I did a quick search and didn't see any threads on this yet, but with pre-season winding down and drafts coming up this weeke... oh the hell with the formality.

[shamelessselfpromotion]

So I convinced my boss into making a horrible mistake and letting me have a Fantasy Football show Thursday evenings, and our first broadcast is tonight at 6:05 (technically closer to 6:08). It will normally be an hour, but tonight we will be preempted by the Bucs pre-season game so it will only be until 6:30.

Most of you don't live in or near Martin County, FL, but if you find yourself in front of a computer you can watch us online at wstu1450.com. If you hear a deafening silence, that's normal. We don't stream any of our network spots or commercials, so the only thing available on the web is the actual show, which as I said wont start until close to 6:08. And if that website is too cluttered and doesn't work, here's a direct link to our ustream page.

Feel free to listen and then laugh at my foolishness.

[/shamelessselfpromotion]

I don't get it. I've read that these are reboots for the entire universe, but they are continuing existing storylines? How does that work?

For me the issue with Madden isn't anything related to the way it plays. I think it generates a fun game of football. It has flaws that I'm sure would drive me crazy, but I've been away from the game long enough now that I can't think of any that are really driving me away.

Instead, the issue is that I'm burned out on football video games. I just don't see the point in paying $60 every year when I can put in my copy of Madden from a few years ago and get nearly the same experience. At least with Call of Duty games that come out every year, we are getting something new. New maps, new guns, new perks, a new SP campaign, whatever. But with Madden it's the same thing every year, with minor tweaks (that I usually don't care about).

I have the same burnout with the NHL games, and I think that series is fantastic.

With Fantasy Football and the NFL almost here, I found myself looking forward to Madden 12. I used to love Madden and the NCAA games, but burned out on paying $60 for the same game every year. After taking a few years off from Madden I thought maybe it is time to take the plunge again. So I downloaded the demo...

No thanks. The demo was enough to scratch the itch. Maybe I'll rent it, but there are other games I would rather play first.

I keep looking at the PS3 and thinking I should buy it, but the price is enough to drive me away. $249 might be enough for me to bite the bullet and take the plunge.

I thought the second episode was much better.

I was disappointed, but I'm not sure if it's because the quality of the show dropped or if it's because they've moved almost completely away from the books at this point. The parts of the story that are in the books I kind of liked, but the rest of it was borderline terrible.

There's a scale between 1 and 5 stars for a case.  Is there any difference between getting 1 star and getting 5 stars?  Or any of them in-between?   What is the motivation to get more than 1 star on a case besides "I got more than one star!  Woo hoo!"

On the cases I go back and replay to get 5-stars, there has been minor differences in how things played out. One case, the first time I finished it the killer took off running and I was able to get him to stop by firing in the air and arresting him. 3-stars. On the replay, I found more evidence and was able to confront him earlier. He murdered his partner in crime and took off running. I couldn't stop him by firing in the air, so I shot him in the head when he took a hostage. 5-stars.

Other cases I've arrested the guy they clearly didn't want me to arrest, and I got 1-star. I imagine if I don't butcher those interrogations I can arrest a different person and get a better rating.

I must have read the achievement wrong. Good to know.

I don't think cars count towards the achievement, I think it's just property damage.

Do you have the achievement for the $47,000 worth of damages in a single story case? I spent the last Homicide mission smashing into everything I could to get that achievement while driving between landmarks, but only got up to about $20,000. If the achievement pops up during the mission, I'll probably try for it again. If you have to wait for the mission wrap up screen, I'm going to ignore it.

I have finished the main story and i am currently going backwards through cases to 5* them all(using a walkthru this time)and you still have to change the discs at certain times then of course...when i hit Disc 1 and finish the cases off on there,i will still have the Film Reels,Landmarks and Badges to collect which can be done on any disc....i got all 95 cars(which was a pain)

Any tips on the 95 cars? I'm up to 60. Are all of the hidden cars eventually identified on the map as you level up, or do some remain hidden?

I don't know how this game has turned me into an achievement whore, but it did.

