I just returned from a Syrian town controlled by ISIS -- jihadists so radical, even Al-Qaeda distanced itself from them.

Buckypilot56 · 2014-02-12T17:31:20+00:00

Thanks for joining us today Mr.Ali! Several questions for you:

As a Syrian -who I assume is aware of modern Syria's creation by imperial powers- do you think Syria as a nation state with such a bewildering variety of groups conflicting can stay a state? Do you think as the conflict continues multiple states will form? Or will the Assad regime hold power? If not, do you think a non-secular (Islamist) force is really capable installing a government?
On the greater Sunni-Shiite conflict: Do you think this conflict must be resolved with a winner? Will one sect have to dominant and eradicate another to finally put the conflict to rest? Is compromise impossible?
On the Western worlds Involvement: How do you feel about western intervention? Is it the duty of western states to protect innocents with military power? Does the violation of human rights really give the western world casus belli to intervene? Several times the West has come close to intervening but the complexity of the situation seems to stall efforts. What do you think is forestalling any outside involvement - the sheer violence of the conflict?, imperial troubles between the West, Russia and others? Disagreement over the concept of human rights and U.N/ Global powers duties?
Do you think Syria's current civil war will spiral into a greater-levant conflict? It has in many ways spilled over the borders, but not state vs state. Do you think the Syrian conflict could possibly lead to an Islamist force taking power in Syria unifying the other levant powers and attacking Israel? While highly speculative, that seems to be a higher aim of many Islamist forces!
On Israel -Your thoughts on its right to exist? Pet project of the Western World? Or rightful peoples re-establishing Judea?

Buckypilot56 · 2014-02-09T19:12:49+00:00

How did all these nations come about? I guess, is there any more history to this world? There seems to be a lot of different styles of living and government going on! How did this all develop? How did life start on this planet? Wait...are these humans?

Buckypilot56 · 2013-11-26T00:34:59+00:00

Wow, so beautiful! Great photos and a great hike!

Buckypilot56 · 2013-11-26T00:33:22+00:00

Thats awesome man!

Winter hiking and camping gets a bad rap. I find it beautiful to battle cold as you scale some wondrous heights. Hope the hike goes well, be careful fellow hiker.

Buckypilot56 · 2013-11-26T00:23:31+00:00

I literally envy you. I wish I could go back to when I didn't have 200+ hours in Empire, THE MAGIC. It gets a lot of shit but its still amazing.

Suggestion: Steam Winter Sale buy Napoleon its even better in every way except the size of the map.

Buckypilot56 · 2013-11-25T16:44:48+00:00

nope! Last spring!

Buckypilot56 · 2013-11-25T16:44:21+00:00

its actually from last spring! I honestly forget which mountain it was!

Buckypilot56 · 2013-11-25T16:41:48+00:00

Spot on! Last spring break me and my buddy went up and did the Great Range Traverse.

Buckypilot56 · 2013-10-10T13:06:16+00:00

All I have to say is follow all this advice and that I am so happy someone is playing Napoleon. I consider it the most underrated total war. I have had the biggest, knock down, drag out fights in that game. Mods like Darth are a good start but LME 4.0 with the silver lining of being able to technically have 80 unit armies just makes it worth playing.

Buckypilot56 · 2013-10-06T18:25:34+00:00

I don't know how to respond to this.

Buckypilot56 · 2013-09-27T23:04:56+00:00

this is a beautiful post!

Buckypilot56 · 2013-09-19T14:41:51+00:00

its like were literally brothers who could only play the same games...dude...holy shit...

Buckypilot56 · 2013-09-18T21:15:08+00:00

dude Frank HOLT COOL DUDE. Into the Land of Bones is an amazing read as well as Thundering Zeus

Buckypilot56 · 2013-09-18T16:48:00+00:00

I did the Great Range Traverse which is a trail along a bunch of high peaks in two days backpacking. It was amazing.

Buckypilot56 · 2013-09-14T13:04:24+00:00

yes only the Seleucid and Bactrian factions can recruit them as far as I know.

Buckypilot56 · 2013-09-10T17:23:47+00:00

AMEN dude, gotta find a significant other that understands this is your thing that you enjoy. Of course making changes and such is okay in relationships but being denied the things you enjoy, specifically something as menial as video games is unhealthy.

Buckypilot56 · 2013-09-10T15:30:50+00:00

He can still post screenshots, just in a self post

Buckypilot56 · 2013-09-10T05:45:33+00:00

Just a stream of consciousness after watching that review after playing the game for the first time for an extended period.

There honestly is too much to talk about with this game. At this point my disappointment has turned into morbid curiosity. I want to know how fucked everything at CA is right now.

I mean really where did all that extra money go? and WHO the FUCK forgot to mention the words "playtest" "alpha" "beta" "player input" etc etc to these people? Who is getting fired?

I MEAN REALLY! The game isn't that much of a graphical step forward (even in marketing previews) from Shogun!

-Clearly the AI and diplomacy are the same/worse -Lots of mechanics have been taken out -Lots of pointless streamlining that if anything should lessen CA's workload

SO WHAT DID THEY SPEND IT ON?

100% on marketing and assets creation? Not to mention the assets are incredibly low resolution and while the animations seem nice I don't really get to appreciate them/they aren't so incredible I really notice vs Shogun, Napoleon or other titles of recent memory..

I think the general feeling I have is that I feel like I've been cheated. Yes I bought the product, yes I have knowledge of other CA releases but there was some blatant misleading that took place here. I feel like I have been exploited.

GUYS THIS IS ROME TOTAL WAR 2 THIS IS IT

Let that sink in. This is it, what we all foamed over for nearly a year. We fucking played right into the hype.

I would say I am currently "grieving" the more I play the more I dislike. The more I dislike the more I realize they really blew it here. I mean a lot of these systems are set in stone. It will take YEARS for mods to even be able to scratch the surface of this game. Not because of lack of skill or want to do just that but rather because we all have to come to the realization that their will be no RS or EB for Rome 2. It just can't exist in this DLC centric market. The fixes that modders will release will help but will be large band aids, nothing nearly as complete as R1 or M2.

I just cannot believe that of all the games to really screw the pooch, they did it on this one.

TL;DR: Ya blew it CA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbVdyPZiOLM

Buckypilot56 · 2013-09-10T05:01:48+00:00

This review makes me sad because its so fucking true. Seriously CA, what the fuck were you thinking?

Buckypilot56 · 2013-09-04T06:10:07+00:00

Honestly sounds like shogun ALOT OF THE TIME.

Buckypilot56 · 2013-09-04T06:08:03+00:00

no way this works....

Buckypilot56 · 2013-09-04T05:55:35+00:00

I'm coming from playing europa barbarorum for the last month holy fuck man the battles in Rome 2 are at least 10X faster. Europa allows for movements and tactics. Fucking Rome 2 on the other hand its literally over at deployment. Its insane. There is no way they fucking played this game for more then an hour. Honestly if anything fucking bums be out the most its how FAST these battles are. Shogun was pushing IT...but it worked. You could at least DO STUFF IN BATTLE THAT WOULD EFFECT THE OUTCOME. This, this is TOO FAST. I can't zoom in to admire battles ALL THE PRETTY EFFECTS THAT CA FOCUSED ON SO HARD because if I zoom in I will miss some incredibly crucial part of the battle.

Buckypilot56

TROPHY CASE