Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Google leaving China, when the hell Bryan Danielson is going to win a match in the WWE, or Jose Canseco being subpoenaed in Roger Clemens’ trial, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Have you ever found yourself thinking in videogame terms in the real world? I have to admit that I’ve done just that way more than I ought to. For example, if I come across a building with cool architecture, I think about how it would work as a Quake level. I look for the best places to camp, spawning points, etc.
After I play a Splinter Cell game (anyone try the demo for Conviction?), it’s really, really hard for me to look at lights. I want to shoot them and create shadows. Thankfully, I don’t have a gun.
One running gag among game writers is to shout, “Achievement unlocked!” whenever a mundane task is completed. Finding the restroom, tracking down a wandering waitress, and discovering new beverages like Pepsi Max Cease Fire are all worthy achievements in real life.
Hopefully I’m not insane and you have thoughts like this too. Let your fellow RPadholics and me know what videogame thoughts you have in everyday life.
I have this issue when I play Burnout games too much. I get behind the wheel and approach an intersection and first thing that comes to mind is a price for crashing the intersection.
For a while when I would see a tall building I would think of the fastest way for Cole to climb it.
Luckily it has never been bad enough that I feverishly go around collecting bottle caps or bolts.
@tokz_21 Oddly enough, I just reread Infinite Crisis over the weekend. Ha!
We do the lvl up music from FF at work alot. That strange?
@Sandrock323 I use FF audio clips as my ringer and SMS alert. It seems normal to me. :P
@Ray
I hope it is a bit more difficult. Otherwise I like the control scheme, the acting, and how visceral the game is. I always felt that I have got my money's worth with the Splinter Cell games.
@Sandrock
I have the achievement unlocked sound bit on my phone for txt messages, and the tetris theme for my ringer…so FF soundtrack is pretty normal.
@NXT
The WWE must have a really big push planned for Daniel Bryan later or something to make up for him losing every match.
@American Idol
Crystal, Siobahn, and big Mike should be the final 3. Also, Crystal cleaned up nice last night.
@Topic
When I watch football and see a bad call I just blame it on the Madden cheat system.
@Sandrock hahahaha I totally forgot to mention the theme song! :P
Also I have a Tales of Symphonia ring tone, as well as some old NES games like LoZ, Double Dragon, and Mega Man 2 ^^
@Smartguy
Of course I haven't played Splinter Cell: Conviction but from what I've seen it looks like the mark & execute feature has made the game too easy. The game looks to do all of the work for you.
@rpad
Well GL#52 is this week but i'd to wait one more week to see how it "ends" in BN#8. So, i'm going to wait until next week; plus i'm also excited to start a new series next week too with X-men Second Coming.
@RRODisHere Yeah, I think Bryan will be getting a good push. I'd just like him to win a frickin' match!
I have Idol on my DVR and can't wait to watch it. I heard some of the performances are really bad.
@thundercracker
or it could be some taliban dude running around at super speed crouched holding a red smoke grenade.
Your original comment made me laugh a good bit though lol. still laughing.
@Thundercracker
Just joshin with you. I'm a camper in MW2. I get my emergency air drop almost every match because people keep coming back after I kill them for me to get more easy kills. When I kill someone I stay in the same place for 3 seconds after I kill them so that when they look at the kill cam it will appear that I'm camping in the same spot but after those 3 seconds I simply move to another spot close by and wait for them to come back thinking they're going to easily kill a camper and sure enough they ALWAYS come back but I'm in a different spot for another easy kill. Rinse and repeat. In COD4 I was a run & gunner but in MW2 there's just too many nooks & crannies, window, bushes, holes, corners, helicopters, harriers, predator missiles, pave lows, ac-130s, chopper gunners, sentry guns, air strikes, stealth bombers, people running 30mph, people knifing from 10ft away that kills you when you run & gun with stopping power. MW2 made me a camper. I don't like to die.
@Smartguy – Hey I'm not >_> a fangirl <_< lol (ok maybe a little). I might buy an Xbox one day if I have the money. And as for my pc…..well….I need a serious upgrade before I play any games on it. She's just always been my MMO system. I don't tend to play any other games on her. I just lucked out owning a PS3 b/c we won it so that sucker was freeeeeeeee. Besides, I own a Wii too lol if that counts for anything.
