I'm finding myself feeling like I have to play this game its simply not clicking with me.
Elizabeth just cut her hair. how much longer do I have?

A ways yet.  I felt the same during parts of the game but just beat it.  Can't say it blew my mind, but go ahead and beat it so you can talk about it I suppose.  It does pick up and get more suspenseful towards the end.

Update.  I would cancel that order and hope you get your money back.  Steam apparently is killing accounts that use the "service":

http://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/864958451454989052/

http://www.giantbomb.com/borderlands-2/3030-36055/forums/anyone-ever-use-direct2play-borderlands-2-for-20-b-564749/

Agh, I was going to hold off on this, but just pre-ordered from directtoplay (never used before) for $35 for PC

This link makes me think that site is bunk.  Notice the really awful spelling/grammar.

http://www.direct2play.com/content/9-faq

cool, just trying to make sure nobody gets screwed out of money.  I have a feeling a fair number of people will by thinking you can transfer out of battlenet funds later.

I was under the assumption that I could to paypall and it would cost me 15%.  So that's not the case in the US?

Where is your favourite Goblin farming area Jersoc?

Anybody else have any tips in this area?

I'd love to know how to farm these goblins easily in Nightmare.  I found one and wasn't able to kill him.  Any guidance on where to repeatedly find them and how to kill them as a Barbarian?

My friend bought the game from newegg and wants to know how to install it early.  Is there a link for the installer or would he had to have been on the beta?

I posted a link a few pages back, but I think I also just saw someone say that the old installer isn't working properly anymore.  Not sure if if there's an updated non-Blizzard link out in the wild yet.

Looks like they're providing a direct link from the Battle.net splash page. Gives you the option to activate a key or to download the client.

Thanks guys!  I sent the info to him.

My friend bought the game from newegg and wants to know how to install it early.  Is there a link for the installer or would he had to have been on the beta?

So DA2 was a disappointment, but I did still enjoy it.  It wasn't the worst thing, nor was it bad to me.  Just in comparison to what they had done, it wasn't up to snuff.  That being said, I hadn't played a CRPG on the PC in YEARS so on the Xbox I think the competition is lacking so my standards may be lower.  I am playing Witcher on PC now and it is great.  I do hope that DA3 is awesome and believe that Bioware will turn back to DA1 for the model to follow.  It would only make sense.

I guess his only limitation on his resume will be that all his experience is in PC games tech support (given that's all Blizz does). Multi-platform's all the rage now. I dunno though, maybe tech support is tech support and the experience on platforms doesn't matter?

Usually at that level of support being able to demonstrate how quickly you can learn new areas is more important than they direct experience.  Sometimes, in fact, the direct experience *can* be frowned upon.  You don't always want a know-it-all type of support agent.  Especially when you are concerned they may not adapt to new ideas.

I figured it would be support.

As a former director of customer care, I can tell you it gets hit first.  When large companies try to increase profit, they look at cost centers.  They often first try to turn these into profit centers (for example, issuing chargebacks to suppliers for a late shipment is usual in the operations world; charging for support is a tactic close to call centers).  Once that fails, they just start cutting.  They usually don't cut anyone that is looking to bring money into the organization, but a big mistake made over and over again is to not give credit to the value of support and only see it as a waste of money.  

Dead Space 2 I suppose.

I played the first Assassin's Creed when it was released and couldn't get past the first couple hours of gameplay.

I quit the first one and took it back to EB when I found it was a VR thing.  The twist, coupled with the horrible voice actor just made me return it.  It was opened, of course, but the EB manager understood and gave me my money back.  Haven't been tempted to play any of them since.

So, my question is, should I pick one up?

Yeah, it was odd to take down a dragon at level 6 without breaking much of a sweat only to be killed by a bandit in two swings a little later.

So I haven't spent any time working on any other than other than combat.  What should I immediately start on as to not screw myself over later?

I agree with the above post on the feeling toward the game.  I bought Morrowind and Oblivion and couldn't get into them at all.  Skyrim is much easier to get into for some reason.  It feels like they learned a bit from Fallout 3 in regards to pacing and introducing you to areas and the game.

Okay.  So there isn't really a point where the plot slows down?  Maybe I am still in the intro of the game but so far it was been very direct with "go and talk to this person" and it all seems very urgent so far. 

Also, with Morrowind, when I explored I just got slaughtered.  Everything was so far above my characters capabilities.  It was also hard for me to tell what quests I could do.  Is Skyrim the same or did they adjust this aspect?  So far I haven't had issue except for the dungeon traps which I simply can't figure out how to time....

