Right, I downloaded Armageddon the other day and had a chance to look at it just before. Noticed a few changes right off the bat with research teams and such. The biggest is of course the intelligence tab. Lots of new stuff there, which is where most of my questions will deal with.
First up: spies. I understand the theory, but not the mechanics. Why the flock do I (as the United States) have spies in the UK? I suppose anyone who is technologically advanced is just asking to be infiltrated, but still.
Why are my spies so terrible and why is it modeled so unrealistically? I mean, the US starts out with spies having a 22% chance of infiltrating most nations. Shouldn't it be easier to infiltrate a 3rd world nation like, oh, El Salvador than it is to infiltrate Japan or Germany? If you pay the right person enough in those smaller countries you could probably get a tour of their research facilities which includes an "all access" pass to the restricted areas as well. No spies would even be necessary. Now Japan on the other hand should be wary of Westerners and getting a spy to infiltrate them should be more difficult. Not so. (At least, not from what I've seen so far).
How do my spies get better? I can't risk sending spies somewhere if they will be detected all the time.
Right now there are 33 spies in the US from various countries. I understand that I can send spies to my own country which supposedly protects me from them somewhat. There's also a counter-espionage option. When I tried that with 1 spy in my own country, it failed to locate anyone and my lone spy vanished into thin air. What happened to him? Defected? How exactly do spies and counter-espionage work?
I'll have more questions, don't worry. This is just the start.
First thing, get the 1.3 patch.
Install that, it fixes the last few bugs and changes how the intelligence system works.
I'll say. Instead of being unrealistic it's now an utter joke. Everyone can (and does) try to steal blueprints from me (playing as the US), yet I cannot because I "need to fund [my] intelligence agencies to be able to gain any information on foreign countries". I start at 35% and can only change it once every 6 months for a net increase of 3.5%. Extrapolating forward (from a 1936 start date) it'll take till 1945 to be at 100%. How high do I need to be before I have some semblance of a foreign intelligence system? 70%? Was the United States that ignorant of foreign intelligence back in 1936 to not have any "spies"? All the other major players seem to have a better system and that just doesn't seem realistic or fair to me.
Oh, this is another annoying feature: I can decrease funding for intelligence all the way to 0 if I want, but can only increase it once per 6 months even if the decreases and increase happened while the game was paused. I should be able to increase all the way back up to the original level as long as the game is paused.
And why is it that I can see messages like "Italy has stolen plans from Greece"? I can see that if Greece caught Italy and they made it public then I should see it. But most cases of espionage are usually handled internally and never see the light of day. Countries don't air dirty laundry as it makes them look bad/unprepared.
Being isolationistic had its drawbacks.
Seems more realistic to me, it takes time to set up intelligence networks, but you can pull the plug on them in seconds.
You're a world power, mate. Given a choice, who would you steal blueprints from, the USA or Ethiopia?
This sort of thing actually becomes public quite often. Not that either side wants it to, but journalists poke their nose into things and oh, those pesky citizens and their freedom of speech. Happens several times a year, usually. Remember this?
Scenario - you call up the group leader who is trying to infiltrate France.
You: Yeah, I don't think we'll be requiring your services anymore, we are pulling the plug on the operation because it is getting too costly.
Group Leader: Really? We just got started over here and made some good progress already.
You: Sorry to say, yep. We don't have the money.
You: Say, could you hold on for a second? I have a call on another line.
You: Good. Turns out we do have funding, so scratch that. Honest mistake.
You (to another person in the room): He hung up. Can't believe he hung up.
If I want to set up the intelligence network just seconds later (for whatever reason, mistake or otherwise), the game should let me. Sure, If I'd call up 6 months later and try to set it up, the game shouldn't. But not when I'm paused. That's dumb. (Just being brutally honest here).
That's not the point. There are other world powers in 1936 and they can spy on me just fine. I only want the same options they have. Given a choice where to acquire blueprints from, I pick the option where I stood less of a chance of blowing my cover and getting caught. That would probably mean a country with fewer resources to sink into security or counter-espionage. Blueprints are blueprints, you just have to know how to read them.
Found out it's not due to isolationism of the US either. When I started as Japan, the Soviet Union, Germany, UK, or Italy (the big perpetrators who were spying on me before) they didn't have the ability to spy on the US anymore. The game cheats, plain and simple. Sad. Very disappointed Paradox, you could have done a better job hiding this. Instead you chose to put a glass cover on your black-box game design.
But it doesn't happen on the scale of HOI2: Armageddon. I get at least 10 messages a month in 1936 about all the spying going on. Certainly that never happened. I realize this is a game and I shouldn't be trying to compare this to real life (and I'm trying not to), but the game is blowing it out of proportion 100-fold. And I'm sure the Guangxi Clique didn't have a big enough network to run a Smear campaign or do Global manipulation in 1936 either. Yet in the game, everyone and your mothers uncle is spying. Well, except for the hu-man controlled players that is.
What exactly does provincial radar do? Does it increase air and naval detection in adjacent provinces and sea zones?
Same goes for torpedoes... Statistically they don't improve anything, or am I missing something?
Just curious, mostly. As far as gameplay goes, the actual functionality of these two things isn't very apparent.
The torpedo attachment for ships increases convoy raiding efficiency, IIRC. Bit of an odd one.
The radar works oddly, as well. It provides air coverage versus adjacent sea zones, but not adjacent provinces. They don't detect naval units. The radar basically means it's easier to find and fight enemy air units (without radar, your planes just cruise around their assigned area, if the enemy aircraft are in a province covered by radar, your planes will go straight to them). There's a combat bonus given to your planes, too, albeit a small one.


Refsum Disease is an autosomal recessive disorder of peroxisomes, resulting in the accumulation of phytanic acid in tissues.
Specifically, the disease is caused by defects in alpha-oxidation,which is needed to metabolize phytanic acid into pristanic acid. Classically, patients present with scaly skin, ataxia, cataracts/night blindness, and shortening of the fourth toe.
Find this Refsum Disease mnemonic and other Peroxisome Disorder Mnemonics among Pixorize's visual mnemonics for the USMLE Step 1 and NBME Shelf Exams.


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ComSovereign Holding COMS stock moved upwards by 30.3% to $0.12 during Thursday's regular session. As of 12:30 EST, this security is trading at a volume of 209.7 million shares, making up 521.2% of its average full-day volume over the last 100 days. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $19.1 million.
Vivakor VIVK stock increased by 23.3% to $1.64. As of 12:30 EST, this security is trading at a volume of 329.7K shares, making up 242.2% of its average full-day volume over the last 100 days. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $29.6 million.
Hydrofarm Holdings Group HYFM stock rose 10.75% to $2.78. The current volume of 993.3K shares is 115.3% of Hydrofarm Holdings Group's average full-day volume over the last 100 days (last updated at 12:30 EST). The market value of their outstanding shares is at $125.5 million.
Aurora Innovation AUR stock increased by 9.52% to $1.38. As of 12:30 EST, this security is trading at a volume of 1.6 million shares, making up 59.0% of its average full-day volume over the last 100 days. The company's market cap stands at $1.6 billion.
QualTek Services QTEK shares moved upwards by 9.3% to $0.87. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $24.1 million.
Shoals Technologies Gr SHLS stock declined by 15.1% to $24.59 during Thursday's regular session. Trading volume for Shoals Technologies Gr's stock is 4.8 million as of 12:30 EST. This is 266.6% of its average full-day volume over the last 100 days. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $2.7 billion.
Sarcos Technology STRC shares declined by 11.16% to $1.03. As of 12:30 EST, this security is trading at a volume of 281.9K shares, making up 69.6% of its average full-day volume over the last 100 days. The company's market cap stands at $160.0 million.
Heliogen HLGN stock declined by 10.97% to $1.01. As of 12:30 EST, this security is trading at a volume of 429.7K shares, making up 22.6% of its average full-day volume over the last 100 days. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $194.3 million.
Stem STEM shares decreased by 9.07% to $11.88. As of 12:30 EST, Stem's stock is trading at a volume of 2.0 million, which is 59.6% of its average full-day volume over the last 100 days. The company's market cap stands at $1.8 billion.
Beam Glb BEEM shares decreased by 8.2% to $17.58. As of 12:30 EST, this security is trading at a volume of 203.4K shares, making up 143.8% of its average full-day volume over the last 100 days. The company's market cap stands at $177.4 million.
Swvl Hldgs SWVL stock fell 7.95% to $0.34. As of 12:30 EST, this security is trading at a volume of 305.3K shares, making up 45.1% of its average full-day volume over the last 100 days. The company's market cap stands at $46.0 million. See Also: www.benzinga.com/money/best-industrials-stocks/
Posted In: BZI-TFMMovers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Evolution Slimming Forskolin 125 Review - Does It Work?
Weight management is at the top of the list for most people for those New Year's resolution, and there is good reason. Excess weight can cause a variety of health and emotional issues and should not be treated lightly. Some of the best products to help you gain control of your weight are those that contain an herbal extract called Forskolin. For the basics, Forskohlii is a premier Ayurvedic herb used for centuries throughout India. It is extracted from the roots of the Coleus forskohlii plant and allows your body to burn belly fat while helping to stop the formation of new fat. So many of the products are on the market today and among them is Evolution Slimming Forskolin weight loss.
As will all competent manufacturers, quality of the ingredient is what makes their prodcut better than others. The makers of Evolution Slimming Forskolin make this claim as well as its active ingredient is the extract Coleus Forskohlii which as previously stated is historically used for speeding up the metabolism causing fat to burn off more quickly and efficiently. Additionally gelatim, magnesium stearate and calcium carbonate are used.
