It's the Weekend...

[MarkShot]

I used to get a new top of the line system every two years.  (easier to do when finances were good)  However, once I switched from flight sims to strategy/war gaming, the need for computer upgrades became less pressing.  However, I do believe you should upgrade your system before it appears in the Smithsonian as an exhibit.  :)

It will be interesting to see where I get it.  For the last 10 years, I have been buying from Falcon Northwest.  But I don't think that makes any sense when in Taiwan.  Shipping charges on parts and, the fact, that 80% of the parts they use are made in the ROC/PRC.  Perhaps, I'll find a local shop to assemble me a hot gaming rig.  I once did that in early 90s and got badly burned ... after which my systems were from DELL, Micron, and then Falcon.  (DELL and Micron were very different companies in the 90s than they are now ... they were geek oriented.)

[Toonces]

Mark,
Skyrim looks pretty amazing with the graphics cranked up, if you're into RPGs.

[Bison]

I'll be firing up Strategic Command World War I tonight.  I've been playing Diablo 3 nearly non-stop since it was released.  Pretty sure I've got about 90 hours in game already.  It's been a long time since a game has hooked me like D3 has.  But I've been having the itch for a strategic game and all of my other games are in a box somewhere and after digging for hours I gave up my search for Forge of Freedom or Crown of Glory:EE and decided to visit the Great War.

[Kushan]

I played a lot of D3 Friday and Saturday. Got my barbarian to hell mode, and realized the game is kinda broke for melee at the higher difficulties at the moment. I then switched to playing the WoW Mist of Pandera beta for the rest of the weekend.

[Bison]

Got my barbarian to hell mode, and realized the game is kinda broke for melee at the higher difficulties at the moment

I'm afraid that this is very much true.  When you cannot stand next to blue/yellow mobs and not die in 3 secs not from hits, but from effect damage the game mechanics need to be revisited.  I've attempted to max out my resists as high as I can and it just doesn't really seem to help a whole lot.  Kinda disappointing really.

[Gusington]

^Glad I chose the demon hunter, then :)

That said D3 has not grabbed me the way I was hoping it would. It's 'kewl' in the traditional ways but I can't help feeling like it's stuck in 1998. I also really hate the checkpoint system and lack of a save anywhere function.

Obviously this gets more noticeable as I progress and begin to get smacked around.

[LongBlade]

That said D3 has not grabbed me the way I was hoping it would. It's 'kewl' in the traditional ways but I can't help feeling like it's stuck in 1998. I also really hate the checkpoint system and lack of a save anywhere function.

That has been my take and I never played the first ones. It's addictive enough, but seems...stagnate.

[Gusington]

^Yes, I agree there. As far as the total experience it does not hold a candle to Skyrim. Now it may be unfair to compare the too, but at least they are both billed as RPGs. It's hard to believe that they were both released within 6 months of each other.

If I have about ~65 hours invested in Skyrim I doubt I will clock in at 1/3 of that for D3 because of repetitiveness and niggling annoyances like the checkpoint system.

[MengJiao]

^Where did you end up getting it from?  I was trying to hold out for steam release, but just couldn't wait and bought it on gamersgate. Then, I also figured the gamersgate version would be more mod friendly.

Steam worked out very well.  Apparently on steam you already get the 1.01 patch.  I'm not worried about mods since I'm planning on moving on from Arma 2 pretty soon and leaving this machine as a kind of time capsule of 2012 (Just as my previous machine encapsulated 2009 and the next one maybe 2014).

[Bison]

^Yes, I agree there. As far as the total experience it does not hold a candle to Skyrim. Now it may be unfair to compare the too, but at least they are both billed as RPGs. It's hard to believe that they were both released within 6 months of each other.

If I have about ~65 hours invested in Skyrim I doubt I will clock in at 1/3 of that for D3 because of repetitiveness and niggling annoyances like the checkpoint system.

I've already logged a sickening amount of time on D3.  D3 is about farming and a save and move from where you were system would not work.

[Gusington]

Why not?

[Bison]

The biggest "draw" of Diablo is the loot.  If you do not re-run areas your gear stagnates and it requires farming.  The checkpoint system is tied to farming parts of the quest arc.  So if you are struggling with an end boss, you farm the proceeding map boards and the check points put you in the arc where in theory farming will equip your character with the gear you need.  Now this being said.  Farming is not a critical aspect of the game on normal and only slightly more for most of nightmare.  It's Hell and above where farming becomes more important to progression.

[Gusington]

^When you describe it like that it sounds like chemistry class.

[Bison]

I try to keep it real man.

[Gusington]

I love you for it. I feel like I've let the Diablo cabal here down a bit by not liking it more.