David Hingtgen

Re:minerals All collection things have "extras" AFAIK, but sometimes they're clumped. If you miss one spot, you can miss like 4 of them. As opposed to scouring a bunch of hidden ships and asteroids (I've found multiple in a single system of those) yet still coming up effectively empty. For the longest quest in the game, you'd think there'd be some kind of reward.

Quick question about remote macros: Say I have a "play 360" macro programmed. And assume 360 is on component #1, which is the third overall input (after HDMI 1 and 2). How does the remote select component #1? Most TV's remain on their last input when shut off. It can't just always be programmed for "hit input select 3 times", as that'll be different each time depending on what the TV was doing when shut off. Or do you also have to program a "stop playing 360" macro that'll have the TV return to the "first" input selection, so that all other macros have a common reference point for changing input?

http://www.mygamercard.net/leaderboard.php...p;x=13&y=12 Still #2. (world rank has fallen to #43) Though I just used up the last of my free Gold subscription cards, so I probably won't be going online for a while. But I notice the yearly cards are on sale (just a little). But I do need to really start saving up as much as I can to get my HDTV. Surprised I didn't drop to #10 or something---really surprised no one's passed 800 yet. Especially as I've been playing ME all week. Since every pack has one free plane (and every future one will as well, as you need it to see the other ones that people paid for), I hope we'll eventually get 1 free scheme for each type of plane.

Oooooooh, silvery-chrome Prime with sword. Must-buy. Metallic red and blue paint would be a bonus, but I'll get him regardless. Barricade--I still want a bigger one. All the paint in the world won't make it as neat a toy as that character deserves. BB--wonder how it'll be different. I finally found an 08. But the movie car's paint job was a very fine-grain pearl, the finish used on BestBuy Ratchet is way too grainy and wouldn't look right. I really want to see what paint apps they do---my BB looks kinda plain in robot mode, being pure black plastic. Ironhide---they basically added all the silver paint apps I did to mine. And brightened up his robot mode paint apps. SS---colors are right, but he seems to be missing the actual camo pattern. It's like they colored each piece in the majority color. I.E. the wings are all one color, the stabs are all one (different) color, etc. PS----no matter what, they're still missing the Xmas toy season. Too late. Movie hype (and children's wish lists) won't last forever. If they'd come out with these last week...

Mineral quest: I ended up with 50% more than I needed for some things, but only 1/2 of what I needed for others. It was very lopsided. I went to EVERY system (except 1 I think), and still didn't have nearly enough rare nor heavy metals. And I spent hours driving around planets looking for more. The only way I'll try again is if someone makes a map showing all the highest concentrations. I mean--you don't get anything for beating it. It's no different than a 5-min Citadel quest, reward/plot-wise. It just takes 500 mins. Asari writings--that was slightly annoying, in that when I only needed one more--I found a place with THREE of them within like 5 feet of each other. I could have finished long before if I'd went there earlier. I only ever completed about half of the collection quests. There really was no incentive by the end, and I'd basically run out of places to go, other than back to some planets and drive around some more--which I was not going to do. All the other quests have some plot to them at least, however small.

Here's a really rough overhead drawing of my bedroom. TV faces the bed, I generally "sit sideways" on the bed to watch it. So when you're watching TV, the dresser is behind the TV. One stereo speaker is up there, very close to the wall. The other stereo speaker is on the floor, ahead of a bookshelf. They are spaced sightly left and right of the TV itself, just at different heights and several feet behind the TV. (only solution). Trust me when I say I have no room to adjust, nor any inclination to re-arrange. (I predict it'll take me many days to pack up all my model planes and books, just to get the 2 main bookshelves empty when I do move) Game systems, DVD etc sit ahead of the nightstand. eugimon--yes, reluctance of turning everything on is a primary issue. I also dislike large/heavy remotes. Maybe if I find the perfect one that doesn't cost a hundred bucks and isn't ginormous. I personally kinda like having a bunch of little remotes running everything separately--I'm just used to it. (Watching a DVD, I often have my TV, DVD, and stereo remotes all laid out ahead of me---TV to adjust brightness/contrast as every DVD and often chapter are different, DVD for pause etc, and stereo to adjust the equalizer).

Then I would have to always use the receiver, wouldn't I? (if everything was hooked into it) Also, I saw few receivers in the lower end of the price range that had multiple inputs (at least, enough for what I want to hook up). It's going to be all or nothing. Expected stuff to own within 12 months: 360 PS3 HD-DVD (stand-alone) Upscaling DVD (stand-alone) Wii And if I actually hook up cable or something, that'll be another thing.

All these car vs jet tests lately. I'll put anything up against the YF-23. The car would win for about the first 10 secs... PS---"The Reventón’s design – entirely designed by the Centro Stile Lamborghini and perfected down to the finest detail in close collaboration with Lamborghini’s R and D management - drew its inspiration from the world’s fastest aircraft in modern aviation" What plane are they talking about? I can provide a LONG list of planes faster than the F-22.

Oh, I forgot possibly the most important thing: When in the Mako---hold down L trigger. Then click R-stick (while still holding down L-trigger). Trust me. Use it whenever possible. Fire from afar. Very far.