Taking one to two capsules with breakfast is the recommended dosage for best results. As will all nutritional supplements, if you are on other medicaitons you should seek the advice of your healthcare provider prior to using.
Evolution Slimming Forskolin is priced at 47.00 USD for a bottler of 30 capsules. They offer a double strength product as well in bottle of 60 for 0.00 USD. It should be noted that if you are purchasing this product online, the website while based in the U.K., offers shipping to the United States as well. Be sure to select the U.S. pricing when ordering.
According to the website, the company offers a 30-day money back guarantee on their product.
Are long term results available with this product? This is the question that most people buying a weight loss supplement want answered. But, when one considers that each person is different, the guarantee of long term results is just not there. All people are different, and while this product offers an herbal extract that speeds the metabolism, it will work differently on all people. When making your decision, it may well be noted that this product does offer guarantee which may give you some peace of mind in making your purchase. Also, the concentration of the active ingredient is lower than on most, so it may not be quite as effective as others. So, with this in mind, you might well continue in your search for a better product.


All questions of this quiz illustrate the difficulty of the high school G.MG standards required for all students, including the college and career ready students.
Question 1: In the picture below, the distance between building A and river R is d = 1,200 yards. The river can be seen from a terrace of building A, situated at a height h = 24 yards from the ground. A builder plans to build a townhouse between building A and the river, at a distance of 300ft from building A. The goal of the builder is to increase the height of the townhouse as much as possible, without obstructing the river view from the terrace of building A. Which of the following is a better choice for the height of the townhouse?
Question 2: A balance beam has the cross section A in the figure below. The balance beam is made out of wood and its length is 500 cm. After the beam was manufactured, the designers realize that the longest edges of the beam are too sharp. The modified beam has the cross section B in the figure below. What is the volume of wood that was cut from the balance beam, if r = 1 cm?
Question 3: The cells of a beehive honeycomb are hexagonal and each hexagon is regular with sides of 0.4 cm. Estimate the number of cells that fit in a beehive with an area of 500 cm2.
Question 5: The state of Colorado can be approximated with a rectangle 380 miles long and 280 miles wide. What is the population density of Colorado if its population in 2013 is 5.188 million?
Question 6: The distance between New York and Los Angeles in a direct path along the Earth's surface is 2,400 miles. Assuming the Earth is a sphere with a radius of 4,000 miles, what is the angle between the radii in the figure below?
Question 7: A farmer buys 400 yards of fence for a new vegetable garden. If the shape of the garden is a rectangle, what is the maximum area that can be fenced with a 400 yards fence?
Question 8: A Christmas globe is made of plastic with a density of 2.2 g/cm3 and has a shape of a hollow sphere, as seen in the figure below. You measure the external diameter D = 8 cm of the globe and the weight w = 100 grams. What is the internal radius of the hollow sphere, r?


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ENISA taps Capgemini Invent led consortium for ISAC ramp up
04 March 2020 Consultancy.eu 2 min. read
Capgemini Consulting
The European Commission has hired a consortium headed by Capgemini Invent to help facilitate the set-up of new Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs).
Europe's ISACs are non-profit organisations that help government and private sector bodies with sharing information incidents, threats and risks that have a pan-European impact. ISACs already exist for energy, finance, railways and aviation, and now the European Commission is seeking to extend the approach into critical areas such as healthcare, maritime and water.
By improving collaboration between member states across the continent on specific topics, the European Commission believes it can enhance risk mitigation and the delivery of value to businesses and consumers. The scope of ISACs span key areas of operations, including digital strategy and information sharing protocols, but has a key focus on cybersecurity.
The move comes at a time of growing cybersecurity threats to sectors, illustrated by recent cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure such as shipping ports, energy networks and telecom networks. The ISACs share knowledge on among others tackling cyber-attacks, incident response, mitigation measures and preparatory controls.
To support setup the new ISACs, European policy makers have tapped a group of industry leaders: Intrasoft, DFN CERT, Spark Legal Network, TNO and consortium leader Capgemini Invent. The consortium is supported by the Dutch National Cyber Security Center, which is based in the Hague, and includes advisory involvement from European institutes FI-ISAC and EE-ISAC.
According to Roeland de Koning, a Principal Consultant in public security at Capgemini Invent and project coordinator of the project, members of the consortium are "well-known authorities" in the field of cybersecurity and ISACs, having previously been involved with the setup of other Information Sharing and Analysis Centers.
The main scope of the contract is to support the establishment and development of new European ISACs and to promote coordination between them. The latter will be supported by the launch of a cooperation platform and the facilitation of common procedures and standards. The programme is overseen by ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity.
Cyber Security consulting firms Cyber Security consulting services
The need to find and close digital gaps in the SAP landscape There is a very good chance that your company's digital crown jewels are as vulnerable as an open backdoor in your house.
Why e-commerce can thrive with near-zero (data) knowledge Online commerce based on the minimal use of data could allow e-commerce businesses to structurally reduce their costs.
FTI helps Malta Financial Services Authority with financial crime FTI Consulting has in the past two years delivered a number of engagements at the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), bagging over €3.4 million in fees for its services.
IT Strategy news
IT Strategy consulting firms IT Strategy consulting services
Dogma Alares supports construction giant with transformation plan Dogma Alares has helped building company Rönesans Construction set up a digital transformation roadmap – securing executive buy-in and budgeting for the project.
SparkOptimus talks digital with former Heineken CEO Alexandra Jankovich from SparkOptimus sat down with former Heineken CEO Jean-François van Boxmeer to talk digital transformation.
Consulting projects in Europe
Rabobank's journey towards a leading agile and digital bank Following a large-scale Agile transformation, Dutch group Rabobank is one of the Agile frontrunners in Europe's banking industry.
Métropole Nice works with BearingPoint on real estate master plan Over the past months, Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur worked with consultants from BearingPoint on the recalibration of its long-term real estate strategy.
Capgemini Consulting news
60 top consulting firms in Germany according to Die Welt What are the top consulting firms in Germany? According to a new survey held among over 2,400 executives and decision-makers in the country, a group of 60 consulting firms lead the way.
Liesbeth Bout leads Capgemini Invent in the Netherlands Capgemini Invent has named Liesbeth Bout as its new Country Head for the Netherlands. The newly elected boss takes over at the helm from Marc Burger, who held the reins for three years.
Capgemini Invent acquires French digital marketing consultancy International professional services firm Capgemini has in home country France acquired June 21, a consulting firm that specialises in digital marketing.
Capgemini news
Capgemini unveils 52,000-strong global engineering practice "Converging digital and physical" – Capgemini has merged its tech and software capabilities with its engineering and R&D practice to form a 52,000-strong Capgemini Engineering brand.
Jeannine Peek country leader of Capgemini in the Netherlands The Dutch arm of Capgemini has named Jeannine Peek as its new Country Managing Director. She succeeds Hans van Waayenburg, who transitions to the role of Chairman.
Henrik Ljungström new Country Head of Capgemini in Germany Capgemini has appointed two decade company veteran Henrik Ljungström as the new Country Leader for Germany.
Capgemini Invent news
Q&A with Shulamit Bot, Director in Capgemini Invent's Banking practice In September, Shulamit Bot joined Capgemini Invent in the Netherlands as a Director in its Banking practice.
Creative consultancy frog hits milestone under Capgemini Invent's wings Design and creative consultancy frog is on a rapid growth track since the firm formally joined Capgemini Invent, scaling its headcount to over 2,000 professionals worldwide.
Capgemini Invent launches a net-zero strategy offering Capgemini Invent has rolled out a new service that supports customers in achieving their net-zero emissions targets.


教學經驗: I was a kindergarten and first grade teacher for 4 years! I also teach English online to children in China.
興趣: I enjoy learning about cultures, reading, cooking, eating, traveling and spending time outside.
學歷: I attended Austin Peay State University and i studied International Studies and Sociology.


Wore my yellow skirt on my first two days at Sydney.
I just love the cheerful color and somehow paired it with white two days in a row. Since I thought it would be sunny and hot in Sydney, all I brought was summery outfit.. But I was stand corrected! I got sun for a two or three hours with strong winds and then it rained for the rest of the day. Not fun at all..
The skirt and scarf are gorgeous colours!
I think its so funny that you're rocking a summer outfit and everyone in the background of your photos are wearing hoodys and jeans!
Cute skirt. Like the bracelet too.
I love your skirt and bag! Really nice outfit!
btw thanks for dropping by.. i'm very happy to know your blog.
i'm now your new follower. looking forward for your new post!
Beautiful outfit, I love the color of the skirt and the texture of the top!
Haha, you found me! And thanks for following! I will surely post regularly every week to that blog, amen to that.
Oh, you look pretty! I'm not a big fan of yellow but that skirt looks really reliable!
aww I'm falling in lobe with your bag! so cute and vintage, I think!


If you are building a new home (single family dwelling), you are required to submit for and obtain a building permit and inspections. Please be aware of Herriman's Single Family Design Standards.
Architectural Review Committee Approval (If required by subdivision) – plan review cannot begin unless this information is included with the submittal.
a. If total square footage within exterior walls exceeds 10,000 sq. ft.
d. If the only fire apparatus access road has a grade greater than 10% for more than 500 ft.
e. If total square footage within exterior walls is double the average of unsprinkled homes in that subdivision.
Landscape Design – 1 copy on 8-1/2″x11″ or 11″x17″ paper showing landscape plan, include parks trip trees and any fencing in lieu of landscaping per landscape ordinance (see landscaping requirements). If a landscape design is already submitted with the ARC approval from item #1, that may be sufficient for this requirement.
