Evil Avatar - Blogs http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php Daily Gaming News... With Attitude en Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:58:07 GMT vBulletin 20 http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/images_evil/misc/rss.jpg Evil Avatar - Blogs http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php Shit from the net. http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=67 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:05:23 GMT http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/13/d...ust-sends-ano/

I hope the ipad fails and that people will STOP buying anything even if they don't need it just because it comes from Apple. ]]> I will kill you both http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=67 Teecakes is ridiculous and on-display http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=66 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:20:10 GMT This may be my favorite Teecakes-refutation post so far. I had a lot of fun writing it out, which I think you'll see from the examples used ;) I'm gonna take the quotes out so you can see the full glory.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anenome View Post
The link is here
--------------

Quote:
Originally Posted by Teecakes View Post
You can't lie with statistics, period.
You should've dropped this line already, it's easy to destroy.

I'll give you a political example.

Obama says the healthcare bill is deficit neutral over ten years. That's based on the numbers, on the statistics. It's technically true, but it's also a lie because of what it leaves out, what it ignores.

It's a lie because it ignores the fact that the reason it's deficit neutral is because it passes tax increases this year, but doesn't start up the costly healthcare plan until four years from now. The truth should be obvious then. These four years makeup the deficit the last six will have, but after that the game's off.

Thus, every year after that ten year date, the healthcare plan is quite the opposite of deficit neutral, and will balloon as we know all government programs do, to the tune of about $1 trillion a year.

Now, I know I've posted this before for you, but try to actually look at it this time:

How to Lie with Statistics (Paperback)



Quote:
Amazon.com Review

"There is terror in numbers," writes Darrell Huff in How to Lie with Statistics. And nowhere does this terror translate to blind acceptance of authority more than in the slippery world of averages, correlations, graphs, and trends.

Huff sought to break through "the daze that follows the collision of statistics with the human mind" with this slim volume, first published in 1954. The book remains relevant as a wake-up call for people unaccustomed to examining the endless flow of numbers pouring from Wall Street, Madison Avenue, and everywhere else someone has an axe to grind, a point to prove, or a product to sell.

"The secret language of statistics, so appealing in a fact-minded culture, is employed to sensationalize, inflate, confuse, and oversimplify," warns Huff.

Although many of the examples used in the book are charmingly dated, the cautions are timeless.

Statistics are rife with opportunities for misuse, from "gee-whiz graphs" that add nonexistent drama to trends, to "results" detached from their method and meaning, to statistics' ultimate bugaboo--faulty cause-and-effect reasoning.

Huff's tone is tolerant and amused, but no-nonsense. Like a lecturing father, he expects you to learn something useful from the book, and start applying it every day. Never be a sucker again, he cries!
"Even if you can't find a source of demonstrable bias, allow yourself some degree of skepticism about the results as long as there is a possibility of bias somewhere. There always is."
Read How to Lie with Statistics. Whether you encounter statistics at work, at school, or in advertising, you'll remember its simple lessons. Don't be terrorized by numbers, Huff implores. "The fact is that, despite its mathematical base, statistics is as much an art as it is a science." --Therese Littleton

Review

A pleasantly subversive little book, Guaranteed to undermine your faith in the almighty statistic. (Atlantic )

Illustrators and authors pool their considerable talents to provide light lively reading and cartoon far which will entertain, really inform, and take the wind out of many an overblown statistical sail. (Library Journal )

Mr. Huff's lively, human-interest treatment of the dry-as-bones subject of statistics is a timely tonic. . . . This book needed to be written, and makes its points in an entertaining and highly readable manner. (Management Review )

This book needed to be written, and makes its points in an entertaining, highly readable manner. -- Management Review
There you have it, a lot of people smarter than you reviewing the book and agreeing with its premise that yes, you can lie with statistics.

Actually, your theory that lieing with statistics is impossible may explain a lot about your rampant fanboyism. You apparently believe the Sony PR and press releases, and probably everything else you read on the Sony Defense Force website, of which you've admitted you're a member :P

I doubt everyone on here knows that. But, yes, Teecakes is that much of a fanboy that he's a member of a website whose sole stated goal is to perform unpaid astroturfing for the Sony corporation in defense of the PS3. Pathetic? Yes. Sad? But true.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Teecakes
I don't know where you people are learning such falsities but stats are proven facts.
The idea isn't "How statistics lie" it's "how to lie with statistics." I thought you were an English major and could read and explicate sentences.