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.

The group is up to 33 members now, but I only recognize about half of them.

Why did I watch that? Now I want to play this game.

[Spoiler]

Owain:

Spoiler for Hiden:

I think I only used the shotgun. How many different weapon types or guns are there? I thought it was just pistol, rifle, shotgun, thompson, and BAR. Are there different guns for each type?

[Spoiler]

I was surprised I didn't get the achievement for killing someone with every gun. Anytime I came across an enemy weapon I picked it up and killed someone with it, so I thought I would have gotten that achievement. I also want to go back and finish the side quests and 5-star as many of the cases as I can. Right now all of Traffic is 5-starred, but that's about it.

i looked into that achievement myself,did you get the

Spoiler for Hiden:

flame thrower in a closet on the last level?

Yup.

[Spoiler]

I finished the main campaign tonight, and I really enjoyed it. The story took a couple of turns that I wasn't expecting, and at the time I wasn't excited about. But they did a nice job wrapping everything up and I was satisfied with how it came to an end.

Spoiler for Hiden:

Phelps was unlikeable most of the game, and he got worse and worse the more we learned about him. That was really highlighted when you take over Kelso and see that he is more of the badass All-American action hero. But in the end Phelps redeemed himself and finally earned all of the awards and accolades he got from the war. Plus in any future DLC it probably means we get to play as Kelso, which was much more enjoyable than playing as Phelps for some reason.

I was surprised I didn't get the achievement for killing someone with every gun. Anytime I came across an enemy weapon I picked it up and killed someone with it, so I thought I would have gotten that achievement. I also want to go back and finish the side quests and 5-star as many of the cases as I can. Right now all of Traffic is 5-starred, but that's about it.

Catchphrase is another fun drinking distraction we enjoy.

Oh man. Another game that we used to play all the time. That game was always fun.

We leave for Largo, Florida tomorrow afternoon and don't get back until the following Monday, so the only gaming I'll be doing will be beach volleyball, pool (condo has a pool table), and drinking card games like "asshole".  All activities will of course be accompanied by heavy drinking.  And if tanning this fabulous skin could be considered gaming, my Gamerscore would blow up. 

People over 21 still play "asshole"?  Who knew... 

I played at a bar with some friends just a couple of weeks ago. We were all over 30. hehehe.

Man, I haven't played that game in years. I don't think I even remember how to play it. Our drinking game of choice the last few years has been beer pong. My friend owns a company that runs beer pong tournaments throughout Orlando, and since he always has the tables in his car we always seem to play it anytime there is a social gathering with beer.

I thought last season was good. I've read most of the books, and the third book is when things start to open up and you are introduced to all different types of creatures/monsters. The thing that helps the books stay focused is that they focus solely on Sookie, so you don't get the sub-plot lines that made last season seem all over the place.

I also think that the TV show took some of the major revelations that are sprinkled throughout the books, and used them last season. I could be wrong on that though, as the books all blend together and while I remember specific scenes and events, I can't remember which book they were in.

I haven't gotten back to this game since release morning, but I remember that, before the first interrogation room sequence,the one guy saying if you couldn't get a confession out of the guy then you should beat it out of him.  is that ever a real option?

Not in my experience. I butchered the interrogation of the suspect I was convinced was guilty, going 0-for-4 on the questions. I didn't even get the option to charge him. I then went to the next suspect and had motive, evidence linking him to the crime scene, and got him to yell out that the victim deserved what she got. It was enough to charge him with a crime and make the captain happy, but I'm convinced he was framed by the first suspect.

I just sent someone that I believe is innocent to jail for murder, and I feel bad about it. 

I'm decent at questioning out in the field, but I'm terrible in the interrogation rooms.

Lots of LA Noire.

Have some gripes (I think it's a bit far-fetched determining whether to bluff or outright call them a liar as it seems to be more guesswork than anything going on)

It's actually not guesswork, but there is no foolproof method either. If you think someone is lying you can either doubt their claim or accuse them of lying. Only accuse them of lying if you have a piece of evidence that can prove they are lying. Otherwise go with doubt. To know if someone is telling the truth or not, read their body language. If they avoid eye contact or appear fidgety, it probably means they are lying. Or they could say something that doesn't make sense, and you doubt them to get more of the story.