Out of curiosity, when does the game open up?  I am only three hours in but so far everything has been go here, then here, then here...Will the game introduce me to a sequence that lets me know I am open to explore or do I need to wander off on my own and ignore the story for a bit?

On top of that, you may find that guitar isn't your thing.

I have played for almost two decades now and have no interest in this game.  However, I can think of people that do that will get frustrated with the amount of practice it will take to get proper form to play the songs.  If these people spend a lot of cash on a used or new guitar, they may be ultimately very depressed.  If you just buy the cheap version thinking of it as primarily a tool to play the game and learn on, then you can't lose if you find out the six string instrument really isn't for you.

I just ran across this on the Rocksmith facebook page.

Seth Chapla: I can't tell you specifically the songs that we're notetracking at the moment, but they are EXTREMELY metal. We consulted with a work safety expert and they recommended that we wear welding masks while working to avoid severe face melts. Being Seth Chapla and all, I declined of course, but I promise you, some heavy stuff is on the way.

Seth is a notetracker for the game so it looks like they are in the process of creating at least some dlc. I would be shocked if they don't release a fair amount of DLC for this game, especially since the game is doing well at retail and they don't need the masters for the songs, the way Rock Band does....hence the inclusion of Sweet Home Alabama (not the live version), Satisfaction, Sunshine of Your Love and House of the Rising Sun. I am hopeful that means we will get many older songs that don't have useable masters and haven't been in Rock Band/Guitar Hero.

Yeah, I'm not saying there won't be any just that I expect the Hal Leonards of the world to fight it and get upset about it.  Could be totally wrong, but with the history of the music industry resisting technology and change, I figure it will be an issue here.

I have a feeling that DLC will be limited and hard to do for Rocksmith.  Music notation publishing companies make a lot off the rights to publish music.  The other games were just color "notes".  This could prove to be quite a battle.

Your review is so much more positive than the other reviews I have seen.  Out of curiosity, do you count that to some thing?  Do you think other reviewers are missing something or being too harsh?

I felt like Pete feels when it launched.  Two years later I gave it another go and approached it thinking of it as a survival game.  I liked it the second time and beat in a few weeks without much difficulty.  I have just been used to having a surplus of loot and money in RPGs that the Fallout 3 approach was hard to get used to at first.  Having a bunch of shiny crap drop at every turn was what I have been trained to think of as fun, so FO3 took a change in attitude and expectations to find fun.

My major complaint is that I felt the story sucked.  It's mostly the environment and game that I think people liked...The story was pretty lame all said and done.  If it had been a book I would have stopped reading midway.

IGN didn't like it at all.

The main menu. The screen with the dark alleyway when you start the game. On the brick wall it defaults to "Resume", but you can hit down and it changes to different options, including "cases". That's where you select previous cases.

I thought it was a pretty sleek looking way to do a menu, myself.

This game causes my 360 to run LOUD.  Does installing it help with the stuttering/overheating issues?  I only have the original 10 or 20 GB drive (forget what it was at launch)...Can I even install it?

Hopefully this will go over better than their dedicated music instrument department.

That comic is absolutely spot on.  The relationship mechanic is just...weird.  I was at nearly 100% rival with Merril, yet literally one single "love" response during our last conversation (and it wasn't even anything overt...I was just trying to not be a complete asshole) led to the two of us hopping into the sack.

Um...OK.   

I don't know about you guys, but that's how my weekends are.

[Spoiler]

Spoiler for Hiden:

Was this the one where you get some companions taken away from you?  I got one shotted a couple of times, but the third time I tried I adjusted things and finished it no problem.

Spoiler for Hiden:

I was speaking of the one on one against the arishock.  I have no idea how you don't get that battle.  I played through twice and it was always me and him...attacking, running, healing...repeat....I thought it was so tedious and lame I finally set the difficulty to easy just to get past it.

I managed it without a respec but with a ridiculous number of healing potions - 29 in total, I think, and I had all of 30 with me at the time.

- Ash

After the battle at the end of Act II I was pretty much set against wasting anymore time with boss battles in the game.  I just immediately turned it down to easy and womped it up.  The battle in Act II just ruined any faith I had in Bioware and boss battles for that game.

I bought some used games I haven't played and were cheap.  The new Prince of Persia, the first Condemned (I had played a level or two when the 360 first came out), and Backyard Football 2010.