It's also true that you need to eat to live. However, that's not the full truth because you can also eat poison and die. The whole truth is that you need to eat good food to live. You really can't understand the difference, can you.

The lie isn't the stat, it's the spin you've been putting on it, the implication and false-importance you attach, the unreasonable emphasis and projections of an imagined future which has no possibility of happening (except in your fanboy imagination).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Teecakes
The only thing you can do with statistics is 1) give false data (which I'm not), or 2) give a completely unrelated stat.
- You gave several irrelevant stats: 1. % increases 2. gross revenue of console sales. Beyond that is the implications, the emphasis, the spin you put on it which is false. That aspect cannot be denied, and continuing to do it here just makes you look dumb and unreasonable.

Here, you want an easy and funny example? Fine, this will be great. Here's a completely and verifiably true statistic for you:

100% of convicted murderers are known to have drank considerable quantities of the chemical dihydrogen-monoxide within a day or so of the murder(s) they were convicted for. (that part is true, now here comes the stupid part) Therefore, we should ban dihydrogen-monoxide as it clearly causes homocidal tendencies.

And that's just one of the perils of this horrible chemical! Here's a few more from the link!

Quote:
Some of the known perils of Dihydrogen Monoxide are:
  • A slow and painful death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO in liquid form, even in small quantities.
  • Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage.
  • Excessive ingestion produces a number of unpleasant side-effects and consumption of beyond a certain point can cause fatal cellular osmotic shift.
  • DHMO is an acid that can dissolve metals, salts, and even human skin.
  • Also known as hydroxyl acid, DHMO is a major component of acid rain.
  • Promotes proliferation of malaria-transmitting species.
  • Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns.
  • In crystallized form and in large quantities, a major factor in incidents of temporary to permanent blindness.
  • Contributes to soil erosion.
  • Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals.
  • Contamination of electrical systems often causes short-circuits.
  • Exposure decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes.
  • Found in biopsies of pre-cancerous and cancerous tumors and lesions.
  • A somewhat greater occurrence of shark attacks in its presence than in its absence.
  • Often associated with killer cyclones in the U.S. Midwest and elsewhere.
  • Thermal variations in DHMO are a suspected contributor to the El Niño weather effect.
  • A component in the bodily fluids of rapists.
  • Deduced to have played a role in incidents of dam failure.
  • DHMO is a large factor in tropical cyclones, which annually cause millions of dollars in damages, including the recently destroyed and wiped-off-the-face-of-the-earth city of New Orleans.
  • Creates greater frequency in perspiration and urination.
  • DHMO that has seeped into the ground is a major component in earthquakes today.
I hope you paid attention in chemistry class :P

Quote:
Originally Posted by Teecakes
What I gave in this thread is the FACT that the PS3 sold more this year than Feb 2009. That is impressive, especially considering the PS3 has always been the "premium" console on the market, compared to the other two.
- It's not impressive considering that it's no longer carrying the premium price, and thus we would naturally expect sales to increase. Impressive things should also be surprising, unexpected. Instead, the fact is that it's underperforming what people, including you, expected after the price drop when you said it would perhaps continue to be the top selling console for the rest of this year.

(...continued on post 2 due to word limit) ]]> Anenome http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=66 Skit: Infinity Ward Out, Sledgehammer In for Call of Duty http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=65 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:10:08 GMT Skits can be fun ^_^ Here's my take on what really happened inside Bobby Kotick's office the day he fired two top Infinity Ward executives. There's two more skits like this on the same page, but this is the best of them:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anenome View Post
Kotick: Come in, come in. Let's talk.

*Two IW founders enter and sit. The CEO of Sledgehammer is sitting on a nearby couch wearing a pair of mirror-shades, staring straight ahead and chewing gum.*

Kotick: We've been talking about what Modern Warfare 3 should be like, and--

IW#1: We?

Kotick: *Glancing at the Sledgehammer CEO briefly* The senior management and I.

IW: ...

Kotick: And, well, we were thinking of introducing some new gameplay elements, spice things up a bit.

IW: Such as?

Kotick: Well, for one thing, the game could use more activity... no that's not quite right. What's a better word for activity?

Sledgehammer CEO: Action!

Kotick: Right, more action. And it should feel more expansive, more... adventurous, you know what I mean?

IW: You want us to make an action-adventure game? What is this, Call of Duty: Uncharted 3?

Sledgehammer CEO: *muttering* Action-adventure!