It's not an exact science, but I've found that if I pay attention to the story and look over my notes before accusing someone of lying I do pretty good.

[Spoiler]

Ran into this guy during one of the homicide cases, and shouted Matt Parkman!! Seeing an actor that I recognized in the game made me realize how good the facial animation stuff really is.

I also completely butchered his case.

Spoiler for Hiden:

I started off strong, getting all of the early questions right. But once I got the two suspects into interrogation things fell apart. I forgot that the child molester couldn't be tied to the abandoned vehicle, and called him a liar because of the overalls I found in the car (hint: they weren't his, and I was the fool). I couldn't tie him to the case despite the fact that he had the victims butterfly brooch in his pocket. I then butchered the husband's interrogation as well, but still sent him to jail without a confession.

My first 1 star rating, and the Captain chewed me out after the interrogation and at the start of the next case. I can't wait to go back and get this one right. I wonder if the Captain still ends up yelling at me if I get everything correct.

My biggest complaint so far is that I'm flying through the cases, even though I'm not rushing. I'm already on disc 2 and about halfway through the cases, and that's with going back through some of my traffic cases to get 5 stars on everything.

Spoiler for Hiden:

You should have taken your queue from the captain when you was outside interrogation room 1.  He really wanted the child molester convicted...

Spoiler for Hiden:

I tried, but I screwed up the interrogation so badly that I didn't even have the option.

[Spoiler]

Spoiler for 2nd traffic case, the hit and run.

Spoiler for Hiden:

The Case Notes said I should have gone back to the bar to see what the perp was "willing to do to avoid arrest". The bar was crossed out on my location list after I finished my questioning and evidence gathering so I had no idea I could go back, nor did I think it was necessary. Also, ended up shooting the guy dead when he took the hostage. I tried the chase sequence three times and it seems it's designed so that you can never get a warning shot off due to cars driving by or him JUST turning a corner at the last minute. It felt wrong to kill him but I wasn't able to find another way.

I'm not sure how yours played out, but I did that case twice and came up with two different results.

Spoiler for Hiden:

My first attempt was butchered. I investigated the crime scene and found the driver of the vehicle. I went to pick him up and he took off on me, but I was able to catch and arrest him. I then went to the wife's house and interviewed her and the bar owner. After that I get called into the morgue to find out that the victim died by stabbing, not from the hit and run. I go back to the bar and find the knife and when I confronted the bar owner he pulls out a shotgun, takes a shot, and then takes off running. I eventually get him to stop by shooting into the air and arrest him for murder.

My second attempt went much better. I found the knife when I was originally investigating the scene (ding! Achievement), so when I get called into the morgue to be told the victim was stabbed to death we know we already have the murder weapon in evidence. So it's back to the wife's house where she tells us it was all the bar owners idea. He comes out from the bedroom, shoots her in the back, and takes off running. I couldn't get off a warning shot, and ended up shooting him dead after he took a hostage. 5-star rating, and I got the same go back to the bar to see what the perp was "willing to do to avoid arrest" message in my case notes.

[Spoiler]

Ran into this guy during one of the homicide cases, and shouted Matt Parkman!! Seeing an actor that I recognized in the game made me realize how good the facial animation stuff really is.

I also completely butchered his case.

Spoiler for Hiden:

I started off strong, getting all of the early questions right. But once I got the two suspects into interrogation things fell apart. I forgot that the child molester couldn't be tied to the abandoned vehicle, and called him a liar because of the overalls I found in the car (hint: they weren't his, and I was the fool). I couldn't tie him to the case despite the fact that he had the victims butterfly brooch in his pocket. I then butchered the husband's interrogation as well, but still sent him to jail without a confession.

My first 1 star rating, and the Captain chewed me out after the interrogation and at the start of the next case. I can't wait to go back and get this one right. I wonder if the Captain still ends up yelling at me if I get everything correct.