1. Set your party's AI (in the main game options) to "auto". It defaults to "defense only" which sucks. Yeah, level up charm or intimidate. Also, don't buy ANY weapons or armor for the first half of the game. You'll get more than enough "in the field". Use your money to buy health/grenade upgrades (rare but easy to find) and licenses, so that when you DO have money to blow near the end, you can get the good stuff. In the beginning, what you find is better than what you can buy (and you're poor). At the end, you can buy way better than you find (and you're rich). But the *really* good stuff is only available if you have the right licenses, so buy them whenever you see them. Also---pistol is supposed to be very good when levelled up, but I haven't done it yet. Assault rifle is all-around good. Finally---the "mineral collection" quest is almost never-ending, and there's no special reward. Feel free to skip/ignore. Though in a round-about way, it leads to many other quests. PS---the overall difficulty is fairly heavily affected by your armor. If you want your first time to be relatively easy, be a soldier to get the heavy armor. Vanguard/Infiltrator are next, with medium armor.

I actually blame the TV more than the cable. I've had multiple TV's that just plain wouldn't accept S-video correctly from multiple things/cables. There are "compatability issues", just as bad as some TV's have with digital inputs. At the moment, I own nothing that will give me a proper S-video picture. (which is why I research connection compatability so heavily for my next TV---HDMI and component, every system at every resolution)

The other toys were also 3x as thick. ::checks OVA 4 at 13:52:: Well, I think we have more evidence for "big gaping hole in the rear fuselage" (more evident if you frame-by-frame it)

Awesome thing to try for your second playthrough etc (regarding Liara): As I'm going for her ally acheivement next run, I can't do this for a while. But the third time (and I'll have Wrex along)... I personally know that a one-planet "delay" won't work.

S-video cables are the most finicky of all connection types IMHO. I have yet to find one that actually worked well, I gave up on them and run composite instead. 90% as sharp, but consistent and trouble-free.

Her hair's naturally green. Common in Zentradi/Meltrandi. See Guld.

Checking BestBuy, there's receiver and speakers only set up from Sony for a bit under 200--that looks good to me. As for audio out--the Samsung I'm looking at seems able to do what I want, the Sony seems like it can't. (There was literally a new firmware from Samsung like a week ago, and no problems reported yet---if they finally fixed the "tearing with 720p" problem, it's definitely the one I'm buying) Panasonic--manual's not very specific. It uses different terms every time audio out is mentioned. I get the impression it's "tv OR external".

That's better (half the price). I wish all the HTIB's didn't include a DVD player. I can always do better myself and it just adds to the cost. I want receiver and speakers, nothing more really. (plus, with the PS3 apparently being among the best at upscaling normal DVD's, it may see use as my primary player) One issue I really have to check---TV output vs "do the TV's speakers still work". How I have stuff now, everything is permanently connected. My TV speakers are always on, even when the stereo's on. My TV can't output audio at all, I just have enough splitters that "everything gets audio signals all the time". But for HDMI etc, I'd need to send all the signals to the TV, then have the TV output audio to the stereo or receiver--and many TV's (including my living room Toshiba) don't like to have their own speakers on when they're doing audio output. But I do want the TV speakers on all the time. I like the ability to almost instantly have my "high end" sound come on with a minimal of button-pushing. ::checks:: Yeah, the only TV I have that can do audio out requires you to physically flip a switch on the BACK of the TV to engage it--shutting off the TV's own speakers. Hopefully newer TV's can do it automatically, or just hit a button on the remote? (or even better, keep their own speakers on while doing audio out) (I've downloaded the manual for nearly every TV I'm considering, but most HDTV manuals are almost as bad as a X360's for how little they explain what all the TV can do and what's in the menus)

That's always my biggest issue--I like GOOD sound, not loud sound. I want to hear every note, with the volume set at "2". (My home stereo is much better at that than my car, despite the car's stereo costing much more). A lot of stuff just seems to add bass and volume, losing mid and treble. Or, if treble goes up, it just becomes "piercing". PS---500 is more than I'd want to spend. Plus I really don't have room for any more speakers. I mean, REALLY don't have room for any more speakers. But my current "send it all to my stereo" setup won't work with HDMI, and would take a lot more splitters etc with component and could lead to signal degradation---will have to further research what my stereo can take for direct TV output----might have to pick my TV partly based on its "audio out" abilities.

Yup, I have AR and singularity unlocked, so ANY future character can use them, regardless of class. (Can only pick one though, so even if you unlock every ability in the game, you can only have one "bonus") But singularity is the only biotic power a vanguard doesn't normally have, so it's pretty nice to do that one. (I'd go for hacking too so I could have a fully-teched infiltrator, but that one has even more restrictions on what "counts" as a use than singularity---it may take many hours and isn't worth it)

This is one of those "we need to ask Kawamori" things. Regardless of how the toy is, we don't know how the "real" YF-21 is designed back there.

I'm way too sick to moderate right now...

ME thread? IMHO, "too late now". A lot of us have already beat it, it'd be a pretty short-lived thread. I'm not playing it again until I get my HDTV. My 2nd run will be in high-res!

Constant rumors on the ME boards. We'll see. First DLC is rumored for Xmas. Could include fixes/patch, could be just new armor colors. Could release a patch prior to the DLC. I saw probably my worst ever texture glitch. Shepard AND Ashley didn't have their textures when I started the game the first time tonight. And one of the longer waits ever for them to "pop in". Anyone else ever see the Normandy lose a texture? The name "Normandy" is a separate texture over the black texture.

If you recall wm cheng's model, he had to fill in that area with plastic--Hasegawa leaves it as a gaping hole in the rear fuselage. If you check the official drawings--it's in permanent shadow, with no clear structure or covering. It might actually be, that the feet are visible through a large opening, canonically. Or that they perfectly match the contours of the area and themselves are a flush covering. They're just always in shadow in the animation. Something to think about.

My renegade will be my vanguard. That'll be my "through the game twice to get to level 60" character. And my female one, too.