Forgot_My_Account

Actually, I've already created a Google form about a month back. Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1i-_RHsz_6LdCBkCv4vURMShpIboevOFI_BAdhMLTk0I Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sHklszwAENqAOvEtCnwhBYXGqntHuRkqOUBKzbnuicE I think it offers more data - we can see which publishers killed the most games, which platform has the highest death to endangerment ratio, etc.

Assassin's Creed is a series widely known for its singleplayer gameplay, yet from AC: Brotherhood forth it has a multiplayer component only available through UPlay. http://www.ign.com/wikis/assassins-creed-3/Multiplayer Basically, it's an entire game mode that can disappear since once UPlay is gone. I think that warrants a place on the list. A more drastic example is the Souls series. It has a unique approach to multiplayer, but the game is defined as a narrative singleplayer experience - you can disconnect from the internet and still have access to most of the content. On the surface, it doesn't earn its place on the list - but matter of fact is that you lose something integral to the game once you take out its online component - invasions, trades, rarely-seen vagrants, summons, etc. So, anything that has an online component that cannot be reproduced after a certain point in time (global server shutdown) applies. It doesn't matter how small or big is its part in the game.

Feel free to submit anything that fits the criteria! We also have to let more people know of this list's existence. It's currently kind of overwhelming and very incomplete, and documentation for this sort of thing is time sensitive - so the sooner we get the word out, the better it is.

Updated the form with following description: If anyone can find any leaps in logic or any games which could've been missed, please tell me so I can fix it ASAP. For example, I've added no. 3 because of games like The Last Stand: Union City, Runescape, and Neopets.

No, it just doesn't fit the criteria. If it has any data related to how the game functions online rather than locally, it fits the bill. Since ACII doesn't have that, and only has online verification, it doesn't fit our criteria. If the game was literally uncrackable, which no game has proved to be so far, then you might have a point. By your system, every game on Steam is at risk because it needs online verification. I just don't think that is the point Ross was trying to make.

While you aren't wrong, the UPlay DRM in this instance doesn't transfer any of the game data - it's just regular DRM. Plus, it was cracked, so ACII isn't in any risk.

Fixed. Feel free to do it! Now, we need more people to contribute for the list to be both extensive and accurate. So if anyone knows of any major boards that might welcome it, feel free to suggest them. Alternatively, just post it there yourself and link here if anyone has any issues.

Lethal/Non lethal doesn't really play a major part. You do get some bonuses early on from Carter and Paul, but since you're doing a cheat run those bonuses doesn't seem to matter that much. Late game, especially after it doesn't come into play at all. I think you're getting the wrong conclusions from your experience, as most other people (modders especially) have taken it to the exact opposite side of the spectrum. I cannot recommend GMDX enough, as it does add some gameplay sections in a lot of levels geared towards more specialized builds. Anyway, I think you're adamant enough to go through with it - so prove me wrong and have fun!

I don't think that's true. First of all, there are MMOs like The Secret World where doing single player is viable. Second of all - if there's a demand for it, you can create a community surrounding a private server. I've done that with friends in a game called MU Online, and later, Lineage II. Anyway, we're just cataloging it to see its extent, and raise awareness about games that have died or could die soon that need to be saved. Notice that there's even a category for browser games, like The Last Stand series, and mobile games which I'm not that familiar with.

Well, Ross brought it up already, so I've decided to create a Google spreadsheet so we could create a list of all of the dead/preserved/at risk games we know of currently. To view all currently known games: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sHklszwAENqAOvEtCnwhBYXGqntHuRkqOUBKzbnuicE Also, feel free to add new games to the list - just fill this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1i-_RHsz_6LdCBkCv4vURMShpIboevOFI_BAdhMLTk0I Bear in mind, someone would need to maintain it, aside from it relying on community input. So if anyone wants to volunteer, just let me know. UPDATE (8/13/16): This hasn't caught on and no new entries were entered in the past two months, so I won't be checking on it and maintaining it anymore. If anyone wants to use it that list as a base for another project, be my guest. If new entries are submitted, they'll appear at the end of the list with a single line separating them from the list so far - so you'll know what has been reviewed. Thanks for everyone who's submitted dead, dying or saved games. I hope we succeed in ending this practice soon.