Kotick: No, no, you're not hearing me. It should be just like Modern Warfare 2, just like with more exploration, and more, you know, upgrades. And maybe not like from first person anymore, but from a 2nd person perspective--so you can see everything. And we've got some ideas to change the revenue model around.

Sledgehammer CEO: Revenue model!

IW#1: Revenue model? Listen, Bobby Fuckstick, we're not making "Call of Duty: WoW" here.

IW#2: In fact, we're not making anything until you pay us the royalties we're due and agree to let us make our own IP.

IW#1: Damn right. The team's sick of goddamn Modern Warfare. Morale's slipping. We need some time off to make something fun.

Sledgehammer CEO: Time off!

Kotick: Oh, so that's how it's going to be, huh?

IW: That's right.

Kotick: You want time off.

IW#1: We want to make the game we want to make.

IW#2: I think we've earned it.

Kotick: ...

*Kotick takes his suit jacket off and begins rolling up his sleeves.*

Kotick: I'll tell you what, if either of you pussies can beat me in an arm-wrestling match I'll let you make your goddamn game. If you lose, you're fired.

IW: Wha--?

Kotick: Let's go, kiddies! This is how we get shit done in the big leagues. You, you're up, let's go! Get your arm the fuck up here or you're fired!

*IW#1 stands forth and grips Kotick's palm*

Kotick: Sledge, call it!

Sledgehammer CEO: *grinning* Ready, steady, go!

*IW#1's puny programmer arm is instantly slammed to the desk*

Kotick: Shit yeah! You're fired! Get the fuck out! Next!
*Looks at IW#2*

IW#2: This is childish bullshit.

Kotick: Let's go, asshole. Get you're girly-arm on the desk.

*IW#2 stands but doesn't approach the desk, at first. Then, he closes on the desk, unzips his pants, and pisses all over Bobby Kotick and the desk. Kotick--too shocked to move--is completely drenched along with the desk. Sledgehammer's CEO simply stares in shock. IW#1 busts out laughing as IW#2 pisses all over Kotick's face*

IW#1: Haha, awesome, let's get out of here.

Kotick: *flustered and red* You...! You're fired! Get the fuck out! Fucking bastards!
*places a dripping finger on the intercom button*
Nancy!!! Get me a goddamn towel, NOW!

*five minutes later*

Sledgehammer CEO: Well, that didn't go quite how I expected it to.

Kotick: Fuck them. You wanna make MW3?

Sledgehammer CEO: Sure, why not.

Kotick: It's fuckin' yours.

Sledgehammer CEO: So, WoW with guns?

Kotick: Goddamn right, get to work.

Sledgehammer CEO: Got it. See ya.
]]> Anenome http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=65 Bioshock 2 PC http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=64 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 09:11:38 GMT I can't believe 2k still hasn't updated BS2 yet! Its been a few days now since they released that patch that ruined their multiplayer(some people get perfect gameplay after a quick Alt+Tab, but my troubles only end after a quick Alt+F4) by introducing horrible lag. At least the singleplayer was enjoyable and complete, I didn't feel ripped off, although I did buy it in a steam 4 pack so at a grand total of $37(paypal fees and conversion) I'm pretty satisfied. ]]> Ph00p http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=64 <![CDATA[Rented: Dante's Inferno]]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=63 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 09:09:01 GMT I'm 3-4 hours into the game, so far its still amusing, although I can't see myself playing it through the two day rental, ah well it was only 0.30 more for an extra day.

I'm already at the Greed level and about halfway though, the blackness is really getting old, couldn't they have fudged it a little and made hell a bit brighter?

The tech tree so far isn't fulfilling at all, I'm just throwing points into the Holy side randomly and a few into unholy with little impact on gameplay at all. ]]> Ph00p http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=63 <![CDATA["The Tester" Arrives on PSN]]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=62 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 09:04:12 GMT ---Quote (Originally by Ph00p)--- The semi-pretty black girl went home :( I mean come on guys! Its not like your going to make this a serious contest! At least keep something in there we can look at w/o barfing. DOC guy seems nervous all the time so he acts like a total retard to cover it up....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ph00p View Post
The semi-pretty black girl went home :( I mean come on guys! Its not like your going to make this a serious contest! At least keep something in there we can look at w/o barfing.

DOC guy seems nervous all the time so he acts like a total retard to cover it up. I'd have to punch him in the face.

Terrible show, I hope someone just leaks the winner so they can cancel it early.