Gas line diagram – 2 copies (commonly drawn on foundation plan – see sample). An updated gas line diagram must be submitted to the inspector at the rough 4-way.
Owner/Builder documents if you are acting as your own General Contractor (see Owner/Builder Requirements).
Model Homes – if the permit application is for a model home, please fill out the Model Home Request Form, get it signed and submit it with the permit application and plans.
If you are a contractor planning to build multiple houses using the same building plans, please see Cardfile Plan Review Program.
PERMIT FEES are based on use of area and square footage, but are not charged until all plan reviews are completed and approved (see Fee Calculation Form). Permit fees do not include sewer fees – contact South Valley Sewer District at (801)571-1166. Another cost you will incur will be for a soils report which must be provided to the inspector at the footing inspection – see Geotechnical (Soils) Report.
Submit application and plans to the Building Department at the City Office Building at 5355 West Herriman Main Street during our office hours of 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Remember, the office is closed on State and Federal holidays.
Plan review will take approximately 10-15 working days, after which we may call with corrections that will need to be made to your plans. After the plans have been approved, we will email you the Fire Impact Fee Form which you'll need to take to the address at the top of the form, pay the fee then bring the stamped signed copy with you when you come to pick up the permit. We will also email an invoice with the amount owed for the permit which you will need to take directly to the Customer Service window at City Hall to pay for the permit. Checks should be made payable to Herriman City. Credit card payments are not accepted for Single Family Dwelling permits.
Call the Building Department at (801)446-5327 at least one business day before you wish to schedule inspections (see Required Inspections).
LANDSCAPING IS REQUIRED in order to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy (see Landscaping Ordinance Info). As soon as landscaping has been installed or the bond is posted, the permanent water meter will be set within 2-3 working days if a water application has been submitted to the Water Department. If no application has been made, the Water Department will remove the jumper and shut off the water.


text:
Q: SQL Query help in MS Access? done
//my attempt not working
SELECT *
FROM Placement, Internship
WHERE Placement.i_code=Internship.code
WHERE Student.f_id <> Internship.f_id

[INNER JOIN and LEFT JOIN cannot be used]
Relationship table:
![Relationship table][1]

A: Is this what you need?
SELECT Student.*
FROM Student, Placement, InterShip
WHERE Placement.i_code=Internship.code
AND Placement.s_code=Student.id
AND Student.f_id <> Internship.f_id

BTW: Why don't you want to use Joins?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A 34-year-old Queens man was fatally hit by a car while crossing a road in Carle Place on Friday afternoon.
A 65-year-old Mineola man was fatally hit by a car while crossing a road in Carle Place.
The suspect was charged with drugged driving, unlawful imprisonment and other counts.


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MEMBER PROFILE FOR AloneInTheDark
Average Overall Score Given: 8.72000 / 10
Total Forum Posts: 2568
True Crime: Streets Of L.A.
Overall: I'm not sure if it was the fact that Grand Theft Auto wasn't avaliable for the xbox, or the fact that I was promised a completly true recreation of LA that made me so giddy for this game, whatever it was, I was excited, for good reason. The game is great, and was most definitly worth the wait, no matter what everyone says, this kicks the crap out of any prenotion I have had about gta.
Gameplay: True Crime is like 3 games in one, its a mix of fighting, shooting, and driving. All which are executing well, and are played out well. The shooting (even with auto aim)is pulled off easy, the physics and driving are fun and easy, and teh fighing, while slow is still fun, and pretty in depth.
Graphics: There are a few clipping issues here, but other than that, the game looks decent. It is by no means beautiful, or hell, it doesnt even come close to most of the xbox games today, but it looks nice, and the cars look great.
Audio: From the intro by christopher walkin, to the catch phrases by Nick Kang, the games sound is humours, and the music (while mostly rap) isn't half bad. You also have the choice for custom soundtrack.
Suggestions: Not much, fix the graphics, make the fighting better, and your good to go!
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10 Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding
Overall: Well, I had previously played SSX tricky and was looking for a game similar but not the same. So I picked this up, and hearing rants and raves about its greatness, I was fairly excited. Well I unpacked the game, put it in my xbox, and picked up the controller. I set up my soundtrack and my player (which was painstaiking) and got on the mountain. Well it certianly was a dissapointment, a good game gone bad is this case. With some uniuqe elements, I would have expected much more.
Gameplay: Well this is a mix of uniuqe elements, and some poorly laid out elements. One of the most uniuqed elements of the game is the whole "media" thing. It is a uniuqe twist, but IMHO it doesnt save the game. I wanted a much more fast paced racing game, but instead I found myself restarting more than playing.
Graphics: This is no doubt, a good category for the game. The visuals are very nice. From the snow, to the wrinkles in the shirts, they are pretty nice.
Audio: The music in the game is nice, whetehr you use your own music or use the ones in the game, its pretty impressive.
Suggestions: How about making it a bit easier.
Overall Score: 6.0 / 10 Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War
Overall: Starting the stream of to-be-excellent Xbox/Xbox Live games, is the overyly hyped Return To Castle Wolfenstein. But that hype (and the wait) were well worth, because the final product is awesome. It's beautiful, fun, exciting, and sounds great. Not to mention the live elements add a certian "greatness" to the game.
Gameplay: The controls during the game are simple, and play out like every other first person shooter on the xbox.
There are also a lot of hidden areas, giving you ammo, health, or treasures. Each level is long, so you wont beat it easy. The gameplay is great.
Graphics: Even though the game is a year old, the graphics still hold very strong, there are wonderful lighting effects and the character models/animations are fluent and good looking.
Audio: The music sets the mood, the voice acting is supreme, only if there was the feature of the custom soundtrack.
Suggestions: its great, how but a number 2?
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 The Simpsons: Hit and Run
Well it seems everyone is doing something or another thats been seen in a game before. Well this time, The Simpsons are taking on Grand Theft Auto. While it isnt the greatest game in the world, it sure as hell is a fun game, and sets a new standard for the Simpsons Video Game franchise.
Simpsons Hit and Run is a take on the popular grand theft auto series, except all violence (aside from being able to kick your neighbors) has been eliminated, and replaced with humor. In Hit and Run, you follow various missions based on a story written by the writers of the simpsons. Most of the missions, like escorting, chasing and destroying, and finding people. It is all basically the same, but destroying different things and whatnot. The car physics are crazy, and are a lot of fun. There are many cars to choose from, between different, trucks, and suvs, and sedans. You can use anyones car, and you can do anything you want, its the complete simpsons world!
While the game is no visual masterpiece, it recreates the town of spring field perfectly. There are some nice lighting effects, character movements, and it looks nice. The characters are a bit blocky, but its all passable.
With original simposns music, and the whole cast lending thier voices to the game, there really isnt anything wrong with the sound!
Suggestions: Maybe some more mission types, but otherwise, its a good simpsons game for any fan!
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3
Overall: Ubisoft once again, brings us a game that makes everyone happy. Rainbow Six 3 is a crossbreed of splinter cell, ghost recon, and counter strike. The game is great, looks nice, and is a hell of a lot of fun online.
Gameplay: Stealth, shooting, and action are the basis of Rainbow Six 3 for the Xbox. All of this is built into one solid gaming package. You can use the lighting and everything around you to cover and fire, its truly amazing. Thats just in the single player though, once you put your head set on and head into a freinds game on xbox live, this is where you fall in love. Its so much fun to play against your friends in a team survival match, and with all the guns and aresenal, you'll be having fun for quite a while!
Graphics: Using the same graphics engine as splinter cell, of course the game is going to look good. There are some awesome textures, lighting effects, and character models that will leave you in awe for quite a while!
Audio: Through your headset, you can hear wonderfully crafted voice of your ai in single player, the orchestrated music is wonderful, and the loud startling gernade effects rock!
Suggestions: NOTHING! I LOVE IT!!!
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Quantum Redshift
Overall: I have played all of the racing games from project gotham racing to motogp. Including some of the best I have ever played like Ralisport Challenge. But never have I experienced speed, graphics, and controls like that of Quantum Redshift. This game is uniuqe and very appealing. Though not popular, and some reviews rant on about how bad the game is this review is about how great this game is.
I got this game for christmas from my brother. It was a steal, only 25 bucks so that is why I am urging all racing fans to pick up this game. It is alot of fun, and though there is no live support the multiplayer is really cool.
Gameplay: The controls in this game are similar to most xbox racing games so you will easily pick up on them so there is really no need to discuss that.
The gameplay is different than any other racer I have seen. You can use different strategies to get past you opponents. Wether it be speeding up alot (I mean to like 300 mph), shoot at them, or use alot of boost. This is what makes the game so great. There are so many different things you can do it it. This is what seperates this game from any other racer.
The multiplayer is simple, race against your partner to beat him. Very simple yet extremely fun. Hopefully there will be a QR2 with live support.
Graphics: One word sums up QR graphics. WOW. You will be amazed. The textures, though bland at times are very well done. The ships, cutscenes, and people look very cool and best of all is the water effects. They look as realistic as you can get. Even when you up in the 500 mph area everything still looks superb.
Audio: The engine sounds and water sounds are all great. The music is good but the best thing of all is the ability to use custom soundtrack. So this category gets a 5!
Suggestions: XBOX LIVE
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Toejam and Earl 3: Mission To Earth
Why some of you are thinking, "Why did he give this a perfect score?". I was going to give it a 4, because of nemerous flaws. Well every game has its flaws, but only some games have flaws that take away the fun factor of the game. TJ&E has many things that make up for the flaws and make the game really enjoyable. This game is not for all though. If you are one of those gamers who love shooters and dont ever stray away well this game is not for you. If you enjoy a good laugh in your game then you should check this out.