Cracking removes protection to extract existing information. That's the key here. DarkSpore's assets and some functionality are stored locally, but a major part of it was stored remotely - on EA's servers. Once they shut them down, you can no longer access that data, and therefore cracking it will not help. You can try to restore it by replicating the server. But since we don't have all of the data, the replication is likely to be inaccurate. That process is called "server emulation", and it really needs a dedicated fan base - not only to get people with the technical know-how, but also because it needs a massive amount of data points to achieve accuracy. DarkSpore, as far as I know, didn't have it when it was still online - and is therefore gone forever (unless EA has a backup/server data somewhere).

Item over-abundance is something that the GMDX mod actually fixes, that's why I recommended it. As I've said, Deus Ex allows for every different approach at almost any time, and if you tie yourself down to only one you'll end up with too much of the other approaches' items. The original function of the Power Recirculator was to use it in times of need, not as an always-on upgrade. With single augs, it's practically worthless, especially at level 1. However, if you activate many augs at the same time (Regen + Ballistic Protection + EMP Shield) it quickly becomes worth it. Most mods, however, fix it to be as an always-on battery saver, along with Regen nerfing and other balancing changes. Regarding routes, it depends on specialization, convenience and how much you want to explore. A prime example of this is escaping from UNATCO, where you only have to talk with Paul and Manderley. Other than that, you don't even have to retrieve your items, explore the biotech labs, vents, etc. This exists everywhere, even if you don't notice it - did you know you can snipe Maggie Chow through Jock's apartment and skip almost half of Hong Kong? Or sneak into her building through the back alley? The Naval Shipyards, however, are about getting inside the ship. It sets a clear goal, instead of one obfuscated by quests. It's not even that long, it just has a lot of dead space - majority of the action actually occurs if you go through the sewers - jumping puzzles, mines, lasers, spiderbots, a swimming section and toxic gas. The surface is the easier way to go - soldiers and bots that patrol a large area and are pretty braindead, and you have to activate some of them yourself. Anyway, what I'm trying to say here, everyone has their own experiences with Deus Ex. That's just the way the game is built. In retrospect, it is flawed, but there are many mods out there to either fix or exploit those flaws in a good way (TNM comes to mind). I suggest you let it go for now and give it a try in a few years, with GMDX or other mods. It'll give you a fresh start, and add functionality and balancing.

For me, it's Kingdom Hearts. The entire series, not just the first game. I remembered it through nostalgia-goggles with Disney taking a much more prominent role. Instead, whenever I replayed it, I saw more and more insanity intertwined with Square-Enix written dialogue. I now take the Disney part of it as just cameos (and bad ones, at that), instead of the 50-50 relationship I saw in the beginning. For all it's worth, I remember also going through it almost on autopilot. It rarely had any situations which required tactical thinking, and being almost completely numb through it might've had some part in me just not remembering its convoluted bat-shit plot.

There was once a game review site called Blistered Thumbs under the Channel Awesome brand. They basically had the same premise as you, and they failed to garner enough fans to support themselves. It all comes down to the money. If they make sensationalist reviews and give polarizing reviews of major games, they are bound to get a reaction and more hits, thus more community support. If they are supported by the publisher, it's just another means to stay afloat. Again, those issues compound each other, and make it nearly impossible for a straight-faced balanced review site to rise.* You can see it in YouTube reviews. Most of them either focus on just the positive, or just the negative. Ross is really the exception rather than the rule, and he generally doesn't cover new releases - so it's a moot point, really. To sum up, it's not about honor. It never was about honor. It's about paying the bills by appealing to the masses. * - compilation of early reviews of Assassin's Creed: Unity: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=930817 It was, and still is, a broken mess and quite bland when it did work. Average scores: 7-8/10.