Also yea that ugly chick with all the metal in her face makes me sick, so does half the cast, oh yea LUGE who the fuck told them to cast something that would break the cameras and the mics at the same time? Or maybe that was the plan she face and voice would break all the equipment so they could say at least they tried t make a show but failed... oh wait.

Also at the end the Barmy guy cried, WTF DUDE is your life THAT BAD? As you've all said you don't make much money with this kind of job so was the guy on welfare or something to cry at loosing this terrible "opportunity" ?
Hmmm maybe I should make a habit out of this. ]]> Ph00p http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=62 I miss Everquest. http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=61 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:35:01 GMT I miss Everquest (1). I really do. Actually this is quite ironic, because I am sure that I was addicted at one time - and I mean this in a bad way. I spent far too much time in a game that was a grindfest and basically punished you for playing it. My opinion of the game actually is still pretty... I miss Everquest (1). I really do.

Actually this is quite ironic, because I am sure that I was addicted at one time - and I mean this in a bad way. I spent far too much time in a game that was a grindfest and basically punished you for playing it. My opinion of the game actually is still pretty bad.

Losing experience when dying, up to the point of losing weeks of experience, maybe levelling down and then having to get your corpse with all your stuff on it, yourself being naked. Then it's quite the item-based game, so the items on your corpse make it really hard for you to get to your corpse without them. Ah, that reminds me of 'has anybody here seen my corpse'.

Maybe later patches had changed the game so my points seem different now. However, I'm only talking about the EQ up to Scars of Velious.

So why would I miss Everquest when I left it voluntarily long before I switched to another MMORPG? I had great times in Dark Age of Camelot and World of Warcraft, too.

I think by now I know why. Yes, I've gotten older, but that's not it. I'm quite sure now it's the, get this, quests!

Yes. The quests. Well, Everquest nearly had no quests (epics notwithstanding). The game simply consisted of gathering friends (optional in the early levels, but soon a requirement) and then travelling to a camp spot. We were there for hours slaying one whatever-it-was, the next, the next. Waiting for respawn. Rinse and repeat.

There were several issues with this, of course. First of all, it could get dull. But make no mistake, those were not your 'hah' I'll take them on all alone' mobs. But rather every enemy was harder than an elite in WoW. So getting one too many, your groupmembers had better be knowing what they're doing.
So while the enemies were hard the fighting was getting dull anyway.
Additionally, at those times there were no instances. So other people wanted to fight those enemies too, because maybe they were easy exp or had good loot. So verbal fights with other players were common when it was crowded.

Anyway, let's get back to the quests. Take World of Warcraft - or any game that was released afterwards trying to achieve the same success that WoW has.
It's all about the quests. From level 1 on you get quests. You do what they say, maybe without even reading the quest, but you get significantly more experience doing quests than fighting mobs.

This might be a good thing, a trail of quests leading you everywhere, you not needing to look for appropriate hunting grounds yourself or running into too high-level mobs. It's quite like color-by-numbers, with the same amount of intelligence required.

However, since everyone wants the best exp/time ratio, of course everyone (including me) attends to quests. This is where it goes bad. Every of your characters will sooner or later do the same quests you already know. So it gets pretty dull too. But not only that, you have to follow that cookie trail and are very restricted in what you actually can do.

So it gets like a rollercoaster ride you either get tired or get sick of (yes, I know MMORPGs have that in many places but this is about quests, shush!)


I only told you one half, though. MMORPGs are social games, so you'll end up playing with others soon enough. I mostly play with people I know a long time, so I rarely have to deal with some 'random idiot'. Although WoW introduced quest sharing, there are quite some problems with quests and grouping. Especially with fixed groups, where you mostly always play together with the same people.

We tried playing WoW characters which would only play together. We really tried hard. If you group for a quest with random strangers you might never have had this issue, but I play with my friends.
Sooner or later, the levels will vary. Someone had to finish some quest, run some errand or something and on the way he finished a step of one quest and got ahead. A little later, nothing fits anymore. Player A has (wants..) to go there, Player B has to do that etc etc. So to disgruntle no one, you have only two choices: go everywhere for everyone or split paths.

The last option isn't what friends do. So you go everywhere with everyone, then later you have to go there for the next player, and some day again for another one. You really get tired of the game always telling you what you have to do. But the main source of experience is the quest. It's not like you could camp mobs a day long and get the same amount in the same time.