Well this game isnt your normal platforming game. It has the normal platforming elements but adds a little hip-hop and funk into the mix. This game is alot of fun to play and is very easy to learn. Many things feel they shouldnt be there and are at times annoying but that is over looked.
The visuals are worth a wow. First off the randomly generated levels thing is a sweet Idea. But add a little flavor and awsome graphics it all tumbles together for a big awe. Now the character modles are not chunky and are nice and smooth. The textures are nice and bump mapping seems visible. Overall the graphics are nice.
The sound is good. The music gets really annoying. But other than that the characters have uniuqe and nice voices and dont really bug me.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
A Splinter Cell,one of the chosen who has the right to murder, spy, and do whatever it takes to keep the country safe. In this game you are a Splinter Cell, and you have the Fifth Freedom.
Well this game hasnt really caught my eye up until the last couple of weeks. It looked like a blow off on Metal Gear Solid, but as I looked into the game more there was a thick line of differences. So I decided to rent this game and give it a try, well I tried it and was absolutly amazed. Even if the gameplay had sucked (which it doesnt) I would have still gotten the game for the gadgets and the graphics.
Splinter Cell exceeds in the 3 G's (Graphics, Gameplay, Gadgets) and you can easily tell how much work Ubisoft has put into this game. There are very few minor problems, if any that can easily be over looked. This game has opened the doors of stealth to me and I will make sure to get MGS:S for christmas, because I love stealth too much now. So I suggest you get this game, stealth fan or not because there is no way you can possibly be disappointed.
WOW, now this is where the game truly shimmers with gleem. There are many ways of solving objectives, whether it be killing the gaurd or sneaking past him either way you get there. This adds a level of excitment to the game as does the gadgets. There are many gadgets to help you complete levels and they are really fun to use to. The only problem I have found is being stealth all the time. You only get about 30 bullets in your gun and after that your screwed. So the gun has to be your last resort. I found a problem with this because I am a true rn and kill type of person. But this game has opened new doors to me and quite frankly I like stealth the best now. Not that it can be used in games like unreal championship but it is still a heck of alot of fun.
One of the best features in this game is the simple, interact options. You can interact with anything to get awnsers, like people to get pass codes, or cans to throw at your enemies.
So all I can say to sum this up is you have to experience this game to truly feel its greatness.
The best graphics in any game ever belongs to.....SPLINTER CELL!!!
Seriously the graphics are great. The volumetric fog and smoke is done in great detail. I am also very impressed with the lighting effects in this game, though sometimes they focused too much on it but it is very very well done. The only complaint in this section is at times, Sam's goggles look really pixelated but otherwise it looks very nice. The character modles are great, and look as realistic as can be. There mouths actually move to the words, and they graphics are JUST PLAIN AWSOME!!!
Does it get any better? YES!
The soundtrack, I must say is awsome. Im not a fan of the crystal meth (the band) but their music really fits the game, especially in the opening CG. The music fits the game perfectly. The background music and sounds are also very well done. I love the sound of the silenced pistol, it sound very realistic. While walking through different textures different sounds will come of it, which at times affects if your going to get caught or not. Very very cool. The sound is awsome, nothing wrong in this category!
Suggestions: A little more levels could have helped but since you are giving us hopefully FREE downloads then everything is ok!!! Ubisoft, I LOVE YOU!!!!
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Unreal Championship
Some of us may not have this but I got the first copy at my EB. I have been playing this game since I got home and decided to let ya guys know what I think of it.
I have been waiting for this game for months now, and I finally have it in my hands. And let me tell you, It is what I expected and more. This game is a very good game for people that like shooters or not. It is fun and addicting, what could you not like about it?
This game is pretty much, run, shoot, kill. And whats wrong with that? Nothing, and UC proves that. This game is a blend of Halo and Timeplitters and give us the Ultimate FPS. If this game isnt game of the year then I dont know what is!
The controls in this game are almost a replica of that in halo. The only differece is that the left trigger fires the secondary weapon.
Speaking of weapons, there are very many weapons. And most of them are awsome. My faviorte is the one where you can shoot and use it as like a "portal" and look around wherer you shot. Very good in CTF.
Some may think this game is all for multiplayer. Well I have to say it is. Even the single player resembles that of Multiplayer. You get a team and play with them. The single player is not lacking at all. The level design and the game concept and everything is good about this game.
And some were mad about vehicles..there is no place to drive anyways!
This game is visualy outstanding! The graphics are top notch and the best seen on the xbox yet. The frame rate has been bumped up since the demo and the game is really fast. The level detail is amazing, they spent so much time and effort into every aspect of the graphics.
The sound is great. Especially the explosions and gun shots. The music is great and fits the game. I heard you can use the custom soundtrack. I want to figure out how, but the music is good for now.
Suggestions: NOTHING!!PERFECT
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 MechAssault
Well, at first this game was not on my wanted list. And quite frankly after seeing some videos that had not changed. And I dont know why but in the past month or so this game has really been creeping up behind me and I have just been getting more and more excited for it. I have never been a mech fan, I have been disappointed too many times with them, but MechAssault has opened up the Mech doors for me once again.
This game looked as if it was going to have an awsome multiplayer, which it does. Even though I havent had a chance to play on live yet the multiplayer is awsome. And the single player, that has to be the greatest part of the game. So overall this game is great, and probally the best game I have played for a while. And I have to say it is the most fun game I have played, EVER!!
Aside from the great multiplayer there is an unmatchable single player mode. Actually, some may not know there are 2 single player modes. There is the Campaign mode and the ability to play 1 player under multiplayer mode. How does this work you ask. Well there are bots in this game and when you are playing 1 player under a multiplayer game, say Grinder, the bots automatically come into play.
The campaign mode is by far the best mode of the game, imo. I was disappointed at first, because it looked a little too much like gunmetal, which was extremely horrible. But after playing through the first mission or 2 I noticed I was wrong. The missions were challenging but not too hard you would give up. And doing it over and over just made the game more and more fun.
There are so many features in this game. By far the coolest feature is the "destroy anything to get anything" feature. In this game you have to destroy buildings and other things to accomplish a mission and to heal yourself or pick up ammo. That isnt the only thing you get out of destroying things. You can also use that as an advantage. Sometimes mechs are ontop of a building or next to one, and if you shoot it down it may tumble on the mech, so you dont have to destroy it. Or if a sniper is on the top of a building all you have to do is walk into it and it falls, resulting in the dead sniper. It may not seem strategic but you will need to do this to beat the game.
The control system is very easy and very simalar. If you have played halo then you will have no problem with this control system. Almost exactly alike.
If there is a flaw in the game, then it is the graphics. But not enough flaws to take off a .5. The graphics are very well done and the explosions are OUTSTANDING!!!The graphics are superb, the only flaw is at times the camera angles, mostly while you are in the water. But other than that the visuals are outstanding. The mechs look beautiful and realistic. One thing I dont like is the blood. It doesnt look real but there isnt too much of that. The cut scenes are great, and tehre are alot of them. This is one of the most eye pleasing games up to date.
The sound in this game is very very good. The soundtrack never gets annoying as I am one for rock. I love the sound of the bones crushing when you stomp on an infaltry member. The explosions sound awsome. My suggestion to you is to put up the sound as loud as you can because this is one of those games where you have to. The guns and screams and stomps sound great. This game is very very loud and migh end up in an angry neighbor..but who really cares. So over all, no flaws in the sound area.
Suggestions: There isnt much more you can add to this game. Maybe being able to customize the mech. But otherwise keep up the good work, I LOVE THIS GAME!!!
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver
Well, I had been waiting for this game since I had sadly played Stuntman. And I have to say I am very little dissapointed. Though this game is great there is much left to be desired. More freedom would be a plus along with difficulty settings:)!
The gameplay is simply stunning. You get more freedom in stuntman and can find different ways to finish the obstacles. And unlike stuntman you can go back and do your stunts. This game is very difficult..sometimes to an extent where you toss your controller and turn off the xbox. But it is still a fun and intreguing game. The controls are very basic and easy to learn. The single player is a blast and the multiplayer is even better. You can play tag or just race...the game is great. Another cool thing is this game took advantage of the new XDK (xbox developers kit) which is a kit full of specially designed xbox elements that take advantage of everything the xbox has. This is a cool thing..
For the type of game it is the graphics are stunning. The most stunning part has to be the explosions. They are simply superb..they look real life like and just awsome. The videos after a mission is completed has awsome graphics and intresting camera angles to make the game seem so real.
The explosions play a big part in the game and they sound very very realistic. Everything else is top notch such as engines, crashing ect. Another cool feature is the custom soundtrack feature. Just set it up and you can be jammin to the phantom of the opera while exploding and shooting cars..heheh
Suggestions: I would suggest difficulty settings and have more freedom for us..
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Elder Scrolls III : Morrowind
When my friend told me to get this game I was a little bit skeptical. I am not an RPG fan, but I think this game has changed my gaming life forever. I love this game, everything about it is perfect. I havent seen any flaws yet..this game is great!
This game is the most open ended game ever. You can do anything you could possibly ever want to do. That is what makes it so great. If you want to kill a civilan..go ahead. This game is like a 2nd life, you learn and grow up throughout the game. You customize your character than your on your way. This game is so great!
The look of this game is great. The textures and outdoor and indoors look so real. Your character (whoever it may be) looks so cool. I like the unreal type characters.
