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toasterwarrior posted:I've written way too much about Honest Hearts already, but I'm willing to concede that a lot of Zion is shallow and that most of the decisions regarding the character interactions from a gameplay standpoint leaves a lot to be desired. I was just thinking last night about how out of place Honest Hearts is in the DLC. I'm admittedly not that into the religious themes at all, but what struck me most is how it blatantly railroads the player. The other DLC all have great introductions that set the stage for the next few hours of action, whereas in Hearts you... get attacked, and now Thou Must! help the people of Zion because you're 'stuck' in a fertile valley if you don't. Even though you spend the rest of the game traversing far more hostile areas, this time you, uh, can't make it out because it's totally impassable without resolving the local conflict. When Graham basically laughed at me for not wanting to do fed ex quests (how are you going to get home then?) I pretty much burned through the rest of the DLC in an hour and don't regret not going back. It's just shocking how not-good it is compared to the others, even Dead Money (with its questionable gameplay choices). Velius fucked around with this message at 12:37 on Jan 23, 2012 |
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Jan 23, 2012 12:35
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Velius posted:I was just thinking last night about how out of place Honest Hearts is in the DLC. I'm admittedly not that into the religious themes at all, but what struck me most is how it blatantly railroads the player. The other DLC all have great introductions that set the stage for the next few hours of action, whereas in Hearts you... get attacked, and now Thou Must! help the people of Zion because you're 'stuck' in a fertile valley if you don't. Even though you spend the rest of the game traversing far more hostile areas, this time you, uh, can't make it out because it's totally impassable without resolving the local conflict. When Graham basically laughed at me for not wanting to do fed ex quests (how are you going to get home then?) I pretty much burned through the rest of the DLC in an hour and don't regret not going back. It's just shocking how not-good it is compared to the others, even Dead Money (with its questionable gameplay choices). You can just waste them all, take the map, and leave. I really appreciate that they had that option in there. I think it's probably just a design flaw. When they were making Lonesome Road they realised they totally can have a DLC where you can leave and come back whenever you like and it works just fine. v  vvvv I liked HH, but the plot justifications to get you into and out of Zion were pretty weak. Here I am, chilling with my brush gun, ranger armor, tens of thousands of caps... oh, what's that, go to Zion for 25 caps a day? loving sold, Jed Masterson. Dush fucked around with this message at 13:17 on Jan 23, 2012 |
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Jan 23, 2012 13:03
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Didn't they rationalize how you're stuck by saying that you can't go back the way you came because of rock outcroppings or something? I'm no hiker, but I guess it's plausible that you can go down this incline but not back up. You don't really have to help the people of Zion anyway; you could always take the map leading back to the Mojave by force, as attested to how many people mistakenly shoot Follows-Chalk when he first appears. I'm also sure that Lonesome Road is the only DLC that lets you go back since people were complaining since Dead Money that you can't zone back to the Mojave. For all its faults, I think Honest Hearts at worst is around average. The nearest analogue I can think of for it from FO3's DLC is Point Lookout, what with its design as a side-story and focus on a new environment, and even then I think it's way better than PL since it actually bears relevance to what you're doing in the Mojave Wasteland. ^^^: Yeah, HH really fits best as a low-level DLC. Even the guns you get are a testament to how it's balanced for players who aren't running around with huge fuckoff weapons and power armour. toasterwarrior fucked around with this message at 15:44 on Jan 23, 2012 |
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Jan 23, 2012 13:10
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Hannibal Smith posted:Mods shouldn't affect them, but if you open the console at all it will disable achievements for that session. If you save and quit after using the console and restart the game, you should start earning them unless you use the console again. Oh, yeah I used it to raise the fov. Guess next time I'll go with editing the .ini file.
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Jan 23, 2012 14:18
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I bought New Vegas about a week ago, and picked up all the DLC a few days later, really enjoying it so far. I'm running an independent-faction, cowboy type guy, I'm mostly using pistols/revolvers but I keep a few larger guns and some armour on hand for when there's trouble. I've only played the Dead Money DLC so far, and I thought it was great, I thought the opening and closing voiceovers were very well written. Although I'm a little disappointed I can't see any of the characters again, being able to hear a thank you/goodbye message on the radio is a nice touch.' In regard to visiting the legion encampment in the main game: Is it actually possible to save Benny? I tried giving him a stealth boy and a hairpin, and he made a run for it, but immediately got dogpiled by guards despite his apparent invisibility. They made made short work of him, then came for me. On a slightly unrelated note, I'm considering changing my SA avatar to a vault boy image, or something similar with that Fallout retro-futurism feel, if anyone has any idea where I could find some decent images it'd be great if you could shoot me a PM.
