Timmoru Suzuki

After about 8 games on Professional, I finally managed to score! I was Bayern and beat Rangers 2-0, though I did notice the CPU misplacing most of my passes after the second goal went in, in the old PES being a bitch to those who are beating it way. I then managed to score a 25-yarder inside 2 minutes with Zanetti as Inter vs. Spurs. The fact that it was a crap shot and only went in because it took a deflection of Dawson is irrelevant. Sadly it all went downhill from there. We've all been playing PES long enough to know that the CPU is putting a free-kick into the top corner before the player has even stepped up to shoot, and I had the exact feeling just before Van Der Vaart put the ball into the top corner... Then the CPU got me Samuel sent off for changing who I was controlling as I pressed slide-tackle, making a Cambiasso challenge from the side a Samuel challenge from behind. Fuckers. After that, Spurs destroyed me, but I held on for the 1-1. Some of it was slightly silly (I think every loose ball or rebound in the 2nd half went their way), but it was fun.

We don't know that the two are mutually exclusive. The game was originally meant to be out this autumn, for all we know the story and game were done and the delay WAS to add multu-player. Okay, it's unlikely that the delay was just for multiplayer, but still. It doesn't really bother me either way, I'm not gonna use the feature, and nothing I've seen or read so far suggests that single player will be a let down in any way. Can't wait for this.

Ah I'm pleased to hear the final game is a little easier; cos demo wise I've begun to find Regular WAY too easy, but I can't score for shit on Professional - and I play on Professional on PES11, so the step up in difficulty to PES12 is obvious. I am finding it almost pointless putting crosses into the box as the defence deals with them perfectly everytime. I agree about the new tackling system. I'm still not used to it at all, but I know that it's worth taking the time to master it because it is a great system. I've never played PES online, except one match about three years ago when the lag made it almost impossible and the game cut out with about twenty-minutes to go (and me 4-2 up, grr....) I've previously tended to do a Champions League, an offline Master League and then just twat around with random friendlies whenever I feel like a quick game. I've heard generally good things about MLO in the past though.

Played the demo a little more 'cos I was bored. Also 'cos I always get a hankering for a new football game at this time of year and as much as I want to like FIFA 12, I can't bring myself to want to spend that much money on it. I've actually turned the difficulty down while I get used to it. Still finding it hard to score even on an easier setting, and I can't get the hang of the off the ball team-mate controls much, but I've certainly had more fun with it. I like how much more realistic everything looks. I just scored with a toe-poker from the edge of the area; a defender came across to block it and the ball hit the inside of his leg, taking all the power out of the shot but putting the ball just that little bit further into the corner and away from the keeper's glove. Not a 'pretty' goal but it looked realistic and smooth as hell in the replays. Some of the passing is glorious too. Still laregly undecided about rushing out and getting it, but I'm certainly more interested than I was. Are you still playing it Johnny? Does it still hold up well after a couple of weeks?

On the whole I wasn't a fan. I like answers, not more questions. For two years in a row, Moffats' build > the finished product, BUT, the Brigadeer scene choked me up, Rory was understated but brilliant again, and Matt Smith > .

I'll ask my housemate, If he doesn't have almost every damn 40K book I'd be surprised. From my limited experience of them, It's more genetically engineered super-soldiers with guns (and swords) fighting heretics, orcs, demons and tonnes of alien races in a bid to expand/protect the human race. He did advise me to choose a particular series and follow that (one series or another might follow a particular squadron of soldiers, or a particular species or campaigns in a particular sector, or might focus on air combat rather than ground combat). The anthology in my 'To Read pile' collects three books in a series called Gaunt's Ghosts and I brought it because I like the authors comic book work and it was something that I knew my house-mate didn't have. There is also the big 'event' in the 40K universe called the Horus Heresy (set around 30K really, but still...) which tells of how a large number of the human chapters became heretics/posessed by demons/otherbadshit. Because it's a huge cash cow for them they've released about 20 books (and counting) in the series. I've read the first one and it was solid enough, and I've heard from large numbers of people that if you can pick and choose the important books in the series then they get better and better and better. So yeah, I'll talk to my housemate! Until then, the publishers have a 'New Reader?' page, which you may find useful. Here. Thanks, man (Y) His quick answer was, "it depends what he likes to read generally." His longer answer was explaining that while the 40K universe deals with war and lots more war, it is also one giant sandbox that writers and game-makers have dumped stuff into, so if for example you like Vampire fiction then you might enjoy the novels about the Blood Angels. He likes the books about the Spacewolves; who, you guessed it, are Werewolves in Space, with a culture based off Norse mythology. If you like crime novels then you might like novels about The Inquisition. If you're just looking for a general overview though then your probably best off with either the Horus Heresy stuff I mentioned earlier, novels about the Imperial Guard, or the Gaunt's Ghosts series. Wiki has a nice list of all the (many) Warhammer 40K novels. List.