The sound in this game fits the game atmosphere perfectly. It is so great..it may not have custom soundtrack but I found myself whistling the tunes in class.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 The Terminator: Dawn of Fate
I had been waiting for this game forever, the screens looked promising too. So I knew this game was going to be a good buy. Little did I know it wasnt. I played it and hated it but i kept playing because it was a fps and terminator.
This game is possible the worst fps I have ever played. Even worse than turok:evo. The controls are good but the concept of the game really sucks...
The graphics are just not up to par with todays xbox graphics. The graphics and visuals are boxy..and look a little to unrealistic
Wow...the sound is great..the hard metal sounds and music add to the little to nothing game..the only aspect i like!
Overall Score: 5.0 / 10 Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3
I had just finished playing 2x, very impressed. But when I rented this game I was very dissapointed. I dont know if it is because I had just beaten 2x or the game just stinks. I think it is the game is the same !&%$@#* , new place.
This game has great gameplay. The controls are easy and you get used to them in a snap. I am impressed with some of the levels and unlockables but some of this stuff is just stupid. Who needs to skate as darth maul?
The graphics are the greatest aspects in this game. The levels and characters look realistic. The decks, wheels, and everyothe graphical aspect is great
This sound is great, good music to start with and the custom soundtracks feature is a great bonus!.
Suggestions: Add something New
Overall Score: 6.0 / 10 The Thing
This game is a great game..but not what I expected. I was hopeing it would be a little more exciting.
But otherwise this game is awsome!
The best part of this game is the Trust/Fear factor. It is awsome to see how your squad progressess. But other than that this game is nothing peachy. The gameplay is easy.controls easy. but the agrivation level is jut too annoying
The graphics in this game are not xbox capable. they could have done so much better witht the graphics.
The sound is fine..the explosions, monsters, and gunshot sounds are awsome.! And the soundtrack rocks..with saliva.
Overall Score: 7.0 / 10 Turok: Evolution
Now let me just say, I am not a big Turok fan..I hated the previous. So in now way am I a fan boy for this game. But this game has shown great improvement from the previous games, and I love it. It includes an awsome multiplayer, not halo..but cooler guns than halo. And a stunning 1 player game.
This game is the best out of all the Turoks so far I believe. The whole secondary gun is awsome. I love the arsenal..very very cool. The game isnt too hard, but not too easy. I like that, plus the multiplayer is just awsome. I would have liked systemlink but o well.
The graphics arent top notch xbox graphics but they are pretty good. The can get a bit choppy at times but they are good otherwise.
The sound is great, sounds like dinosaurs, guns and explosions..pretty cool. I would like to listen to my own music tho.
Suggestions: SYSTEM LINK/LIVE SUPPORT
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Dead to Rights
This game is great..It has every thing Payne gave us with a little bit more here, and then there. It is just superb. There is a limited arsenal of weapons, but enough and the weapons develop over time. Shadow is a great add in to the game, as well as the Adreneline (i.e. Bullet Time) which is great for dodging bullets. Disarming is a delight as well as the human body gaurd.
Lets start with the controls, the controls are very easy..I like them, so simple and easy to learn. They are not halo, but easy to learn. Shadow is fun, he kills instantly and a good way to get through obstacales. Disarming and Human shield are easy and fun to use. Sure people say this game is a max-payne-wannabee. but it is not, there is so much more in this game than in max payne.
I would have liked a multi player like in Syphon Filter..that would have been cool.
The visuals are fantatstic. The explonsions are awsome and look so real. I like the dogs look and Jack isnt flat faced like Max in Max Payne.
Sound is great..but you cant add much to a game like this except guns and explosions. The sound is good.
Suggestions: MULTIPLAYER...like syphon filter
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Jet Set Radio Future
Overall: Wow...this game is awsome. It takes skating to the extreme. What other game can you grind rails for 2 min. straight? Seriously, this game is awsome. It has everything- adventure, skating, vandalism, cops, cool villians, and a sweet soundtrack. This game is one of the best titles for the xbox.
Gameplay: The controls for this game are sweet and simple. That is the best thing in this game. So easy to play. The story line for the game is rich..and full of fun. The characters are all pretty much the same but all have thier own style...with more to unlock. My faviorte is corn. Everything about this game is fun. It mixes an adventuros plot with exteme sports and stylish characters. Its awsome!
Graphics: Cel Shading was the way to go with this game. It just give it this touch that no other game has. It is simply irrisistable. I love it. The graphics are rich and colorful. It is so great!
Audio: The soundtrack is great but it can get a bit annoying at times. I wish they had added the sountrack feature!
Suggestions: This game is the best...just add the soundtrack feature
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Madden NFL 2003
This game is good..but not as good as it should be. I finnally got my hands on this game at the blockbuster. After playing Madden 2002 I was hyped for this game. But I am very dissapointed. It is too much of the last one and too little new. So this game is just way too much the same.
As I have stated..if you got the last one you dont need this one. The controls, players, teams are all pretty much the same. There really isnt anything new..the graphics are top notch but as for gameplay...its all the same
Graphics are good. I love the graphics..they are so realistic. But as I learned from the EB guy...they do you fancy camera tricks into making you believe something is going on..that just upsets me and I dont know why.
Sounds like a football game. What else can I say...crowds, and smashing bodies. Superb sound all the way.
Suggestions: Make it different
Overall Score: 6.0 / 10 Fuzion Frenzy
Ok..so this isnt the greatest game for the xbox. But it is Microsofts awnser to the beloved Mario Party. And what a party this game is. The graphics are not great but superb for its type of game. But if you want graphics..this isnt your game. But if you want a rowdy 4 player game that anyone can play..here is your game..and only $40
This game is simple to get a hold of. There are 40+ mini games in many different levels for you and your friends to encounter. The controls for most mini games are easy, and simple. This game is fun and has awsome replay value because it has great multi player...like halo. Now the 1 player mode isnt that great..gets boring but is fun. It is actually challenging. But this game is clearly for multiplayer.
So these graphics arent doa or halo graphics but they are superb for the type of game this is. And this game isnt really meant for graphics. Like someone said earlier..if you sit to look at graphics you will end up in last place. But these graphics are fitting for the game.
The sound is great. With the custom soundtrack feature you cant go wrong. The annoucer can get annoying but that is no flaw to bring this down 5 points.
Suggestions: The sequel should be better but make it 1rst person.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Project Gotham Racing
Well this game is nothing below superb. Everything about it is appealing, even if you despise racing games. From the graphics to the skid marks to the real radio stations, you won't be dissapointed.
Multiplayer helps too.
Let's start with the controls. As simple as all racing games. Right trigger accelerates, left brakes, blatiblatibla. If you are not fimilar with the Kudos Point System, it is a very easy concept. You get kudos for slides, brakes, 360's, and just having style. This is the basis of the game, you also get them if you come in 3rd, 2nd, and 1rst place in races. Another cool thing is being able to unlock things. Most racing games have these but we get 20+ cars, tracks and other things to unlock. The cars are all cool looking from spyders to bmw's. Each car has thier own ups and dows from handeling to acceleration. This game exceeds the standards and raises the standards of racing games.
**Also Includes An Awsome Multiplayer**
This game is by far the most graphically appealing game to hit the xbox. This game is stunning, breathtaking and amazing to the eyes. The one thing that amazes me the most about this game is that it actually does damage. So sliding into a building going 95 mph will do much more than chip a little paint unlike other games(test drive)which is one thing that every gamer like. The racing even has great graphics, buildings are beautiful, lumonous lights shine up the city, unless you busted your lights by hitting a guard rail.
You cant go wrong with your sound. With the ability to make you own "virtual cd" or listen to a real dj spinning real songs on a real radio station, you really cant go wrong. The cars make varoom sounds, which sound real. Your crashes sound real, shattering glass to chipping paint...you can hear it all
Suggestions: Not too much..its a perfect 5. New cars, citys, and a system link multiplayer.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 Gun Metal
This game is a sweet game. It has everything, good music choice, graphics, and game play. Tell me, what other game can you transform from a 30 ft. machine to a plane. The concept is great, along with everything else.
This game is fun, with a push of a button you can instantly turn into a plane. It is awsome. And the controls are easy...The left trigger launches rockets and the right trigger shoots you fast-action weapons. There is a great selection of weapons, my faviorte is the torpedos. A switches weapos...so its pretty easy! The jet is very menuverable, doing barrel rolls is awsome. The game is challenging so It will last a while.
The visual appeal is very very appealing to the eye. Bueatiful visuals...perfect for me. It is just as good as halo's graphics maybe even better. It is pretty cool, you can shoot a tree with a torpedo and it will catch on fire, eventually catching the whole forest on fire. It is umm...really "real"
Well this sound is awsome. You can use your own personal soundtrack. It is cool and the FX is awsome. They sound real, like a jet flying and a mech walking.
Suggestions: Nothing except a system link multiplayer
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10 Hunter: The Reckoning
Sure, this game is fun and a great substitute for Resident Evil for us Xboxers...but it isn't all I expected. My biggest problem is the camera angles and how far away from your character you are. But other than that this game #%*^@) rocks. The music is awsome and running around slashing ugly, hideous characters is all the rage.
This game really has no strategy..which is good for me. I perfer to be a button masher than a..person who uses strategy. Now, my complaints. I do not like the camera angles. You cant look behind you and sometimes I need to, it is just an urge. And how far away you are from your character is just annoying. And with the Co-Op it gets annoying that you have to wait. Now down to the good stuff...this gameplay is awsome, and there is such a good choice of weapons and the amount of blood...it makes me sick..cool
Great, one word explains this catagory. Except...let me zoom in more. The characters look cool, as do the monsters. I have never been so scared to look at one of the zombies up close (happens rarely)! These visuals...are awsome!
