic as a flight sim, more like fantasy flying, but it sure is fun, and pretty. I may go flying, tonight. Edward.

[gridiron whirlwind]

I didn't play the first one, either. I think there were other, more appealing, games out at the time, and I just never got around to it. The more I look at your screen shots, though, the more I'm thinking I may also play the first one and then the new one, too. How are the mechanics and gameplay? It certainly is pretty, and a good shooter, old or new, might be a pleasant break from JC-2. Edward.

The game is fun Edward, but the lack of a quick save or even a regular save is killer in this damn game.

The missions are hard, as there is no difficulty setting for them.....no health pick ups either......one of the hardest games I have ever come across for those reasons.

The game could have been great, but those things alone make it very frustrating at times.

I have played some of the same parts over, and over.

[OldsterHolster]

Glenn, I think Gridiron is talking about Mafia, not JC-2. I might have to reconsider my good impression of the game, because I hate to replay sections between checkpoints. JC-2 is wonderful, and I never save. It's the best setup for a checkpoint-save game I've ever come across. Even when you die, if you hit "continue game" instead of "quit," it will save for you, and then you can "exit to Windows." Edward.

[OldsterHolster]

Nothing new or exciting about these, but I did have fun and entertained myself on a Sunday evening. Mikell, I found two more ramps. One is at X=29,033 & Y=19,134 and the other one is at X=5395 & Y=24,877.
http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo206/OldsterHolster/Screen%20Shots/JustCause2Ramp.jpg

http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo206/OldsterHolster/Screen%20Shots/JustCause2Ramp2.jpg

Or3TSQSUKA4&fmt=22

Check out the wheel wobble at the end of this one. This game still makes me laugh. Heh, heh.
tzVP7xDlHlw&fmt=22

I was just curious. This makes four different directions I can take this jet off from it's starting position. Not too realistic, but it sure is fun.
5X5n9-84Tzs&fmt=22

I don't know what those rectangular indentations are at the end of the runways, but you will explode if you hit them either landing or taking off. I would like to claim precision flying skills for being able to hop over this one for my third touch and go, but I admit it was all luck.
nQVhpD6NH8c&fmt=22

I did manage to find enough loot to break the 98% completion mark while just playing around. I've just got to beat those other race challenges and see how much they are worth. There are two of them that are just kicking my ass, but I'm slowly getting better. Have any of you completed the "Casino Finale" challenge?
http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo206/OldsterHolster/Screen%20Shots/JustCause285-1.jpg

So, I've rented a little villa and have a mailing address in Panau, and I don't know when I'll ever leave. Heh, heh, heh. There are still places to go and things to do, and I'm not bored, yet. Edward.

[Joe Cool]

Hmmmmm, I must be missing something. I downloaded a movie converter, called Any Video Converter. It was simple to use and it told me that it was converting the vids, but I don't think it did. They still came up as AVI files in the folder and it still took a hour to upload.

I also downloaded the one you were talking about, Edward. It's called VirtualDub. I followed the instructions given on the Fraps page, but nothing happend. I mean nothing at all. I also tried using Windows Movie Maker, but could not find a file covert option.

Could one of you, maybe Mikell give me a step by step walk through of how to convert the vids?

I think I could make some good ones, but hour long uploads for a 30 second clip is just not worth it.

Anyhoo, here is one of BBC:2. Shockingly, I get my ass kicked. I think you will like it Edward. Note the building collapsing.
pyPIwzVG-mU

[Mitch]

Hey Joe, I've used Any Video Converter and it works just fine. It doesn't change the files into a new type, but rather it makes a copy of the file as a different type in another folder. If you check the output folder in settings it should tell you where the converted files are stored. I've used this a lot for my bosses video DJ service, and it's actually been a pretty reliable program so far.

Also, I'm kind of curious what would happen if I tried to upload a video I recorded with Eyefinity? I'm sure it just wouldn't upload, but I never seem to think of trying it while I'm playing.

[OldsterHolster]

Yeah, Virtual Dub it was. It compresses the file, but it's still an .avi file and pretty large. I deleted the whole thing after I got Prism.

Go here and download the Prism Converter for Windows.

http://www.nchsoftware.com/prism/index.html

It's really easy to use. You can select the type of file you want to convert to, and also select the resolution and other things. You just drag and drop your file and hit the "convert" button, and it converts it in just a few minutes. I tried converting all the way to mpg4, but it looked crappy, so I convert mine to mpg and let Youtube process it from there. Most of my uploads take under ten minutes, that way.