1. Principal Skinner 2. Homer Simpson 3. Lionel Hutz 4. Lisa Simpson 5. C. Montgomery Burns 6. Lenny Leonard 7. Apu whateverhissurnameis 8. Sideshow Bob 9. Gil 10. Marge Simpson

I'll ask my housemate, If he doesn't have almost every damn 40K book I'd be surprised. From my limited experience of them, It's more genetically engineered super-soldiers with guns (and swords) fighting heretics, orcs, demons and tonnes of alien races in a bid to expand/protect the human race. He did advise me to choose a particular series and follow that (one series or another might follow a particular squadron of soldiers, or a particular species or campaigns in a particular sector, or might focus on air combat rather than ground combat). The anthology in my 'To Read pile' collects three books in a series called Gaunt's Ghosts and I brought it because I like the authors comic book work and it was something that I knew my house-mate didn't have. There is also the big 'event' in the 40K universe called the Horus Heresy (set around 30K really, but still...) which tells of how a large number of the human chapters became heretics/posessed by demons/otherbadshit. Because it's a huge cash cow for them they've released about 20 books (and counting) in the series. I've read the first one and it was solid enough, and I've heard from large numbers of people that if you can pick and choose the important books in the series then they get better and better and better. So yeah, I'll talk to my housemate! Until then, the publishers have a 'New Reader?' page, which you may find useful. Here.

Yeah, auto-pin doesn't work in multi-man matches when you might so obviously be getting your pin broken up. I'd rather have the stand afterwards. At the very least you get to play arrogant-heel a bit in singles matches. It would be nice if they added a 'hold B to pin' option on them though.

I'm reading Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch; it's a police-procedure urban fantasy comedy... It's quite good and short which makes it a refreshing read after A Game of Thrones. After I've finished that, it'll either be Playback by Raymond Chandler, A Warhammer 40K Novel from an anthology I brought yonks ago, a random spy thriller my mum lent me, A random Jo Nesbo that my mum keeps trying to lend me, or finally getting around to reading Lord of the Rings.

That was a lot of fun. Smith and Corden (who I'm not normally a fan of at all) have a lot of chemistry and the script was hilarious. It all got resolved a little quickly; but for a fun filler episode, I don't really care. More top stuff. And waiting a year for a series sucks, but there's always the Christmas special.

I brought my first comics in two years with Justice League 1 and Resurrection Man 1. Justice League was fine, but didn't feel 'special,' for a reboot of such a huge title. The Batman/Lantern interaction was good, but it felt like it could have been any other (good) Super-hero team up comic. I've really enjoyed some of Dan Abnett's work in the past (and recently interviewed him, but that's by-the-by) but I wasn't hugely sold on Resurrection Man. It started well, and the concept has got a lot of legs, but some of the dialogue, especially from the angels seemed bland and indistinct. It also suffers from doing so much to set up the concept and future arcs that not much actually happens in that issue. It's by no means bad and I believe that it will work really well when collected in a TPB, but as a single issue it was a bit lacking. I might, and stress might, get Detective Comics, Batman and All Star Western. Maybe Swamp Thing at a push. Haven't really missed comics and I'm not going to go about spending the kind of money I was on them a couple of years ago.

Not sure yet. FIFA looks slick in terms of presentation; but the passing is horrible and matches play like they're being played ontop of two inches of treacle. It's also far too easy to score the same types of goal over and over and over again; but the tackling system is much better. Pro should be far better overall but has some big annoyances that hold it back, the chief one being the rubberband AI. On the whole it's going to be Pro Evo, whether it be continuing with last years or buying this years. FIFA would have more of a chance if it were cheap; but it looks like it's never gonna be cheap until next years game is about to come out.

Not liking this much at all. Its basically PES4, my least favourite football game ever. And that includes FIFA 2003. I do like the improved control in tight situations and the team-mate AI movement. That's it. The tackling is horrific, the CPU is able to play perfect through balls at the drop of a hat and actually scoring is ridiculous. I've lost three games, 2-0, 1-0 and 1-0. The CPU has managed 5 shots on target in those three games, to my 35. Bullshit.

I was also considering the Detroit Lions for the obvious challenge there; but I'm thinking for a Madden nOOB, a team like the Ravens would be challenge enough.

I was still struggling, so I messed with the sliders a little (still on Pro setting). I also upped the quarter length to 7 minutes. Anyway, my QB accuracy went from 75 to 77, the CPU's ability to intercept passes went from 50 to 45, both sides ability to tackle went down by 5, and I made the difference between quicker and slower players greater. I used the Steelers and beat the Giants 24-0... and then used Tampa Bay to beat the Chicago Bears 52-3.... I think I've gone too far the other way! Though I might have decided on Tampa Bay as a team to play a franchise with. Gonna tweak the sliders again and play a match as Baltimore and then decide once and for all.

Wow, watching the Saints vs. The Packers shows me how much I suck at this. At one point yesterday my pass completionj was 0/13 in a game and I'm a million miles away from a return like Cobb managed. And yet I'm still encouraged to carry on. Who should I pick for a Franchise, I ask the Madden experts? A very good defence and running team please, though not a hopeless passing unit if possible.