The rockin music is perfect for the game.! That is all i can say...its just perfect! You couldnt have gotten a better soundtrack!
Suggestions: In the next one make a split screen co op like in halo...add soundtrack support..make a better zoom!
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10 Dead or Alive 3
Overall: Everything in this game is amazing. The sound, gameplay, music, and above all...graphics. Everything in this game is amazing. It is worth every penny, maybe even more.
Gameplay: Button Masher, a bad thing to some people..but to me, it is endless hours of fun. This game may be a button masher but after an hour or so of the game you will notice.."O this button throws, this kicks, this is a punch combo. After that graces your game you learn awsome combo's and moves. So sure, at first it may be a button masher but you WILL get the hang of it.
Graphics: This is one game that really shows us the power of our beloved "black box"! From the menu, to the levels, to the fighting all the way up to the carrer mode movies. It is amazing how the developers can take advantage of the XBox during the fighting and the cinematics. This game is the best tasting eye candy I have ever seen.
Audio: The sound in this game is good..for a while. It would help to have the soundtrack option so I could be listening to a bit of The Lostprophets while kicking Bayman's A$$ but the music is fine.
Suggestions: I think the soundtrack support would be an awsome idea..keep the DOA series on the box...I just cannot wait for DOAXV to come out. Keep up the great work!
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10 RedCard Soccer 20-03
Graphics rock, the Matrix style moves are getting old, and its a soccer game. It was worth its money till we beat it. The two player games really sucked. There wasn't too much to it. But over all the game isn't too bad.
The game play is pretty basic. I mean how in depth can you get about gameplay in a soccer game. The controls are awsome, you will wish to have them no other way. The 2 player game is fun for a while but there isn't too much to it. I really felt the need to take breaks so I dont get bored. The game over all was o.k but definitly not worth a 5.
Graphics were awsome, sick, tight, mad, wicked! Whatever you want to call it, it was good. I liked the visuals during "matrix mode"! The carachters were very in depth.
Sound was good. Sounded like a real soccer game. Crowds, announcers, pretty much good sound. But after a while you will want to smash the announcer's head off. It is very very annoying.
Suggestions: Make it a little bit harder, and the replay value should be a bit better.
Overall Score: 6.0 / 10


text: Q: What are the pros and cons of running prod and dev on same openshift cluster VMWare moved the focus from servers to VMs.  OpenShift moves the focus from VMs to applications (or so I've read).  With OpenShift is there any benefit in having separate clusters for dev and prod?  Should the CPU and memory resources provided by a cloud (Private, public, or hybrid) be treated as a single big pool when using OpenShift?


text:
Does being bicultural automatically mean being bilingual? Real life experiences of grown-up bicultural children
Bringing up a child to be bilingual is one of the most common concerns among intercultural families and parents. One persistent myth related to bilingualism is that children grown up in bicultural environments will automatically become also bilingual. Instead, raising bilingual children is a choice that requires careful planning and effort from the parents. Parents can never know what the future brings with it but supporting a child´s bilingualism helps in keeping different options open for them.
We do not have the skills to see the future but what we do have is the ability to learn from other's experiences. This can be a valuable source of information to other parents and families dealing with the same concerns. To learn more about becoming bilingual, I set out to talk with Christian, Laura and Sandra who all have grown up in intercultural families with parents having different native languages. They were all happy to share their stories about dealing with the choices and challenges that different situations and environments set for bringing up bilingual children.
Christian was born to a Finnish mother and a Norwegian father, who in his youth lived in Canada with his Norwegian parents, but moved to Norway when he turned 22-years old. Christian was born in Norway where he also lived in his preschool years. He went to a kindergarten in Norway, but moved to Finland with his parents when he was just 5-years old. At that age, he spoke only in Norwegian although he could understand also Finnish and English. Currently, Christian speaks English and Finnish perfectly and can understand some Norwegian.
Laura's mother is German and father Finnish, but both of them have lived a large part of their lives in Canada where they met, and raised their family. There was a period in her childhood, when Laura went once a week both to a Finnish and German school where she was taught her parents languages. Now, at her early twenties, Laura speaks only English.
Similarly to Laura, Sandra comes from a Finnish-German family, yet with the mother being Finnish and father German. Her Finnish mother studied German and moved to Germany to do an internship during which time she met Sandra's father. They decided to build their common home in Germany and that's where Sandra grew up. The language mostly used at their home was German. Nowadays Sandra considers German as her mother tongue, but she can also understand some Finnish.
Changing the language setting
After moving to Finland Christian struggled with Finnish language as living in Norway his parents had spoken mainly in Norwegian and English. Coming from an environment where Finnish was the minority language to an environment where Finnish was suddenly the majority language brought challenges when meeting other children.
"Finnish was hard for me at first. It was hard for me to get friends. I started playing with my neighborhood kids, and I could get along, but it was hard for me because I didn't know the language that well yet so I spent most of my days at home."
But Christian's parents had chosen potentially the best age to move a child abroad – before starting school. Being very young at the time of the move, he adapted to the new language very quickly and spoke Finnish perfectly in less than a year. Yet, his Norwegian skills started to change as the family changed its language practices. The communication at home switched now to mostly English and there was so little communication in Norwegian both at home and outside of it that his former skills declined.
"I think it was some time in elementary school that we didn't speak Norwegian at home anymore, or sometimes they did spoke Norwegian a bit, but I started answering back in English and English became the dominant language at home. I went to school, I spoke Finnish with my friends, I came back home and spoke English with my parents."
Moreover, Christian rarely saw any of his Norwegian family and when he did see his grandparents, he could speak English with them:
"They could speak Norwegian back to me and they did this. They spoke Norwegian together, they spoke Norwegian to me, but I always answered in English after I turned 7 or 8."
English was now the dominant language of their family, although when alone with his mother, they spoke in Finnish.
From 'less and less' to speaking only the majority language
Although having used Finnish in her communication with her mother before and attending Finnish school once a week, Sandra refused to speak to her mother in her native language at the age of 5. She knew that her mother can also fully speak and understand German, and therefore she understood that she actually doesn't need to speak Finnish. Without having equal exposure to both Finnish and German it happened that German became more important in Sandra's life.
"My mother taught Finnish to me when I was a kid but when I was about 5-years old I refused to answer in Finnish, so I have forgotten a lot. Sometimes she still tried but it got less and less."
Teaching but not living the language
Laura's parents didn't speak their own native languages at home but instead they turned to language schools to supplement Laura's German and Finnish language exposure and to teach her more about both of the cultures. Yet, the hours spent there were not enough to hear and use the languages in a regular basis. Due to her parents speaking primarily English at home, similarly to Sandra, she didn't have the real need to talk in German nor Finnish. Also outside of the home, there wasn't a rich enough environment to support her language learning.
Is bilingualism really a bridge to the parents' culture?
After many years Laura started studying German again in her university in Canada. She states that 'it was kind of like re-teaching herself which was nice.' She is currently living and studying in Finland where she has started taking Finnish courses but she hopes to be able to go live also in Germany to show her mother that 'she is also German'. Also Sandra's life has brought her to her mother's country of birth Finland but her weak Finnish skills have brought her some challenges:
"It would be a lot easier for me now. For example when I meet my Finnish relatives they only speak in Finnish to me, so knowing Finnish would be very helpful. When I am visiting them alone, it can be quite sad when we don't understand each other."
This shows that although there is a close link between language and culture, a person doesn't need to know the language fully to embrace his or hers cultural backgrounds. Both Sandra and Laura feel related to their parents' countries of origin and have taken the leap to go live there now when being grown-ups.
Parents can never know what future brings with it but it is best to help keep options open for the children. As can be seen, teaching the child both parents' native languages is important already for the reason that in this way the children can communicate with the rest of the family.
What can intercultural parents learn from all of this?
Christian, Laura and Sandra all come from different circumstances, yet what unites them is that language learning was not their parent's conscious decision. Bilingualism often does not come automatically unless parents really think through which languages will be used and how, and make efforts to use these particular approaches. Raising bilingual children is a choice and even though Laura and Sandra are not bilingual themselves, they believe in children's ability to successfully learn their parent's languages. With hindsight, all interviewees support the more active use of both parents' languages.
Teaching your children your languages will not be without its challenges but it is important to keep in mind that you are actually not "teaching" your child, not more than teaching them to walk. Still, it is a very common misunderstanding that children will just 'pick up a language'; but instead, it requires effort from the parents.
Some of the things you should do are to decide as early as possible on what your goals for your child's language learning are, offer your child enough exposure to the language and stick with the choice of languages. Also, you cannot expect your child to become proficient overnight like you cannot expect your child to become a violinist just with one day.
Tips from the interviewees to intercultural parents
Speak the minority language at home because the child will learn the majority language at school and from his friends. (Christian)
Speak your native language to the child. (Sandra)
If you really want your child to learn the language you have to stay consistent even though they might say that it is useless for them. It is not going to be useless for them, e.g. in finding work, or when meeting the love of their life who maybe happens to be the speaker of that other language. (Laura)
(Anna-Liisa Allas)
Teaching bicultural children about their cultural heritage
A cultural identity is about the feeling of belonging to a particular cultural group or community. To achieve a positive cultural identity the child needs to feel comfortable within one's culture and language. However, growing up with more than one cultural background can be confusing and it might be difficult for intercultural children to find a place where they feel they belong to. It is possible to feel at home in more than a single culture but for understanding oneself and appreciating one's background, one must have knowledge of the parents' cultures. The certainty of knowing their heritage helps children in multiple ways.