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Jan 23, 2012 14:54
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Tiggy Sawdust posted:In regard to visiting the legion encampment in the main game: Is it actually possible to save Benny? I tried giving him a stealth boy and a hairpin, and he made a run for it, but immediately got dogpiled by guards despite his apparent invisibility. They made made short work of him, then came for me. You could try killing everybody then letting him go if you're tough enough. Otherwise, no, he's hosed. IIRC Caesar literally won't let him leave alive.
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Jan 23, 2012 15:04
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toasterwarrior posted:For all its faults, I think Honest Hearts at worst is around average. The nearest analogue I can think of for it from FO3's DLC is Point Lookout, what with its design as a side-story and focus on a new environment, and even then I think it's way better than PL since it actually bears relevance to what you're doing in the Mojave Wasteland. The problem with Honest Hearts is lack of content. I would take Point Lookout over it any day as a few sidequests there had more substance than this whole DLC. I get that this is a change of pace, that things are more tranquil etc. - and I really don't need to have fireworks and hectic action in a game but the DLC is so bare - this nothingness isn't beutiful or overwhelming - it's just empty and what's even worse - repetitive. There are many ways in which you can make a deserted experience interesting. They could have put more landmarks that don't even need quests or characters - just dioramas you could find while exploring. They could have given you a shitton to talk about with interesting NPCs - make it more dialogue driven. They could have written tons of books, notes that you find on your way, hell it could have been one big treasure hunt where you find hints left by various tribes or somehow make use of deciphering interesting landscape. Nothing like that was incorporated. This doesn't feel like a great lonely desert - this just feels like an empty polygon map with copy-pasted bare locations sprinkled over it. Palpek fucked around with this message at 15:11 on Jan 23, 2012 |
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Jan 23, 2012 15:04
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You can save him by basically slaughtering the guards beforehand, but you'll never see him again, so it's meaningless. Also 
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Jan 23, 2012 15:05
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So I've discovered my least favourite part of the game. I've wasted so much ammo firing into empty patches of bush in Vault 22 that it's funny.
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Jan 23, 2012 15:19
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Tiggy Sawdust posted:So I've discovered my least favourite part of the game. I've wasted so much ammo firing into empty patches of bush in Vault 22 that it's funny. Figuring out how to set those charges without blowing yourself up wasn't that much of a stroll either.
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Jan 23, 2012 15:21
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Tiggy Sawdust posted:So I've discovered my least favourite part of the game. I've wasted so much ammo firing into empty patches of bush in Vault 22 that it's funny. There's a Flamer right on level 3 or 4 with a bunch of ammo.
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Jan 23, 2012 15:30
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Palpek posted:The problem with Honest Hearts is lack of content. I would take Point Lookout over it any day as a few sidequests there had more substance than this whole DLC. I get that this is a change of pace, that things are more tranquil etc. - and I really don't need to have fireworks and hectic action in a game but the DLC is so bare - this nothingness isn't beutiful or overwhelming - it's just empty and what's even worse - repetitive. I have to agree with you on that: what kept me going through the DLC wasn't just the story and exploration, but the potential it had. I know that sounds crazy, but if there's one thing that probably skewed my view of HH to the positive, it's that I've accepted the fact that Bethesda's Fallout engine is terrible and that Obsidian, while excellent in writing stories, stumbles a lot when turning that fiction into a solid gameplay experience. I, more or less, went into Honest Hearts (and New Vegas even) with low expectations; FO3 and its DLCs were terrible for me until the modding scene managed to make it a fun, open-world romp through a post-apocalyptic hellhole. HH left me with the impression that beneath its blandness was a well-envisioned world and story worth experiencing even with its lacking execution, and it's why I'm willing to call it a good DLC. I still think that Joshua and Daniel should've been your companions though.
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Jan 23, 2012 15:44
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computer parts posted:Figuring out how to set those charges without blowing yourself up wasn't that much of a stroll either. I just tossed a grenade at the gas leak and closed the blast door. Job's a good one.
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Jan 23, 2012 16:00
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FWIW, Honest Hearts had the shortest development time of all the dlcs, which is why the quests are so linear. (not discounting the lack of content comments, I agree and wish there was more stuff to do there) What I love about HH (and brings the dlc into the pro side), is the amazing scenery of Zion Canyon. It's a nice break from the rundown wasteland and being able to wander around climbing the various peaks and then jumping into the river to swim in the clean water is all sorts of awesome. Well that and Joshua Graham and his reloading animation. 
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Jan 23, 2012 17:20
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mania posted:FWIW, Honest Hearts had the shortest development time of all the dlcs, which is why the quests are so linear. (not discounting the lack of content comments, I agree and wish there was more stuff to do there) I was legit upset after I got to the point where Joshua hangs around the in Sorrows camp, because it meant I could no longer watch him do maintenance on those .45s. It looked so cool.
