Matt Reed wrote: I only go to them when I'm stuck and have spent considerable amounts of time trying to figure a problem out by myself.  Some people use them as they go through a game regardless of whether or not they actually need them.

One of my brothers friends pretty much always hunts down the GOD-mode cheats the instant he get a new game, and it weirds me the hell out. The designers do all this work to make the game challenging in just the right places and satisfying when you earn rewards...and he just wants to run roughshod over that?

I'm tempted to psychoanalyze it and say, "Ah, he's got a low self-esteem or a chaotic life and, as sad as it is, this game is one part of his life where he can be in total control." Or maybe, "He's a straightlaced dude most of the time, but cheating at video games is where he can let go and be a bad boy." But I don't know the guy that well. He just weirds me out from afar.

One of the newer quirks of video games to pscyhoanalyze is the advent of achievements - most of which have no tangible results, but have created a generation of "achievement whores." I never quite got it, so I've got a low count on my 360. I do like it when I get the little "BLIP!" of achievement, but I don't seek them. 

What class are you playing Borderlands as, Robin?

I've tried fighting General Knoxx several times now. I'm packing a x2 corrosive SMG that holds 46 rounds and a corrosive shotgun (I forget the x on the shotty, but I try to only use it on Devastators that show up and not on Knoxx himself) that holds 9, with corrosive bouncing bettie grenades and a fairly decent Assassin class mod (which I switch out for the Hunter mod if he summons troops). The shield I've got is something like 1675 strength but with a recharge close to 300.

So far I've tried two different strategies: blatantly standing out in the open shooting at him then dodging for cover when he shoots, and the `suicide' method, which is standing right up close to him (he can't shoot at you without using the jump attack first) and shooting at his head. And I can't get him beat. One time I did the suicide method and came fairly close to beating him, but he ended up summoning a Badass Devastator and I couldn't kill it (or him) in time because part of Knoxx was blocking my way so I couldn't shoot the Devastator. I'd say I needed to put about 3 more clips of smg ammo into Knoxx to kill him that time.

Funny thing; I've attempted to take out Knoxx about 7 times now, and only once has he summoned combat medics. The time I almost beat him he didn't summon anything at all until he was at around 20% health left.

Well, I finally managed to beat Knoxx. I had the weapons and gear setup I mentioned earlier but managed to get my hands on a Double Anarchy and added it, so I was using 2 smgs and a shotgun. I held off on using the DA until he was pretty much near dead then poured it on.

However, I decided to take advantage of the armory glitch. I opened every single chest I could find (and sadly, no class mods better than what I already had or ANY Pearlescent weapons. I ended up taking only 3 or 4 items out of all those cases!

I think I'm screwed, though; somehow I walked through a door that wasn't there (obvious door, no option to open it and somehow I went through it like it wasn't even there) and have off a short ledge that was just too high to jump back up on, so I had to log out after finding no way out. I've heard that if you log out while you're in the armory, you get locked out of being able to go back in to actually do the mission.

Drove back and Knoxx was back up (complete with his intro cutscene), but I didn't feel like fighting him again so I logged off. I may go try and fight Crawmerax before I take another shot at Knoxx again. (One of those weapons I picked up in the Armory is a better shotgun than what I had when I took Knoxx down, though; does more dmg and has better accuracy but holds 2 less rounds of ammo)

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 I thought was too short and the ending kind of stinks. I have the PS2 version and it kind of got the short end of the stick as far as exclusive characters. Hated that they got rid of alternate costumes, too.

Robin, I first tried playing Badlands as a Soldier but decided I didn't like it and deleted the character. I have a Siren I got to level 10 and a Berserker I got to 25, but ended up liking the Hunter a lot more. Once I'm done with the Hunter, I'm either going to play the Siren or try a Soldier again.

Berserking is pretty powerful once you get artifacts that can affect the damage type, but Berserkers specialize in using grenades and rocket launchers, which I don't like. Its too easy to run out of grenades a lot, rocket launchers stink in 9 out of 10 situations, and I try to avoid melee combat whenever I can.

And it looks like there's going to be a 4th DLC, but I don't know what or when.

Dwayne, Duke Nukem Forever was in development for so long before 3D Realms folded, I doubt if most people even care if it actually gets made by now. If Gearbox has indeed taken it over and don't deliver on the demo when they say they will, the game might as well be toast.

I'm taking a break from Borderlands. I still haven't been able to beat Crawmerax, so I figure I need to do another armory run or two, and I'm just not in the mood to fight General Knoxx again. Frankly, I'm wondering if I should just go online and find a group for Crawmerax and hope the others don't get greedy and loot everything he drops. (I watched a walkthrough video of someone soloing Crawmerax where they went to a spot that's supposed to be safe from attacks, but its not working out that way when I try it; I've been knocked off the ledge to my death a few times doing that)

So I'm spending the time I'd be playing Borderlands on playing Champions Online instead.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 I thought was too short and the ending kind of stinks. I have the PS2 version and it kind of got the short end of the stick as far as exclusive characters.

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Did you splash out on the extra characters like Juggernaut or the extra missions? Wondering if it's worth it.