Fraps has an option to save the video clips at full or half-screen resolution. I set mine to half-screen to reduce the size of the original clips. I use 30fps, also. Depending upon your system and how much quality you want, you can go higher on the fps and also use full screen, if you wish. My system is ageing, and I'm not as picky as Mikell, so I settle for less quality but a much faster process.

Now, Prism says it's free, but, after about a month, I got a notice saying I had to pay for it. I like it a lot, so I went ahead and sent them $27, I think it was. Get it and use it for free, and by the time the free trial is over, maybe we can find you another one that is totally free; or maybe you can clear your cookies and just re-download it when the free period runs out.

One other thing I read, somewhere, was that the quality would be better if you kept the same resolution on the converted file as the original. Since I'm saving my clips at half-screen resolution, that's what I set the resolution to in Prism for the output. Seems to work pretty well, and my little clips are not so bad.

Give it a shot and let us know what happens. It took me a while, but now converting, uploading, and showing these little videos is as easy, or easier, than plain old screen shots, and they sure are fun. Don't hesitate to ask more questions as they arise. Good luck, and I'll be looking forward to more clips. Edward.

[Joe Cool]

Thanks Edward, but Mitch was right Any Video Converter was saving them in another folder. I was able to upload .avi files in a few seconds.

So, here I am in a German Fw190. What should be an easy kill against a crippled B17 ends in disaster when the .50cal shells rip my engine apart.
pVQ_2iM0HcU

I decide to land. At the last second, I fear that the bumpy ground might flip me, so I retract the undercarriage and go fro a belly landing.
5qnQzmNgB5g

[NotSoFast]

Hey Edward, have you played around with those Baby Panay billboards? Grapple up onto his face and press your "use" or "interact" button or whatever its called. Made me chuckle.

[gridiron whirlwind]

Great belly landing Joe :p:

[OldsterHolster]

Hey Edward, have you played around with those Baby Panay billboards? Grapple up onto his face and press your "use" or "interact" button or whatever its called. Made me chuckle.

Yep, I know. If you look at my last post with pics, above, you'll see the mustache and glasses on Panay's face.

Thanks Edward, but Mitch was right Any Video Converter was saving them in another folder. I was able to upload .avi files in a few seconds.


So, are you using VirtualDub to compress them but keeping the .avi format, or are you using Any Video Converter to change them to something else? Maybe I could learn something, too. Edward.

[Joe Cool]

I'm using Any Video Converter. I converted them into .avi, but the quailty did take a big hit. I might try mp4 for the next batch.

[Mikell]

Love the car jump Ed! That was a great flip but what is that noise?
Is that the wheel?

Joe I heard that loud pop when the .50 round went through your engine. Too bad you can't armor airplanes.:lol:
The BBC:2 video looks great full screen in 720p!

[OldsterHolster]

Love the car jump Ed! That was a great flip but what is that noise?
Is that the wheel?

It does sound like I knocked some parts loose, doesn't it? Heh, heh.

The physics in this game are phenomenal. After 300 hours, I saw something new, tonight. Check out my Splash & Go Limbo.
GfWY5ASoTDo&fmt=22

OK, here's another simple challenge. Fly through the canyon splitting the island in the far right bottom of the map. You gotta stay between the canyon walls, and you get extra points if you can drag a wingtip in the water. Heh, heh, heh. Edward.
trZR7off7J0&fmt=22

[gridiron whirlwind]

Yes, bought it new when it first came out. I loved it, one of the best games I ever played. It has one of the best endings ever....I'll say no more about that though.

Word to the wise though, it gets hard! "The Fastest Car in The World" :scared:

Well, I am at the part of the game you mention :p:

I gotta say that I have beaten the race, I patched the game to version 1.2 and that patch has allowed you to choose the difficulty level of the race...pretty cool :yes:

I just love the race and I keep going back to it to try to beat it at the next difficulty......the race is pure sweetness.....I love it....reminds me alittle of Nascar Racing 2003 season in arcade mode.....the track was just great and once that you have the track and your line down it was just pure fun.

Even on an easier difficulty setting, you must still make a pretty clean run for all 5 laps.

This is one part of the game that I did not mind replaying at all......this game has an on again off again kind of relationship with me!

It looks open ended, but it is really linear....but it works fairly well.

The story and the cutscenes do make the game cinematic...very story driven, and a good story....I think the era of these games is what draw me in.

Anyway, here are some more screenshots of the game and the race.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4923523450_7c87451f0d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4923523450/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4923523294_70c9ef0efa_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4923523294/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4077/4922930383_7df853f6c3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4922930383/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4922930231_fe1443f789_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4922930231/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4922930027_9f9e26e65b_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4922930027/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4922929883_8f46b1dfea_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4922929883/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4923523554_87217d412d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4923523554/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4923522368_ca7b90c7ae_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4923522368/)

[Joe Cool]

Ah yes, I remember reading something about a patch to make it easier. Twas far from that I was raised, twas not like that in my day....ect.