Which almost concludes why I miss playing Everquest. I want to login with some friends, maybe invite some others and go kill mobs. Isn't that what quests are mostly about anyway? I want to go where I want when I want. No one fixed on some other (selfish, yes I'd include me!) goal that she or he absolutely has to finish.

There's one more thing I have in store. Player skill. No, I'm not thinking I'm some über l33t gamer who's better than the next guy. Everquest was hard, as I mentioned. But not only in its methods of punishing the player.
If you started your heal too late, bam, everyone would possibly die. If you mismanaged your aggro, bam.. well you get the idea. Average groups had average fights. It was the setup for divine moments. Extraordinary actions gave an extraordinary thrill. The usual fights in WoW are rather hack 'n slay-y. It might make you feel powerful, but actually fights demands nothing from you.

I can recall a few of those divine moments. One where a very good enchanter player kept very dangerous enemies at bay permanently so the rest of the group could finish the others to get to that one. Ok, that doesn't sound very thrilling now I have to admit. But when you learn that those monsters single-handedly wipe the floor with you so very very badly it's impressive.
Another moment was when I saw our puller (a player had to pull the mobs to the party to keep things under control) get a few extra monsters and I evacuated us from the Dungeon. Heart thumping if the spell would be finished in time, seeing the salivating monsters running towards us.

The same in WoW? Yeah, well, group dies, try again, no harm done. Players not interested in getting to know some abilities they have because they don't need to or someone else will take care of it.


I finally want excitement again! Not following a fixed path everyone has tread through. Players discovering what they're capable of, not pressing the same 5 buttons without thinking every fight.


Sadly all developers copy WoW now, since that's the cash cow. Seems I will have to wait quite some time until I'll get excited again. ]]> Strider http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=61 The Heart Collector http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=60 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:50:35 GMT

"To see the actor without tears
Dark rivers carve the years between the lines of self control
In my psychotic karmic fear,I own your tears anyway
And I am you and we are not afraid."

I took some lyrics from the song in this blog's title and quoted a small part of it. Why? I don't know. Song is clearly saying death is here and everything will be alright. It is 1:39 AM and I can't sleep. I have been thinking I am slowly becoming somebody I chose to become. Justifiable, but I at this point must complain. Why? Why am I the only one that has to suffer like this? Have to settle for much less and can't even pursue true happiness . A curse since I can remember is knowing how it will all end even before it begins which makes it harder to let go. One day I will burn brighter than I have before. The former shadow will be burnt away and it will come to rest. But for now it must take everything away. Making me go under the darkest and coldest depths of the abyss. For the greater good. This is the seventh year I say that. Am I in somebodies dream tonight? Or have I been finally been forgotten. Forever. ]]> I will kill you both http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=60 Microsoft Points http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=59 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:21:58 GMT You thought I was going to bitch bout them didn't you? You're wrong!

I am going to buy $20 worth of points tonight. What for? Assassin's Creed 2's Battle of Forli, Your Doodles are Bugged and 'Splosion Man. I am just trying to fill the gap for this weekend before I embark on a binge of Bioshock 2. ]]> pwnophobia http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=59 Time to Take the Brakes Off Game Design http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=58 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:42:53 GMT I'd like to talk about an issue that affects all of us as gamers. It's about the positive and negative affects of gaming history on our hobby.

We live in a world still indelibly marked by past games and past technology. The constraints of the past are hampering us today.

Let me give you an example: Wolfenstein / Doom.
Doom is a great example of how technological constraints determined what kind of game was made.

It wasn't technologically possible to create expansive outdoor environments in those days. So corridor-gaming was the result.

Technological limitations shaped game-structure.

But, as technology progresses designers increasingly have these technological brakes taken off. There's no reason to make a corridor shooter these days.

Yet, take a look at a game like Mass Effect 2, and you see that's what we still have. ME2 does occasionally take us into the outdoors and show gorgeous landscapes--landscapes which are ultimately not available for exploration however.

My favorite pet peeve in this category is the limitations placed on weapons in games.

Harken back to the game "Syndicate" for a moment. Here we had players powered by individual nuclear generators which turned electric power directly into matter--ostensibly by converting energy directly into mass, and then shooting it out the barrel of a gun.

There were other weapons: a sniper rifle that generated its own bullets, even a rocket launcher that made its own rockets.

In fact, Mass Effect had a similar 'infinite ammo' system, yet Mass Effect 2 decided to remove this mechanic and bring back clips. WHY?

