Your last purchase??

[symphonyXjapan]

Friend got me this from Japan:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Singles

X Japan in its prime; their best singles and some live takes from their heyday. These guys were on fire.

My friend used to have that X Singles CD. Isn't it the one with the double CD case (thick case)? I own "Dahlia" and "X Live" cd's mself. I used to have just about all of X-Japan's stuff on multiple CD-R's that me and a friend downloaded back in the old Napster days. I remember my friend downloading Art of Life on dialup! I really wish I could get their whole discography on my MP3 player...

Anyway, back on topic.

Fair to Midland: Fable of a Mayfly

I first heard of this band like 8 months ago when I heard a song of theirs on an internet radio station. If you haven't heard them I would describe them as mostly progressive rock, with a fair bit of metal tinges. Great atmospheric stuff with plenty of keys to boot. I got it used and in great condition for only $4.99!

 

[Ryan M.]

Received the following just the other day...

Dimension - Ego
Alkemyst - Through Painful Lanes
Ashent - Deconstructive
Pyramaze - Legend of the Bone Carver
Myrath - Desert Call
Dragonwyck - Born into Madness
ChaosWave - Dead Eye Dreaming
Avian - Ashes And Madness
Memoira - Memoira
Neverdream - Souls
Cloakwheel - The Crooked Path You've Drawn
Order of Nine - A Means To Know End
Six Minute Century - Time Capsules
Vendetta - Heretic Nation
Fountain of Tears - Fate
Twinspirits - The Forbidden City
Prymary - The Enemy Inside
Andromeda - The Immunity Zone
Narnia - Course of a Generation
Cloudscape - Global Drama
Perspective X - Shadow of Doubt

EDIT: Ah yes, and Mass Effect 2 is bad ass! Though, i'm starting to think its too short, I believe I'm almost done the game, that includes all side quests. Which is dissapointing...

I like narnia too! I liked a lot of the old stuff by them but the new album still is nowhere near generic. It has it's own sound. Something with the bass? I think.

 

[noble savage]

In The Court Of The Crimson King 2009 Steven Wilson Remix/Remaster.

Sounds. So. Good.

 

[proulxski]

Narnia is bad ass, but right now I'm really digging Twin Spirit, Myrath, & Cloakwheel

 

[batera]

My friend used to have that X Singles CD. Isn't it the one with the double CD case (thick case)? I own "Dahlia" and "X Live" cd's mself. I used to have just about all of X-Japan's stuff on multiple CD-R's that me and a friend downloaded back in the old Napster days. I remember my friend downloading Art of Life on dialup! I really wish I could get their whole discography on my MP3 player...

Nope; it's just one CD. I can't rave about it enough.

 

[Iced Dog]

I destroyed Mass Effect 1 in hours. Way too short. It was more challenging when I didn't know I had infinite ammo.

I'm the exact opposite when I game, I take my time and soak everything in (assuming the game isn't crap)

 

[Ryan M.]

Narnia is bad ass, but right now I'm really digging Twin Spirit, Myrath, & Cloakwheel

I downloaded a sampler by Myrath the other day (a whole song that came with a pack of other metal including some narnia) and I loved it. Ever listen to Edgend? I would suggest it! They are good.

 

[mark b]

Darwins Radio ( Template For A Generation )

 

[proulxski]

yup, I have Edgend. Edgend and Myrath are both very symphony x influenced.

I usually take my time with a game. Now I wont lie, but I just finished mass effect 2, and did every side quest and explored the entire galaxy. It was awesome, but way to short..

 

[Kenneth R.]

I'm the exact opposite when I game, I take my time and soak everything in (assuming the game isn't crap)

You mean explore every corner and such? Me too. But it wasn't challenging. At least, not in my opinion. It WAS challenging when I tried to clear missions on 10 shots because I didn't realize that other than overheating there's infinite ammo.

Ninja Gaiden 2... now THAT is challenging as hell, even on 'easy'.

 

[Phanto]

Bioware hasn't done a challenging game in 10 years.

 

[Postulate]

Bioware hasn't done a challenging game in 10 years.

I ended up giving in and skipping all the dialogue in Dragon Age. None of it fucking mattered. RPGs tend to suck.

 

[Phanto]

I ended up giving in and skipping all the dialogue in Dragon Age. None of it fucking mattered. RPGs tend to suck.

Today's mainstream CRPGs doesn't even feel like CRPGs. There's a nice indie scene for good classic CRPGs but they don't release many full games. And I don't count JRPGs as RPGs. And I don't care about console RPGs.

I thought Dragon Age was pretty okay though. A little too easy (even on nightmare mode) and dumbed down for the masses but other than that I didn't really have any major issues with it. Mass Effect on the other hand is just a shitty shooter with choices & consequences. It's a good "cinematic experience" just like, say, Avatar is a good "cinematic experience". But just like Avatar is a shitty movie in every other aspect than special effects, Mass Effect is shitty in everything except presentation.

 

[Kenneth R.]

JRPGs own.

jade empire was really good.

 

[Postulate]

Today's mainstream CRPGs doesn't even feel like CRPGs. There's a nice indie scene for good classic CRPGs but they don't release many full games. And I don't count JRPGs as RPGs. And I don't care about console RPGs.

I thought Dragon Age was pretty okay though. A little too easy (even on nightmare mode) and dumbed down for the masses but other than that I didn't really have any major issues with it. Mass Effect on the other hand is just a shitty shooter with choices & consequences. It's a good "cinematic experience" just like, say, Avatar is a good "cinematic experience". But just like Avatar is a shitty movie in every other aspect than special effects, Mass Effect is shitty in everything except presentation.

Dragon Age was OK. But even I, who barely play any RPGs, found the gameplay to be just a prettier-looking Neverwinter Nights (the last RPG I played before it...) with WAY less character customization. And like I said, if your dialogue is so wooden and meaningless you can skip it all and enjoy the game no less and understand its plot just fine, something is wrong.

I'll say this - one or two of the characters, Allistar in particular, I thought were well-done, which is something you can't say about ANY JRPG. But on the whole if I could go back I think I'd use the time for something else (and my time ain't worth much).

 

[Kenneth R.]

bullshit man, there are a lot of great characters in JRPGs. They just tend NOT to be the main character.

 

[Burnout]

I got my copy of the new Orphaned Land in the mail today, great album.

 

[symphonyXjapan]

When it comes to character development JRPG's are the better choice.

I recently heard someone differentiate WRPG's and JRPG's pretty well:
WRPG's tend to focus on the lore of the created world and how the "player" reacts to it, whereas JRPG's focus on the personalities of the developer created "characters" and how they change throughout the story. Basically, JRPG's are an interactive book while WRPG's are more like a "choose your own path" adventure game.

 

[Postulate]

bullshit man, there are a lot of great characters in JRPGs. They just tend NOT to be the main character.

I had a weeaboo friend in high school, so I've seen quite a few, and I can't remember a character who wasn't a 2D archetype ie someone you would never actually see in the real world

 

[Kenneth R.]

dude if it was real world it wouldn't be a kickass RPG. there's a reason RPGs have swords and dragons and ray guns.

I <3 interactive book. storytelling > gameplay > music > graphics