I reckon I spent about a week on and off doing the race, funny thing is when I replayed the game some years ago I did it 2nd time.

[Joe Cool]

Hey, what about this for a challange? Hop into a chopper (not the reall small black market one) fly up as high as you can and hop out. Now try and get back in the chopper and regain control. I have see this done on youtube, as far as I know, no one on here has done it.

Sorry about the poor qualty, the .mp4 files seem to have come out worse then the .avi files.(?)

tYNoeRO61tY

JW50g29mWoo

[Mikell]

I gonna have to try that one Joe. And Edward's splash and go challenge.



Here's another Doornail Productions video.:rolleyes:

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[NotSoFast]

OK guys, exactly how long does it take to learn to fly in JC2 at a decent level of skill? I've tried several times with less than "little success". I am OK with the choppers, but the planes seem impossible to me. I tried an "easy" flying race and could only manage to hit the first two gates. The control scheme is completely unintuitive to me. Apparently, I don't have enough coordination in my left hand to keep 6-8 keys operating properly all at once.

Other than the humbling aerial experiences, I am absolutely loving this game. I am cruising along on the "casual" difficulty setting, taking in the scenery and doing a few missions here and there. I cleared a whole power plant with a black market "Tuk Tuk Boom Boom" vehicle. I love watching the bodies soar about 200 feet into the air. Too bad I can't get my planes to do that. lol

[OldsterHolster]

Wow, now that was pretty cool, Mikell! Good idea. I never thought to try to change airplanes, although doing it with helicopters is pretty common. Good job.

OK guys, exactly how long does it take to learn to fly in JC2 at a decent level of skill?

Heh, heh, heh. When I first started the game and tried that first, easy, race, I couldn't even get through the SECOND hoop for the first week. All I can tell you, Glenn, is that practice makes perfect, and you will get better. Just go flying for fun every chance you get and practice maneuvering around. It does take a long time, but you will gradually gain skill and be able to control the aircraft more precisely. As you become more comfortable with the controls, it really ramps up the possibilities and fun.

Mikell and I have gotten dramatically better over the course of the game, but I'll bet even he admits that you never stop learning. I know I'm still trying to get better, and there are a couple of air races that I STILL can't beat. The game has incredible depth, and practice, concentration, and perseverance really pay off in the long run. Folks who can't handle a little frustration or learning something new can easily finish the game, anyway, but to enjoy all the game offers takes more than token effort. The reward for success is deeply felt satisfaction, though, and that's why I'm still playing even after 305 hours. Hang in there, Glenn, and don't forget you can bail out just before crashing. Heh, heh. Edward.

[Mikell]

You know Edward, earlier in the thread you mentioned how Fraps causes a hit to the frame rates and I really experienced that making the last clip. All I can think is that my vid card and ram are not enough when there's a lot of action going on. It did work to my advantage on the second highjack. I shot by the Panau Air logo on the plane in slow motion.:p::lol::thumbup:

NotSoFast, as Ed said it really takes time behind the stick. I wish I could use a flightstick because it would be a lot easier flying. But we're stuck with keyboard control and my way is to hover three fingers on the WSD keys and use my pinky to hit Lshift(throttle up) or Lcontrol(throttle down).
I'm getting better at it.

[OldsterHolster]

You know, it's kind of funny how it works for me. Sometimes I seem to take a huge framerate hit, and other times it stays smooth, whether there is a lot of action, or not. One time, I even left the game and rebooted my computer to see if that made any difference, but it didn't. I know my computer is getting old and weak, but I'm just living with it, for now. Edward.

[OldsterHolster]

I did another round of L4D-2, tonight, and the damned Zombies got the best of me, again. I had to go for a nice, relaxing, flight in a jet to get over it. Heh, heh.

I've learned a new landing technique that's pretty cool. Sometimes you might want to sneak back to the airport and use the back door.
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OK, I'll buy you a beer if you can land a jet with a shorter landing roll. Heh, heh.
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I'm going to bed. See you guys, tomorrow. Edward.

[Mikell]

You're still king of the short stop.:thumbup:
I didn't know those jets had a parking brake.
Is it the "P" key?:shades::lol:

[OldsterHolster]

Is it the "P" key?

Actually, it's Ctrl+P&B while right clicking. Heh, heh. It's just the throttle-down key, L Shift. I like those landings. When I get a chance, I'm going to try to land on top of one of the buildings in the city. I think the red jet on top of a skyscraper would make a mighty fine screen shot, not to be seen too often elsewhere.

