Looking for a new hobbie

[Thecla]

Although you're not really asking about other games, I would highly recommend Knights of the Old Republic. It is single player, so perhaps you won't want to go through it more than once, but even that will give you more than your money's worth IMO. KOTOR pretty much finished my desire to play D2.

(I don't know if you tried ever KOTOR, but I think its combat system is very nice even though it is turn based...)

[Hammerskjold]

>Any links you could give us?


http://www.akc.iinet.net.au/knifemaking.html

http://www.warnerknives.com/knifemaker_faq.htm

http://www.knives.com/engnath.html (His tips on safety is very good.)

http://www.customknifedirectory.com/CKD_Tu...rials.htm~tmain


Forging and blacksmithing:

http://www.anvilfire.com/

http://www.keenjunk.com/index.htm


>Go to www.swordforum.com

Yeah, I have that site bookmarked 6 months ago. :) It's a great site as you said.

Speaking of Swordforum, try out Don Fogg's website too. His short sword was featured on this cover http://swordforum.com/summer99/.

You can also look up Tai Goo and neo-tribal methods of forgings. Simple tools, but the learning curve becomes higher for a beginner like me. But inspiring still.

>I've studied European swordsmanship to a degree, and am able to use a lathe and other shop tools to fashion wooden long swords

Hey I heard wooden swords\prototypes are a good way to practice and work out your designs. :) What type of long sword exactly, if you don't mind me asking.

[[wcip]Angel]

Although you're not really asking about other games, I would highly recommend Knights of the Old Republic. It is single player, so perhaps you won't want to go through it more than once, but even that will give you more than your money's worth IMO. KOTOR pretty much finished my desire to play D2.

(I don't know if you tried ever KOTOR, but I think its combat system is very nice even though it is turn based...)

He mentioned KOTOR specifically as a game he didn't like. Otherwise, I would've recommended it as well.

[Thecla]

Angel,Mar 25 2004, 01:02 AM]He mentioned KOTOR specifically as a game he didn't like. Otherwise, I would've recommended it as well.

Yes, that's why I edited my post -- but I can't imagine why he would think Baldur's gate, for example, is ok and not KOTOR, so I don't know if he has really tried it. On the other hand, by not trying KOTOR, he will gain 30 odd hrs for potentially productive activity. :)

[Lord_Olf]

Hi MEAT,

first, for games that I find interesting:

I just got sucked back into original Diablo, but I guess you don't want to hear about that *g*. Also, I have been playing and replaying Jagged Alliance 2 over the last few months, a turn based "tactical" game.

Basically, you have squads of mercs which you need to manage in order to free a country. The Game is divided into sectors which you have to take with your troops, there is one central storyline and several side-quests. One thing that reminds me of Diablo is the fact that you will get new and better weapons, which you can modify with items like rifle scopes and the like.
A nice thing about Jagged Alliance 2 ist that there are tons of MODs out there, lots of them "only" weapon mods, others completely change the game (I recommend Urban CHaos from the JA2 MOD Squad). Anyway, I don't know if you like games like that, so if you're interested, just tell me and I'll tell you more.

Well, now for hobbies in general. What I like to do in my spare time is scuba diving. Again, I don't know if you'd like something like that, but it really helps me to combat stress and the like and has a meditative quality to me. As for interest in computers, that hobby led me to an internet side about scuba diving (it's german and the link is www.taucher.net, in case anyone wants to take a look). Eventually, I became an Admin for that site and one of its staff of reporters. It turned out to be a good think for me, getting information for myself and also beeing able to help others with problems or questions I once had myself. Anyway, what I really like about this combination is that I can spend time on the 'puter, but also am able to make some friends or at least aquaintances for Real Life.

Well, surely not a "standard" suggestion, but maybe you'll give it some thought.

Take care,
Lord_Olf

[Premezilla]

My favorite games were:  Civilization II

umm...Civilization III? Or Alpha Centauri, but I don't think that's a "true" civ game, if yah know what I mean. However, a great outdoor pastime is hiking/camping. I just recently went hiking into Kualoa Ranch, a big ranch on Oahu where movies like Godzilla, Mighty Joe Young, and George of the Jungle were filmed. I got to see movie stuff, cows, and cow pies. But I do live in Hawaii, so maybe you should find someplace closer to where you live first. But yes, hiking is always a good, fun activity, and caming is even better.

Also, I don't know if it would susit you, but have you considered the Grand Theft Auto type of games? :lol:

[Taem]

Thanks for all the ideas folks!

I have been spending my time reading (I have a TON of books I want to read) and have purposly stopped myself from buying or playing any other games until I read a stack of books I have.

When I'm not reading, I'm writing D&D modules for my future group (haven't played in over a hear and a half, but hey, it *could* happen), which is taking up a lot of time and is also very fun.

I think I may end up downloading some animme and manga later on.

Yes, I tried KotoR and I really hated the 50% turn based 50% real time combat system. Drove me buggy. I liked the skill system (total d20 from out of the book), and I head the story was great, but seriously, I just couldn't stand it! The graphics were so-so on my game cube, the music was pretty good, and the NPC's were the WORST part, walking around in circles. There was just nothing about that game I really enjoyed.

I guess its pretty ironic that I liked Baulders Gate. The game was just a lot of fun and you could set the combat system to real time. It was hardcore in the sense that if your main character died, your game was over and you had to revert to a saved file (I think I disabled autosave).

I tried Civ III... it was a lot of fun at first... until I had been playing it for over 2 days without an end in sight! I liked the good old days of a 4-6 hour game of Civ or hotseat and that was it. I don't like that 72 hour a game civ thing.

[Rhydderch Hael]

I go to SFI for the knowledge. I stay in SFI's Family Pub because of the half-insane comedians that (at least, used to) populate the place. I'm a bit of an old hand there, and I do miss the antics of Ms. Wright, vessel for the spirit of Ving, the Penguin King; and the *ahem* artistry of Lieutenant Dan— though I recall he got promoted to Captain, then shoved off from Korea to the most ungodly locale upon all the earth: New Jersey. Have heard nary a thing of him ever since. :(


EDIt: Me grammar ungood.