What this represents is a failure on the designer's part. Their stated reason for this was to force users to use more than one 'favorite' weapon, to be more strategic.

Yet, the proper way to do that is to reward the player for making strategic choices among the weapons by making them highly variable and appropriate for different situations.

Mass Effect continues the fair tradition begun with Halo of pistol shooting being highly accurate and powerful. Yet, if you tried to use a shotgun for long-range shooting you'd be in trouble.

The game is -already- strategic. Even without clips in ME2 I'd be moving guns around all the time. And is using clips even the best way to achieve this goal? Why not use a overheat system? Use one gun too much, it overheats, give it a rest, switch guns.

So, to sum, game designers are building in artificial constraints to increase challenge in their games, as in the early days. In Wolfenstein you had limited ammo and you also had limited enemies.

What I'm asking for are infinite ammo weapons and infinite enemies!!!

If you gave me a minigun with infinite ammo that could fire continuously for literally minutes at a time, as in Syndicate, then you can drastically ramp the challenge of oncoming enemies to compensate.

As tech progresses adding more and more enemies becomes totally feasible. We're not living in the sprite-days of Wolfenstein. Put 50 enemies on screen and make me truly fight for survival, and make it possible with guns that do not require CLIPS! ]]> Anenome http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=58 Beyond the Night http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=57 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:23:10 GMT

Avon sends along word that the first novel in Joss Ware's (already acclaimed) post-apocalyptic zombie romance series, Beyond the Night, is now available.

Quote:
When Dr. Elliot Drake and his friends emerge from a spelunking mission in Sedona to find that 50 years have gone by and the world is virtually destroyed, they are certainly thrown for a loop. The landscape is desolate, human population is sparse, and other-worldly creatures lurk in the night. Even stranger, none of the men have aged and they each seem to possess a different special power.

Stunningly beautiful (and equally strong) Jade was born after “The Change,” and this barren, overgrown world is all she’s ever known. Jade’s dark past has made her more aware than most of the secret behind the world’s transformation. Based out of what would have been Vegas in a commune called Envy-- she’s dedicated to defeating this evil at any cost, and trusts few people.

A chance meeting between Elliot and Jade sparks immediate attraction. There are dozens of reasons for them to stay apart, but the slow build of temptation is too enticing to resist. Together they embark on a mission to discover who’s behind the ravaging of the world, and what they can do to defeat them and restore human life.
I started reading this one tonight, I'll let you know how it is. ]]> Evil Avatar http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=57 Zealol, I Challenge You! http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=56 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:41:03 GMT Alright, Zeal, you challenged me to a troll-off earlier, let's do it. But we're gonna do it right here where everyone can see, not on some BS IM.

Do your fuckin' worst. I'm going to blow you out of the water. I'm gonna embarrass you so hard you won't ever use the name 'Zeal' online again, nor will anyone else, the name will be forever tainted, a taboo word. Let's go, punk, what 'choo got?

I predict he won't say a goddamn thing. Punk ass, runnin' his mouth off without a damn thing to say fool :P This should be good :) ]]> Anenome http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=56 <![CDATA[Zealol has been Defeated, Where's ma Epix???]]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=55 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:54:04 GMT EvAv is now -1 troll; I may have to take on a new title in recognition of my efforts in the struggle against trolldom:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeal View Post
decided i'm moving this thread to another forum. signature.

peace.
Pretty low-class to use his signature / title that way. *shrug*

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeal View Post
this forum is so dead that necro-threads from '05 are being allowed in the daily news section.

am i the only one who sees the fucking problem with this. jesus. GET SOME REAL MODS.
- Whiney much? Lol. And again, attacking the mods for an issue that is a non-issue? Low class. I hope they ban you for good measure, Zealol :P ]]> Anenome http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=55 <![CDATA[Anime > Comics]]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=54 Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:11:23 GMT ...]]>
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeal View Post
i wish to god superboy prime would come back and actually do something. currently, and canonically speaking, he's trolling the dc forums in his parents basement.

literally.
And he tried to diss me for watching anime/manga? LOL?
Anime > comics.

In a manga, the emphasis is on the story and the premise. If you don't have a surprising and original premise, and the characters and drama to back it up, you simply get lost in the crowd. And there are so many mangas out there that the cream really does rise to the crop, and the cream then gets made into an anime.