And soon you'll be translating into Arkansan for me, b/c that's where I'm moving to in a week b/c omg I hate Mississippi soooooo much. :P
@smartguy
What did you think of yesterday's Kate free Lost? I thought it was great and helped answer many questions but it also left me asking a little bit more; Mainly this one, why doesn't Jacob beat down Ben like he beat down Richard? There's got to be a reason behind this but i just cant come up with one.
@smartguy
I don't really think so. If that were purgatory then that means that Penny killed herself in order to find Desmond and that Widmore just killed himself to find the island again. I can't see those two characters ever being taken to the point where they take their own lives.
If anyone's interested we just posted an interview with the lead designer of Just Cause 2:
http://www.gamerswishlist.com/news/550-Exclusive-…
@smartguy
if widmore is coming from hell then that means the ji-yeon and Aaron were left there!
@Tokz
My Widmore theory is a bit shaky I know…but the rest makes sense. Linus survived being accosted by the mercenaries and those guys in the desert…which means he can't die because he hasn't done enough penance. (using the word the priest told Alpert last night).
I think it all goes to corruption or the ability for the characters to be corrupted. Jack was corrupted by his affinity for alcohol (this is the tamest), Sawyer was corrupted as a boy and shot a man in Sydney, Kate is annoying ass irrational Kate, Jin compromised his morals by working for Mr. Paik, Sun cheated on Jin, etc. They all have a good reason to be there.
And if anyone's interested, Shockwave just posted his review of Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening:
http://www.gamerswishlist.com/news/551-Dragon-Age…
@Ray: It occurs to me that since you're writing for the next WWE SDvsR, you'd be a good candidate for an interview. Just sayin….
@ tokz
Jacob apparently sent alot in motion before that as if he knew it was going to happen. If that was the case, he probably grew tired of being alive and let it happen without a fight.
@ Smartguy
The writers have said for years now that they aren't dead. It's been one of the theories passed along forever. I think they were just entertaining it in last night's episode the same way they did the "it's all in Hurley's head" head theory.
@rpad – haha, not a bad idea. the site does look good though, I was considering using wordpress for a food blog (my other passion) what are your thoughts on it?
@Shockwave562 I absolutely love WordPress. I used to be a Blogger/Movable Type guy, but one of my friends started dating Matt Mullenweg (the founder of WordPress/Automattic). She basically forced me to start using WordPress. They're no longer dating, but I'm sticking with WP.
@N8R
You aren't dead in Purgatory. You are in transition earning your way to either heaven or hell.
@Tokz
Kids weren't able to be born on the island remember? Hence Juliette being there. Aaron was the anomaly. The route to the island is secret, I am going to stick with my purgatory idea. It makes the most sense to me. It can't be Eden since Eden is paradise. Though…there never seem to be any snakes…and the only thing serpentine around is the black smoke…hmm.
@n8r
maybe Jacob is a prisoner too and wants it to end too?
@Tokz
Hmmm. Let me think on those. Perhaps it has to do where they are conceived? Oddly enough Ethan decided for whatever reason to stick around.
I think about vantage points for all kinds of fps ops. That is usually only if I get really bored…ok so I lied, it happens all the time and I was just trying to make it sound better. But I saw a comic once that described me perfectly…it was a guy in the post office strategically thinking up counter attacks while waiting in line and then setting his ipod to the “Kill Bill” theme music (one of my favorite movies). Sadly I do not possess any of the abilities needed to actually pull anything like that off, ever. But it is entertaining for a little while.
I have been thinking in terms of mirror’s edge recently, so when I was in Chicago recently I was looking for all sorts of cool ways to get around the city.
@ tokz
That's what i meant by Jacob growing tired of being alive. How many tapestries can someone make before they never want to see another tapestry ever again.
Also, when he died he seemed overwhelmingly bored as opposed to his demeanor in the episode last night.
@Thundercracker
You should play Bad Company 2. Campers can't camp.
@N8R
I don't recall any kids being born before or after that. Faraday's mother left the island presumably to give birth to him.
Believe it or not, i’ve never had this issue. I guess i lack imagination.
@rpad
Saw JL: Crisis on Two Earths. It was pretty good, worth renting. it made me want to re-read infinite crisis.