I think you're lending too much value to gaming press. You have to keep in mind: A. Most of the major-brand game reviews are paid by the publisher, with cash or free games and merchandise.* B. Game journalists and their sites represent a certain vendor. So to sell more copies, reviews are inflated.** C. Most game reviews are targeted towards the casual, ignorant gamer, which can't really tell an 8/10 from a 10/10, and will likely buy a major-brand game rather than an unknown indie.*** Now, all of these factors also compound each other. It's easy to see that the score the game receives doesn't really reflect the game or the amount of enjoyment the reviewer had. * - http://blogjob.com/oneangrygamer/2015/11/star-wars-battlefront-ea-rep-and-reddit-mods-caught-in-corruption-scandal/ ** - Look at every purchase link you find at a review site. *** - Personal opinion of reviews. Also, CoD and Battlefield as case-studies.

The story of Deus Ex, well, it's every conspiracy theory rolled into one. It's not something deep, even though on a moment-to-moment basis, the dialogues are deep. It's a rational approach to a preposterous situation. Its strength comes from those moment-to-moment events. You can be have a stealthy build, find a LAM, and solve the next problem via the demolition route. Or you can go exploring. Or whatever. It doesn't bind you to any route. With enough ingenuity/jumping-puzzle ability/shooting skill/perception/memory you can basically solve everything. The skills are almost like training wheels. They don't let you go anywhere, they just make it easier - and since the skill floor drops, that gameplay option is available for more players. Need more time to memorize passcodes from computers? Upgrade your hacking. You aren't that accurate with a gun and like to run-and-shoot? Upgrade your rifles. Can't find enough rebreathers in levels with water (there are, and they are plenty)? Upgrade your swimming. Regarding augments, yeah, they are a bit underwhelming. But again, they don't make your superpowered. If you think you can go against an army just because you're fully decked with Ballistic Protection, you're dead wrong. It makes things easier, and some things more accessible, but it doesn't make you Superman - and that's the beauty of it. I think you don't like the NSF Airfield because it rather bluntly enforces stealth, which isn't very satisfying in vanilla. Things can pick up once Vanilla Deus Ex was grand for its time, but it DOES need a little more refinement to meet 2016 standards. Since you're only at the beginning of the playthrough, I recommend restarting with one of these two mods installed: Shifter/Bio-Mod for a more arcade-y experience or GMDX for a far more refined you-get-what-you-deserve playthrough. Better AI and all, makes stealth really more satisfying. There are other mods that can be mentioned, but most of the good ones are total conversion, so save those for after you beat Deus Ex.

It depends on the competence of the executive's assistant. If you were to read two letters which are exactly the same, but are in a slightly different form, would it trick you? Everything can work on someone, but you have to assume a degree of competence for something to work an experienced someone. I think different texts is the way to go, and you can mix-and-match paragraphs from different pre-written community letters to maximize the results:work ratio. Different paper sizes and different amount of papers (by varying font sizes and spacing) might work as well. Color, generally, doesn't work and makes your letter look tacky. The reason why it doesn't work is the mail can be read under many different lights, and therefore it's generally not a factor when filtering mail. If you send a radioactive-green text on a bright pink background, you won't be taken seriously, even if your letter is clearly different to the rest (and takes far, far more effort and focus to read). Different envelopes can work. If you go with a fancy one, the assistant might think it's more important and pass it through even if the content is a duplicate of an existing letter. This, however, raises the cost, so it might not be an option to everyone.

The thing about internet twits, emails, etc. that is so easy to filter and block is the fact that they follow a pattern that is easily recognizable by both humans and machines. This is the same with physical letters. So, if you were to send 10 identical mails, you can be sure that 7 out of those 10 will be dismissed. Variation, both in content and sender/recipient combination, is key. Also, as someone who worked as a postman for some time, I can tell you that some post offices (in fact, most post offices, seeing the decline in use nowadays) only send a mail truck only on certain days - mostly Monday and Wednesday. So even if you send a letter once a day, the outcome will be that 3 identical letters will reach the recipient at once. For a constant stream of letters, you'd need to send them from different locals, which is a bit of a problem due to postage. The next best thing would be to find someone in Redwood City, California and mail the letters to them. They could regulate the outflow of mail, as inner-city mail doesn't deliver mail in bulk but rather by FIFO.