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Jan 23, 2012 17:36
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Tiggy Sawdust posted:So I've discovered my least favourite part of the game. I've wasted so much ammo firing into empty patches of bush in Vault 22 that it's funny. That's why it's the best part of the game!
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Jan 23, 2012 17:43
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computer parts posted:Figuring out how to set those charges without blowing yourself up wasn't that much of a stroll either. I've found that Turbo is often the "universal key" when it comes to seemingly impassable situations. I don't think I'll ever get to the Boomers' front gate without it.
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Jan 23, 2012 20:17
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redmercer posted:I've found that Turbo is often the "universal key" when it comes to seemingly impassable situations. I don't think I'll ever get to the Boomers' front gate without it. I just ran for my life and used a couple Stimpacks. Usually the explosion was just behind me.
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Jan 23, 2012 22:30
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I've never been hit once after I listened to that guy's advice of hiding in a burnt-out building until the shells stop falling and then running to the next, along the northwest of the Boomers compound. It's just "Wait, run, wait, run" until you reach the fence. No stimpaks or turbo needed.
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Jan 23, 2012 22:41
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computer parts posted:Figuring out how to set those charges without blowing yourself up wasn't that much of a stroll either. Pickpocket the ghoul to get the code to the front door and leave, go back and bully the scientist into paying you more caps. Quest over, get XP, maximum sense of  selfishness.
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Jan 24, 2012 01:08
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Is there a goon-supported New Vegas Modpack? I played the hell out of the game on 360 and a goon kindly gifted it to me on Steam during the last sale so I'd like to play with as many mods as possible. Should I start putting things together on my own or is there a pre-existing pack?
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Jan 24, 2012 01:10
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Blunt Force Trauma posted:Is there a goon-supported New Vegas Modpack? I played the hell out of the game on 360 and a goon kindly gifted it to me on Steam during the last sale so I'd like to play with as many mods as possible. Should I start putting things together on my own or is there a pre-existing pack? As many mods as possible is probably a bad idea. Pick and choose what you want to go with and add one or two at a time while using the tools available like FNVEdit to work out conflicts. As for a modpack, not really though the FNV modding thread is kept up to date and has a pretty good list of recommended stuff - just note, like I said, that you shouldn't download all of it and try to use it all.
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Jan 24, 2012 01:17
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Blunt Force Trauma posted:Is there a goon-supported New Vegas Modpack? I played the hell out of the game on 360 and a goon kindly gifted it to me on Steam during the last sale so I'd like to play with as many mods as possible. Should I start putting things together on my own or is there a pre-existing pack? There isn't really a "mod pack" but if you check the mod thread the op has a lot of the "goon recommended" mods. See what looks good to you, download those and then branch out from there. Francois Kofko posted:You can save him by basically slaughtering the guards beforehand, but you'll never see him again, so it's meaningless. I think it was Rope Kid who said they didn't expect him to actually be a popular character so they didn't think of making him rescu-able. RagnarokAngel fucked around with this message at 01:30 on Jan 24, 2012 |
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Jan 24, 2012 01:20
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RagnarokAngel posted:I think it was Rope Kid who said they didn't expect him to actually be a popular character so they didn't think of making him rescu-able. Well he does kind of shoot you in the head. You'd have to be the ultimate Wasteland Jesus to let that slide. Personally, I like taking Caesar's suggestion of a knife fight. He just seems kind of honoured.
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Jan 24, 2012 01:43
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I can't help but like him and I rescue him every time it comes to that point. Just the way he talks makes me into putty in his hands.
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Jan 24, 2012 02:04
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Upmarket Mango posted:I can't help but like him and I rescue him every time it comes to that point. Just the way he talks makes me into putty in his hands. He's not a jerk about what he's done. Everything's business for him, and you really can't get too mad at him about what he seeks to accomplish (freeing New Vegas from House's tyranny and securing it against the NCR and the Legion).
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Jan 24, 2012 02:08
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Vermain posted:He's not a jerk about what he's done. Everything's business for him, and you really can't get too mad at him about what he seeks to accomplish (freeing New Vegas from House's tyranny and securing it against the NCR and the Legion). He shoots you in the head instead of just stealing the chip. If for some reason you don't immediately kill him upon entering his casino, he sends four guys in to kill you. Apparently they were also going to add in another scene where, if you choose to set him free, he later appears and laughs at you for helping him and then attacks you. Benny's just a charismatic rear end in a top hat. Though to be honest, for all the buildup he had, Benny turned out to be a very ineffective villain. A big part of the game is about the four casinos and how they rule New Vegas, but by the time you actually get to that part of the game, Benny has to be gone.
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Jan 24, 2012 02:28
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I think my favourite way of killing him is sleeping with him as a female courier. He's absolutely dumbfounded why you would want to do such a thing, and he's totally turned on by it. 