My biggest complaint so far is that I'm flying through the cases, even though I'm not rushing. I'm already on disc 2 and about halfway through the cases, and that's with going back through some of my traffic cases to get 5 stars on everything.

I just got another $5 credit on top of the $15 credit I already received from Amazon.  Anyone else get this too?

I just got an email from Amazon saying that I was refunded the $0.99 and another credit was added to my account.

The game has promise, I just wish it wasn't so tied down.  I wish it was more sandbox mode without breaking the rules of conduct as a law enforcement officer.  It just feels confining.  The facial animations are neat, and the cases are interesting, but it's not as open as I hoped it would be.

I just finished all of the Traffic cases, and that unlocks a "Streets of LA" mode that is Free Roam. You can do all of the street crimes and explore the city for the other collectibles. I haven't tried it out yet, but that might be what you are looking for.

I need to look into this, does it only unlock at a certain point?

I don't know if you have to unlock it, but the help pop-up first mentions it once you get to traffic. Hold Y and it will let your partner drive, and the game will then skip directly to your destination.

Normally I'll start by driving to the destination, and accept any street crime missions that pop up. Once I complete the street crime mission, I'll then fast travel to the next destination.

I'm having a really hard time trying to figure out when to use Doubt or Lie.

I'm not as far along in the game as you are, but I think you want to use lie when you have an actual piece of evidence that can prove they are lying.

So far I'm enjoying the game. The driving doesn't bother me at all, and I wouldn't have even thought about it if I hadn't of read all of the remarks here. I've done a couple of street crimes and enjoyed those. My biggest problem is I haven't figured out how to shoot into the air to get a fleeing suspect to stop. During the training mission where I think they want you to do this, I couldn't get the timer to fill up. It would get about 3/4 of the way full, and then just stop. Eventually the chase just ended when the suspect was trapped by a couple of cars. In one of the street crimes, I was chasing a suspect and the timer never even appeared.

Amazon has delivered my copy but I can't actually play it until later this evening. 

GTA IV free play was a blast,

I forgot about that. I remember having a good time in that mode for a few hours with friends, and then never going back to it.

LA Noire - 360

it also says that there is absolutely no multiplayer options ..whether that's good or bad depends on you,i am not too fussed about that

That's a good thing in my book. I've never enjoyed multiplayer in Rockstar's games. RDR came close, and looked absolutely amazing on paper. But in the end I played it once or twice and then went right back to the single player.

Finally a weekend where I don't have any serious plans. My goal is to finally finish Dragon Age 2 in time for LA Noire, and get back to my pro-guitar on Rock Band 3.

It was nice to have a weekend where I only needed to leave the house for a few hours on Saturday. The rest of the time was dumped into finishing Dragon Age 2, which I did late last night. Just in time for LA Noire tomorrow. 

Unfortunately I didn't have time for Rock Band, but I did bust out my acoustic guitar and played around with that for about 5 minutes Saturday night while I waited for dinner to cook. So that kind of counts.

disc swapping isnt a big deal to me. as long as we don't get compressed pieces of sub shit movies I think i can put up with walking 10 feet and hitting a button.

Agreed. But then I've always assumed that the more discs a game has the better. It's completely irrational, but anytime I hear of a game having multiple discs I automatically assume it will be a decent game. I remember looking through my step-brothers PC games when he moved in with us.

"What's this game?"
"That's Baldur's Gate."
"It's on 6 discs? It must be amazing."

I started off hating the show, then got hooked a few years ago, only to hate it again at some point. I think it was when he was wearing the dark "suit". I still kept up with it on the DVR, until one day they all were wiped from the hard drive. I think the history channel ran a marathon of MonsterQuest or something and marked them all as new, so the DVR recorded all of them and knocked out almost all of the shows I had recorded. I never bothered to get back into Smallville.

Did the show ever get any better? I have friends who claim that they got back into it at some point, and it's been good for the last year or two. If so, I'll rent the last season or two on Netflix or something.