Been playing a tonne of exhibition matches with some of the better teams (like 85+ Overall rating) against teams with similar ratings. I tend to win, though not always by much. My passing is iffy, I tend to only make about 20-25% of passes, and my running is either great or shit; but defensively I don't think I'm terrible (though with not understand coverages and all that jazz it could be more luck than judgement) Basically, if I up the difficulty to All-Pro I'll get creamed, but on Pro I'm okay. I need to settle on a team to do a Franchise. Also, what quarter length do people like to use? I've been on the default of 5 minutes, but it doesn't really seem long enough. I was thinking of trying 8 or 9 minutes. Much longer and I think a game'd last a little too long.

Classic Simpsons, Arrested Development, I'm Alan Partridge, The Thick of It, Peep Show, Fawlty Towers and Blackadder. That's about it for sitcoms that I really like. I do like some of the other classic British sitcoms like Dad's Army and Open all Hours, but ultimately I can take them or leave them - the list above contains my favourites. Friends is a weird one for me - I watched every new episode religiously when they aired, always enjoyed the show; and yet after watching the last ever episode I haven't watched a single second of Friends since and don't have much inclination to. Ah, this thread has reminded me of 'Allo 'Allo. Used to find it hysterical as a kid, not sure how it'd hold up now. Likewise Goodnight Sweetheart. Used to really like it when it first started, but I remember the last series in particular being abysmal (the one with all the time portals opening up all over the place) and I don't think I want to find out if it still holds up all not.

It wasn't bad at all. For a filler episode it was perfectly fine and should have the critters suitably creeped out. There have been lots of worse New Who episodes - not exactly a glowing review of the episode, but it's true.

I too don't get the Rory hate at all. Aside from the great lines, he's just a guy doing his best to get by - and he's doing a damn good job - even though he'd rather be at home with Amy and a stack of DVD's then time travelling and fighting monsters. Skummy pretty much summed him up. And I think nearly all of the things people dislike about Tenny is down to the writing. He didn't write the Dcotor to be angry or an emo, and he actually did those bits WELL, it's just they're not likeable aspects of The Doctor. In the episodes not written by RTD when those traits get toned down he's generally superb; as he is in the better RTD episodes. One thing to mention though is that some of the RTD written stuff was good (like Midnight and Stolen Earth) to name but two, and ocasionally I think I miss a bit of the melodrama. Not massively; but I think the Moffat era could do with the odd episode a series with the melodrama ramped up. Sometimes I want something blunt and raw and OTT to come along. I'm getting slightly and as yet ONLY slightly irritated with Moffat telling every bloody story out of order and with 1000 twists a second. Anyway. For shits and giggles, my lists: Tennant > Smith (but this is BLOODY close and I reserve the right to swap them around at any point >_>) > Pertwee > Tom Baker > Davidson > Hartnell > Colin Baker > Ecclestone And then Troughton, McGann and McCoy who I've not seen. Smith is fantasic and just seems to get better with each and every episode; and he does a terrific job of convincingly portraying a character who is greatly older than him. To try and explain; Tenny DID seem like he was playing the Doctor in his thirties, while Smith feels like a 900+ year old trapped in a younger persons' body and is nailing it. As for companions; Rose, Amy and Rory are my favourites from New Who. Donna was FAR better than she had any right to be (I still have mates who insist that se was rubbish JUST because she's Catherine Tate; an argument I find pants on head retarded), and Martha was horrifically dull.

Thanks for the tips. I was rushing too much and not being methodical enough in choosing passes. I won for the first time on Pro, coming from behind to beat the Bears 28-7. I did change the sliders slightly (making my QB's passing a little more accurate and making it a little harder for the defence to intercept passes). I still only connected with I think 3 passes all game, but two were for Touchdowns; so I was pretty damn happy.

Can anyone provide any tips on passing? I've just upped the demo difficulty from Rookie to Pro (hardly know the sport and only slightly tinkered with Madden 11's demo; incase I need to explain my lameness) and while my defending is okay - and I can see where and how I can improve - I'm finding the passing as frustrating as hell. It just seems that no matter what I try passing just never comes off for me. Even shorter passing has been hit and miss. I've searched for tips online but a lot of guides asssume a large working knowledge of the sport, which I don't have. Still getting this tomorrow though, even if I'm still choosing a team...

That was a very good episode with a thousand quoteable lines. I spent last night telling people that they would be dead in thirty-two minutes. Anyway, I think that WAS it for the search for Melody Pond. The rest of the season's hook is The Doctor knowing when he's going to die and how he gets there (he does have a couple of hundered years to live though, doesn't he?) and more on why the Silence are so intent on killing him. There are still a couple of smaller questions to answer (like why did River need to regenerate as a baby etc) but they're minor points now. And there wasn't enough Hitler, this is true; and I think that Steven Moffat has watched Meet Dave recently >_>

I should have it by Friday. Probably won't be that great at the game because what I know about American Football could currently be written on the back of a beermat; but I'm not disinterested in taking part. I'll be easy points at least. Basically, I'll see how I get on with the game!