I tend to work the other way around, where I’ll try to impose my own reality on a game. Especially games with a morality system. I tend to ignore their concept of “good” and “evil” and do what I think “I” would do in the situation.
I do tend to do the “Achievement Unlocked” bit though.
@rpad
then you’re way ahead of me! I can’t read that fast. I’m still working my way through Blackest Night! I can’t wait to pick up GL#52 and BN#8 next week!
@thundercracker
what!!??? that game rocks so much. Honestly the PS controller might have been to blame for that. I have to bullet lasso ppl in MAG.
I played the Splinter Cell demo…it’s a buy for me. I like it a lot.
@topic
I see myself thinking of certain buildings as great layouts for an FPS as well. However my most poignant moment of games clashing with reality is when I realized that someone could really learn a good bit of economics simply by using the Auction House in WoW.
@tokz_21 Oh crap, that’s next week? I was hoping it was today. I’m loving Blackest Night and I’m shocked that it’s so entertaining. The technicolor lanterns sound ridiculous on paper.
@Smartguy Let us discuss this game soon. It’s very interesting!
@R-Pad: fair enough. We probably wouldn't start asking around for realz until closer to release either way.
@ Splinter Cell Conviction – If they didn’t make it just for freaking Xbox I’d play the hell out of it, I own all the other SC series for ps2 and the Cube. Fockers, it’s one of my favorite series. *convice myself not to rant*
@ topic – sure, Sandrock and I make plenty of video game jokes all the time, as well my husband and best friend. Things like, “Let’s go aggro Gamestop” or “If this was Oblivion, I bet I could find a fork in this barrel” kinda thing lol.
@R-Pad and bsukenyan
My ringer and text sounds are from Tales of Symponia. We make the FF sound verbally.
@RROD
In order to perform mark and execute you have to perform a silent takedown. The demo set a few up for you that were pretty easy. I think the full version won’t be so blatant. At least I hope.
@Cami
you could stop being a ps3 fangirl and get an xbox or buy it on pc. Let me know if I need to translate to mississippi for you. :)
I like to think that if i were in the military that my experience with call of duty modern warfare would benefit me.
although id be real mad if some taliban dude shot me with two 1920 era shotguns while hiding in a doorway…i might say “tango sucka” out of habit though
@Thudercracker
If you were in the military and in a war would you run & gun or would you camp?
@rrod
well, i know where you are going with that…
thats apples and oranges..usually in war, you dont know the landscapes backwards and forwards, and you dont fight in one of like 8 arenas every time. If i knew the lay of the land, i could see myself running and gunning. I guess it boils down to mw2 being a game, where you can die a few times during the course of the battle. Im not sure trying to survive mortar attacks in fallujah would be as entertaining as running around favela looking for campers. I see your point though.
Im just VERY impatient, and i cant play a game where i dont move, the tactical thing isnt my bag. This is why i suck at socom.
@tokz
enjoyed it very much. They are def in Purgatory
@smartguy
it was the same deal for me in bad company, i could run right up on a dude and empty a clip, might have been the ps controller…dont know
@totally unrelated
the best ice cream in this country…schwanns black raspberry supreme
im contractually obligated to still say i like the ice cream in italy better
@ray
Halo Reach (360) with $20 Gaming Credit at Amazon
Madden NFL 11 – $20 gaming credit
Buy 2 Xbox 360 Platinum Hits, Get 1 Free at Amazon
Splinter Cell Conviction (360) $46.99 (PC) $41.99 after coupon at Amazon
just thought id help advertise
@tokz
nah. The innocents aren’t there. Desmond, Aaron, Walt. Those who have died went on. Widmore could be trying to get in to purgatory from Hell.
@nightshade- thanks, this was my next stop. I know not everyone is a Dragon Age fan but give it a read at least. Also, that Just Cause 2 interview is definitely worth checking out too
And pay no mind to the men behind the curtain. The site may show our real names now, but we’re still Nightshade and Shockwave to you guys. So when we do the 25 year class reunion we’ll be sure to wear the nametags with our screen names.
@Nightshade386 Or custom RPad.tv t-shirts with your screen names?
@ray, sure, why not!