It was psychologist Erik Erikson who wrote in 1968 that a person's identity development works through the interaction with others. The first influencing people are parents who are followed later in life by other members of the community and society. As the first closer point of interaction, parents play an important role in supporting the child's healthy sense of self. By sending positive messages of one's cultural background parents can help the child develop a positive and strong identity.
Teaching the child both parents' languages is a useful way to immerse children within both cultures. Communicating with your children in both of the parents' mother tongues supports the children to become bilingual but although language has been seen as a gateway to culture, supporting the child's cultural identity works also through other aspects than language. To help children understand where they come from, parents should also tell the children about their heritage which may or may not be done in both parents' native languages.
Supporting the child's identity can be as simple as telling about one's cultural history, traditions and customs. For example, parents could teach their children about their culture's cuisine, religion or important events. Also, staying connected with the relatives is a great way for the child to understand more about one's background as they most likely have a lot of stories to tell. Often grandparents are more aware about cultural habits and beliefs which make them a valuable source of information. Children love to hear stories and sharing stories and experiences of both parents' cultures helps children to achieve a positive cultural identity as they do not learn only about their family but also more about themselves.
For the child's well-being it is important that the parents view their culture in a positive light. For example, parents could think what cultural traditions made them happy when they were children or what do they value the most about their own culture at the given moment. If these questions seem hard to answer, one could study one's own, and also the other parent's culture together, by such activities as going to an ethnic restaurant, learning about culture through movies, attending cultural events, or listening to traditional music. Besides exposing the children to your culture, familiarizing with the partner's culture will also help to prevent misunderstandings.
In any case, studying both cultures through practical activities such as visiting your home country, watching movies in the native language or teaching children about the games you used to play or songs you used to sing as a child, is likely to be a fun way for the family to spend time together. Whatever the child's age, if the child is asking about traditional food or language it is only an advantage to share your knowledge with them.
By having knowledge of their heritage, intercultural children become more able to assess which aspects of their cultural backgrounds they want to embrace as part of their own identity. Although parents might have ideas about how they would want the child to balance the two cultures, it is important to let the child absorb the parts of the culture that for him or her seem the dearest. Appreciating their cultural background helps the children to support their self-esteem and mental well-being. When a child has a positive cultural identity, he also has a more positive view on life.
As the parents teach the child about their culture they can help in securing the transition of cultural knowledge from generation to generation. This way parents can offer the child a more enriched life which will make the child appreciate different cultures and develop positive attitudes towards cultural differences. As a parent, you can help to contribute towards a society which embraces cultural diversity.
Question: What do you do to introduce your culture to your child?
Parenting practices and taking care of children: Cultural differences? (Duo's online lecture 29.4.2014)
(This online lecture was not recorded, but you can read the summary of the lecture here and download the lecture handouts.)
LECTURE SUMMARY
Although psychological research aims to understand the preconditions for healthy child development much of our knowledge about parenting and child development come from industrialized middle-class contexts in Western countries. Research thus ignores the "Majority world's" children who live outside these specific minority societies. However, parenting and infant development are always embedded in the cultural and physical environment where families live in and affected by the families' living conditions. Therefore the bias in research greatly limits our knowledge about what is "normal child development or "good parenting" worldwide.
Even though parenting practices vary across different cultures and times, parents all over the world want what they think is best for their children. The parental concepts and ideas, conscious and unconscious, are connected to wider cultural values and sociopolitical factors. Therefore differences in parenting practices are not random but have their own internal logic and meaning.
Parental values and ideas are also connected to the way parents take care of their children and to the way they interact with them. For example, the importance of interpersonal relationships (i.e., getting along with others and being a respected member of the group), is related to the characteristics parents want their children to develop (i.e., learning to take care of others) and therefore to parenting practices (i.e., parents teach the child to control own his/her own emotions and to share with others).
The specific parenting practices also affect child development. Accordingly, cross-cultural studies show important variation in the way children acquire motor, emotional, and cognitive skills that stem from successful adaption into different sociocultural contexts. In two-culture and in immigrant families children's adaptation to the host culture may sometimes cause surprises and raise questions, as the children may behave in a way the parents do not consider appropriate or good.
We all have thoughts and behavioral models that are affected by the environment(s) in which we grew up and live, and there is no one right way to raise children. In two-culture families parents should first and foremost be aware of their own parenting beliefs and values before taking an interest in the partner's views. Finally, in all families parenting is affected by many other factors than just cultural background. For example, parents' personalities, formal education, past experiences, and current life situation always play a central role in parenting practices.
(Saija Kuittinen)
Download the lecture handouts (PDF)
Childbirth in Finland
Watch the lecture (the video opens in another tab on Perheaikaa.fi website)
Delivering your baby in a different culture than where you were raised will require for you to think childbirth in a deeper way. Childbirth practices are different around the world and even in Europe there are great differences. You probably have something in mind for your labor and delivery, but that can be quite different from the Finnish way. Our background and unfortunately media, has a great impact on that.
When you deliver your baby in Finland you might face some issues that are maybe conflicting with your own image of birth. You need to find out the history and reasoning behind both of them and decide which one is closest to your way. In Finland we have great government supported maternity care system and delivering your baby in Finland is one of the safest in the world. This does not mean that you need to fit into the system one way and forget your background and wishes.
I urge you to find out how the Finnish system works, compare it to your own experience and knowledge and find your way of laboring and delivering your baby.
In the online lecture "Childbirth in Finland" you can find information on how the Finnish system works. Educate yourself also on how birth unfolds, how your body is designed to labor and you can totally do it! Find out how you can be an active participant as well as on medications and interventions. This way you are well prepared for the greatest experience you will have, the way you would like to have it.
(Marjaana Siivola, Childbirth Educator and Doula)
Recording of the Childbirth in Finland online lecture (online video)
Handouts from Marjaana Siivola's Childbirth in Finland online lecture (PDF)
Guide: We´re having a baby
We are having a baby - A guidebook for expectant parents
(by the National Institute for Health and Welfare)
Pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and the life after baby has arrived are very common concerns to all expectant parents. This is especially the case in the families where both or one of the parents come from different culture compared to the country where the child is born. The common questions families might have include for example:
Where can we get information about pregnancy and childbirth?
How does the Finnish "neuvola" system work?
What happens during the birth?
How to take care of the baby?
What if our baby gets ill?
What kind of services there are available for families with small children?
How can we support each other as parents and take care of our relationship?
"We are having a baby" A guidebook for expectant parents by THL (National Institute for Health and Welfare) answers to the questions mentioned above and gives a lot of valuable information for families expecting a child in Finland.
(Duo)
Read the guide online (PDF)
More information: National Institute for Health and Welfare website
The Joy and Blight of Being Different (Duo's online lecture 4.2.2014)
When we think about differences, cultural differences in particular, we often think about problem. However, a difference, cultural or otherwise, does not equal a problem. Instead, some differences have no effect at all (you like classical music and your partner likes jazz, where's the problem in that?) and some differences can lead to a new solution, a new way of doing, seeing and experiencing things. Learning about differences, and experiencing them at first hand, gives us all a chance to see things from another perspective. That new perspective is often a source of joy.
There are some differences, however, that need to be acknowledged, identified, accepted and acted upon so that they would not cause arguments that stem from misunderstanding and different expectations.
Helka Silventoinen talked about these issues, the joy and blight of being different in her online lecture for Duo on 4 February 2014. The lecture was recorded and you can watch it here.
(Hanna Kinnunen)
Watch the The Joy and Blight of Being Different lecture (the video opens in another tab on Perheaikaa.fi website).
Handouts from Helka SIlventoinen's The Joy and Blight of Being Different online lecture (PDF)
Dissertation: Elite Migration, Transnational Families, and the Nation State
Elite Migration, Transnational Families, and the Nation State: International Marriages between Finns and Americans across the Atlantic in the Twentieth Century
(a dissertation by Johanna Leinonen)
My dissertation explores transatlantic migration in the context of international marriages in the twentieth century, using marriages between Finns and Americans in Finland and the U.S. as a case study. The first part of my dissertation documents and explains changes in migration and marriage patterns between Finland and the U.S. over the course of the 20th century. My research shows that among Finns in the U.S. and Americans in Finland, international marriages have become extremely common. In fact, in both migrant populations marriage and migration are often inextricably intertwined: the main explanation for the high number of international marriages can be found in the mobile lifestyles of students, professionals, and young people traveling. The occurrence of these marriages is thus related to the elite position of Finnish and American migrants today: with their EU and U.S. passports, and relatively privileged socioeconomic and racial status, they can move around the world with relative ease. At the same time, the impact of law cannot be dismissed even in the case of these elite migrants: it provides the framework in which these marriages are contracted.
In the second part of my dissertation, I challenge ―methodological individualism‖ (the idea that elite migrants are male professionals who are not bound by familial relationships) by revealing the very important roles that marriage and family play in the migration decisions of elite migrants. I also examine how Finnish migrants in the U.S. and American migrants in Finland negotiate their identities and transnational family life in international marriages. My research shows that during important life-changes, such as when a migrant has a child, transnational engagements often intensify. At the same time, these significant events may also make the migrant feel more attached to the host country. Thus, I found that a migrant's simultaneous engagement in the country of origin and the country of residence highlights the weakness of treating integration and transnationalism as if they were dichotomous categories. My study also contributes to literature that challenges the traditional idea of migration as a unidirectional movement from one place to another initiated by a single motive – work or family. I show that in reality, multiple motives and multidirectional movements are often involved.