OK, you're right, it doesn't hurt EA. Neither boycott nor piracy will leave a dent in their fiscal reports. But you're only looking at only one very small side of it: us being consumers of EA games. What about us being activists? What about us bringing an industry-wide change? What can we do that DOES leave its mark? I don't know. There are smarter, more knowledgeable people than me. Starting with letters is fine, at least it warrants some sort of response if done on a wide scale. What I do know is: Associating ourselves and inciting others to commit illegal activities de-legitimizes our claims. Please edit your posts, as even a small trace of it can, and probably will, be used to dismiss us. We represent a voice that needs to be heard and acknowledged, not heard and immediately categorized as criminal.

In the video, Ross said that a boycott doesn't hold much water due to some gamers being inherently loyal to a franchise, such as Madden, and a variety of other reason that will lead to them buying EA products even if they agreed to participate in the boycott. Hurting EA's wallet isn't really feasible on a massive scale. I think that becoming a nuisance to EA will at least make them comment on the matter, thus attracting more attention to it, and therefore is the best approach. Because this isn't just an EA problem, this is an industry-wide problem and a bad business practice that needs to be discussed in a wider forum with much more input from both developers and players, and that will undoubtedly create the circumstances needed for a change. On another note, I don't live in America, and postage is expensive. If anyone can think of anything else I can do to help, please post it.

That's awesome! Another Freeman's Mind, which will probably take us to the next decade (seeing as HL2 was 1 and two thirds of a game, plus Lost Coast). Adding timestamps to the YouTube description is a very good idea, if you (understandably) don't want to edit the chat into a more concise form. If neither is a possibility, Jeb, who is indeed a boss, has pretty much done all the job needed. Just slap it on the blog post and you have a pretty accessible guide for the video. Sidenote: I have yet to see the video, so I can't really comment on anything. But kick ass, everybody.

Loved the episode - righteous as always, Ross! I gave up on MMOs a while ago so I've never even heard about this game until now, but it seems like it's something I would enjoy given it got hacked into single player \ I could run my own private server with modded values. It seems really rich and I would be kind of sad if I could never experience it on my on terms. Your pick for "somebody crack this" award absolutely nailed it.

I don't think either view is wrong. "Taking baby steps" and "not a significant improvement" are synonymous - as Ross said both here and in his Battleforge RGD, crack sites have been operating pretty much in the open and nothing stops them. In practice, single player games have always been playable, with the biggest case of "uncrackable game" was, as far as I know, Splinter Cell 3 for a year and a half. So that's a non-issue - it's the online component that's suffering the most. And while it still outlaws the online component, the law has never been enforced about it. Still, it acknowledges it, and I think it's a step in the right direction and shows potential for a change, but currently it's just another law for company lawyers to wield and for us to change - like it has always been. Ross has summed this up pretty well, I think.

First 15 seconds: "something's off here, Ross is speaking quieter than usual". Last minute: Hell yeah! I think this is the best episode so far this month. Concise, is awesome, has a funny anecdote. Ross, you've done a good job compressing the RGD format into 10 minutes.

Starting on a bit of a downer, I can't donate right now. Uni is hard, I can't work a full time shift, and I'm reduced to rationing my meals just so I can keep myself at school. If I had anything to give, your donation campaign would've been #1 though - not because you promise the moon a-la Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns, but because you're down to Earth, transparent and sincere. That's the most important thing about a donation campaign, and I do hope you succeed. On another note, you've integrated both VTMB and Deus Ex (The Synapse, ending theme) to your video. The former is what I consider one of the greatest games of all time, while the latter is my pick for #1. This has made me really happy, even if it was in a rather somber video. Edit, SUGGESTION: Seeing as you're willing to spend more time gaming on RGD, why not make at least some of it on a schedule and do a stream? I don't know how much Twitch is paying, but it can help a bit while you wouldn't have to change much for it, maybe the screen cap to not include the chat. It might even bring in people who are not aware of Accursed Farms to watch your videos, so it it might trickle down to more YouTube payments.