Here's some examples. If you're an 18+ male, you'll like at least one of these, guaranteed:

Death Note
Gantz
Berserk
Claymore
Basilisk
Bakuman
Blame
Bleach
One Piece
Eflen Lied
Hikaru no Go
Naruto
Psyren
Veritas
Baki: Son of Ogre
Blade of the Immortal

Places to read manga online:
(unlicensed manga are free and legal to read in the US)

http://www.onemanga.com/
http://mangahut.com/
http://manga.bleachexile.com/

I'm sure there's more places, but these serve my needs well, especially One Manga.

It's great fun to find a story and begin reading and have it hook you so you end up reading far longer than you expected to. That's why I put Death Note at the top, no other story has grabbed for as long or as deeply as that one :D I read the whole thing in the space of about two days, I was absolutely addicted, and the final chapter is genius. Enjoy! ]]> Anenome http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=54 <![CDATA[AMC Greenlights Frank Darabont's Walking Dead TV Series]]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=53 Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:35:49 GMT

Variety is reporting that AMC has given director Frank Darabont the go-ahead to develop and film the pilot for a TV series based on Robert Kirkman's comic book, The Walking Dead.

Quote:
"Walking Dead" is based on the comicbook series about survivors of a zombie apocalypse by Robert Kirkman. Frank Darabont penned the adaptation and is onboard to direct. Gale Anne Hurd of Valhalla Motion Pictures and David Alpert of Circle of Confusion will exec produce with Darabont and Kirkman.

"Walking Dead" revolves around a group of survivors, led by a police officer, who travel the country in search of a safe home.

Working with people like Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd is the right way in for us to deliver a project of distinction in this genre," AMC prexy Charlie Collier said.
Kirkman is a nice guy, but he isn't smart enough to listen to experts after asking them for advice on his world. ]]> Evil Avatar http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=53 Zeal Unwittingly Admits to Pirating ME2 http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=52 Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:43:10 GMT Thread: Halo: Reach “Bending The Xbox As Far As It'll Bend”

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeal View Post
after playing mass effect 2, i see nothing graphically impressive with this game.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anenome View Post
You mean after pirating it. You fucking pirate, get the hell out of here. Come on, let's hear you backtrack--claim you're a goddamn journalist or developer again, goddamn pirate.
Despicable. He says this three days before the game's been released, what an ass.

I know he's previously claimed to be a game developer, back when he said he'd gotten a chance to demo Natal and couldn't talk about it because he was under an NDA.

So, he's not getting a review copy of ME2, nor is he likely to have tried it unless he's on the ME2 dev team, in which case he would not likely have gotten to try Natal yet, since Natal is only being used by studios commissioned to create games for its launch. And of course if he was on the ME2 dev team he wouldn't be talking it down or likely commenting at all due to legal exposure, ala NDA. ]]> Anenome http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=52 Michigan http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=51 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:36:15 GMT Image: http://www.freefoto.com/images/41/07/41_07_7---One-Way-Street_web.jpg ]]> pwnophobia http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=51 Blackzc vs Teecakes made me chuckle http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=50 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:09:32 GMT http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/sho...&postcount=135

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackzc
Quote:
Originally Posted by TeeCakes

Your entire argument is in support of the popular opinion. I'll remind you, the North American people voted for G.W. Bush, twice-- they go to see Twilight movies, a large portion of us believe in Creationism over Evolution, and think that the Greenhouse Effect is a hoax. .
I voted for bush, my GF likes twilight, i think its entirely possible we were created and global warming is bullshit, so fuck you.:mad:

Keep showing your colors, your looking more and more the fat mad nerd that bangs away on his keyboard furiously day in and day putting everyone down that doesn't agree with you. Oh fuck obama, hes a fake.
]]> Anenome http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=50 Fun with Spoilers http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=49 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:49:21 GMT Invented a new fun way to take someone out of context using spoiler tags ;)

http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/sho...&postcount=111 ]]> Anenome http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=49 Riffing off Sion http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=48 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 07:56:31 GMT I love twisting a quote into something hilarious, especially if I can tie in a good picture as a response. This is a prime example:

http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/sho...95&postcount=5

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sion View Post
Women are very animalistic. They never know what they want. Just like with cats, when you open the door open for them to go out and poop, they hesitate and just stare at you and the door, and might or might no go after an awkward 7 seconds of indecisiveness. Master must tie the cat up, gag it, and whip it so it knows whos boss.
Saturday night at Sion's house:




]]> Anenome http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/blog.php?b=48