Finally, I explore how these elite migrants have been incorporated into immigration discourses in Finland and the U.S. Both countries imagine themselves as exceptional but in very different ways. Finland, it is often argued, is an exceptionally homogeneous nation with no experience in dealing with immigration. Meanwhile, the U.S. portrays itself as a ―nation of immigrants.‖ I found that the differing discourses surrounding immigration and the distinctive meanings attached to the term ―immigrant‖ in Finland and the U.S. were crucial determinants of the way Finns and Americans understood their place in the receiving nation. My research also challenges the common assumption that elite migrants automatically enjoy an ―elite status‖ and can choose the extent to which they integrate in the receiving society. In fact, my research highlights that many migrants experienced a loss of occupational status when moving to the new country, especially in the case of Americans who moved to Finland.
(Johanna Leinonen)
Read the full text online (PDF)
Research: Intercultural marriages and consideration of divorce in Finland: Do value differences matter?
Intercultural marriages and consideration of divorce in Finland: Do value differences matter?
(Lassi Lainiala and Minna Säävälä)
Divorce is well known to be more common among intercultural couples compared to couples in which both spouses come from the same cultural background. In this working paper, we examine considerations of divorce among Finnish spouses in intercultural marriages in Finland, particularly from the perspective of value dissimilarity.
We employ descriptive and multivariate analyses of a representative postal survey among women and men in an intercultural marriage in Finland in 2012. Respondents were Finnish, Swedish and Sami speaking men and women who are married to a foreign language speaking spouse, and foreign language speaking men and women who are married to a spouse who is Finnish, Swedish or Sami speaker. Results are compared to similar data of monoculturally married women and men in Finland in 2008.
About 20 percent of interculturally married Finnish men and women have considered divorce during the previous year. Interculturally married men more frequently considered divorce than did men with a Finnish wife. Interculturally married Finnish women in turn have similar proportions of divorce considerations as monoculturally married women.
However, the country of origin of a foreign-born husband is related to the tendency of a Finnish wives to consider divorce. Finnish women married to a husband from a less developed country tend to have thoughts of divorce more than others: 40 percent of them reported considering divorce during the previous year.
Guide: Love and parenthood in an intercultural family
Duo Project's guide booklet "Love and Parenthood in an Intercultural Family" is intended for all intercultural families that are planning to have a child, expecting a baby or that already have small children. Professionals (such as nurses, kindergarten teachers and school teachers) can also benefit from the booklet. The booklet contains basic information about a couple's relationship, parenthood, child's identity and bilingualism.
The booklet also contains extracts from the stories of parents and grown-up children of intercultural families. The questions at the end of each section can be contemplated alone or as a couple whenever there is time for it.
The booklet is available in English, Finnish, Spanish, French, Russian and Thai. You can order the booklets or download a copy for free. The order form and the online versions of the booklets (PDF) can be found below.
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text:
Written by Lokey Dark Souls November 16, 2020 March 21, 2021
Rat Kingdom
While giant rats are nothing new to Dark Souls, a rat kingdom certainly is. Various beasts have displayed similar intelligence to the bipedal races, with Shalquoir and Alvina from the original Dark Souls (DS1) proving that at least some are capable of speech. The snake men of the other games further demonstrate the potential for these intelligent creatures to form their own societies. Therefore, it is reasonable for rats to establish their own kingdom, taking after the first four kingdoms of the pygmies and medials. The Rat King refers to his kindred as subordinates, establishing a clear hierarchy between himself and the rats who serve under him. They also appear to follow a code of honor that undergirds their sense of loyalty. But for the most part, their kingdom is foreign to human or medial sensibilities. Rats gladly wallow in filth and consider sludgy mud to be the most warm and kind thing imaginable, which explains their general preference for dirty, dank, and damp areas like sewers in the previous game. They delight in these breeding grounds for diseases that could then be passed onto us as poisons.
Thankfully, humans originally had nothing to fear with regards to these plague-carrying vermin. According to the Rat King, he and the chief of humans had made a deal in olden times. Humans would take over the Upper World basked in the light of day, and rats would infest every dark corner beneath the earth. This human chief is an obvious reference to the pygmy Lord who found the Dark Soul, prior to mankind spreading across the surface world. Considering that the gods had already established subterranean kingdoms, this was likely a secret arrangement made in preparation for the coming Age of Dark and downfall of the medials. By agreeing on the borders of their territories early on, mankind would avoid any conflict with the rats once the human race dominated the Upper World. However, things did not go as the pygmy had planned. As the Rat King relates, humans forgot their pledge and have set up various underground societies throughout history. Worse yet, they hunt the rats who are supposed to be their allies. As the Rat King poetically exposites, we have been "poisoned" by the light of the sun.
This seems to be the reason that the King considers us filthy and foul-smelling when such a thing would have presumably been to their liking. It is our betrayal prompted by Gwyn and the gods' machinations that he finds corrupt about us. It may seem unfair then to characterize our race's initial agreement as a lie, but the Rat King doesn't seem to lay blame solely at the feet of the medials. He also points to human greed as the cause for our infidelity, that our behavior is out of a desire to have the land both above ground and below. It is as much our human nature that earns the king's mistrust, and this combination of causes is why he pities humans as fools for desiring everything and yet ultimately acquiring nothing. This low opinion of the human race is probably the reason for us encountering rats topside in DS1 — a classic case of one party ignoring the pact already broken by the other. But the vast majority apparently prefer to nest underground where the sun doesn't touch their fur.
In more recent times, the Rat King and his closest subjects have moved into the Grave of Saints, to forage from the corpses interred there according to the Dark Souls II Collector's Edition Strategy Guide. They can also be found in the underground caverns of the Doors of Pharros. Unlike vermin from past games, the rats in these areas possess the ability to petrify. Curious, since the Rat King rewards his servants with smooth & silky stones before finally awarding the Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring. Though the description confirms it to be a ring that has been handed down in Melfia since long ago, one such ring has nonetheless ended up in the rat's possession. But why? Does he care about its ability to mask one's sound, or is it the image of a slumbering dragon emblazoned on its crest that caught his attention? Given the relative proximity of the Grave of Saints to Shulva and their domain over the entire underground, the rats are likely aware of the slumbering Sinh and other archdragons. Their petrification power may therefore be a result of them studying the rocky world they call home.
I heard a story about, what was it, some rat king or something. Well, if the king's a rich person, I'll go down to even a rat or whatever. Ha ha!
This isn't their only peculiar foray into foreign fields either. The "hunting rat" (狩猟ネズミ) is a dog-rat hybrid acting as their hounds. While their physiology largely resembles that of a canine, their tails are unmistakably those of rats, hence why we can collect them from their corpses. Likewise, the description for the Royal Rat Authority's soul considers the giant dog to be a rat and not a "living statue" like the English text relates. This is an obvious reference to the official name for standard rat enemies being "dog rats" (犬ネズミ) due to their comparable size and the name's similarity to the term "large rat". (大ネズミ) While an amusing connection, it still doesn't reveal how this dog-rat hybrid came to be. They may have been bred naturally with all the darker implications that brings for their canine parents. If so, then their mixed blood has made them an accepted part of rat society but subservient to pureblooded rats.
Similar prejudice extends toward their human servants. The Rat King is willing to recruit us to put the never-ending invaders of his domain to death on his behalf. But before he is willing to offer a covenant, we must slay the Royal Rat Vanguard or Royal Rat Authority and present either of their tails to him. The former is a "soldier" leading an army of rats in preventing us from having an audience with their king. The latter is the "Rat King's Trial" (ネズミの王の試練) who serves to both enforce the royal's authority and test our mettle for joining the covenant — again, neither are living statues but faithful rats defending their lord's kingdom from trespassers. Showing either tail to the king peaks his interest because he realizes that we are stronger than he initially judged. Combined with the fact that we are willing to talk to the king rather than slay him, and we have proven our "integrity" to join the "righteous" rats as the Collector's Edition Strategy Guide puts it. But even then, he hesitates to make the covenant because we are still human and thereby untrustworthy in his eyes.
Soul of the Rat King's Trial that considers the underground its territory.
Those who intend to serve the Rat King must overcome the trial that the King imposed.
The special soul this rat possessed is used to acquire a vast amount of souls or create a great power.
The solution? He asks that we throw away the soul of man to swear fealty to him. We are to embrace the rats in full, to lay in the mud and act in their name without shame. All of this in the hope that we shall throw away our human stench, leaving no reminder of what we actually are while serving the intolerant king of rats. There is an evident desire for outsiders to be as much like rats as physically possible —anything less is beneath them. That said, we aren't the first to have become an ally of the Rat King. A previous human servant had created the covenant ring used to summon rat-hunting invaders to the wearer while in the vicinity. Human hands had also presumably crafted the statues of rats now ornamenting their domain, most effigies holding a vase that spews poison when using the corresponding Pharros mechanisms. There have been others lending the rat kingdom their support, but we can apparently be the first to actually change his opinion about the human race in general.
After we collect countless tails of hunted rats from intruders, the Rat King says that we have vindicated mankind's innocence. Our actions convince the royal that we are indeed not truly at fault for reneging on his deal with the pygmy Lord. We are very much capable of honoring our bargain and make things right between our two peoples, it is just that we have forgotten due to the meddling of powers beyond us at the time. And with us serving as an example for humans as a whole, the Rat King is willing to dream of the day that humans and rats can coexist in harmony. Indeed, should we then decide to kick-start the Age of Dark as man's progenitor had always intended, then peace with the rats is possible thanks to our knowledge as a member of the covenant. Nothing like having the future king of all mankind as your servant to influence diplomatic relations later down the line. But regardless of whether the Rat King knows about our mission, our actions will restore his faith in humanity.
The High Wall
Drangleic
Posted in Supplements.Tagged Dark Souls, Doors of Pharros, DS2, Grave of Saints, Sinh.
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