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Jan 24, 2012 02:31
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There's a branch of dialogue in Mr. House's tree where he talks about having spent over 800K caps tracking down the platinum chip. Is there a cap on caps (hurr)? Because now I kind of want to see if I can amass a similar fortune (without max-ing Luck & gambling).
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Jan 24, 2012 02:51
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Upmarket Mango posted:I think my favourite way of killing him is sleeping with him as a female courier. He's absolutely dumbfounded why you would want to do such a thing, and he's totally turned on by it. Yeah he's a loving creep, but it's pretty funny how he's all like yowzer! Mastiff posted:There's a branch of dialogue in Mr. House's tree where he talks about having spent over 800K caps tracking down the platinum chip. Even with luck maxed you only get 40 or 50k or something like that from gambling. I guess if you never bought anything and hoarded poo poo you could get there. You'd probably have to glitch the gold out of Sierra Madre and poo poo as well... which defeats the point sort of. J Bjelke-Postersen fucked around with this message at 02:55 on Jan 24, 2012 |
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Jan 24, 2012 02:53
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"I'm a courier, remember? Don't you want me to handle your package?"
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Jan 24, 2012 02:54
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Mastiff posted:There's a branch of dialogue in Mr. House's tree where he talks about having spent over 800K caps tracking down the platinum chip. Between Jury Rigging and the weekly vouchers from the BOS Bunker, you can amass an enormous amount. I usually stop caring once I get to around 200k for so, and I only ever put points into barter when I'm at around level 40+ and there just isn't anything else I can them into. When you're at a high level, the enemies in the DLC maps start dropping things like AMRs and Riot Shotguns that sell for a ton of caps at 100% condition.
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Jan 24, 2012 03:10
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I never have caps; then again, my mod keeps me pretty poor when I'm not using the cabinets.
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Jan 24, 2012 03:20
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Upmarket Mango posted:I think my favourite way of killing him is sleeping with him as a female courier. He's absolutely dumbfounded why you would want to do such a thing, and he's totally turned on by it. Holy poo poo you can do that? As I'm saying this, I'm remembering that the female courier I did had Cherchez La Femme and not Black Widow, which is probably why I didn't know that.
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Jan 24, 2012 04:46
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Nucular Carmul posted:Holy poo poo you can do that? As I'm saying this, I'm remembering that the female courier I did had Cherchez La Femme and not Black Widow, which is probably why I didn't know that. You are skilled in seducing the wrong half of the population to cover Benny, yeah. Getting Cherchez La Femme and Black Widow at the same time are nice for pragmatic reasons other than seduction, too; 10% damage bonus against all humans of both sexes is nothing to sneeze at. Ditto Batchelor and Ladykiller. Though, people who can be seduced by hetero options can't be seduced by gay options. Speedball fucked around with this message at 05:30 on Jan 24, 2012 |
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Jan 24, 2012 05:28
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Tewratomeh posted:I've never been hit once after I listened to that guy's advice of hiding in a burnt-out building until the shells stop falling and then running to the next, along the northwest of the Boomers compound. It's just "Wait, run, wait, run" until you reach the fence. No stimpaks or turbo needed. A far easier way is to just follow the cliff wall. No timing necessary, they won't hit you as long as you're right next to it, and they stop shooting once you reach the fence.
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Jan 24, 2012 05:44
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I'm just now getting into gambling with this 10 LCK character. Is the King of Spades in the Gomorrah deck supposed to look like Ron Jeremy, or am I just making associations? 
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Jan 24, 2012 05:59
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Upmarket Mango posted:I think my favourite way of killing him is sleeping with him as a female courier. He's absolutely dumbfounded why you would want to do such a thing, and he's totally turned on by it. It's particularly amusing if your character dresses like a post-apocalyptic slasher movie villain, with a hockey mask, mohawk and a leather outfit with human hands on her belt. If you're being stalked by a mass-murdering cannibal that you shot in the head and left for dead, it's probably not a good idea to sleep with her.
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Jan 24, 2012 06:11
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redmercer posted:I'm just now getting into gambling with this 10 LCK character. Make sure to play roulette right before you break the bank. That way you can leave prime with 3x the house limit
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Jan 24, 2012 06:11
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Speedball posted:You are skilled in seducing the wrong half of the population to cover Benny, yeah. After the embarrassing 'reward' you get from completing the arena egg hunting quests, I want to believe you can't get into a relationship with Veronica. Between that aforementioned quest chain and Mass Effect, I've more than had my fill of awkward video game sex. When Veronica kept mentioning wanting a dress, I was like, "Hmm... I wonder," and ended up giving her an outfit I found in one of the vaults. She gets all excited and I thought that was super cute. Was totally satisfied to leave it there. She got her dress and I like her character and we're total buds. But now that I realize I took Black Widow and not Cherchez La Femme... now I'm scared there is a weird Veronica sex scene. Please tell me it ain't so.
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Jan 24, 2012 06:45
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