So I finished my 2nd playthrough as a female rogue jerk character to see how it played out and gather the remaining achievements last night.  I have to admit, I skipped through the dialog to get through the game quicker which didn't really allow me to see the differences in the dialog/game choices.  Although I liked the game, that behavior is indicative of the problem.  With DA:O I played it again because I didn't want it to end.  This one I treated like any other good game.  It just doesn't have the same magic the first had.

I would take that interview with a grain of salt.  I have worked with a lot of PMs during a lot of bad releases of product and they are programmed not to admit fault and defeat inmediately to the press.  The product life cycle for the game is still in its start, so it would be bad business to trash a game you still want to sell.  In six months I would expect a more honest answer.

I thought in Mass Effect 1 and 2 that if you couldn't open a locked container that whoever in your party that could would come up and do it for you. But in DA2 they just say they could do it and you have to take control of them and do it yourself. You'd think DA2 would be advanced but it seems a step back in some stuff.

Umm...well, in the Mass Effect games, locked containers are mini-games that you have to complete and have nothing to do with your companions. And in DA:O, all your companions would do was mock your failure to open the container, not give you the new context-appropriate reply as to whether or not they could open it themselves.

So DA2's system actually is an improvement over DA:O's, although I grant it's an incredibly minor improvement.

- Ash

Yeah, I think it was NWN that had he companion do it for you automatically.  They exclaimed something in a semi-annoying voice if I recall correctly.

I'm trying to decide if I should pull the trigger on this for $40.  Was trying to split it with my brother but he declined.  $20 no brainer, $40 not sure

I think it's worth $40.  There's a lot of gameplay and I think I am overly critical of the game due to my attachment to the first.

including the reused side quest areas.

Wait.  They did this before?

[Spoiler]

Just beat it.

Spoiler for Hiden:

So it was a terrible story, really.  I mean the third Act really is just tact on...Either that or the First and Second are...Just really disjointed.  I'm not sure if Act III really qualifies as a climax as it just kind of escalates so quickly.  Did anyone else think that both parties freaking out was just a little over the top?  Also, why is they looking for the champion?  I guiess I was just lost in the seemingly randomness of the story. 

I do not understand his answer.  DAO had more connect IIRC can no reuse IIRC.  That seems like a weird excuse for the problem.

**Okay, so assets must mean dev time.  He should flat out say that.  At first I read it as hardware limitations...

After getting pretty far in Act III I have to say my biggest issue is the recycling of the maps.  I mean, EVERYTHING from buildings to dungeons to houses are recycled with the SAME map for each structure.  It is truly the aspect that makes me feel like I was ripped off.  If this one issue wasn't in the game I would think it is a LOT better of a game.  The monotony the recycled areas creates is making for a painful home stretch.

[Spoiler]

Major end of act 2 spoiler-question.  I would stay away unless you've completed act 2, or are stuck at the last event of act 2.

Spoiler for Hiden:

I was given the choice:
I will duel you
or
I will not duel

I wasn't sure if this would be like other games where selecting to not duel would give me the option to pick someone from my party who would duel on my behalf.  Instead, I chose duel, and for the next 10 minutes or so, my mage hawke had to kite grind the boss down.  To make matters worse, the boss has healing potions, and he seems to have a ton of health, and is not that affected by magic.  I finished the fight after downing 7 lyrium potions and several health potions. Thank goodness my mabari was allowed to join me.  Afterwards I was thinking I should have gone with the "I will not duel you" option with my mage.

My deal with it

Spoiler for Hiden:

I am a damage fighter and couldn't beat him on Normal.  Had to turn it down to Casual.  Even then I went through 5 health potions and 4 stam potions.  I don't see how it would be possible on Normal with this build without A LOT of potions and a lot of time spent getting in three hits and running around waiting for pots to be available.  Anyone beat it with this type of character?  Any tactic I am missing?

Gamefly delivered the goods yesterday and I happily started it up and spent a couple fun hours with it. Named my fighter Mike (as I'm sure everyone else did - forced last names be damned). 

It's fun so far... haven't gotten far enough to see the duplicated dungeons though.

Why did they have to take away the six different origin stories? DA1 certainly made me want to play a second time through to experience the different stories. DA2 on the other hand... do I really want to play again just so I can play a generic rogue/mage?

I am not done with Act one and basically have any dungeon memorized from the second I enter it.  If I am not mistaking, they are using two maps and just place you randomly in it.  What really adds to the lazy factor is that the map shows the whole thing, even the areas you aren't meant to know exist.

I don't hate it, but this game is disappointing.  The reused dungeons blocked off by doors makes me feel like a sucker for buying it.  This is very low for Bioware.

and indicated he liked button mashing

I don't know why, but these really made me lol.