Tonight, I've been driving myself crazy with that damned Casino Finale challenge. I guess I'm not the pilot I think I am. I end up leaning in my chair, my leg stretched out, and my fingers all tangled up, like Glenn feels, and then I crash. I'll bet I get the damned thing one of these days.

By the way, Mikell, I was taking videos of my failures, and it was smooth as silk, and then I started getting that big drop in framerate on one of them. I exited everything, and, sure enough, Steam was opening a damned ad in the background. They seem to do this a lot with ads and updates, etc., and I wonder if they are not a lot, if not all, of the problem? Also, I may have discovered how to make my Moviemaker work. More on that after I check it out.

Here's about my best effort at that challenge I'm working on. Glenn, it might help you to watch the control inputs, carefully, and maybe get a better feel for controlling the aircraft. Just ignore the last ten seconds. Heh, heh, heh. Edward.

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[Joe Cool]

JC's road trip......of DOOOOOOOOM!

(For once, it has a nice ending)

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[Mikell]

Ed I don't know how you can make 24 targets in the time you have.

Joe that was a clip out of Die hard! Loved it!

Security guard: Are you alright?
John McClane: Yeah, it's laundry day.

[OldsterHolster]

Ed I don't know how you can make 24 targets in the time you have.

Have you tried any of the air race challenges? They are like the car race ones, too, and the time you see is the time to the next ring. As you pass through a ring, the clock resets to a certain number of seconds to reach the next one. I think you can build up a "cushion" by hitting them faster, so the time in this race is not the problem. Towards the end, I actually have a cushion of around a minute, so I can even miss a ring and have time to circle back around. The problem is, this damned thing is HARD! I actually made it under that bridge, tonight, but the last six rings after that are almost as hard, with the last two inside a suspension bridge. I had the finish line in sight, but I didn't make it. Very frustrating! I must have tried twenty times, tonight, and finally gave up. I'll try again, tomorrow. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Edward.

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[OldsterHolster]

After the post above, I brushed my teeth and got all ready for bed. Leno was a rerun, so I thought, "What the hell, I'll give it one more try." You gotta be tired of seeing this race, but at least there is a twist to the ending of this one. I guess I can't take much credit for my flying skills, but I'm just happy to be done with it. I got a whole one-tenth of a percentage point for all my efforts. Heh, heh. I'm up to 98.34% now. I've been working on that thing for several days, so I'm going to take a break and just play around some more, I think. Edward.

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[chip5541]

I found flying planes to be a real pain trying to get through all those hoops. For Flying you do not have to use a plane. The small black helicopter (I forget the name) can be used because it is pretty quick. Not sure if it has be to fully upgraded or not for the hard ones. Besides using it also allows you to get the bonus markers as well.

[OldsterHolster]

I used that Rowlinson H-22 for all the air races where it would work, but there are some that it just isn't fast enough for. I wasted a lot of money buying them until I was convinced that they just weren't going to work on a particular race. They also don't change altitude very fast, and don't work on a couple of races where you have to fly up the side of a cliff. In fact, the one I'm working on now gives you the business jet, which I hate because it's so sluggish, but, even if I hit all the bonus rings with the little helicopter, I run out of time trying to climb up the side of a mountain near the end.

They're kind of sneaky in this game, and if you want to finish the whole thing, they force you to learn how to fly and operate all the basic types of vehicles, sooner or later, including skydiving and slingshotting the parachute.

As I've said, you can finish the game and do most of everything there is to do, but trying to do it all and reach 100% is not for the faint-hearted or those who can't handle frustration. There are some parts that are just plain HARD. The Casino Finale, above, and The Raya Race with cars, are the two that have given me the most trouble, so far, and The Bridge of Death looks like it's going to be a pain, too. As I've also said many times, the game definitely has more depth than I've ever seen in a game. Edward.

[gridiron whirlwind]

I just received my Collector's Edition of Mafia 2

It came with some DLC, a greasers pack that contains a couple of suits and a couple of cars.

It has a nice hard back book of the artwork, a cd of the music....a nice map and poster and a very cool tin dvd case.....overall I like the deal.....The last collector's edition I bought was Fallout 3.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/4945481454_f2e439b104_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4945481454/)

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[gridiron whirlwind]

MAFIA 2

I have the day off, and have just started the game...I am pretty impressed with the movie like cutscenes and the story telling...a very story driven game....so far so good.

The eye candy is top notch in this game, but with the PhysX on High, it is a huge system hog......but the PhysX does add alot to the overall atmosphere of the game, even though they are not needed.

The character Joe also has some great "one liners".

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4948039753_d12e29cf71_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20379588@N02/4948039753/)

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