@Rpad – I like it, you should still consider putting a link to our site on Rpad.tv and we’d do the same. email us if you’re interested. I think we’re pushing 100 fans on facebook and we’ve got a lot of unique user accounts
@ topic
This phenomenon used to happen to me alot with Tony Hawk games. Everywhere I’d go I’d see things to grind and try to find ways to get on them for maximum score. I wasn’t the only one either I told several of my friends about about it and they would be like “you do that too?”.
The worst was when GTA3 came out. I literally had to stop myself once because I found myself walking up to a parked ambulance and was actually going to attempt to drive away with it.
@ Lost
Yeah, they answered alot of questions like “what’s up with Richard?”, “how did the statue break?”, and possibly even “why is the island like that?”. But my wife raised a good one last night that has me pondering:
It has to do with the secondary timeline and when the island sank. The fact that Ben was on the island, left the island, and apparently didn’t get shot throws most of my theories on it out of the window. It had to be after the 70’s but before the 80’s because Rousseau apparently ended up in LA. It’s a a bit of a mindf#%k… but hey, that’s Lost, right?
@smartguy
I see your point but i think it’s flawed because of the children being born there with the Dharma Intiative. I can’t imagine hell letting children be born. I was thinking about this more on my car ride and what if the island wasn’t an island in the beginning. What if it was the garden of eden? towards the end they kept showing the tree where richard buried his wife’s necklace and then at the end it showed Smokey near camera and the tree in the background. Imagine if that tree is the tree of knowledge and Smokey is the devil/snake or any other evil manifestation there was in the garden of eden.
@n8r
the island sinking reminds me of the Justice League movie i saw yesterday. JL: Crisis on Two Earths, watch it if you like dc comics. anyways, they brought up a good thing that i’m going to lay out here. what if in the Island two it shows us the incident not being contained and therefore all the electromagnetism drags the island down. I got this from the JL movie because they mentioned that earth prime spawned multiple earths because of all the different decisions that are made by everyone or everything.
I’m still puzzled by Jacob giving a beat down to Richard for trying to kill him but not Ben. I”m glad to know i wasn’t the only one mindf**ked last night. Sorry for the long post.
@Nightshade386 I don’t think I’d be allowed to actually. I’m just a lowly contractor. You’d want Justin, the creative manager. He comments on the site every now and then.
@Shockwave562 I should do a blogroll of some sorts, hey? Now I just need to figure out where to put it. The columns were almost sorta kinda symmetrical. Ha!
@rpad – haha, nice. good enough for me
@smartguy
but Ethan, charlotte, and miles were born there. Aaron can’t be an anomaly. The island couldn’t have turned into purgatory overnight.
@ Smartguy
Kids were born on island until the incident (Ethan for example).
I’m well aware what Purgatory is (7 years of Catholic school… kicked out in 7th grade). However, you do indeed have to be dead in order to be in Purgatory.
Eden was no longer paradise since original sin and Adam and Eve were cast out. One thing that supports the idea of Eden was the tree Richard buried the cross by and met with Smokey by. Subtle, but noticeable.
As for paradise… they do film it in Hawaii.
@ Smartguy & tokz
In the episode (season 3 I think) where Ben has Locke in his basement and Locke’s dad is tied to the chair, he mentions how kids haven’t been born since the incident.
And… Jacob was fully capable of leaving the island.
@rrod
yeah i know, i play a lot of free for all. I cant stand campers on free for all because they just sit and try to boost their ratios. They arent trying to finish on top
Like Herm Edwards once said ” You play to win the game”
campers should stick to the more tactical game modes, search and destroy, headquarters, etc
@n8r
I know that Jacob can leave the island but maybe he’s just tired of keeping tabs on smokey and wants it to end. He must feel that the remaining candidates are able to end the cycle.
@smartguy
the only baby we know that wasn’t conceived on island for sure is aaron. Ethan, Charlotte and miles are question marks. Ji yeon was conceived on the island it would puzzle me that a life can be made in purgatory as well.
@smartguy
i had bad company 2, i returned it, i sucked at it
the controls didnt seem precise enough, i couldnt aim the damn weapons
@ Smartguy
From Lostpedia:
It is important to note that evidence suggests a lack of pregnancy complications up to and during 1977. We see Ethan Rom born on the island in July of 1977 without complications, an event that is seemingly ordinary to life on the island.
http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Pregnancies